Subaru WRX STi sedan 2011 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $59,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: 5-star ANCAP
Fuel: 98 RON ULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 10.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 243
Also consider: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Ralliart, Volkswagen Golf R, Mazda3 MPS, Ford Focus RS, Renault Megane RS 250.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

Riddle me this... If, as Subaru Australia expects, the recently introduced automatic transmission version of the WRX STi is to be the biggest selling variant of the specialist sports sedan, why then are people buying STis in the first place?

With its focus on competition-based go-faster technology, the WRX STi has always been seen as somewhat purpose-built. Good on the track, but maybe not ideally suited to the cut and thrust of everyday driving.

But if Subaru's assertions are true, then maybe a lot of STi buyers are simply interested in looking ultra-cool on the street.

The auto doesn't look any different to its manual-transmission sibling, so no one really need know. But it is hardly the real deal when it comes to a true sporting focus. It produces less torque (57Nm less) and lacks some of the manual's gear, including the front and rear limited-slip differentials that help make the manual-transmission STi such a weapon on the track.

Indeed, in our experience the auto's performance is significantly off the pace of other performance-oriented cars in this price segment. Acceleration figures indicate it is no faster than a regular (manual) WRX for a start!

But there's no such issues with the overall appeal of the manual STi. Our test STi sedan, resplendent in Blue Mica paintwork and massive rear wing, was the real six-speed manual deal, complete with the under-skin revisions made recently to give the WRX STi an improved edge on the track. Along with revised suspension featuring wider tracks, new damper and spring rates, thicker roll bars front and rear, new aluminium lower control arms at the front and new 18-inch wheels, the current STi aims at being tighter and more crisp-handling on the track, yet, with some allowances made, mostly acceptable on the street.

Outputs for the 2.5-litre turbo engine remain unchanged at 221kW at 6000rpm and 407Nm at 4000rpm, but some work has been done on engine mapping to revise the delivery. By all measures the figures are up on the regular WRX that produces 195kW at the same 6000rpm and 343Nm of torque, also at the same 4000rpm.

The STi engine is not just a powered-up version of the WRX powerplant. It gets full variable valve timing on both inlet and exhaust camshafts (the WRX only gets VVT on the inlet side), along with more turbo boost, a bigger intercooler, reprofiled camshafts, different injectors, conrods and crankshaft, and a reprogrammed ECU.

That the WRX STi is well endowed with power is never in doubt, although it is necessary, as it always has been with the short-stroke Subaru boxer engine, to be mindful when launching from a standstill. A lack of concentration will cause the familiar bogging down as the engine struggles to reach the effective segment of its torque band.

Interestingly, the STi doesn't feel as immediately raunchy as the regular WRX. Even though the positive-shifting six-speed transmission helps by dishing out slightly lower, well-spaced gear ratios all the way up to fifth (and a much higher ratio in sixth that helps fuel economy) there's not quite the feeling of thumping urge so evident in the five-speed WRX.

This belies the official acceleration figures that have the STi reaching 100km/h in 4.9 seconds (that's BMW M3 territory) compared to the 60kg lighter WRX's still astounding 5.3 seconds.

The six-speed gearbox undoubtedly helps with the fuel consumption figures, which are close enough to the WRX as to not matter. In fact the CO2 figure at 243g/km is slightly better than the WRX's 247g/km. And the quoted combined fuel consumption figure of 10.5L/100km could even be pessimistic because we recorded 9.4L/100km on test.

The impression, even though the figures hardly confirm it, is that the STi develops its more useful torque higher in the rpm range and is at its best when being wrung out. Although the engine is not peaky, certainly there's not an awful lot happening until well past 3000rpm and you're on your way to the 6700rpm red line.

The regular WRX's engine, on the other hand, is ominously omnipresent (especially with its new quad-outlet exhaust system that reverberates through the cabin on idle) and always feels keen to go with the slightest pressure on the accelerator pedal. Where the WRX is eagerly animalistic, the STi feels as though it needs a thoughtful, skilled foot on the throttle if it is to deliver its best.

That same feeling is evident in the STi's handling too. It turns in with a level-riding crispness not so evident in the previous model and the ride, though clearly stiffer, is acceptable providing the driver makes allowances on abruptly changing, roughed-up surfaces. The high levels of tyre noise are not what you'd expect to find in a similarly priced Euro sedan -- this is where it's necessary to understand that super-sharp handling usually comes at some cost.

And the Multi-mode Driver's Control Centre Differential (DCCD), while a boon on the racetrack where it's possible to fine-tune the car's balance through a corner, is best left in auto mode in most on-road circumstances. Although playing with the STi's adjustable throttle mapping via the three-mode Intelligent Drive system can be rewarding.

The bottom line is that the STi's corner-carving skills are right up there with the prodigious power, as are the Brembo brakes and their specially tuned Super Sport anti-lock system. Steering is sharp, going from lock to lock in 2.8 turns, while the competition-oriented brakes are obvious from the first press of the pedal.

The substantial 18 x 8.5J wheels with their 245/40 Dunlop SP600 tyres help too, and the front and rear limited slip differentials (helical up front, Torsen at the rear) play a major part in transferring the torque to the ground.

All of which adds up to the STi's specialist nature. Even though it is fine to live with as an everyday conveyance (reasonably flexible with no lumpy, irritable engine characteristics, no calf-popping clutch pedal and an acceptable ride quality bearing in mind the 5mm ride height reduction compared with the regular WRX) it reveals its true self less on the road than on the track.

In all other ways it is pretty interchangeable with the WRX. Both have a five-star ANCAP rating and the interior is essentially identical. Manually adjustable front seats (trimmed in Alcantara rather than straight cloth as in WRX) prove to be quite comfortable if not as grippy as the optional Recaros available in the STi Spec R. Climate control air, Hill Start Assist, Bluetooth connectivity, a very basic trip computer advising only of average and instant fuel consumption, and a 10-speaker CD audio system are all standard.

Like every other Impreza, the STi offers acceptable rather than generous rear-seat legroom, but does provide a split-fold rear seat giving access to the decent 420-litre boot.

Also like other Imprezas there's a slightly drab note to the interior trim and presentation. With a dominant greyness throughout, the STi lacks the touch of class you might have expected in a 60-grand car. It contrasts markedly with the extrovert exterior.

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