2008 Subaru Impreza WRX review
March 24, 2008 by Anthony Crawford
The rear seats fold virtually flat, so collecting your flat screen LCD TV, (that’s after you see the David Jones credit department and plead to have your credit limit raised by three grand) is easy.
I forgot to read the press kit before I drove the WRX in that horrific peak hour battle one morning, only to be stuck creeping inch by inch up the spit hill. It’s always a concern when you have robotic auto transmission drivers, who move their cars to within millimetres of your rear bumper on a steep incline, completely oblivious to the fact that you are driving a manual.
The joy of discovering Subaru has employed Hill Start Assist on all manual Imprezas, is one reason to buy this car over a competitor. When you are in first gear with the clutch in, you won’t roll back as you release the brake and accelerate. The system brakes the car for a second or two, allowing you enough time to complete the maneuver. Brilliant.
The WRX like all Imprezas, has gained a five-star crashworthiness rating with ANCAP and comes loaded with the full compliment of both active and passive driver safety aids.
Dual front, side and curtain airbags are standard fitment. Constant All-wheel drive is supported by Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), ABS brakes, Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
“It’s hard to believe you can buy an all wheel drive car with this level of performance, practicality and kit for under $40,000”
CarAdvice overall rating: 
How does it drive: 
How does it look:
How does it go:
Specifications
• Engine: 2.5-litre DOHC four-cylinder boxer with intercooled turbo
• Power: 169kW @ 5600rpm
• Torque: 320Nm @ 2800rpm
• Transmission: 5-Speed manual
• 0-100km/h: 5.8 seconds
• Max speed: 209km/h
• Fuel tank capacity: 60 litres
• Fuel type: minimum 95
• Fuel consumption (combined): 10.7-litres/100kms
• Turning circle: 10.6 m
• Warranty: three years, unlimited kilometres
• Weight: 1355kg (Tare Mass)
• Built in: Japan
• CO2 emissions: 252g/km
Complete STi review in May.
I agree with Steve R32. The new WRX is a sub standard performing horror. I had a press car for some testing at Oran park a few months back, and was not impressed. High speed directional stability is scary, it is under braked, under-tyred, under-damped, and the interior and exterior are woeful. Someone also forgot to tell subaru that it is 2008, and a 5 speed box does not cut it anymore. The best figures we got for this car on a cool morning, torturing the clutch, with just driver on board and a quarter tank of Ultimate was 6.3 seconds to 100km/h and the standing quarter in 14.79. This is using digital measuring equipment that the ACP mags use. I own an MPS3, and my current daily driver is an Audi S3 (company car), and the WRX is not in the ball park of either car as a package. My brother owns a Golf GTI, and this is also far superior to the WRX in my opinion. People can harp on about AWD for as long as they like. Truth of the matter is, unless AWD has active diffs, and torque distribution left to right, it is just extra ballst.
daewoo lanos crossed with a kia rio….
this is NOT a wrx.
its so korean looking its scary!!
oh
body kits = for ricers ( and vr / vs commodore driver… oh same thing lol )
if a car was designed right in the first place, it wouldnt need a body kit.
Previous new WRX models were all mercilessly bagged by so-called hardcore purists (I refer to bugeye and pig nose) and the latest model is no different. However I don’t believe the latest model deserves anywhere near the bagging it has been getting. This new model is an evolution of technology and style and a much better car for it. In fact the hatchback style was encouraged by the WRC drivers as it is a better shape for rallying. Now the sedan version – that IS one ugly car and does look like a Kia/Daewoo. Some should try reading the above very comprehensive review. Nick says it is under-braked and under-tyred – try reading what the reviewer says. It stops way faster and better than previous models and Audi also do not just go for the widest tyres. More brake pistons and bigger tyres are not everything. Nick also compares it to his S3 – well all I can say there is with 19Kw and an extra 20k in cost it would surely want to be better everywhere. Not really a good comparison – it should be compared with the STI which flogs both the S3/R32 on the road. The interior of the MPS3 is made of similar plastics and the noise, oh the damn road noise I just cannot live with it. As for interior plastics well I don’t sit there banging my head on the dashboard so who cares whether or not it is soft or hard, and styling is an individual issue anyway. Besides I bought my car for the car not the dashboard.
