Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 Review: On tufts of clouds and marshmallows...

It is as if Subaru had accidentally mixed in marshmallows with the original WRX gene. The upside of all this is that the car becomes more livable with, and more settled down. The downside, however, is that those who are keen on some good’ol bang for buck will find better value for money in the earlier version.

Think of them as Coke and Coke Light. Both are supposed to be similar, but with the latter being the healthier choice – less teeth-dissolving and friendlier to your stomach-wall’s lining; basically, the not so hard-core version of the two.

In the previous version, driving the car evokes confidence. While it does understeer quite a bit, its splendid all-wheel drive will sort you out of the nastiest of slides. Now, the new WRX has improved on that. Thanks to more weight at its rear it does slither out a little bit more, and effectively reducing the problem.

But importantly, controlling your steering inputs together with the throttle is actually easier in the new car. Because you don’t have to anticipate a strong power burst like in the saloon WRX, as well as a more linear and responsive delivery, every turn is a tad calmer than its elder brother.

Steer it around and one would find that it still lacks in feedback, but both remain relatively responsive. What still disappoints, though, is its lightness at higher speeds. You can effortlessly deal with the opposing force as easily as how we deal with the opposition party. Only difference is that you probably would prefer some stronger resistance when traveling on a highway.

Ed. Through extremely tight right-left-right-left handers, and especially in quick slaloms, the hydraulics on the new model’s steering load up in a flash, making it very dangerous should you be caught off guard by the extra effort needed for countersteering work.

That said, we must admit that we were still simply charmed by the older model. It isn’t so gentle like the hatchback and it does a better job at tingling your spine and wreaking havoc with your senses.

And that is exactly what these cars are supposed to do – not fluff-coat your bum. By the way, the old one can still be had for nearly $10,000 less while stocks are still available.

Credits: Text and Photos by Amery Reuben and Andy Hum