Lots of bang for the buck!

The competition
I car shopped intensively for about three months, and considered a wide range of cars including the VW Rabbit, Mazda3, Audi A3, Mini Cooper S and Scion tC. I finally concluded, however, that the WRX wagon is the best overall compromise among performance, price and practicality.

The ride
I’ve been driving it for about two weeks now and I’m more impressed with it every day. The overall road feel and driver interface is amazing. Steering is precise, and acceleration is exhilarating, even before the turbo kicks in. Previous versions of the WRX were plagued by a pronounced turbo lag and lame torque at lower RPMs, but the new 2.5L engine in the 㤎 distributes power across a much wider band. It still jumps at 3500-4000 RPMs when the turbo kicks in, but it’s quicker off the line with a much smoother transition into the turbo burst, resulting in a more even, muscular acceleration.
The AWD enables it to handle great on all surfaces and under all conditions. The seats are firm and comfortable, and visibility is excellent with minimal blind spots (although slightly larger side mirrors would be an improvement). The instruments are for the most part, subtle, tasteful, intuitive and ergonomic.

Appearance
Many dedicated Impreza owners have reacted unfavorably the new “fuselage” nose adapted from the (admittedly homely) Tribeca, but I think it works well with the sleek, cat’s eye headlight casings and subtler hood scoop. The front spoiler, side skirts, and rear valence (all borrowed in part from the 04-05 STi) complete a visual package that is sporty without being ostentatious or cheesy. The standard 17” wheels shod with low profile tires are very sharp, providing an almost Euro-look. I got mine in the rally blue, which for me is the ONLY color for this car, although the red works well too.

Functionality
My previous car was a Honda Element, perhaps the most versatile and functional vehicle on the road, so I was reluctant to part with it. So far the WRX wagon has proven (just) big enough to accommodate my day to day carrying needs (hockey sticks and equipment bag, bike, furniture (it easily swallowed four dining chairs and a couple large boxes) and various garden supplies (for the last, I highly recommend the washable cargo tray and cargo box). The rear hatch opens high and wide and with the seats folded down there is a surprising amount of cargo space. Although no SUV, it is more than adequate for all but the largest item, and is highly functional as daily transportation

Quibbles
My complaints so far are few: Road noise--in some measure unavoidable given the performance suspension and low profile tires. The A3 is the only car close in performance and practically with substantially less road, but for 4k less, I’m happy to simply turn up the stereo. Which incidentally is INEXCUSABLEY lacking an iPod input. Mileage thus far has been low 20s, not awful considering the performance and my (admittedly) heavy foot, but it takes premium only, so fuel costs are substantially more than that of most other small wagons. Still, when compared to other sports cars (most of which it can easily hang with), or even small SUVs (which it can nearly match in cargo space), fuel economy is acceptable. Don’t get me started on insurance.

Overall
There is no substitute for driving a car to truly appreciate it, so if you are interested in the WRX I highly recommend taking it for a spirited test drive. Since, this car had been around long enough for buzz to subside, deals can be had. If you are shopping in earnest, completely disregard the MSRP and START the conversation at invoice (I purchased mine for $22,400, a thousand below invoice). This car is not for everyone, but for those seeking an under 25k ride that provides thrilling performance, AWD capability and day to day practicality it would be tough to do better than the Impreza WRX wagon.