Whilst previous models of the WRX have always been great cars they have acquired what some may regard as an unsavoury reputation. Besides being the car of choice for thieves and ram raiders a good many were to be seen in the hands of those reverse baseball capped, drug dealing, doof doof playing moronic wnkas. With this new model Subaru are expanding their market appeal to include much more sophisticated drivers and I believe they have succeeded.
Most cars are a package for a price. If one compares a WRX with a GTI, they are around the same price and each has its differences. GTI might have better interior plastics but does not have bi-xenon headlights. WRX has AWD and GTI wider tyres, etc etc. I happen to like the WRX package and Golfschwein and R32 like their GTI/R32 packages. I still do not know what camry-esque, toyota-ish, kia-esque and droopy-swoopy mean but they are not really descriptive of anything at all. Just a predictable style of bagging. Nor do I see any advantage or benefit to frameless doors. Golfschwein I still have not found the comment you speak of.
Again car packaging is like buying a computer – it is all about compromise. I would prefer to have a car with AWD and bi-xenon lights rather than a nice soft dashboard. I drive the car and go home to caress the wife because she is nice and soft, unlike my dashboard
Tuffguy,
Mate – its still a good car and congrats on your purchase. I would still consider it over a multitude of other cars out there. All I am trying to say is that it *should* have been better. Imagine Subaru had have given the Lexus guys the go ahead for the design…..now that would have been a good car. A car that makes you say “it looks better in the flesh” just doesn’t cut it for mine. I know that you can do this and that to the grille etc. But you shouldn’t have to. Thats my 2c. :)
Tuff guy, the reviewer tested the car on the road at 6/10ths. This is hardly going to tell you the full story of your ‘performance car’. Comparing the S3 to the WRX, Is like comparing Jen Hawkins to Casey Donovan. It’s hardly fair, i agree. The MPS 3 however stops better, goes better, especially rolling, has a far superior suspension tune, has a better wheel and tyre package Bridgestone RE050A 215/45/18 V Povo Spec Yokohama 205/50/17 (same size as SP23), has a 6 speed gearbox, has a much nicer, and better quality interior, and looks much better. Having owned 2 WRXs in the past (MY97 & MY99), i am a big fan. I just hate when manufacturers turn rally legends into cardigan wearing Korean clones.
Haha, antispam = subaru.
Anyway, for that kind of price and performance, something has got to give. In the Subaru case, it’s the interior. For the VW Golf, it’s the AWD system. There are many more give and take from both cars but the dashboard and AWD system are the main thing I can see.
One thing that annoys me about the 2008 Subaru is the engine. Don’t get me wrong, I love the 2.5ltr boxer that Australia gets, but as I see in the shots it only revs up to 6500rpm redline!!
Now, I know it has lots of middle range torque, but I also want high end torque. The japanese version of the 2.0ltr revs up to 8000rpm and has more power!!
I can’t belive it, 2.0ltr has more power than 2.5ltr on the same model!!!
That’s probably why the top speed is 209km/h.
Also, I wouldn’t mind seeing a 2008 STI model with 3 doors hatch.
Come on Subaru…don’t disapoint the purist any further!!
R32 I can well understand the relevance when you say Subaru could have done better in some areas. And they can and have done better than the WRX – it is called the WRX STI and for an extra 25k you do get a better car. However you could say that about every car on the road. Hey with unlimited funds even Kia could build a Bugatti Veyron – but their mantra is cheap cars and that is what they do, build to a price. And that IS the bottom line – cars are built to a price and that price includes compromise. Sure the S3 is a better car but is it really worth the extra 20-25K??? And that is where personal choice comes into it. I love the WRX for what it gives me at its price (and its new look). I just do not like the Golf or what you get in the package. And that is my 2c worth.
