What is it: The 2018 Subaru WRX STI is a compact sedan that clings to the world of driving feel with an iron grip. It’s got some pluck, too. The STI comes in base and limited; the latter adds leather trim, an eight-way power driver’s seat, power moonroof, welcome lighting, keyless access and push-button start.
Key Competitors: Ford Focus RS, VW Golf R
Base Price: $36,955 As-Tested Price: $39,455
Full Review: 2018 Subaru WRX STI first drive
Highlights: Gently updated for 2018, the STI gets a new grille, revised Brembo brakes, a new center differential, 19-inch wheels, steering-responsive headlights and more. More critical is what has not changed: The 305-hp, turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer-four still runs the show, a quick-shifting six-speed manual transfers power to all four wheels, and steering feel is alive and well with traditional hydraulic assist instead of the more common electric assist.
Our Opinion: Subaru pulled off something daring, in a way. It didn’t change the STI too much. When the STI first came to the States in 2004, it came with hydraulic steering and a 300-hp 2.5-liter boxer-four. Since that time, the Impreza (from which the STI is derived) has lived through three-generations and all the safety, tech and powertrain updates that go with it. But despite the new bones, the STI held course, receiving only evolutionary updates to its powertrain and core purpose.
And, 13 years after its introduction, we reap the benefits. In a world gone amok with “advanced driver-assisted systems” and automation and eleventeen-speed automatic transmissions, Subaru offers some nostalgia. For example, nestled in Recaro bucket seats, the steering wheel shakes and quivers in your hands with road imperfections. Steering feel!
The icing on the cake is immense grip and a quick-reacting suspension for mega carving through slow traffic and back-road shenanigans. Its heritage is rally, but clearly Subaru catered to the on-road goers, which is the vast majority of us. It’s a joy to drive, and the joy in cars is the experience of driving them.
It’s hard to take the rally-bred, winged wonder that is the Subaru WRX STI and make it more aggressive. That wing is aggressing you right now. But that was Subaru’s plan for the …
