Jeremy Clarkson
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From
December 9, 2007
Subaru Impreza 2.5 WRX
For an axe murderer, it’s a big softie
Most people know the barebones history of rock’n’roll – some black men sang the blues but no one in white America would buy their music because it was the 1950s and, well, that sort of thing didn’t happen.
Eventually, though, the music made it to England, where the misery of it struck a chord with working-class lads. Bands such as the Animals and the Rolling Stones copied it, and they did succeed in America, because, bluntly, Mick Jagger is white.
The thing is, though, I’ve never been able to see the link. I’ve listened to those crackly blues records from Memphis and I’ve listened to Jumpin’ Jack Flash and they appear to have nothing in common. Genetically, they seem as distant from each other as the sausage dog and the Magimix.
But the other night, while listening to a Radio 2 show, I heard a song from 1956 called Smokestack Lightning, and the DJs explained how you could hear the genesis of the Stones in there. They were right – you could. For me, this was a revelation.
And then they started talking about famous fathers and sons who have appeared in bands together. Which is exactly the sort of trivial nonsense I adore. And then they played Sylvia by Focus and I began to think that I’d discovered a radio show designed exclusively for me. It was brilliant – so brilliant that I deliberately got lost so that I could hear more.
It’s hosted by two chaps called Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe, and because they have exactly the same Lancashire accent and exactly the same views on everything, you’ll think – as I did at first – that it’s actually hosted by one man talking to himself. No matter. Their knowledge of music is astonishing. I thought I was the only person alive who could name the guitarist with Focus but they actually know where he was born, where he went to school and, I shouldn’t be surprised, what position his mother was in when he was conceived.
But these guys aren’t anoraks – they are way beyond that. They are the people to whom people who make anoraks go to buy their anoraks. And they serve as a hugely useful introduction to this morning’s sermon: the ongoing battle between the Subaru Impreza and the Mitsubishi Evo.
To normal people, who see cars as wheels, seats and expense, they are exactly the same, built in Japan as road-going versions of rally cars. To the untrained eye, they are indistinguishable one from the other. They are Ant and Dec, or, if you prefer, Maconie and Radcliffe.
They both have 2 litre turbocharged engines. They both have four-wheel drive and they are the same sort of size. Each is a family car with the heart and mind of an axe murderer. But to the trained eye they are not the same at all. To an anorak they really are chalk and cheese. They are Bad Company and Gareth Gates.
Last week, while plugging my new DVD on a morning TV show, I was approached by a young girl with earphones and a clipboard. Externally, she was much the same as any other behind-the-scenes girl in modern television. But she began, immediately, by telling me she had an Impreza . . . and I knew it wasn’t going to stop there.
“It’s the WRX STi RB5 two-door, PLS, SST . . .” she said for about half an hour. After which she still wasn’t finished: “994, PSP, Wii, LTD,” she continued. And on, and on . . . And that was before she even got to her boyfriend’s Subaru, which led to another two hours of initials and numbers.
This is the thing with Subaru ownership: every last detail matters. Every tiny piece of the water-injection jigsaw is more important than your child’s next breath. You don’t own a car like this, you are assimilated by it. You become one.
With men I find this tiresome. But with girls I find it very sexy. So as this girl rabbited on with ever more initials and numbers, I was overwhelmed by a need to introduce her to a friend of mine who has a Mitsubishi Evo 9. This is the only girl in the world who put a topless photograph of herself on her Facebook page. I would love to see them argue about which is the better car. With a bit of luck, it might even end up in a fight.
I’m not going to say one is better than the other, because if I do, fans of the losing side will come to my house with crosses, petrol and much rage. But as an impartial observer I will say this: the Mitsubishi has always been the better to drive; the Subaru has always been the better to live with on a daily basis.
And that brings us on to the new Subaru Impreza WRX. In petrol-land this is one of the most important cars ever. Imagine a band comprising Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and bits of Radiohead. That’s what this car is like to petrolheads. A pivotal, must-have moment of a car. Like its predecessor it has a turbocharged engine, 227bhp on tap and four-wheel drive. But unlike its predecessor, it has a 2.5 litre engine and a hatchback body, and it’s no longer bland to behold. Instead it’s wilfully ugly.
I honestly began to imagine that it had been designed in a game of consequences: “You do the back, then fold the paper over. I’ll do the middle and we’ll get that drunk bloke to do the front.” It’s a hopeless mishmash that gets even worse when you step inside. This is a £20,000 car, and for that price you get a heater and . . . that’s about it. Honestly, I was amazed when I found it had dipping headlamps. An Aga has more buttons than this. And as a result, anyone who just wants a “nice hot hatch” will instead opt for a Golf GTI.
