The first time I ever drove a Subaru WRX was back in October of 2001, on the day I bought a black bugeye wagon. I started out trying to buy an Audi S4 Avant, but no one at the Audi dealer would even look at me. A month or so earlier, Automobile named the scrappy little Japanese, turbo-boxer-engined, AWD rally jawn its Automobile of the Year, and Jamie Kitman had been waxing poetic comparing the WRX to a Porsche 911 4S, of all things. And so I drove my Jeep Grand Cherokee a few car lots over to the Subaru dealer and traded it in. Joke’s on me, as I currently own an Audi wagon. But, hey, as I tell Subaru constantly, my other car is a Ford Fiesta ST because Subaru stopped making the WRX wagon.
That particular WRX got rear ended on Thanksgiving evening by a drunk teenager in downtown L.A. Once it came back from the shop, my “Rexer,” as I called it, never felt the same—some suspension parts were new, some weren’t—so back to the same Subaru dealer it went, where I swapped it for a 2006 WRX wagon in Subaru Rally Blue. Since then I’ve driven almost every version and variation of both the WRX and STI that Subaru’s offered for sale in the United States. (Including the lousy 2008 model that was rebadged a year later as the Impreza 2.5GT.) So I consider myself well-versed. Now, are there approximately 70 billion special-edition WRX STIs for the Japanese and U.K. markets I’ve never touched? Yes. But it was still difficult to narrow my favorites down to just seven.
7) 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon
My old car. Subaru managed to fit two face-lifts into a four-year range, and the third iteration of the second-generation WRX was the best one (we never got the first-gen WRX or STI—like the legendary 22B—in the States). New for 2006 was a bump in displacement from 2.0 liters to 2.5, going from the EJ20 to the EJ25 family of engines. Power barely rose (from 227 horsepower to 230) on paper, but the detuned STI motor (with AVCS—Subaru’s active valve-management system) made more power than advertised. Bigger and better brakes helped improve things, too.
Shame about the B9 Tribeca front-end styling, except that it’s aging better than expected and looking about 30 times better than the model that came next doesn’t hurt. Powerful, great handling, and blessed with some of the best steering I’ve ever experienced—plus wagon!—it’s hard to believe these could be had for under $25K not so long ago. Also: wagon!
6) 2015 Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition
Limited to 1,000 units, this was a MotorTrend long-term car. Looking practically perfect with its shiny blue paint and gold wheels (at first—the wheels were swapped out at least twice), I loved this thing. A touch tamer than the STI it replaced, its grip was up, its performance was up, and it just looked so much cooler. Especially on those golden wheels. Great car with tons of performance potential that we eventually untapped. Just one of those cars that pops into my head from time to time and makes me smile.
5) 2020 Subaru WRX STI S209
I’ve never taken the 2020 WRX STI S209 on a track. Two owners and the Subaru people assure me I’d like the car better on a smooth racetrack. Probably. But on Angeles Crest Highway, one of the world’s greatest roads, the fabled S209 is just alright. Yes, power is up to an impressive 341 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, but because of new gearing it’s slower to 60 mph than a regular, 310-hp STI. And I can’t really go much further without stating that the thing costs $64,880. Right? To be fair, S209s are taken off the line and heavily modified by hand, and only 209 examples will ever be sold. The car is a bona fide collector’s item.
Now, the S209 does drive very well. With all its go-fast kit, functional aero, cooling vents, sticky Dunlops, and carbon-fiber bits, it almost has to. Among my gripes is a serious case of bump steer. When you hit less than perfect pavement, the steering wheel is almost violently ripped from your hands. Not only is that disconcerting, but that’s exactly the opposite of the way a rally car is supposed to behave. An STI is supposed to seek out bad tarmac and eat up potholes. This one loses that. The steering is quicker, but that serves to make the car sloppier. It’s hard to carve a tidy arc around a corner, as you’re fighting the wheel. The model-specific Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600A tires are pretty good, but not as good as the Michelin Cup 2s found on another special-edition Subie (keep reading). Am I nitpicking? A little, but for the money Subaru’s charging for S209, I feel entitled to. Again, the S209 makes this list because it’s a very good STI. However, I’ve driven other high-performance Subarus that I like better.
4) 2015 Subaru WRX
The WRX is a better driver than the same model-year STI? Yes, it’s true. The new WRX showed up with a new engine. Dubbed the FA20F, displacement was down from 2.5 liters to 2.0. However, because of a twin-scroll turbo and direct injection, power rose to 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. I’d argue that those numbers are (again) greater than advertised. The smaller engine mated perfectly to a new chassis that was simply better in every way. The WRX was once again a real driver’s car. One of the few on the road where you simply don’t need traction control.
