Vehicle: 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
Price as tested: CDN$46995

Performance: STi uses different turbo engine than the “garden variety” WRX. It uses 2.5L horizontally opposed DOHC 4 cylinder turbo engine that bumps out a whopping 300 horsepower and 300 lb/ft of torque. The power delivery is nothing short of amazing as it screams through the 0 to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds, that is faster than both Audi S4 and BMW M3. Unlike the standard WRX, STi doesn’t have the obvious turbo lag that makes the car so dreadful to drive at somewhere below 3 grand rpm. The throttle response is superb as it provides breathtaking acceleration and responsivenss as every touch of the pedal. 6-speed stick shift is a joy to use. It has decent ratios through all gears. It also has nice and solid gates without any freeplay. As for the clutch, its progressive while providing the right weight.

Handling: Combine the stiff chassis, Subaru’s proven symmertical AWD and DCCD. The result is an astounsing dynamic package. DCCD is a system that allows the driver to control the AWD percentage distribution by the press of a button. However, this system is so good that you can basically put it in “auto” and let the computer does the rest. Steering has tons of steering feel and great response. There are almost no body rolls through corners as the DCCD provides plenty of grip with the use low-profile tires. However, STi’s capabilities are not without drawback. While its really fast to let the driver go into a cornering limit, its tricky to drive as you push it out of the limit. For an unskilled driver, the last 10% of cornering limit is extremely hard to detect because its too easy to oversteer. While the first 80-90% of going into oversteer is fun because it feels like drifting, last 10-15% can get you into a crash easily. My suggestion: learn to drive an STi safely through any driver control course before taking it to the last 10% of the cornering limit. Or, better yet, stay away from the last of the limit to have fun with its grip. There have been many WRX crashed thanks to its tricky cornering limitations, STi has taken this a step further.

Brakes: With 4 wheel Brembo brakes and ABS, STi’s pedal feel is simply great. It has wonderful braking distance, modulation and pressure point.

Interior: Inside the STi, its all about business. There are great sets of bucket seats and a thick-rimmed MOMO sports steering with a cool STi emblem. Just like the WRX, its easy to find a good driving position with all sorts of adjustments. The usual WRX goodies like easy to use climate control and stereo remain intact. On the other hand, STi’s use of materials still feel cheap thanks to its econocar Impreza origin. There are tons of cheap plastic abound the center console and dashboard.

Conclusion: WRX STi is simply one of the best sports cars I have ever driven on the other side of Ingolsdadt, Munich and Zufferhensen. It has exceptional grip, a great engine, strong chassis and an interior that truly means business. Before I go, I am still going to suggest to anyone who is going to buy an STi learn how to drive properly as you go into corners before its too late. If you know how to drive an STi well, its tons of fun. If you can’t handle an STi the right way, there is a disaster waiting to happen.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3.5/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5