As for Nick I am a previous owner of a Mazda 3 and two things absolutely astound me about the entire range. Firstly that a 2008 model car is so disgustingly noisy. Secondly that so many still go out and buy them. Yes it is a great car but the noise, OMG the noise. Except for me. And I will have you know the plastics in the 3 are not superior to the WRX – they are just as hard all over , yet you do seem to have this ‘thing’ about the hard plastics in the WRX. I am not sure I really want to know what you do to your dashboard that you need it to be soft. But then you own a Mazda 3 so you have a hard plastic dash anyhoo :) I considered the MPS3 but I just cannot get past the noise. The other things you still cannot get over is the bigger tyres and more brake pistons and the extra gear thing. For me 6 gears is just too many changes and I do prefer having only 5. Yes the MPS3 is faster and so it should be with significantly more ‘killer wasps’ under the bonnet. But the MPS just looks like a plain old ordinary 3 hatch unless you know what to look for, and what to hear for (OMG the noise). Probably why we see so many grannies driving them – they can turn off the hearing aids and the car is fantastic.
You say you owned 2 WRXs – lickety split and zippety doo da day. Both are so massively inferior in every possible way to the new model as to make them totally irrelevant. You are still massively hung up on the whole hatchback thing. Perhaps you can explain just which Korean hatch it resembles because I am unable to find ANY other hatch it resembles. Maybe you need to flick your baseball cap around the right way and turn up the hearing aid. Meanwhile I will go again and caress the wife cause she is nice and soft and that is what matters :)
Golf (any spec) is for your cutesy wife. Driven the R32 and was uninspired. Would not expect any better from the GTi. Many comments regarding the STi here which are probably out of place as it is quite a different beast (least in performance and exterior) to the standard Rex.
Between a Rex and GTi would choose the Rex any day. You simply cannot and will not escape the fundamental handling problems (esp in the wet) of a FWD vehicle – particularly when you bolt on a turbo charger – and for this reason the Rex is my choice.
Twist it, spin it, yank it any way you want to, when it really counts in a tight and curly situation, you can trust an AWD system to pull you thru – with a FWD you can only hope the car magically finds its way.
Mr TuffGuy, you are just trying to justify your bad investment. With a name like TuffGuy, i can see why you’d go for a new WRX. Ask anybody in the know, and they will tell you straight that WRX cars of the past are the real deal, and you Korean shopping trolley does not stack up. I’ll keep my hat on backwards and use every one of the 380Nm available to me. I’ll enjoy the car the same way as i used to enjoy my older WRXs. You can wear your bowls hat to cover your bald patch, whilst living in the shadow of WRX’s in the past…. And my MPS3 ;-)
Nick. No offence mate, but an MPS3 is unlikely to be seeing anything except the arse end of a WRX. Esp. up a slight incline with just a touch of damp on the ground. The day a WRX loses out to an MPS3, I will eat my Akubra. :-)
I’ve driven the MPS3 and while it goes like stink – it can be difficult to get the power down. The problem is, the car didn’t feel confident going into bends at high speed. The Suby on the other hand, inspires utmost confidence, even on poorly surfaced roads at speed.
Firstly TuffGuy is my gaming name and shows a lot more imagination than ‘Nick’. Buying a MY08 WRX also shows a lot more imagination than buying a noisy front wheel drive granny Mazda 3 (with a turbo). Yes look around on the streets and all the girls drive Mazda 3s. You continue not to hear what anybody else says probably due to the bloody noise in your Mazda 3. I do not have to justify my purchase of a WRX and nor do record numbers of other people also buying them. Does the 3 have a 5 star Euro NCAP or ANCAP crash rating? No. Does the 3 have a 4 star Euro NCAP or ANCAP pedestrian rating? No. You to date are unable to back up your claim of ‘Korean shopping trolley’ by naming any Korean car that remotely resembles the new Impreza. Probably because it resembles nothing else on the road. You have just plagiarised that quote from someone else, again showing your lack of imagination. Bottom line is you got nothing which makes you a NUFFY.
So now the nuffy will be in a huffy when sitting in his stuffy 3 watching the arse end of any WRX disappearing off into the distance on that wet and winding road ROFLMAO. Note I said you will see it because you certainly won’t hear it.
