Subaru purists, rejoice! The STI you remember is finally back - in the form of a razor-sharp sedan with the dearly missed rear wing. When Subaru launched the third-generation STI back in 2008, it was a softer, less-hardcore version that left many enthusiasts scratching their heads, and to further their bewilderment it was only offered in a hatchback.
That was then, and this is now - Subaru is looking to once again capture the hearts of enthusiasts with the new '11 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. By the looks of it, mission accomplished.
At first glance, the new STI is lower, wider and meaner-looking than its predecessors. Thanks to some serious fender work and aggressive styling, the STI sedan has an unmistakable road presence. There's really nothing to dislike about the styling of the STI and WRX, which now share the same widebody sheetmetal. From the large blacked-out air inlets and integrated lip spoiler up front to the quad-tipped exhaust and striking rear spoiler, both models command respect everywhere they go. And don't think all these visual improvements were for just for show, Subaru improved the sedan's drag coefficent over the hatchback by 5 percent; in layman's terms, that means the new aero gives the STI a higher top speed.
Everyone agrees that the new look is a winner, but what's underneath it all? Many owners complained that the older model was too civil and not raw enough. Thankfully, Subaru listened and put a lot of effort into chassis and suspension tuning with excellent results. The '11 STI sedan and hatchback are sharper, more precise and better responding to driver inputs than their predecessors, thanks to a slew of new suspension components. The front springs are 16 percent stiffer over last year's model and 53 percent in the rear with complementing larger sway bars providing less roll and flatter handling. The springs also lower the car by 5mm, but the real story is in the bushings. A spherical pillow ball bushing in the front control arm replaces the old rubber bushing that would exhibit large amounts of flex under heavy load. This technology is usually reserved for motorsports applications, but it's one of the main reasons why the handling has been so vastly improved on the new STI. The rear subframe receives similar treatment with stiffer bushings in all the joints. This all adds up to an STI that feels real again, ready to tackle any tarmac challenge with extreme confidence.
Leaving nothing untouched, Subaru improved the interior with a new cluster, a sophisticated audio system (with Bluetooth, iPod control and USB input), trim color options and an available leather and moonroof option. A long-overdue and much-needed function on previous generations is the one-touch, up-and-down power window function (now standard on all '11 models).