Hi, Guest
02-10-2006, 02:06 AM
A somewhat relevant article...the 2006 WRX reviewed and compared to the 06 BMW330 and 06 Audi A4 (if I could find the actual AJAC test article I would have posted that instead.....
Playing with the big kids
Not as luxurious as some of its rivals, but it's still a thrill
Fri Jan 20 2006
By Haney Louka
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX
IT takes guts to do what Subaru did. And it almost paid off.
During the annual Canadian Car of the Year TestFest in Shannonville, Ont., last October, Subaru made a gutsy move: they pitted the redesigned (but still gritty) 2006 WRX against the polished Audi A4, BMW 330i and Lexus IS 350.
Yikes.
Never mind that those three cars come from pedigreed luxury marques, or that they came to the ring wearing sticker prices at least $15,000 north of the WRX's. The Subaru fits in with this group about as well as Happy Gilmore at the country club. But that's OK, because in my opinion the WRX best defines what a sports sedan should be. Even though it was my personal pick for best sports sedan, the Bimmer ended up at the head of its class in this competition. WRX was third. The Audi was fourth.
One glance at the new WRX and two things become immediately evident: first, this is not a complete redesign. The car still has econobox proportions complete with short wheelbase and long overhangs, in a day when wheelbase measurements are being stretched on virtually every new model to be introduced into the marketplace. Not only does this practice maximize interior space, it also helps give the car a more aggressive stance. But the next thing you'll notice is that the car has a fresh new nose, along with other cosmetic changes, that manage to make the car look more upscale -- as much as the current platform will allow, anyway. Following the styling direction established by the 2006 Tribeca, the WRX -- along with the entire Impreza line -- sports a new headlight-and-grille assembly with the grille resembling the fuselage and wings of an aircraft. It's a nod, the company says, to parent company Fuji Heavy Industries' aerospace involvement that began in 1917.
The most significant change to the WRX for '06 comes in the form of a larger turbocharged engine -- up 500 cc to 2.5 litres, the same flat-four engine that thrums under the hood of the larger Forester XT. By the numbers, the resulting power increases relative to last year's 2.0-litre are mild: up three horses to 230 at 5,600 rpm, and a more significant 18 lb-ft gain to 235 lb-ft of torque. From the seat of the pants, and as well as I can remember from the WRX I drove four years ago, power delivery is more substantial lower down in the rev range and just a little more urgent when the boost is up. Not that there was anything wrong with the power delivery in the last WRX, of course.
Power is routed through a five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed slushbox is optional, but why?) to all four wheels via Subaru's "symmetrical" all-wheel-drive system. In the manual-equipped WRX application, this means viscous limited-slip centre and rear differentials to apportion torque appropriately to the wheels with the most grip.
According to tests conducted by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada in October, putting the power to the pavement is not a problem. A street start (i.e. no high-rev clutch-dropping) yielded a zero-to-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds, neck-and-neck with the 300-plus hp Lexus and way ahead of the BMW and Audi that it competed against. Accelerating from 80 to 120 in third gear took just 4.5 seconds, fastest of the bunch.
Stopping isn't a problem either. When it comes time to dial that speed down in a hurry, vented discs are located at each corner, waiting to be sandwiched by four-piston calipers in front and dual-piston calipers in the rear. ABS is standard fare, as is electronic brake force distribution.
Not bad for a $35K Subaru, eh? $35,495 to be exact, with a decent list of standard features: automatic climate control, wheel-mounted cruise control, six-disc audio, fog lights, rear spoiler, keyless entry, 45-series 17-inch tires, front and side airbags, engine immobilizer, and a rear-seat folding centre armrest with trunk pass-through. Unfortunately, a split-folding rear seat is not available in the sedan.
The only factory options for the WRX are a glass moonroof and the aforementioned four-speed automatic transmission.
Certainly there are things that make this Subaru at least $15,000 less than the cars we compared it to at Shannonville. First, it doesn't look a whole lot different from the base $23,000 Impreza. It's not luxurious or especially quiet inside. Standing still, it's not a feast for the senses nor does it boast the latest technologies like its pricier rivals.
But these aren't criticisms; rather, they're simply justification for a lower sticker price than those of the WRX's rivals. But make no mistake: you may be giving up many things by buying this Subaru over an Audi or BMW, but performance is most certainly not one of them.
