The Inside

The interior is quiet enough at idle that one time I didn't even realize it was running. That's when I recognized Subaru finally seems to have licked this engine's chronic idle vibration. In this model and others, the turbo four previously exhibited a rough idle that caused the car to bounce gently but irritatingly when waiting at a stoplight.

Even back at the 2007 New York auto show, where we first saw the 2008 WRX, it was clear that its interior had been much improved — enriched and definitely up to date. The sport seats are comfortable and supportive, with modern tight-weave fabric and sky-blue stitching. The dashboard shares its overall design with other newish Subaru models. Though plentiful, the faux-metal trim is inoffensive, maybe even effective. The gauges are bright and supplemented by a centrally positioned display at the base of the windshield that includes stuff like a trip computer and clock. The optional navigation system is right below it — nice and high and with a touch-screen interface. Well done.

    See also:

    New Chassis Tuning for 2011
    The Subaru Impreza WRX STI was already a highly optimized performance machine. Specific chassis tuning. Aluminum front lower L-arms reduce unsprung vehicle weight. Major chassis tuning changes inc ...

    Ejecting a CD from the player
    Of the discs loaded, you can select and remove only one disc. Disc select buttons 1. Use the disc select button to select the disc to be ejected. 2. Briefly press the “” button. The selected di ...

    Disarming the system
    Briefly press the “” button (for less than 2 seconds) on the remote transmitter. The driver’s door will unlock, an electronic chirp will sound twice, the turn signal lights will flash twice. The fla ...