Topic: Test Drive: 2014 Subaru WRX STI Tsurugi Edition

[Autos_Editor]

Subaru strips the STI's wild-child looks to give it a more mature profile, but they're not fooling anyone ' this is still the best hardcore performance value on the market.

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[jamesautos]

it is sad to see a car rot like this among others more capable cars in the market today... I had a 2008 and this 2014 edition is exactly the same minus some suspension changes that come out last year and rims...

back in 2008 it was a performance bargain and it was the top among its peers...it was a beast! as long as you can put up with the horrid gas mileage....now along with the EVO, they both are the bottom of the buyer's list....even the new hyundai accent has better interior and its price is down right non-competitive

sad to see subaru completely ignores this little beast

[jyarkony]

What other car on the market now offers similar performance and practicality for that price (aside form its evil shadow twin Evo)?

then again, perhaps that's a sign of demand... just not that many people in this market - most of them are jumping over to 320i xDrives and A4 quattros...

[Fobroader]

What other car on the market now offers similar performance and practicality for that price (aside form its evil shadow twin Evo)?

then again, perhaps that's a sign of demand... just not that many people in this market - most of them are jumping over to 320i xDrives and A4 quattros...

Yeah, but going from a STi/Evo to an A4 or 320i is like saying Im sick of this tequila, I think I will have some of this grape drink. I dont know of anyone I know whos has a WRX/STi/Evo who would be looking at some weaksauce Euro status mobile.

[jyarkony]

What other car on the market now offers similar performance and practicality for that price (aside form its evil shadow twin Evo)?

then again, perhaps that's a sign of demand... just not that many people in this market - most of them are jumping over to 320i xDrives and A4 quattros...

Yeah, but going from a STi/Evo to an A4 or 320i is like saying Im sick of this tequila, I think I will have some of this grape drink. I dont know of anyone I know whos has a WRX/STi/Evo who would be looking at some weaksauce Euro status mobile.

so it's like going from tequila to wine... sounds about right.

No, people don't cross-shop it, but people do grow up (well, some people, not me and you, buddy!), and the market that has the money to buy 40K cars is now looking for some luxury and refinement to go along with their performance - we have a few here that have moved on from their WRXs/STI into MDXs (Vmango, right?) and other assorted luxury cars, no?

bad enough we have to listen to kids whining all day long, we don't want a car that is going to drone and whine all day long.

the new platform can't come soon enough. my ultimate wish is the ride and steering feel of the BRZ with a small bump in power (320-330 - leave the WRX at 275 max) and further electronic AWD wizardry. however it might just get softer, heavier and more powerful to overcompensate like everything else in the world.

[Snowman]

The lack of refinement was the cause of my divorce with the WRX/STi after 10 years. I would of happily paid $50k for an STi with some upscale features and an interior. Going down scale never is a good strategy in the end IMO.

[Fobroader]

The lack of refinement was the cause of my divorce with the WRX/STi after 10 years. I would of happily paid $50k for an STi with some upscale features and an interior. Going down scale never is a good strategy in the end IMO.

Thats always been the STi, and Evos, chink in the armor, the interior has always been low rent with some awesome seats. The Legacy Spec B should have been the one car to take care of that problem, but that never caught on.

[Weels]

so it's like going from tequila to wine... sounds about right.

No, people don't cross-shop it, but people do grow up (well, some people, not me and you, buddy!), and the market that has the money to buy 40K cars is now looking for some luxury and refinement to go along with their performance - we have a few here that have moved on from their WRXs/STI into MDXs (Vmango, right?) and other assorted luxury cars, no?

This.
Back when I was in my 20's/ early 30's this car would hugely appeal to me.  Now, well into my 40's... not so much.  Most people's tastes/preferences change over time.
Fun for a while, then i'd quickly want rid of it

[redman]

The lack of refinement was the cause of my divorce with the WRX/STi after 10 years. I would of happily paid $50k for an STi with some upscale features and an interior. Going down scale never is a good strategy in the end IMO.

The new restyled WRX STI is just around the corner. Spoke to a local Subaru sales guy this past weekend who informed me that the new STI will be showing early next year at car shows.

