Price $26,295
I recently drove a new Camry and failed to be won over with its added ‘youth appeal’. I concluded that with fifty large to spend I could buy something really fun, like a 2015 Subaru WRX Premium . As luck would have it, the keys to an updated WRX landed on my desk this month, giving me the perfect opportunity to find out just how one would stack up as a family hack.
For MY16, both the WRX and STI score a bunch of spec upgrades for nix. Among the freebies for
the 2015 Subaru WRX Premium are power folding minors, two usb inputs and a trick camera in the mi nor which peers at the left front wheel. No excuses for garking those new larger, 18-inch alloys. Theres new safety kit too in the form of blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert. Lifting the ambience of the swish cabin is the same infotainment system as that found in the pricier Outback Premium.
The rest of the spec remains the same, figure on leather seats (sans heaters), sunroof, reversing camera (there are no parking sensors) and a smart key. The engine and other oily bits remain unchanged. So is it family friendly? We reckon so. Not only is there the added protection of the new active safety tech, there’s also all the usual acronyms present such as ABS, ESP and TC along with seven airbags and a five-star ANCAP rating.
Rear legroom is respectable and while there is space for three back there, the middle seat is best suited for occasional use. There’s also one-touch split folding, a trio of childseat anchors, two ISOFIX points and a boot big enough to gobble a pram and a weekly grocery shop-up.
Ride quality is impressive, and although it’s what you’d call ‘sporty’, it's certainly not uncomfortable and the worst bumps tend to be heard more than they are felt. Sure the slightly softer Levorg wagon would be a better family all-rounder, but it will also be more expensive and isn’t available for another year. Is it fast? Sure is. In fact, the only thing that’s quicker at this price point is the manual WRX.
The majority of sales to date have been the CVT (aka SLT — Subaru Linear Tronic) equipped model which is the one we have here. Opting for the eight-step SIT sacrifices a little straight-line speed, but this is really only noticeable if you’re into traffic light drags. A manual model will stop the clock in 5.88seconds, whereas the SIT model requires 6. l9 seconds to reach 100km/h. There’s less separating the two for the 80-120km/h dash; 3.70sec vs 3.89sec for the SLT.
Unique to the SLT model is the three mode SI-Drive. Intelligent is the default mode and also the most economic. ¡n this mode Rex isn’t quite as stroppy or willing to kick down through the ‘gears’. Sport is far more lively and WRX-like. We found ourselves using this mode most often. Is it fun? Hell yeah! The WRX has always been up for a good strop, and thankfully this hasn’t changed. Best to flick the SI-Drive to Sporty and use the wheel mounted paddles which will allow the box to hold the gears.
The gearbox is well matched to the engine and is free of the whine that afflicts so many CVTs. Full throttle ‘gear changes’ can be a bit iffy however. The engine revs keenly through the range and is at its stroppiest from 3000 to 6500 rpm. Some more aural stimulation wouldn’t go amiss in this department.
Steering is electric and it’s a well sorted set-up that offers a good amount of feedback and quick
direction changes. Point this thing towards a challenging road and that’s where it shines. The all-wheel drive system wastes no power and with gobs of mechanical grip 011 offer thanks to the new rubber which is slightly wider, you have to be playing silly buggers for the ESP to intervene.
Bends are dispatched with ease and each corner carved leaves you feeling that you could have gone through way quicker. Take one for a spin on your favourite road and we guarantee you’ll be grinning from ear to ear. There aren’t many cars that can be spanked on Sunday then do the school run on Monday as convincingly as this one.
Oddly the brakes in this particular example didn’t feel that flash, but this may have something to do with this car being subjected to a media launch at Hampton Downs recently. nstAutomotive Senior Editor Cooldude reckons WRX brakes have long been undercooked and don’t cope with prolonged abuse. If you plan on hitting the track a pad upgrade would be a wise move.
What’s not to like? Er, there’s not one in my driveway. It also likes a drink. Subaru claim average fuel is 8.6L/100 km, but mid-teens is far more likely. The entry level model manual remains our
pick - nothing else offers as much fun or bang for buck. However, if getting the OK from the missus meant opting for the fancier SLT Premium we’d settle for that. Now all I need to do is convince Subaru to accept magic beans as payment.
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