{"id":37555,"date":"2020-12-08T06:30:35","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T21:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37555"},"modified":"2021-07-28T21:11:00","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T12:11:00","slug":"wrx-sti-testdrive-porscheowner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/wrx-sti-testdrive-porscheowner\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Porsche Owner Think of the Subaru WRX STI?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The other day, I wrote about getting the chance to drive a blog reader\u2019s Subaru WRX STI<\/a>. This time, my husband has shared his impressions. We hope you enjoy reading them.<\/p>\n

Memories of the First-Generation Subaru Impreza<\/h3>\n

I wonder how many years it\u2019s been since I last drove an STI. When I was younger, I often rode in a friend\u2019s Impreza. If I remember correctly, it was a first-generation, two-door Impreza WRX Type R STI Version<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019d just started my first job, I\u2019d finish work early on Friday nights and head to the ski resorts in Gifu with my friends almost every week, flying along the expressways and snowy roads. The Impreza STI was the perfect express ride to the slopes.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru

A photo from back then. We used to take this car skiing all the time.<\/p><\/div>\n

I still remember how thrilled I was the first time I drove it. The short gearing and 280-PS turbo engine delivered an explosive surge of acceleration.<\/strong> Even cruising in fifth gear, it accelerated so sharply when overtaking on the expressway that it felt like I might run into the car ahead. Its incredible stability made me think it could take any highway bend at 180 km\/h without breaking a sweat.<\/p>\n

I still vividly remember thinking what a fast, comfortable car it was.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At some point, my friend fitted aftermarket lowering springs, a heavier clutch, and a ridiculously loud exhaust. That threw the car out of balance, leaving it with an awful ride and making it very difficult to drive. Until then, though, it had been a car I truly loved and still remember fondly.<\/p>\n

Driving the Subaru WRX STI<\/h3>\n

Now, here in front of me, is the latest STI\u2014a Subaru WRX STI from nearly 20 years later.<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

The legendary EJ20 engine is now a rarity: a non-direct-injection engine that uses port fuel injection. This flat-four produces 308 PS and 43 kgf\u00b7m of torque.<\/strong> It also revs high by modern turbo-engine standards, with peak power at 6,400 rpm and maximum torque at 4,400 rpm.<\/p>\n

The cabin, fitted with Recaro seats, is exceptionally comfortable.<\/strong> They gently hug your body and make it easy to settle into a proper driving position.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru<\/p>\n

I move the shifter into first. The throw is on the long side, and it doesn\u2019t click crisply into gear. Instead, there\u2019s a slightly rubbery feel to it\u2014more like a regular manual-transmission car than a high-performance sports car.<\/p>\n

The clutch isn\u2019t especially heavy, either, which makes it surprisingly easy to use.<\/strong> The engagement point is a little narrow and seems to sit fairly high, but I quickly got used to it and pulled away without any real difficulty.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru<\/p>\n

My first impression as I set off is that the car feels \u201clight.\u201d<\/strong> That word can mean a lot of things, but here I don\u2019t particularly sense the solid body structure or planted feel I\u2019d expect from a high-performance sports car. Instead, it moves along with the ease and relaxed, everyday feel of an ordinary car.<\/p>\n

My memory may be a little hazy, but compared with the first-generation STI, this one feels a lot more approachable.<\/strong> I take a corner slowly. At a relaxed pace, the nose changes direction quite quickly when I turn the steering wheel.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, this is what an STI feels like.<\/strong>\u201d As I think that, I start getting used to the engine and the shifter.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru<\/p>\n

Low-speed torque is on the modest side, and the engine is relatively quiet.<\/strong> Compared with the 718 Cayman, which also has a 2.0-liter flat-four, the STI feels quite subdued overall.<\/p>\n

As I let the engine rev a little higher, though, it starts pulling with authority from the mid-range. A strong wave of torque builds, and the car surges forward. Even as the revs climb, there\u2019s none of the power drop-off often associated with turbo engines.<\/strong> This really is a high-revving engine.<\/p>\n

With 308 PS, the acceleration isn\u2019t brutal, but the car is certainly quick.<\/p>\n

Under acceleration, there\u2019s a brief sensation that the tires have lost contact with the road, but the car soon seems to intervene and then grips firmly as it continues to accelerate. I brake before a corner. The brake pedal has a fairly long travel and doesn\u2019t take much effort to press.<\/strong> The brakes aren\u2019t weak, but since I\u2019m not used to them, it\u2019s a little difficult to modulate my speed.<\/p>\n

To be honest, compared with the 718 and similar cars, there\u2019s a noticeable difference in brake feel, rigidity, and control.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru<\/p>\n

Downshifting is easy: give the throttle a quick blip and release the clutch. Some cars can jolt if the revs don\u2019t match precisely, but this one doesn\u2019t seem to require that kind of precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next page \u2192 How does the Porsche 718 compare with the WRX STI (VAB)? Final thoughts<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Picking Up the Pace in the STI<\/h3>\n

Now that I\u2019m getting comfortable with the car, I pick up the pace a little through a corner. As expected, the nose bites eagerly as soon as I turn in, and its response is completely different from that of an ordinary passenger car.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The front end feels planted, and the car holds its line well. But as I turn in further, the body rolls noticeably. My thought is that I\u2019d like a stiffer anti-roll bar here.<\/strong> Then, for just a moment, the tires squeal and the car understeers.<\/p>\n

The tires are ADVAN Sport V105s. They shouldn\u2019t be the sort to give up that easily, so perhaps the tire pressures weren\u2019t quite right.<\/p>\n

After the body rolls outward and settles, the car corners with impressive stability. With a certain amount of G-force and load on the tires, it seems to keep them firmly planted on the road.<\/p>\n

\"Subaru<\/p>\n

The DCCD (Driver Controlled Center Differential), which manages the all-wheel-drive system, was set to AUTO. Either way, I couldn\u2019t tell whether the car was adjusting torque distribution between the wheels or the stability control was stepping in, but the car\u2019s behavior seemed to change slightly from the start to the finish of a corner, and I felt it would take some getting used to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The owner later told me the car had been fitted with the following STI parts, which may have had some effect on how it felt:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Flexible Tower Bar, front<\/li>\n
  • Flexible Draw Stiffener, front<\/li>\n
  • Support Front Kit<\/li>\n
  • Flexible Support Subframe, rear<\/li>\n
  • Flexible Draw Stiffener, rear<\/li>\n
  • Lateral Link Set<\/li>\n
  • Coil Springs, front and rear<\/li>\n
  • Exhaust Kit<\/li>\n
  • Air Cleaner Element<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This may make it sound like a difficult car to drive, but I\u2019d describe it as more of an advanced driver\u2019s car than a difficult one.<\/strong> You need to understand its characteristics, how it moves, and how its engine delivers torque. There\u2019s no question it\u2019s highly capable, but you need to read what the car is telling you and respond with the right inputs. That\u2019s the impression I came away with.<\/p>\n

    \"Subaru<\/p>\n

    If you ignored weight transfer, turned the steering wheel late, and then suddenly cranked it over once you reached a bend, you\u2019d almost certainly end up in a pretty scary situation.<\/strong> This is a car that rewards the basics: begin steering smoothly before the corner, then turn in more firmly as the bend tightens.<\/p>\n

    How Does It Compare with the Porsche 718?<\/h3>\n

    Since both cars have flat engines, people often compare the STI with Porsches\u2014especially the 718\u2014and some may be weighing them against each other. But I think they have very different personalities.<\/p>\n

    This is only a comparison, of course, but the 718 feels more solid and rigid, with a stronger sense of being planted. It feels as if it never lets go of the road and responds faithfully to the driver\u2019s inputs.<\/strong> By contrast, the WRX has a greater sense of lightness and agility.<\/strong> It darts through corners, while the turbo\u2019s punch and acceleration make the drive entertaining.<\/p>\n

    \"Subaru<\/p>\n

    At heart, it\u2019s still a rally car. The name has changed, so perhaps it\u2019s not fair to compare it with the STI from more than 20 years ago. Still, I can imagine how much fun it would be to take this car through the snowy roads on the way to a ski resort, just as we used to.<\/p>\n

    You can still feel traces of that heritage in the turbo\u2019s response and the way the handling is tuned. It\u2019s one of the few cars that still has the mischievous spirit that so many modern cars have lost.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Thank you to the owner for letting us drive such a special car.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The other day, I wrote about getting the chance to drive a blog reader\u2019s Subaru WRX STI. This time, my husband has shared his impressions. We hope you enjoy reading them. Memories of the First-Generation Subaru Impreza I wonder how many years it\u2019s been since I last drove an STI. When I was younger, I often rode in a friend\u2019s Impreza. If I remember correctly, it was a first-generation, two-door Impreza WRX Type R STI...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":20837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=20829","footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-testdrive","en-US"],"yoast_head":"What Does a Porsche Owner Think of the Subaru WRX STI? - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Porsche owner test-drives the Subaru WRX STI. 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