[johngenx]

Maybe Subaru just goes "all in" with the comp theme.  Drop the WRX and STi and sell one model, either name will do.  Give us a rip snorting 350+ hp and add lightness.  An F40 style interior with Recaros.  Manual AC with mechanical controls.

[Northernridge]

The lack of refinement was the cause of my divorce with the WRX/STi after 10 years. I would of happily paid $50k for an STi with some upscale features and an interior. Going down scale never is a good strategy in the end IMO.

I got this far and thought…I've never heard that reason before. 

[WRX_Pilot]

A more subtle looking STI is perfect in my books.  Although those front seats have pretty flat bottoms, I guess to fit all the fat butts with the money to buy one.  I've never seen them use seats better than those in the '02.

I say a little lack of refinement adds a little excitement to life... Too much is vanilla these days!

[evil_twin]

Maybe Subaru just goes "all in" with the comp theme.  Drop the WRX and STi and sell one model, either name will do.  Give us a rip snorting 350+ hp and add lightness.  An F40 style interior with Recaros.  Manual AC with mechanical controls.

I'd like to see them keep the WRX, but move the power up to ~300hp and at least do something a LITTLE nicer with the interior.  Doesn't have to be a Golf R, but at least something livable.

Make the STI the light-weight, "rally car for the streets" factory modded offering with 350 hp for the true subaru diehards.

I would certainly choose a Golf R over the current Subaru offerings if buying in this market again.

[Fobroader]

Agree with Evil and Jon. Bring the hardcore versions with the crazy seats here. They will fly off the shelves!

Make the "limited" version properly nice. Bring it up to the level of the nice legacy limited interior. Doesn't have to be world class but satisfactorily nice with a decent stereo.

Can Subaru do a proper luxo interior?? Ive been in lots of Subies and while I find the interiors perfectly acceptable most of the media and a lot of member on here say different, has there ever been one thats been at least competitive in its class??

[jyarkony]

40K-50K is a competitive market now. The days of picking up a cheap WRX to blow away M3s are over. Them handling on the last cars was weak-sauce out of the box.

I think you're underrating the STI's handling. sure it's no M3, but it handles extremely well... as a road car. I was kicking myself for not getting out to a track day, but it just didn't work out. but still, from what I felt on the road, it seems like you can manage all that power effectively on a track, and light modding - like Mike's big anti-roll bar in the back - should turn the handling balance into something very capable for the track.

aside from the Evo, which has a slight edge (with a trade-off of even more intolerable cabin noise and harder ride), what car is faster (track or not), cheaper and better suited to a snowy Canadian winter?

Personally, I'd sign up for Golf R (interior, refinement, feel, transmission), but that understeers even more obviously, even at public-road speeds...

[Weels]

Agree with Evil and Jon. Bring the hardcore versions with the crazy seats here. They will fly off the shelves!

Make the "limited" version properly nice. Bring it up to the level of the nice legacy limited interior. Doesn't have to be world class but satisfactorily nice with a decent stereo.

Can Subaru do a proper luxo interior?? Ive been in lots of Subies and while I find the interiors perfectly acceptable most of the media and a lot of member on here say different, has there ever been one thats been at least competitive in its class??

Agree - i was window shopping Subaru's on the weekend with my wife.  The Limited models of the Forester & Crosstrek looked plenty nice to me.

[johngenx]

I thought the Tribeca interior was pretty good.

[jyarkony]

I thought the Tribeca interior was pretty good.

I thought the Tribeca looked fabulous when it first came out - i loved that sweeping curved metallic trim – but the materials quality was never that good, and while Subaru now has the soft touch dash, some of the other trim materials, swithcgear, etc. aren't as nice as something like the Mazda6/Mazda3 or the Ford Fusion/Focus

[dkaz]

What wrong with the STI's interior?

[Snowman]

What wrong with the STI's interior?

1. Cheap hard plastics that creek and rattle during temperature and humidity changes.
2. Worst audio system ever.
3. Low quality materials.
4. Average seats for a performance car.
5. Dated styling.