Think of a car that provides more performance and capability in one single fairly-affordable package than the Subaru WRX STI. In Europe, there may be some alternatives, but for US buyers it really is the most technically specialized car for under $40,000, as CNET’s Brian Cooley points out in this review.
Its interior is still about a decade behind the competition, but then again this could be thought of as a character-building feature of the car, and not a true negative point – it will feel quite dingy if you’ve just stepped out of a luxury limo, but otherwise you should be able to live with it.
Buying and driving one of these is worth it for the experience of having so much control and grip within easy reach, with handling limits that can be gently and progressively approached. Subaru even went ahead and ignored the electric power steering trend and gave the STI a proper hydraulic rack – that alone should make some enthusiasts really happy…
By Andrei Nedelea
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