The Subaru enthusiast, however, will see the lack of equipment as a good thing. Equipment is weight. Weight blunts acceleration. Weight is bad.
Hmmm. This is undoubtedly true, but from the moment you set off you realise this is not set up to be a Lotus Elise with a hatchback. It is super-soft. Much softer than its predecessor. Much softer than a duck-down duvet. It glides like a Citroën.
Then there’s the noise. Or rather there isn’t. The flat-four engine just hums away quietly to itself and, if anything, sounds rather exasperated if you weld your foot to the floor and head for the rev-counter red zone.
And if you do head for the red zone, you will find that the natural tendency is for understeer. It was ever thus in an Impreza: it was one of the things that made it a more rewarding day-to-day companion than the furious and twitchy Evo. But in the new car the understeer arrives too early, and then you fall out of the seat. No, really. There are kitchen chairs with noticeably more side support.
This car is called Subaru Impreza, which makes you think it will be a bare-knuckle attack dog. But in fact you get a soft and rather elderly labrador.
Oh it’s still pretty quick: 0-62mph is dealt with in 6.5sec and the top speed is lots. But because of the understeer, the soft ride and the kitchen chairs, you never feel inclined to go for it. There’s no sense at all that you’re in a road-going rally car. It doesn’t even have a six-speed box.
Of course, being a Subaru, it will be beautifully made, and it really is extremely comfortable, and quiet. But anyone drawn to these qualities will immediately be put off by the looks and the starter-handle-and-trafficator equipment levels. It is, in short, a car that appeals to no one.
My friend with the clipboard and headphones was talking about it as though God himself had gone over to the dark side. “What am I to do?” she wailed, as I imagined her naked with my friend Camilla in a big box of mud.
It’s a good point. If you are a Subaru fan, what are you to do? Sure, there is a 300bhp STi version of the WRX in the pipeline, and this will be harder and more focused. But it’s no looker either, and the fact of the matter is this: the next Evo, the 10, is. The battle, then, between the Impreza and the Evo – it just got one-sided.
Model Subaru Impreza 2.5 WRX
Engine 2457cc, four cylinders, turbocharged
Power 227bhp @ 5200rpm
Torque 236 lb ft @ 2800rpm
Transmission Five-speed manual
Fuel 27.2mpg (combined cycle)
CO2 246g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed 130mph
Price £19,995
Rating 
Verdict On the ropes
Whereas Evos seem to evolve and continue a path of development the Impreza seems to mutate, wait for public reaction and then change once more.
Maybe Subaru should have evolved the previous generation rather than trying to to take sales from the focus/golf/astra. I guess it's all about making money
Rob Warnock, York, England
Fortunately I' buy one of the last Impreza hatchback '07 :)) ...the '08 models is nothing can do with the Subaru 'spartanian' image, is a typical car for my girlfriend :( ...why you do this?!
Robert, Pula,
its slow and ugly what worse
ryan, dawlish, england
The main draw for Subaru is their symmetrical AWD system. The new impreza still has the time tested AWD. I was on the market for a fun car. I seriously considered the 08 WRX but backed out because there was no after market support for sway bars & springs a few months ago. Went with a used 07WRX instead. The 08 doesnt look bad in person. But the same can be said for the Kia models. The 06-07 WRX had a much bolder distinct design/front nose. I do like hatch shapes but to me all hatches look kinda same. Ofcourse you generally dont buy a car just for its looks. Once inside & you are having fun at the twisties, you dont really car how the car looks do you?
Poda, Gastown, USA
Not only have Subaru lost the plot with their cars theve lost it with dealerships as well.
Few years back they took dealerships away from small knowledgable local guys with dirty finger nails and gave it to a multi- franchise outfit. Result- multi franchise couldnt sell shedloads gave up franchise. My nearest dealer now 200 miles away
Ross, Highland,
Just to add to the picture here (from Australia) - the new Impreza has been on sale here for about 2 months and reportedly sales are up 41% compared to the same time last year. Apparently also in Japan, the inital orders were 3 times their initial sales estimates.
Macca, Melbourne, Australia
the 2008 wrx, sti resemble citroen hatches instead of transformers. Pity, soul is gone
ct, naples, Fl
In my opinion the old Sub was about as tacky as the new one. There was just the minor detail that it's handling was almost unsurpassed. If you take that out the Impreza is just another ugly, boring, Japanese car.
O , Tilburg, Holland
For the protocol, I'm a huge Evo fan, but have always liked Subarus as well.