Once Mr imaginative Nick has answered my previous comment perhaps he can tell us more about how he drives cars round Oran Park with testing equipment just like the real magazines use. And remember he knows what he is talking about because his company car is an S3 and his own car is a MPS3 so that makes him an expert test driver too. The great thing about the internet is the ease of making up stuff – anyone can read a Wheels or Motor magazine or whatever and start throwing quotes around. You should give the forums a miss and join a chat room ROFLMAO. P.S. Don’t forget your hearing aid.
I can’t believe that anyone who would be in a position to have an S3 as a company car instead of a Falcon or Commondore would not possibly buy a Mazda 3 hatch. I mean why would you bother?
And the debate contiunes…I owned and loved a MY98 WRX. It was and probably is the car that I loved driving more than anything, and I have owned 13 cars. I was waiting in anticipation for the new WRX to buy, but once revealed I was gobsmacked, in the bad way. I test drove the WRX and was left underwhelmed, the old turbo rush is gone and the plastics are the cheapest I have seen…the back door is like a Melbourne taxi! I then drove the GTI and it was in a different league in the way it felt. Sure AWD is a huge bonus but the GTI package, performance and the Euro feel won me so I bought it. With leather on road for $42k Looking forward to checking out the Lancer Ralliart though…
Keep your WRX’s in the garage until it rains you little girls. It’s fricken Australia, not London. The sun is out much more often than not. Does this make the WRX inferior evertime it does not rain??? Why doesn’t caradvice settle this argument once and for all. Eastern Creek or Oran Park. Im willing to allow Caradvice to use my MPS 3 for a 5 lap shootout. Is Tuffgirl, or any MY08 WRX owners up to the challenge, or does caradvice still have access to the car? If the MPS 3 wins, maybe tuffgirl can donate his rectum on Oxford street, and if not…. thats not possible
My money would be on your MPS3 Nick.
Gee it only took nuffy Nick 3 days to come up with that load of dribble. Still has not backed up any claims. So what are we this week? Still an expert test driver? Still using test equipment at Oran Park like the real magazines do? I am sure you are a 6 foot musclebound hunk too right? Ooh yeah fully sick mate. You forgot to mention the large chested blondes sitting beside you when you are track testing your cars. So were you wearing a hot pink mini skirt too when driving your Mazda 3?
A complete package is good both in the wet and the dry which the girls car is not.
Ho ho ho the one about donating my rectum on Oxford St is so funny ho ho ho NOT. To us normal people it makes no sense at all. However you seem to know a lot about rectums on Oxford St…….. I have heard the Mazda 3 is the car of choice down there. I bet you don’t even hear them coming without your hearing aid.
I know what you really do – you are a mechanic. Plain logic really given you are such a massive tool.
Sounds like Caradvice is getting paid to say nice things about Subaru. :(
MPS3 is faster than the WRX. Do a search on Youtube. The 08 understeers terribly and any advantage of AWD is gone due to the soft suspension. You are paying for a car with bodyroll, that has worse handling than most of the cars in its price range, that has worse fuel economy due to AWD.
But damn, I can’t argue about how well it’s selling. Because I see them everywhere. :(
The day we accept cash for comment is the day we close up shop. Never happen. I personally don’t mind the MPS3 as you get typically high rent interior and yes it does go hard. My only concern is that it maybe a handful for the average punter due to severe torque steer if you hammer it off the line. I also think that the handling dynamics are not as good as the new REX.
You would have to go with the Subaru badge thought, for resale and reliability alone.
Lol Id have a WRX over an MPS3… at least it doesnt literally torque steer you off the road.
I have a MY08WRX and live on the north coast of NSW where its rains alot, the roads are twisty, shity, potholed, narrow and off camber etc. This car is so smooth and quick on these roads its awesome, dodging potholes and animals is a joy. I doubt there are many cars out there that could thread these roads as well as the 08rex. On highway straights and clean sweeping bends it blends in with the other sub $50k sports cars, and does produce some body roll. It could also do with another gear on highway speeds. And not to forget the crap plastic interior?? But overall this car hauls, handles and stops like a bitch too, its a pleasure to drive. With a few suspension changes to sort the minor body roll and some exhaust/intake work {so i can hear the motor} this car will only be better.
