Edgy exterior

While the interior may feel cheap, the exterior on either model is chunky and edgy. The big air intake on the hood, which always takes a little getting used, still adds to the car's looks instead of detracting from it. The front end looks mashed down a little with a short and wide grille and the headlights round the corner of the front end. The smoked aluminum spoked rims maintain that tuner look. But there are little curves that give this car a sharp look from nearly every angle.

This car maintains a more subtle look than its more famous STI brother with simple badging and body-colored door handles and bumper. There are only the tiniest splashes of chrome here and there ∔ such as the Subaru badge and the rear tail lights that come in that annoying bright silver.

But giving up a little on some of these features still leaves you with a spectacular little racer.

It will chew up corners, provide you with a smooth (but firm) ride and how much do you really care about a navigation system?

Lots of carmakers talk about no compromising vehicles, but really, there's no such thing. The WRX provides lots of performance, and to WRX owners, the rest doesn't really matter that much.

    See also:

    Replacing the air cleaner element
    Replace the air cleaner element according to the maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”. Under extremely dusty conditions, replace it more frequently. It is recommended tha ...

    Auto-store (type D audio)
    Using the Auto-store function, you can automatically store 6 stations on the current waveband (FM-AS or AM-AS) by pressing the button for 1.5 seconds or longer. Use Auto-store to quickly find ...

    All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT models)
    This light illuminates when All-Wheel Drive is disengaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes. It flashes if the vehicle is driven w ...