2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Premium: Continuing the Theme

By Mike Blake, Carlisle Events

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

With very little in the way of changes in 2010, this year’s Subaru Impreza WRX Premium is much like last year’s model except that the base price has dropped by $1000. Subaru argues … why change if your model was already impressive? They have a point.

The Subaru Impreza remains the only car in its segment to come standard with All-Wheel Drive – renowned Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive combined with standard Vehicle Dynamics Control and the vehicle attends to road safety with standard 4-wheel disc ABS brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution. The Incline Start Assist feature, which can prevent the vehicle from rolling backward when being driven away from a stop on an incline, is also standard with the 5-speed manual transmission on all models.

The 2010 Subaru Impreza line is available in both sedan and hatchback configurations and on first look, the sedan provides somewhat pedestrian styling that doesn’t quite fit in with the reputation and demeanor of excitement that WRX has earned from its owner/drivers. The sedan does have a wide, sharp front, crisp side body crease and dual tailpipes (one per side), but it pales to the design of its hatchback sibling, with larger single tailpipe and its upward rear sweep, shows off sportiness, aerodynamics, athleticism and a muscular appeal.
Exterior lines remain the same, but sporty detail changes to the grille and headlamps improve the front-on look. Dimensions remain as last year, measuring 173.8 inches long, 68.5 inches wide and 58.1 inches high on a 103.1-inch wheelbase.
My test WRX was bathed in Obsidian Black Pearl exterior paint that was mated to a Carob-Black checkered cloth interior. Standard exterior accouterments include 17-inch wheels, heated side mirrors and windshield wiper de-icer, fog lights, halogen headlights, body-color matched mirrors and door handles, moonroof power/tilt sliding glass and the ubiquitous rear spoiler.

Under hood is a performance and style enthusiast’s engine, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder power plant that hums out 265 horses and utilizes a steep power curve that tops out at 244 lbs.-ft. of torque. For those who want intense power with their WRX, the 2010 WRX STI steps up to the line turbocharged 305-hp Subaru Boxer engine and a powerful 290 lbs.-ft .of torque.

Coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox, the WRX provided sufficient power and response for highway passing, slalom and motocross fun and drag strip heroics. In my tests, the WRX accelerated without hesitation and blazed from zero to 60mph in a quick, 5.2 seconds while managing two steady 13.7-second trips down the quarter-mile.

With a relatively low center of gravity, handling is confident and road-gripping. On slalom runs and on tight-quick turns on the road, the rack-and-pinion steering is tight and responsive, but body roll is readily apparent, which makes for an exciting ride. Braking is confident and the 4-wheel independent front suspension and double-wishbone-type rear with a stabilizer bar smoothes out most highway irregularities.

EPA rated at 18/25 on Premium 91 octane fuel, a week of mixed-use testing garnered an average of 22.9mpg for the 3172-lb. WRX.

Inside, WRX is roomy and entertaining. Comfort is the key for driver and passengers with 40.3 inches of headroom up front (39.3 with the moonroof) and 37.6 in row two (37.5 with the moonroof); 43.5 inches of front leg room and a tight 33.5 in row two; and 54.8 inches of front shoulder room with 53.3 in the rear.

Standard interior accessories include 10-speaker audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer and MP3/WMA capability, heated front seats, power front and rear windows, LED illuminated storage tray and 12-volt outlet, aluminum alloy pedal covers, leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel with audio system and cruise control, leather-wrapped shifter handle, 6-way manually adjustable driver seat, 4-way manually adjustable passenger seat, performance design front seats with fixed integrated head restraints and embroidered WRX logos and red stitching. My test vehicle added a subwoofer/amp – a necessity for audio aficionados.
Impreza safety is impressive and the vehicle has been awarded a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its 5- frontal offset, side and rear impact tests.
Safety attributes include an energy-absorbing collapsible steering column, ring-shaped reinforcement frame that absorbs impacts from any direction, driver’s front passenger front air bags, side curtain air bags front seat mounted front side-impact air bags, rear child-safety locks, LATCH system for children, safety pedal brake system, 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS and electronic brake force distribution, sport-tuned 4-wheel independent suspension, vehicle dynamics stability control, brake assist, tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights.

The 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX comes with a base price of $27,495 for the manual 5-speed. Destination and delivery added $695, a very good navigational system popped $2000 onto the sticker, the sport grille tacked on $277, XM Satellite radio was $398, iPod interface was $159.95; subwoofer/amplifier added $269.95 and body side color matching molding was $179.95 for a price as tested of $31,475. The $500 5-door option was not part of my test car’s package.

The 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX … it is impressive without the need for much change from 2009.

Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

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