Let's be brutally honest about the 2008 Subaru WRX — it was a major letdown. With its 224-horsepower engine a carryover from the old WRX, the once-dominant World Rally thoroughbred had become a prancing gelding. Our initial assessment of the car was that it hadn't quite earned its WRX badge, feeling instead more like an Impreza "GT" than a road-ready rally car. Apparently we weren't the only ones to express this sentiment, since Subaru divided last year's WRX into two different models for 2009: the Impreza 2.5 GT and a new, more powerful WRX.
The 2009 Impreza 2.5 GT is essentially the 2008 WRX, but stripped of its sport seats, manual transmission, and optional body kit. A four-speed automatic is the only gearbox on offer, pointing clearly to the fact that it's aimed at those folks who wouldn't know Petter Solberg from Peter Pan and probably think the X Games are an alternative lifestyle event. It is, for all intents and purposes, a well-appointed, 224-horsepower Impreza sedan (4- or 5-door) for a mature, non-enthusiast driver. In other words, it's not a WRX, and doesn't pretend to be.
Enough about last year's news already; let's get back to the real WRX. On the surface, not a lot has changed for 2009, but underneath lies 41 more horses and 18 additional torques. Peak output is now 265 horsepower at 6000 rpm (precisely halving the 82-horse gap between the '08 WRX and the STI) and 244 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. Thank a larger turbocharger coupled to a larger-diameter, lower-restriction exhaust system for the additional boost. Sticking with what appears to be the aftermarket playbook, the '09 WRX also gets a larger intercooler to keep the intake charge as cool as possible.
The presence of the additional power is immediately noticeable from the driver's seat, at least from about 3000 rpm onward. The bottom end is still a little soft, but once the turbo is spooled up the WRX goes to work with a greater sense of purpose than it did last year. Engine noise is a bit more pronounced as well, lending the perception of speed to the experience. The one letdown remains the balky five-speed gearbox, which still feels like entry-level Impreza kit. Nevertheless, Subaru's standard symmetrical all-wheel-drive system helps ensure a 0-to-60 launch in the low 5 seconds.
Along with the power upgrades, the chassis also gets a bit of fine-tuning for 2009. Stiffer springs and 1-mm larger anti-roll bars at both ends sharpen the handling and reduce the keel-over effect to a significant degree. Understeer at the limit has also been dialed back ever so slightly with the new hardware. Subaru ditched last year's 205/50-17 all-season tires in favor of wider, stickier 225/45-17 summer performance rubber, further proof that the WRX is built especially for driving enthusiasts. The ride remains extremely civilized, however, thanks to Subaru's traditional long-travel suspension setup. Nothing has changed in the braking department, which still uses dual-piston calipers acting on 11.6-inch vented discs in the front and single-piston grippers on 11.3-inch solid discs behind. We pretty well cooked a set of pads in a track session last year, and we would expect nothing different from the '09.
To help distinguish the '09 champs from the '08 chumps, Subaru has dialed up the visual drama a bit. Last year's optional Aero Package, with deeper front and rear valences and side extensions, is now standard across the board. The '08's slotted grille remains in place on the 2.5 GT, while the WRX now wears a STI-type mesh unit. Chrome has nearly been banished from the bodywork altogether; gone are the chrome trunk blade, the chrome headlight housings, and the chrome grille surround, all replaced with dark grey accents that coordinate well with the standard grey 17-inch alloy wheels. The only remaining chrome is in the love-'em-or-hate-'em taillights and the exhaust tips, giving the WRX a much more purposeful look. The bobtail five-door version looks particularly ready to rumble.
The interior scheme compliments the exterior personality, with high-back sport seats covered in checkered black cloth upholstery. Red stitching on the seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel, as well as embroidered WRX logos on the front seatbacks, brighten the business-like cabin; the aluminum pedal covers are another subtle reminder that this is a serious driver's car.
A premium package adds heated front seats and outside mirrors along with foglights and — finally — a power glass sunroof. The premium package is required in order to get the optional satellite radio/navigation package, which features a touch-screen nav system, Sirius satellite radio receiver, Audyssey MultEQ audio control, and RCA audio/video jacks.
The rapid realignment of the Impreza lineup just one year into this new generation shows that Subaru has a good handle on its customers' wants and needs. The 2009 WRX has finally earned its letters, and with a base price expected around $25,000, it represents a genuine performance bargain.
