2015 Subaru WRX & STi - WRX Wagon on the way?

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The Jalopnik of the 2015 Subaru WRX

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-Exterior: 5/10
-Interior: 6/10
-Acceleration: 8/10
-Braking: 7/10
-Ride: 8/10
-Handling: 9/10
-Gearbox 8/10
-Toys: 6/10
-Audio: 6/10
-Value: 9/10
Total= 73/100
 
So it's no Evo, but the exterior styling isn't exactly bland city. I'd give it a seven, myself... six, maybe, because the wheels are so boring... :lol: ...but no lower.

 
I still don't get why everyone is so hung up on the styling. I might rate the current Impreza as the best-looking one yet, and the WRX looks purposeful without being garish about it. But my ideal WRX/STI was always spoilerless with black understated wheels...basically as the one in this review appears. Clean and simple.

From all accounts it sounds like this thing is an excellent drive. It's the first WRX to really get me to consider navigating the inevitable minefield of the used market once it becomes attainable for a peasant like me.
 
I think it looks fine. Hell, it looks better than grandpa Bugeye.
 
niky
So it's no Evo, but the exterior styling isn't exactly bland city. I'd give it a seven, myself... six, maybe, because the wheels are so boring... :lol: ...but no lower.
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By most accounts so far the handling is on par with the evo, maybe better.

I'm most interested in seeing the interior. People constantly bash subaru for interiors so I really want to see just how bad this one is compared to previous generations.
 
I don't like it cause no hatch.
Interior looks like a regular new-gen Impreza to me. Hopefully they'll have one accessible at the Chicago show.
It might be on par with Evo on the street, but it will eat brakes like there's no tomorrow on the track, unless torque-vectoring is disabled.

In the latter case, it still won't be up to Evo's turn-in. Steady-state cornering, I don't think previous-gen STI was behind Evos anyway.
 
Who was the idiot who decided to put the grill and hood lines like that.

Make bottom lip line not straight, move hood line to grill, make grill more open with a curve at the top and sharper upper corners - more aggresive, bring back black background to headlights.

Fixed:
Compare with image a few posts above. Now you have a smart looking car. Only thing is those foglight surrounds...
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Excellent point. That horizontal grill line in the middle does look a bit off for sure. I like everything else. The STI looks even better. I am sure there will be aftermarket grills to purchase shortly after these cars are released.

Excellent video Jalopnik posted of an AWD WRX Impreza pulling a RWD cop car in the snow.




I have tow straps and shackles in my RS Impreza and my WRX Impreza for this exact same reason. There are also videos of WRX Imprezas pulling semi trucks and ambulances out of the snow.
 
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Hood line is like that for a reason. The reason being pedestrian protection. A low hood-line makes the hood more likely to break bones. A high-cut line allows the front bumper to absorb more of the impact.

Might not like it, but for cars that need to be sold in Europe, it's necessary.
 
Can still be improved (IMO of course). That stuck on looking grill outline thing is just... awkward.
ZWATS1X.jpg
 
@R.S , you're right that the standard hood line is awful. But there's a reason for it. If the hood line were at the grille where it actually looks good, the front edge of the hood would be exposed to minor fender-bender impacts with other vehicles. Pretty much every time anybody slightly hit anything the hood would have to be fixed or replaced, as well as the bumper. It probably factors into crash ratings and pedestrian safety as well. Moving the hood line rearward means only the bumper is exposed to those tiny impacts, earning better crash ratings and saving money for Subaru, owners and even insurance companies.
 
@Keef It can still be improved as the picture above. Many car companies use a high hood line for their design and it works well, Ford Focus, Merc...

It is not excuse for hideous/cheap front end when slight adjustments could make it look good.

If a high hood line is required for some safety points this design can be improved by removing the stupid attached looking grill outline, slightly reshaping the grill and making the lower 2 bumper edges not straight.
 
I didn't notice the hood line on this as much as on the leaked images of the 2015 Legacy. Maybe it's because the car is smaller but I think it works acceptably well here.
 
eSZee
How did you come to that conclusion?
The dimensions are almost identical to the current gen WRX sedan.
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I talk about the frontal view, not the dimensions. It reminds me to some SUVs
Despite that, i like the design
 
Sat in a WRX at the Chicago show. It's okay, pretty livable I guess. Headliner is still same old Subaru mouse-fur. The seats are decent enough, finally getting some electric adjustment instead of manual, but still no position memory, so pretty useless. Plastics are okay, seemed somewhat better than in a regular Impreza. Steering wheel is decent in shape/feel. Don't quite get why only the CVT version will get S# button on the wheel.
 
I think that the number one thing that needs to be changed about the looks of the WRX/STi is the rim size. Going up one or two inches would make it look much better and less like an economy car.
 
dsgerbc
Sat in a WRX at the Chicago show. It's okay, pretty livable I guess. Headliner is still same old Subaru mouse-fur. The seats are decent enough, finally getting some electric adjustment instead of manual, but still no position memory, so pretty useless. Plastics are okay, seemed somewhat better than in a regular Impreza. Steering wheel is decent in shape/feel. Don't quite get why only the CVT version will get S# button on the wheel.
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Was it a regular WRX or STI?
Regarding the CVT and S#, I'm not entirely sure the manual transmissions will have SI-Drive and if it's there it will probably only be on the STI (as was the case last generation). Personally, I think they should get rid of SI-Drive all together.

No about the uselessness of electronic adjustment without memory position... I don't know if the lack of position memory really makes it useless. :indiff:

I also wouldn't be surprised if only a handful of the direct competitors featured position memory.
Either way, I don't really care about features like position memory since I'm the only person who drives my car... Maybe for the sharing crowd out there it's a big deal though so I can understand why people would want it. That said, my interest in the car is more related to the feel of the seats, steering wheel (which I'm surprised you said was only "decent"), and of course the drive itself (which I know on this new model is the biggest selling point of all).
 
^Nope.
Kent
Was it a regular WRX or STI?
Regarding the CVT and S#, I'm not entirely sure the manual transmissions will have SI-Drive and if it's there it will probably only be on the STI (as was the case last generation). Personally, I think they should get rid of SI-Drive all together.
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Regular WRX. I've had a S# button on the wheel in my spec.b and I miss it in the STi. "I" mode does save some gas for cruising. But having a S# button on the wheel is useful IMO.
Kent
No about the uselessness of electronic adjustment without memory position... I don't know if the lack of position memory really makes it useless. :indiff:
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Electric ones are slower and hard to replicate if some service rep moves them during oil change.
Like I said, w/o memory I'd rather have manual controls. Less weight.

Kent
That said, my interest in the car is more related to the feel of the seats, steering wheel (which I'm surprised you said was only "decent"), and of course the drive itself (which I know on this new model is the biggest selling point of all).
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The steering wheel and the seats are better than in the previous generation STi. But I prefer the wheel in the BRZ. As well as the seats. Hence 'decent'.
 

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