I've got mixed opinions about the new Evo X and STi. First of all, I'm very disappointed about the new design of the Imprezas, and while the STi does look a tad good from the rear, the rest of the design is just rubbish. I'm very fond with the Evo design and it's quite nice to see that it has gone a class up when it comes to overall performance. I am however, disappointed by the performance. I do understand the need of Mitsubishi for adding more equipment to it in order to make it a better all-rounder, but they could make a separate version for the enthusiasts which will continue delivering the thrill the all the 9 previous Evos did. Still, the Evo X is a better car than the new STi in my opinion, but if I had the choice, I'd take an IX or a VI TME instead.
Ilya, Tel-Aviv, Israel
The Subaru is getting soft while the Golf GTI has finally come round again to being taut and firmed up.
I think I'll stick with my GTI.
Edward, Scranton, Pennsylvania USA
I've a subaru outback MY2006 and i'm happy of my car.. but my dream was the Sti. I say it WAS becouse the new one is really ugly. If you go on Youtube to see the videos of the intro of the new Impreza you'll find thousands of comment full of complaints. And the same for all the other cars from Subaru. The Outback 2008 has a sad "Ford truck" front, the Justy is a Daihatsu with new stickers. Well, almost the next Forester seems better of the old one. Anyway i think Subaru management made a colossal error. In this 20 years they have created their own target, their "own" customers. And that was based on a specific approach to the car market.
For sure they'll lose many of their "old" buyers ......and many wishes for the new one.
Francesco, treviso, italy
What is the name of the Radio 2 programme?
Bruce, Bramhall, SK7
The EVO 10 a good looker! What's Jeremy been smoking?
Subaru may have copied the Mazda3, but Mitsubishi simply welded the front of a Volvo V50 on to the rear of an Alfa 156 - nice bum, shame about the boat race!
Subaru have gone too mainstream - they used to be a niche player with a quirky appearance, now the Impreza just looks like a bland "me too" wannabe. Bye pitbull, hello lapdog.
Bryan Miller, Auckland, NZ
Subaru management have clearly gone insane. As Jermey pointed out in his article the WRX had but one competitor, the EVO. By taking out of the 'road going rally car' class and dumping it in the 'hot hatch' class, they now have to compete with the Golf GTI, Mazda 3 MPS, turbo charged Focus and Astra, add in other turbo charged hatches from Audi, Volvo, Renault, Skoda and the list becomes quite long. Then there are the non-turbo hot hatches like the Civic Type R.
If, as Andrew from Suzuka claims, Subaru have done this to broaden the global appeal of the car they should probably have put some more thought in to it. The market cateogry they have moved in to may be a larger market, but with so many others competing in this same market they might not see the increase in sales they were hoping for.
James, Canberra, Australia
I think the resale value of my '04 STi just went up. Clarkson influences the market, again.
Mr. Rodger, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
This WRX, like all previous WRX Subaru’s is butt ugly, but more so. Subaru continues to lag behind its fellow Japanese car makers with build quality and styling (boy racer hood scoops!!!) from the 1980’s!! The restyled front end went from weird to bland. Subaru, just look at Audi to see how to style a four door sedan. Here in the states there is a fanatical following for this car, nearly everyone has a bazooka muffler, big wheels and slammed suspension, a perfect cartoon car. Maybe Subaru is on to something, they know their customers, I just don’t want to know them.
John Hurlock, Monroe, Washington
My missus is not into cars. She struggles to distinguish between a Ferrari and an Aston.
We saw an Impreza WRX in a car park today and I pointed it out expecting her usual shrug. Instead she looked aghast and simply said "That thing is an Impreza? It looks like an old Mazda!"
I'll bet the Mitsubishi dealers are rubbing their hands.
Greg, Sheffield,
Anyone else think it looks like an over sized Rover 200?
Tim P, Tokyo,
Being a member of the Subaru owners club, the feeling among members is rather mixed - seems you either love it or hate it, myself falling on the latter. The reason behind the major facelift apparently is to attract a new market to Impreza ownership - trying to appeal to females and family drivers. Why we need to try to convince Mr and MrsJones to sell their Focus and buy an Impreza is beyond me - Impreza's have a cult following and they will find their loyal owners will not buy as many as they expect.
No one buys an Impreza for the quality of the interior, the Audi S3 and Golf GTI are much better cabins. No one buys an Impreza for it's looks, again the Audi and Golf are much nicer on the eye. So what way the Impreza is going to appeal to anyone? Simply it's performance. And it will only be better than the Audi's and Golf of this world once Prodrive get their hands on it along with the STI varient. And only then will the enthusiasts buy it. Subaru got it very wrong this time.
Steve A, Aberdeen,
Clarkson just doesn't get it. This car is not competing with an Evo and its not trying to replace the old WRX. Subaru have moved on. This is a practical hot hatch, very capable and very quick that will blow a tinpot Type R into the ditch on a twisty circuit or winding country road.
