Road Test
Subaru Impreza STI
Test Date 05 March 2008
Price When New £26,595
Verdict
The STi is fast, grippy, robust, looks strange, has trick features, makes odd sounds and offers amazing value for money; it must be an Impreza. But this is a different kind of STi.
Subaru’s attempts to broaden the appeal of this car have given it a slightly odd, compromised character. On the positive side, it is smoother, quieter, better finished, roomier, safer and more practical than its predecessor.
But it’s unlikely to tempt many premium car owners out of their seats, or even hot hatch buyers; the interior is still too cheap, the ride is too jostling and it’s insufficiently refined for motorways.
Meanwhile, hardcore enthusiasts will be disappointed by a dynamic personality that is almost bipolar, the shift between its languid mid-speed pace and its press-on dynamism too great to make it a thrilling car for enough of the time.
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