I’m looking at trading my Rx-8 in to a Rex in a couple of months. I just hope they have their engine problems sorted out by then.. If none of you have hurd have a look at the Website I have entered.. I really hope they have it sorted. Cause I was planing to get one at the end of june. Oh as as for the couple fighting about the WRX and MPS3 Both are good cars that have good and bad pointers. The MPS3 is noisy (Wouldn’t be as bad if the noise sounded good not Tinny like it is) The WRX is just a little too quiet. Be good if you could hear at least a little of that Boxer sound. As for the new styling I like it. I’m 27yo not some 16yo riding a mongoose saying its lost its street cred.. It was a smart choise by Subie to restyle it to suit a wider customer base. That probaby contributed to the drop in price cause of the estermated sales incress. which makes me very happy. I’ve got a mazda crazy mate who eats/sleeps mazda. I don’t know how people get hooked on one type of car and thats it (I’d get a Honda Vtec over a MPS) Ok the interior of the MPS is nicer than the WRX big deal the Rex is more enjoyable to drive. If I just wanted a car cause of just the styling I would keep my Rx-8. They look awesome. Just wish the had double the torque and used less fuel than a 1957 Charger.
Interesting read. I’m just writing up my thoughts for Trollhattan Saab on the 08rex I’ve had for the last two months. I drove a 2001 model for comparison and found it to be a lot more fun, though this one is more refined. It seems the Rex has grown up. Pity.
And how does James Morrison take to being called “self obsessed” :-)
Do you think xenon-headlights are the next step to increase safety?
I’m looking at spending 40K-45K in the next month, comparing the WRX to other cars like Golf GTI, Mini CooperS. Anyone got any news on when the Mitsu Ralliart Lancer is coming out? the MY08 WRX are on 39,900 driveaway deals at the moment… seems pretty good deal… but I’m really hanging out for the dual clutch ralliart, esp if it’s gonna be priced similar…
anyone know about the changes to MY09 rex?
As more a generally shy substance over style man (but who also loves to drive) myself this car seems very good. Not only do I prefer the slightly more discreteness over a STi version but it also makes for a slightly more diverse car that will not scrape or get needless damage underneath for when I decide to bush bash a bit, and with all that flexibility and 4WD why would you not want to go where these beasts were born? Of course you get the practicality of the hatch too (or sedan now) and modern-day smoothness that would be present in many new cars, really a great drivers car I would imagine but at the same time a pretty darn decent long-distance cruiser.
Why do people fuss about torque steer? To me it ’s just as fun as when you have to hold onto the wheels when you plant your foot in a RWD car when it’s at an angle. You hold on to the wheels for fun – like holding onto the reins of a horse.. or the horns of a bull…
In the old days powerful RWD muscle cars first came out – did people complain when they planted the throttle and found the car going sideways with oversteer?
Did anyone complain of that?
Torque steer in a controlled manner is fun and gives the car character… who wants to drive a powerful car with lame sissy granny character smoothness? Not me!
I see now that the revised version of this, as well as the sedan, will be available in early December. Power up to 195kW, torque up to 343Nm, sunroof and leather now available as options, better stabilisers. Seems like it’s getting better, as the facelifted versions of a new model normally are. The only thing the Mazda MPS really had over this was the raw power (185kW), but now that the Impreza has sorted that out, and with the very attractive benefit of being AWD, this must be a winner for sure.
I look forward to seeing a review by C/A on the facelifted version :-)
I have to say, as a super huge Scooby fan, and coming from a family of all Scooby driver’s that this Impreza is underwhelming. It’s look has grown on me somewhat, but I too am waiting to see the facelifted version before I upgrade. If it looks as pig-dog ugly faced and agressive as the MY04 STi then I’ll put down the cash. Wonder if Borz is feeling the same way? On another note, Mazda’s non-rotors will never compete with Boxer’s, simple logic mates.