The car is also much better looking in the flesh - don't judge it on its photos. It is not very photogenic.
If you want an Evo beater - the STi will do that easily with an option of 400 bhp - coming march!
Steve, NOTTINGHAM, UK
To me it seems to resembles a Rover 25 or is it a 45... Either way it's not a good look.
Sarah, Hampshire,
Buying a Subaru seems to be as well thought out as Hitler's attempted invasion of Russia. On paper everything looks fine, but then when you start to experience the hardship of a car that actually doesn't do very much except go a bit quick, then you start to realise that maybe you could have spent your money better elsewhere. Why buy a new "ugly" Subaru when you could buy an old one with low mileage and still afford a decent holiday every year? Subaru are losing the plot.
jeff fenton, Tonbridge, Kent
in reply to mr andrews perception, you say Subaru werent happy that the impreza was looked upon as a road going rally car- but thats the whole point...and i agree with jeremy fully, the fact that it was looked upon as a rally car, is the reason it was popular, now that its more mainstream, its lost that special place, and there are much more better rivals. the evo10 hasnt changed its formula, so looks as if it will retain its position
nahid rahman, farnham, surrey
I think it looks rather nice. I was suprised by the response of the uk motoring press to the new model, who for years had lambasted the looks of the outgoing model, which for sure was not a very attractive car.
living in Japan, we already have quite a few on the road and they dont look bad at all and the sti version looks great.
I think people are confusing the car a lttle.
Subaru werent happy about being perceived a road rally car manufacturer, realisng the limited sales opportunities globally. Even in their home market they are viewed as a bit of a Q car maker, so the move to a more mainstream looking car is probably a good one.
Also, sedans are a little yesterday now.
Although i enjoy Clarksons reviews i dont believe in his analysis of this car, it has received a much different response in other well perceived media.
Some motoring press are already backtracking on their initial unease at the new design as it is a bit of a grower.
andrew, suzuka, japan
Are they looking to Korea for inspiration?! I cant think of another car in history that has been 'updated' so poorly so consistently. Evo's on the other hand keep getting better. The gap between the two is finally significant enough to say the Evo is definitely the better car.
Ricky Lawrence, CT, SA
A Focus is much better looking that this.. it is realy and truly an ugly car, that front looks more from something that comes out of china.
The rear seems to reasemble a BMW 2 series..
It's just wrong.....
Dennis Mooren, Echt , Limburg
It actually is a Mazda 3 bodyshell!!!! With a scoop!
And to think that generations of motoring journalists have, model by model, devalued my classic, bugeye, blobeye and hawkeye by declaring them ugly. Muppets!
Now they've really got something to sink their teeth into.
M Murray, Manchester, UK
I've just got my 4th Sooby, a 2007 model, before they ran out! The new one is designed for the States, they don't have corners, or any sense of style.
ChunkyDunky, Guernsey,
It's sad how easy they could fix the car if they ever felt like it. Get rid of the stock mush(equivalent to silly puddy) they call bushings, run a bigger rear swaybar that's about equal to the front, and get rid of the very, very bad RE92 tires that every Subaru owner despises. In the end, you get a very, very different car, a precise and direct beast with what's that word...
feel,
yeah that's it. All of this could be done at the factory so easily... It's a shame really. Subaru just wants to shoot themselves in the foot with a good car for easily fixable mistakes in design approach.
Redo the entire car in something more GroupN-esque rubber(everywhere), run the larger aftermarket rear bar stock, and put on some decent tires, like the RE960AS. They can't even argue about tire prices. The RE92 is god awful expensive junk.
Thank god for aftermarket. You can actually buy a Subaru, do this yourself, and get the car you actually wanted in the first place...just gotta pay more...
Matt, Mankato, MN
The most ugly impreza ever made.
But the factory is going for sales so they made it look like a seat/mazda or what so ever.
Yuri, Rotterdam, Holland
as an impreza owner i have to say that this new one is a disgrace to the impreza name!! it's just a focus with a subaru badge.....
gurn, leicester, england
I know the name of the Focus guitarist. It never crossed my mind that anyone outside Holland would too, though.
Sebastiaan, Utrecht, NL,
Sounds like mac from ross-shire has ordered one already!!!!
Mollusc, Swindon, Wiltshire
It looks like a rover 25 from the side oh dear!
mitch, Wolverhampton, England
why the heck have they made it soft?! thats not what the impreza is all about! I also still wonder why Nissan never sold the last gen skyline in the uk.....
jim, bournemouth,
What a plonker of a man this Clarkson is.
mac, milton, ross-shire