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2009 Subaru Impreza WRX - First Drive Review

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Subaru takes a mulligan with the WRX and hits it straight and true

There are few problems that more horsepower can’t fix or at least help you ignore. And as a perfect case study, we bring you the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX. Our first impression of the new-for-2008 WRX left us hot and cold. Interior quality, overall refinement, and noise isolation were vastly improved, but the WRX lacked the thrill of the previous car. The engine was largely unchanged, and weight gain was nonexistent, but the WRX came off as more of an Impreza GT than the street version of a rally car, a trait its predecessors had in spades. And with the Mazdaspeed 3, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, and Dodge Caliber SRT4 all making more than 260 horsepower, the WRX looked anemic by comparison with only 224 ponies on tap.

So Subaru has addressed these issues with a few updates, the most notable being a power boost to 265 horsepower, an increase of 41. These changes only apply to the manual-transmission WRX; the automatic continues unchanged in all but name and is now appropriately known as the Impreza 2.5GT. Subaru’s marketing plan is to align the 2.5GT with the naturally aspirated 2.5i model and liken the WRX to the 305-hp STI. To that effect, the WRX now shares a grille with the STI, and the optional body kit becomes standard. The five-door WRX also gets the rear spoiler from the STI.

Better Driving Through Air/Fuel Chemistry

The power comes primarily from a larger turbocharger, with maximum boost up to 13.3 psi from 11.9. A new catalytic converter and a larger exhaust—it provides 30-percent-better flow—help reduce back pressure from the increased boost. The power peak is 800 rpm higher at 6000 rpm. Torque is up to 244 pound-feet, an increase of 18 that comes at a relatively lofty 4000 revs, but there’s plenty of grunt starting at 2500 rpm.

It’s unlikely that the suspension upgrades to the 2009 WRX would warrant as much attention, if any, had the engine been left untouched. However, the WRX is now stiffer and sportier. The front upper strut mounts are borrowed from the STI, and the front and rear spring rates have increased 43 percent and 42 percent, respectively. The front and rear anti-roll bars have grown a millimeter in diameter to 21mm front and 16mm rear. Tire size has increased from 205/50R-17 to 225/50R-17, and the rubber (thankfully) changes from all-season Bridgestones to high-performance Dunlop SP Sport 01s. The valves on the steering have been updated to complement the new tires.

2009 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited - Road Test

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Subaru’s Forester has always resembled the shipping carton for a side-by-side Frigidaire, a barb that has become less pointed during this wagon’s 11-year lifespan. During that spell, even boxier boxes have appeared—think of the Honda Element and the Scion xB. No matter. The Forester’s practical, unpretentious countenance personifies Subaru’s ethos, and the model has done much to fatten the pay packets of more than a few Fuji Heavy Industries executives.

Every body panel is new. Just to look at the thing, you’d swear the ’09 Forester is 50-percent larger than its forebear. Not true, but it is 2.9 inches longer and 1.8 inches wider, and it rides atop a wheelbase stretched 3.6 inches. EPA passenger volume has swollen by 11 cubic feet. The back seat is now something of an amphitheater—legroom is vast, and egress will brighten the faces of octogenarians. The rear center rider, unfortunately, must perch on a rock-hard hump. As has always been true of Foresters, there’s headroom sufficient to support the odd cumulus cloud or two. Flatten the rear seats, and a mountain bike slides in, no sweat.

The base Forester is powered by the same 170-horse flat-four you’ll find in the nose of an Impreza. Mated to the heavier Forester, however, it rates about a 4.5 on the C/D passion meter. Bolt a turbocharger to that little barking boxer, however, and what once was Velveeta becomes Pont L’Évêque—witness blown Foresters winning our 5Best Trucks Small SUV award in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

For 2009, the 2.5XT and top-of-the-line 2.5XT Limited benefit from a revised turbo, bigger valves, and a meatier intercooler to produce—hey, wait a sec—the same 224 hp and 226 pound-feet of torque as before. How come? Subaru’s aim was to flatten the power curve and reduce the turbo’s on/off-ishness, goals they’ve absolutely achieved. Max horsepower now manifests 400 revs sooner, max torque 800 revs sooner. Behind the wheel, the first thing you notice about this third-gen Forester is that, apart from a tiny bump in power at 3000 rpm, there’s little clue that this is a forced-induction engine. Idle quality could be better, and 42 dBA is a titch noisy for a vehicle freshly returned from the NVH lab. Step-off is a little abrupt, too. On the other hand, full-throttle launches evince almost zero torque steer.

Sixty mph is yours in 6.7 seconds, which makes the turboed Forester way quicker than anything in our nine-ute “$25,000 Soft-Roaders” comparo in February. Still, it’s 0.8 second behind a Forester 2.5XT Limited we tested three years ago. Why? Well, the previous car was a five-speed manual and was 112 pounds lighter. The 2009 Forester XT, in contrast, is offered with an automatic only, and it’s a four-speed at that. Given this car’s price, a fifth gear should have been included. In truth, though, the ratios are nicely spaced, kickdowns are rapid and smooth, and you mostly notice the lack of fifth only at 80 mph and beyond. What’s more, the standard manumatic is quick to lead you to big revs and all the boost you’ll need.

The 2009 Forester is a terrific update, but having said that—and having gushed over its abilities in what I'd have to say is its natural element—I must report that the vehicle ain't perfect (Jalopnic Report - Part One, Part Two) .

2009 Subaru Impreza WRX / 2.5GT - Car News

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Subaru ups performance with a 265-hp WRX and introduces a new model for ’09.

Having just refreshed the Impreza for 2008, Subaru is now announcing an improved WRX and an all-new model—the 2.5GT—for 2009.

Teaching the Not-So-Old Dog New Tricks

At the heart of the improvements to the WRX is a 41-hp bump to 265, shrinking the power gap between it and the bewinged and devilish STI—not to mention out-powering the new Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. Torque increases 18 lb-ft, to 244. Available exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission, the new WRX gets its gusto thanks to a larger turbo and exhaust, in addition to a more free-flowing catalytic converter.

While the added power is sure to be the focal point for many, Subaru hasn’t ignored the enthusiast’s love for the turns, re-tuning the suspension for more aggressive handling, something the softer-for-2008 model desperately needed. Spring rates and anti-roll bar diameters are increased all around and damping is improved. Subaru says the new WRX will be more responsive with sharper turn-in, a claim we look forward to verifying.

We’re also told the new WRX will be equipped with various exterior goodies such as low-profile summer tires and a grille similar to the STI’s, and will come standard with the previously optional Aero Package. Both the hatchback and sedan will feature ground effects all around in addition to a rear spoiler, and the hatchback gets the diffuser from the STI. Various other small enhancements continue throughout the car—such as red stitching on upholstery—but much of the vehicle remains unchanged.

The New Kid on the Block

As the WRX receives its enhancements, another model will be making its debut for the Impreza lineup—the 2.5GT. Essentially a renamed version of the current WRX automatic, the 2.5GT will slot in above the 2.5i and just below the new and improved WRX. With the same turbocharged boxer engine we’re used to, the 2.5GT will put down the very same 224 hp and 226 lb-ft of torque.

The 2.5GT will come standard with the four-speed automatic transmission and be available in both four-door sedan and five-door hatchback form. Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) will also be standard, as they are across the lineup.

With these 2009 models raising the bar on performance for the Impreza line, we expect Subaru to give the STI a similar treatment in time. Having recently spied what looked to be a future Impreza WRX STI Spec C in near-production guise, we’d like to think that time is fast approaching.