Shopping Around
Other than the pricier sedans mentioned above, there are a few other sedans that promise driving fun for the whole family:
Acura TSX ($34,900)
Mazdaspeed6 ($35,995)
Nissan Altima SE-R ($35,998)
VW Jetta GLI ($TBA)
Playing with the big kids
Not as luxurious as some of its rivals, but it's still a thrill
Fri Jan 20 2006
By Haney Louka
2006 Subaru Impreza WRX
IT takes guts to do what Subaru did. And it almost paid off.
During the annual Canadian Car of the Year TestFest in Shannonville, Ont., last October, Subaru made a gutsy move: they pitted the redesigned (but still gritty) 2006 WRX against the polished Audi A4, BMW 330i and Lexus IS 350.
Yikes.
Never mind that those three cars come from pedigreed luxury marques, or that they came to the ring wearing sticker prices at least $15,000 north of the WRX's. The Subaru fits in with this group about as well as Happy Gilmore at the country club. But that's OK, because in my opinion the WRX best defines what a sports sedan should be. Even though it was my personal pick for best sports sedan, the Bimmer ended up at the head of its class in this competition. WRX was third. The Audi was fourth.
One glance at the new WRX and two things become immediately evident: first, this is not a complete redesign. The car still has econobox proportions complete with short wheelbase and long overhangs, in a day when wheelbase measurements are being stretched on virtually every new model to be introduced into the marketplace. Not only does this practice maximize interior space, it also helps give the car a more aggressive stance. But the next thing you'll notice is that the car has a fresh new nose, along with other cosmetic changes, that manage to make the car look more upscale -- as much as the current platform will allow, anyway. Following the styling direction established by the 2006 Tribeca, the WRX -- along with the entire Impreza line -- sports a new headlight-and-grille assembly with the grille resembling the fuselage and wings of an aircraft. It's a nod, the company says, to parent company Fuji Heavy Industries' aerospace involvement that began in 1917.
The most significant change to the WRX for '06 comes in the form of a larger turbocharged engine -- up 500 cc to 2.5 litres, the same flat-four engine that thrums under the hood of the larger Forester XT. By the numbers, the resulting power increases relative to last year's 2.0-litre are mild: up three horses to 230 at 5,600 rpm, and a more significant 18 lb-ft gain to 235 lb-ft of torque. From the seat of the pants, and as well as I can remember from the WRX I drove four years ago, power delivery is more substantial lower down in the rev range and just a little more urgent when the boost is up. Not that there was anything wrong with the power delivery in the last WRX, of course.
Power is routed through a five-speed manual transmission (a four-speed slushbox is optional, but why?) to all four wheels via Subaru's "symmetrical" all-wheel-drive system. In the manual-equipped WRX application, this means viscous limited-slip centre and rear differentials to apportion torque appropriately to the wheels with the most grip.
According to tests conducted by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada in October, putting the power to the pavement is not a problem. A street start (i.e. no high-rev clutch-dropping) yielded a zero-to-100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds, neck-and-neck with the 300-plus hp Lexus and way ahead of the BMW and Audi that it competed against. Accelerating from 80 to 120 in third gear took just 4.5 seconds, fastest of the bunch.
Stopping isn't a problem either. When it comes time to dial that speed down in a hurry, vented discs are located at each corner, waiting to be sandwiched by four-piston calipers in front and dual-piston calipers in the rear. ABS is standard fare, as is electronic brake force distribution.
Not bad for a $35K Subaru, eh? $35,495 to be exact, with a decent list of standard features: automatic climate control, wheel-mounted cruise control, six-disc audio, fog lights, rear spoiler, keyless entry, 45-series 17-inch tires, front and side airbags, engine immobilizer, and a rear-seat folding centre armrest with trunk pass-through. Unfortunately, a split-folding rear seat is not available in the sedan.
The only factory options for the WRX are a glass moonroof and the aforementioned four-speed automatic transmission.
Certainly there are things that make this Subaru at least $15,000 less than the cars we compared it to at Shannonville. First, it doesn't look a whole lot different from the base $23,000 Impreza. It's not luxurious or especially quiet inside. Standing still, it's not a feast for the senses nor does it boast the latest technologies like its pricier rivals.
But these aren't criticisms; rather, they're simply justification for a lower sticker price than those of the WRX's rivals. But make no mistake: you may be giving up many things by buying this Subaru over an Audi or BMW, but performance is most certainly not one of them.
Shopping Around
Other than the pricier sedans mentioned above, there are a few other sedans that promise driving fun for the whole family:
Acura TSX ($34,900)
Mazdaspeed6 ($35,995)
Nissan Altima SE-R ($35,998)
VW Jetta GLI ($TBA)