2009 Subaru Impreza - Review

Love it or hate it, the new WRX has a definite 'look'

Enlarge PhotoIn the aesthetic department, the latest WRX is as polarizing as ever - you'll either love it or hate it at first glance - and the racy Aero Package and STI-style grille add to the boy-racer effect for those that might prefer a more subdued exterior. Inside, the design is better, but materials are still lacking with hard plastics dominating and the cloth seats in our $26,800 hatchback test car needing significantly more bolstering in the thigh area, though the side bolsters were quite good.

Pricing is another issue. On the street, Mazda's Mazdaspeed3 - either last-gen or the new 2010 model - will likely offer as much or more real-world performance for less cash. Of course, those in northern climes will appreciate the Subie's AWD. Those that appreciate a hard launch and 60-foot times well below 2.0 seconds will too.

Fuel efficiency is nothing to write home about, but it's nothing to worry about either. We averaged 17-22mpg in our test car, in mixed driving, depending on how hard we pushed it. That's not stellar for a modern turbocharged hatchback, but it's not terrible for a car in this performance league, either.

All in all, the new WRX is a great improvement on the 2008 model, which was more econo-box than pocket rocket. With the power situation resolved and the options more suited to the car's intended purpose and market, all we can hope for is further work on the suspension to tune the car into a coherent whole, capable of mashing the competition both on road and off.Driven: 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX