{"id":37564,"date":"2020-11-30T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2020-11-29T21:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37564"},"modified":"2021-06-01T23:29:31","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T14:29:31","slug":"wrx-sti-testdrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/wrx-sti-testdrive\/","title":{"rendered":"Manual Transmission Experience\uff5cTest Driving the Subaru WRX STI (VAB)!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Test Driving the Subaru WRX STI (VAB)<\/h3>\n

Thanks to writing this blog, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to drive many cars over time. Especially my husband\u2014lately, more acquaintances have been saying to him, “please try driving it and tell us your impressions<\/strong>,” so every time we go to the Royu Driveway, he gets to drive a new car. (Lucky him, right? lol)<\/p>\n

Among those opportunities, thanks to the kindness of a blog reader, I was able to drive a WRX STI (manual transmission).<\/strong> It\u2019s a brand-new car ordered just before the end of December 2019 and delivered in April. They came all the way from the Kanto region, combining it with a driving trip, just to visit the Royu Driveway.<\/p>\n

The weather held up somehow that day, and we headed there in our 911 Cabriolet (992) and Cayenne E-Hybrid.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/p>\n

By the way, here are the specs of the Subaru WRX STI I got to test drive:<\/p>\n

Grade: Type S
\nEngine: 2.0L DOHC Twin-scroll Turbo
\nDrive system: AWD (All-Wheel Drive)
\nTransmission: 6-speed MT
\nMax output: 227kW (308PS) \/ 6400rpm
\nMax torque: 422N\u00b7m (43.0kgf\u00b7m)
\nFeatures: 19-inch tires, RECARO seats, Bilstein dampers, Brembo 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes, etc.<\/p>\n

Compared to a few years ago, I\u2019ve gotten better at driving manual Porsches like the Boxster and GT3, but I still had some anxiety about Subaru\u2019s manual cars, thinking they might be difficult.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s partly because my brother is a Subaru enthusiast who\u2019s been driving manual Legacy models for years, and when I tried driving his car once, I couldn\u2019t even get it started properly. (That was back when I couldn\u2019t drive manuals at all.)<\/p>\n

So how did it actually go…? (lol) I\u2019m not very knowledgeable about car mechanics, so unlike my husband, I can only share my intuitive impressions. Please read this as “a slightly car-loving woman\u2019s perspective, a bit more than the average person<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

For Advanced Drivers: The WRX STI<\/h3>\n

To get straight to the point, I felt the MT WRX STI (VAB) is a car for advanced drivers.<\/strong> For those confident in their handling and throttle control skills, it\u2019s an incredibly fun car.<\/p>\n

Our 911 (992 model) feels so high-performance that it almost leaves no room for human error, and even someone like me can drive it reasonably well on twisty roads like the Royu Driveway. I don\u2019t feel scared even at speed, and it even makes me feel like I\u2019m getting better at driving because it corners smoothly without me having to think much about \u201cRR layout\u201d or \u201cweight transfer.\u201d
\n\u00a0\"WRX<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the other hand, the WRX STI directly reflects your driving skill. If you try to take a corner without thinking, the tires might slip, and driving fast can feel scary. It doesn\u2019t have an auto-blip function, so you have to manually operate the clutch to downshift.<\/p>\n

Also, the shift lever felt like it was designed for advanced users… sometimes I wondered, “Did I just shift into 3rd? Or maybe 5th? But judging by the engine sound, it\u2019s probably 3rd…<\/strong>” It made me realize, “I thought I had mastered manual driving, but with a different car, I\u2019m still far from it.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about the car\u2019s performance, but more about how much I usually rely on the car to drive smoothly.<\/p>\n

Among the manual cars I\u2019ve driven before\u2014BMW 320i, Porsche 911 GT3, 981 Boxster GTS (981\/718), Mazda Roadster, Honda S660, and Subaru Legacy\u2014the WRX STI\u2019s clutch felt honestly the most challenging.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The clutch\u2019s engagement point is very narrow; if you just try to connect it casually, you get shift shock or risk stalling (I actually stalled while backing into a parking spot). This really shows it\u2019s a true sports car.<\/p>\n

However, my husband said, “Really? Was it that hard? I didn\u2019t think so.<\/strong>” And the WRX STI owner also said,<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband handled it perfectly from the start! He was really skilled!!\u201d<\/p>\n

So I guess the problem is mostly my driving skill (lol). Next, I\u2019ll write about the full test drive experience.<\/p>\n

WRX STI: Interior, Driving Impressions, and More<\/h3>\n

Once inside, it had that unmistakable “sports car vibe<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

The clutch wasn\u2019t too heavy or too light\u2014just the right weight.<\/p>\n

When I started the engine, it sounded milder and quieter than I expected. My brother\u2019s felt louder (maybe he had quite a few modifications lol). When I slowly started moving, I accidentally revved it up with a loud “Vrooom!!<\/strong>” and startled myself, then eased off the throttle, which caused a sudden shift shock.<\/p>\n

The owner said,<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my husband drove earlier, he mentioned the clutch engagement point is quite far forward.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, I had been thinking \u201cmaybe it engages around here\u201d based on my experience with the Boxster and GT3, and pressed the accelerator at that timing, but the WRX STI\u2019s clutch engagement point is actually much earlier.<\/p>\n

Once I kept that in mind, I managed to shift more smoothly.<\/p>\n

\"WRX<\/p>\n

Once moving, the boxer engine sounded fantastic, as expected.<\/strong> Somehow, the engine note reminded me of the 718\u2019s sound quality. Although I knew it sounds great when revved, since it was my first time driving this car and it wasn\u2019t mine, I couldn\u2019t press the accelerator as boldly as I wanted.<\/p>\n

My husband often says,<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t push it harder, you won\u2019t really understand what the car can do.<\/strong> Don\u2019t be so timid\u2014just drive it like you normally drive our cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the owner also said that day,<\/p>\n

Feel free to push it harder (lol). It\u2019s not a regular passenger car\u2014it\u2019s a sports car, after all (lol).<\/strong><\/p>\n

So I thought, “Right, of course\u2026!<\/strong>” and pressed the accelerator on a straightaway. Suddenly, once I hit a certain point, the acceleration was explosive, and I instinctively eased off the speed.<\/p>\n

It used to be called a \u201ckick-in turbo,\u201d and I think this acceleration is similar.<\/p>\n

Wow, this is what a kick-in turbo feels like…!<\/p>\n

With the Boxster or GT3, when you accelerate, the car body sinks and you feel grounded, like you\u2019re glued to the road. But with the WRX STI, it felt like I was being pushed from behind with incredible force, gliding smoothly forward on rails. (I can\u2019t find a better way to describe it…)<\/p>\n

I bet it\u2019s insanely fast on the highway.<\/p>\n

The ride was smoother than I expected. The owner drove long distances that day and said he didn\u2019t feel tired at all.<\/p>\n

During the roughly 20 minutes I drove\u2014sometimes riding shotgun with the owner driving, sometimes driving again\u2014I felt strongly that the MT WRX STI is for advanced drivers and an incredibly fun sports car for those confident behind the wheel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Afterwards, the owner also drove our 992, and he seemed very happy, which was great!<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/p>\n

Still, I really need to work harder to improve my driving skills!<\/p>\n

Owner, thank you so much for this precious experience! (My husband will also write a test drive report soon, so please look forward to that too lol.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Test Driving the Subaru WRX STI (VAB) Thanks to writing this blog, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to drive many cars over time. Especially my husband\u2014lately, more acquaintances have been saying to him, “please try driving it and tell us your impressions,” so every time we go to the Royu Driveway, he gets to drive a new car. 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