I’ll never forget driving the 2015 WRX and STI back to back on the same road and coming to the conclusion that yup, little brother was the better driver of the two. Sure, the STI had more power (but not much—305 versus 268) but the character of the FA engine was so much sweeter than the decade-plus-old EJ25 in the contemporary STI. The power came on quicker and was more linear—less peaky, smoother, just better. Plus, the WRX finally got a six-speed manual. Combine the trick powertrain with the improved AWD system, the studly mechanical grip, and the lovely balance and poise, it all adds up to make the WRX a little giant killer. On a real curvy road, few cars will be quicker. Kinda almost good-looking, too. The best part? It’s still on sale right now, starting at $28,395.
3) STInister
One day while filming a Head 2 Head and once again running our wretched Toyota 4Runner*, Jethro Bovingdon turned to me and said, “Mate—we need a proper camera car.” I rang Porsche, “Hi, can we have a Panamera?” Porsche said no. I called Subaru, “Hi can we have a 2018 STI?” Subaru said, “Will next Friday work?” One Cobb tune, one matte-black wrap, one set of custom gold Forgiato wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 meats, two remote-control camera mounts, and one gold tooth later, STInister was born.
STInny, as the camera crews refer to the car, leads a charmed life. Chasing Lamborghinis on Tuesday, Porsches on Wednesday, McLarens the day after—what more could an STI ask for? And when the camera mounts are detached, the thing actually scoots around pretty dang good.
*There’s nothing wrong with a Toyota 4Runner, generally speaking. Our particular 4Runner is a cast-off project car from a sister publication, though, and little things don’t work, like the 4WD system. Also, it’s a slow pile.
2) 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA
This car got everything right. Yes, it cost $10,000 more than the standard STI. Totally worth it. The biggest reason why is the carbon fiber roof. Somehow that weight-saving, body-stiffening piece transformed the handling of the car from silly but fun to aggressive and sharp. So significant was the change that after driving the Type RA and a normal STI back to back, I kept asking Subaru engineers why they didn’t talk about the new steering rack in the briefing. Because it’s the same steering rack. The roof just transforms the car.
Plus, since the Type RA was limited to 575 units globally (500 units for the States, 75 for Canada), it’s pretty special. Isn’t the even more limited S209 (which also has this carbon-fiber roof) therefore even more special? it would be, if it drove better. I think the other suspension changes on the S209 lose the magic gained with the Type RA. The special Bilsteins found that magic groove between too firm and too floppy. And while the power bump was silly on paper (5 horsepower), the real story was that the new extra power was achieved by a strengthening of internal components, which helps bulletproof the motor when it gets (inevitably) tuned. I would have gone ahead and declared the Type RA the best WRX STI of them all, but then Subaru went and built a better one.
1) 2020 Subaru WRX STI Series.White
Despite the strange name, the 2020 STI Series.White is the best Subaru I’ve ever driven. Plus, it’s fun. Like, “I can’t stop grinning because the car’s making me feel so good” fun. Compared to the other limited-edition STIs, there’s something classic about the way this one motors. As if it’s not ashamed being an STI. Comfy in its own skin. Proud to be a Subaru. The Series.White isn’t trying to be anything else. Oh, and it comes standard with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, because why the hell not? There’s also a nice set of Bilstein dampers (same ones off the Type RA) and some killer-looking bronze wheels. As for price, “Option Package: 04”—the internal designation for the Series.White kit—costs an extra $5700, making the out-the-door price $43,595. Money incredibly well spent, says me. Especially since about $2,000 of that can be accounted for in those magical tires.
I’ve participated in nine Best Driver’s Car competitions since I started at MotorTrend. A constant metric we use to determine the winner is how confident a given vehicle makes its driver feel. Full confidence right here with the Series.White. I felt secure, assured, and borderline fearless behind the wheel of this STI. Nothing could flap it. The result was one of the more memorable drives up Angeles Crest—a road that I drive weekly if not daily—I’ve ever had. Much more memorable, for instance, than the 2020 Acura NSX I took up the Crest the day before. Subaru got this one especially right.
Only 500 STI Series.Whites are being built, making it collectible. And since the Series.White is likely the last special edition of the VA series before the new WRX debuts in about a year, well, that makes it all the more special. Best for last? Oh, yes. This Series.White is the best Subaru WRX STI I’ve ever driven. Even better, it’s still on sale.
The post The Best Subaru WRXs and STIs I’ve Ever Driven appeared first on MotorTrend.