Review of the new Subaru WRX Sti

If you doubt that motorsport really does improve the breed, then a car like Subaru's WRX STi should offer all the reassurance you need. This car's bloodline has been honed across rally special stages the world over, with a heritage that goes back to the early Nineties. 'STi' stands for Subaru Technica International and is the go-faster wing of Subaru, much as M is to BMW, AMG is to Mercedes or, more accurately, Ralliart is to Mitsubishi.

The car we're looking at here is the revised version which, for the first time sheds its previous 'Impreza' badgework and adopts a more focused 'spec C' suspension set-up. It's Subaru's latest attempt at one-upmanship over this car's arch-rival, Mitsubishi's Evo X. And it looks like a potent one.

If you really want a car that will make you feel like World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb on the back road home, then this four wheel drive replica rallycar will certainly deliver, especially since the exhaust system has been tuned for a more iconic boxer engine 'burble'. The latest version has the same grippy Symmetrical AWD all-wheel drive system but also now benefits from a stiffened bodyshell and extensively reworked suspension. This is based upon the marque's widely praised 'spec. C' set-up. Lower ride height and wider tyres also contribute to more direct and accurate control of the car and greater feedback for the driver.

The more rigid bodyshell has also made it possible to increase suspension travel, benefiting road-holding as well as ride refinement. As before, if you want to change the front or rear end bias - like an F1 driver would - then the DCCD (Driver Control Centre Differential) lets you do it, via a switch on the transmission tunnel, enhancing either straightline ability or the car's agility through corners. Then there's 'Si' mode. Here, you can play with the throttle mapping via three different modes.

And performance? Well with 300PS, this car will jet to sixty in around 5 seconds with an urgency that makes you feel as if you've been clouted up the rear by a wrecking ball - or at least that's what you feel once you've past 4,000rpm, when the turbo cuts in with a savagery clearly intended to make up for its slightly lethargic feel at low revs. In other words, drive this car like you stole it and it'll never fail to plant a huge grin on your face. Approach the whole thing in a slightly more restrained manner and the noisy exhaust, rather vague steering and lumpy ride might leave you wondering what all the fuss is about.

"Is it a four-door Ferrari? It certainly has a supercar's speed.."

In response to customer demand, it's now possible to buy a four-door saloon version of this car as well as a five-door hatch. Either way, there's smarter exterior styling, with revised bumpers, enlarged rear quarter panels and a lower ride height giving the car a more muscular presence. Inside, the quality of the cabin materials has been upgraded, and the driver and passenger are assured of a secure and comfortable seating position thanks to the introduction of grippier RECARO bucket seats.

The cabin is a little bigger than you might be expecting, with fair rear seat legroom, thanks to a 95mm wheelbase increase over the previous generation version. The same goes for the boot, thanks to the adoption of multi-link rear suspension which has freed up space for 301 litres of luggage room, extendable to 1216 litres by folding the rear seats.

At around £33,000 for either four or five-door versions, the WRX STi isn't cheap - but then neither are comparable rivals able to boast similar levels of performance. These include most obviously, Mitsubishi's Evo, plus cars like Audi's S3, VW's Golf R and SEAT Leon Cupra R.

Equipment levels are strong, although an STi is not the car to buy if you want luxury. Standard gear includes keyless entry, push-button start, front log lamps, hill start assist, climate control air-conditioning, remote central locking, electric windows front and rear, a better quality radio-CD unit with a 10-speaker audio system, AUX and USB input jacks, a hands-free Bluetooth system and, rather curiously for a car of this kind, cruise control. Certainly, for a model with this kind of power and technology, you're getting a lot of kit for the money.

Although the Impreza WRX STi might be quite affordable to buy, it's never going to be a cheap car to keep on the road. Despite an excellent reliability record, service intervals are short and spares costly. A quoted combined fuel consumption figure of just over 27mpg for the standard version is, in our experience with this engine, hopelessly optimistic and if you return 20mpg in mixed driving conditions you must have the restraint of a monk. You'll certainly be lucky to squeeze 250 miles out of a tankful.

Insurance is top-of-the-shop Group 20 and some will try to load the cover, knowing the Impreza is such an attractive target to thieves. 243g/km of carbon dioxide will also deter anyone who cheekily thinks they'll slide the WRX STi past their fleet manager's beady eye. The one bright spot is that residual values look to be improving as time passes, though at 36% after three years, they still lag behind those of a Mitsubishi Evo X.

Where this improved WRX STi really impresses is in the way it never forgets that its key role is not to serve up outright speed per se, but deliver fun. It also scores big in terms of value for money, the asking price reading like a misprint for such a formidably equipped high performance car and giving it an important advantage over its Mitsubishi Evo X arch-rival. Yes it's pricey to run of course, but the usual Subaru qualities of brilliant reliability, everyday practicality and a sense of camaraderie with fellow owners go some way to offsetting that.

Is it a four-door Ferrari? That probably depends on your definition. It certainly has a supercar's speed, if not its sophistication. It's some time now since Subaru dominated world rallying but in this car, you can tell that they haven't forgotten just how to create a machine that can take on the very best.

TOP 2 WRX STI DEALS

The results below show the top WRX STI deals on buyacar

Subaru WRX STI 2.5 WRX STi Type UK 4dr saloon
Price £30,942 Read WRX STI Reviews	Save £2,013
Subaru WRX STI 2.5 WRX STI Type UK 5dr hatchback
Price £30,942 Read WRX STI Reviews	Save £2,013
VIEW MORE DISCOUNT WRX STI DEALS