Subaru Impreza Subaru West Drive 2000 - 2003 sedan
Subaru Rex
Subaru cars have long been surrounded by a halo of cultural. They are loved, they dream about them ... What is so unusual in them? Four-wheel drive? But many have it. Unusual design? It is unlikely that you can call him such, Subaru, in a series of similar Japanese, almost nothing in this sense stands out in this sense. Specifications? Powerful opposition motor? You will say - they say, Impreza won the world rally championship several times. But others won. So what's the deal? We will try to understand this, and the racer of the Logovaz-Belyaevo team Alexander Zhelodov will help us.
At first glance at the new Subaru Impreza WRX, it is clear: the car is serious. The swollen wheel arches, which barely place wide 17-inch wheels with supine-low-pro-poprofilic rubber, a huge intercooler air intake on the hood, the front bumper-spuler with built-in powerful foglights ... Two out-eyed headlights are trying to soften the situation-but they do not much work out. Moreover, it is precisely because of them that the front of the new car does not like most fans of the old WRX.
As before, the Impreza station wagon has the same length as the sedan. This, of course, does not add volume to the luggage compartment, but the absence of an elongated rear overview gives an additional dynamics the appearance of the car, not allowing it to perceive it as a banal barn, albeit fast.
Opening the door (glass still without a framework), you get into ... into the salon of an ordinary Japanese car. Everything is done very well, thoughtfully, modernly, but somehow without a highlight, without inspiration, even the MOMO steering wheel does not help - there is no in the salon of the sports that the car actually has.
The seats are quite tough, with well -developed lateral support, although compared to the previous Impreza is more comfortable. (It seems that the company went about its grumbling customers, who simply did not fit in racing seats-shields.) But now they have height adjustment.
All governing bodies, including auxiliary ones, are easily accessible. With proper landing and steering wheel adjustment, the readings of the devices are well read. The speedometer and a tachometer with a red zone from 7000 rpm are dominated here.
The gearbox lever is located right at hand, and you do not need to reach for it, even if you need to turn on the fifth gear. A lever with small moves, without backlash, transmission is turned on hard and clearly - you always get to where you need. The steering wheel switches are located no less conveniently, the wipers and light are controlled in Japanese, with rotation of the heads - you have to take off your hand from the steering wheel. The climate is regulated by rotating handles - very clearly. Having set the desired temperature, I forgot about climate control, and he, in turn, did not remind of himself about himself. The rear seat is shaped for two, and they will be able to sit quite comfortable; The three will already be crowded.
There is not too much place in the trunk (for the station wagon), which in this case is excusable, especially if you still need to transport something large-sized (I strongly doubt that for this you will use Impreza WRX), the back of the rear seat can be folded And in parts, and entirely - as in adult wagons.
Under the hood-already becoming the famous 4-cylinder opposite of 2-liter volume, issuing 218 hp. at 5600 vol./min. With the settings of the engine tinned - the power remained the same, but the moment grew into a couple of Newton meters, and most importantly, it moved to the zone of lower revolutions, which should be useful with calm driving.
Start key. The engine easily starts and works almost silently on idle. I turn on the first and touch smoothly. Oddly enough, the clutch pedal is soft - on sports machines, the clutch transmits a large torque, and therefore usually the pedal is very tough. But it’s even more convenient when urban driving with its many traffic jams.
If you move calmly, as in a regular car, switching gear in the region of 3000 rpm, WRX behaves like an ordinary station wagon with a 2-liter engine. If you sharply press gas at 2000 about 2000/min., Then ... nothing will happen either, only smooth acceleration will follow, but in the region of 3000-3500 rpm. It acquires a real sports intensity, which is observed until the limiter is triggered.
Based on the characteristics of the engine and after several trips around the city, I developed two tactics of road behavior. The first implies a rigid aggressive style with movement in reduced gears, while engine speeds should not fall below the treasured mark of 3000.
The second is a calm ride in a stream without sharp overtaking and rebuilding. If a mash is observed ahead and it must be slipped, you just need to switch one to two gears down and press the gas. True, having made such a jerk, you start and return to the measured movement with difficulty.
The suspension, which shown at low speeds is excessively stiff, becomes more comfortable with speed, and in corners and during restructuring it holds the car almost parallel to the road. At the same time, Impreza behaves in the transition - when the threshold speed at the entrance to the turn, a slight demolition of the front axis begins, the rear of the rear could not be caused without special receptions, however, the asphalt was dry. In general, turns are a separate story. I wanted to have more - so successful here is a combination of steering characteristics (reactive force), hard suspension and all -wheel drive.
Conducted the brakes. They are very effective, and the ratio of force/pedal force is almost perfect. ABS works neatly and begins to act as late as possible, which allows you to accurately calculate the braking distance from very high speeds.
I did not want to go unnoticed by the day, I didn’t want to part with the WRX - in her society you feel like a real conqueror of space: turns, overloads, flickering the landscape for tinted glasses ... It is clear what they love and appreciate this car - for the buzz that can be obtained, it can be obtained, it is obtained, it piloting.
What is Subaru Impreza WRX 2001? A successful film often has a continuation with index 2, it happens, it happens that the series 3 and even the series 4 are followed. The continuation is all impatiently awaited, although it rarely happens that the film-2 is better than the film 1. And if a person is not familiar with the source? He’s taxi-2, for example, will quite like it. And WRX-2 too ...
The designers Fuji Heavy Industries took the previous WRX model, which essentially was only the conditionally cyvic version of the WRC rally car, and civilized it for real. The body increased slightly in size (from the rear passengers - thanks) and was more hung by a hundred kilograms. Since the number of horses remained the same, the new car lost slightly in renunciation, but still to a hundred gets within seven seconds.
The design of the cabin is a step higher, the suspension is more comfortable, pedals and steering are easier. In general, Impreza WRX is now closer to a regular road car, which should attract customers who were simply afraid of this car before - a faithful market move. But in the shower, the car remained itself. You know how
connoisseurs in some countries call WRX (read Dabble-Yu-ar-EX)? They discard the beginning - Rax remains, i.e. Rex. In Russian - the king.
Alexander Zhelderov, racer of the Logovaz-Belyaevo team:
APPEARANCE
Pretty controversial, some resemblance to Toyota Corolla appeared.
SALON
Large, convenient, with good ergonomics and well -located governing bodies. Both materials and the assembly are of high quality. Of the minuses, it should only be noted that the glasses do not fall to the end - even the front ones, on the previous model they fell completely.
Review
Excellent. The front racks do not interfere. Mirrors provide a sufficient review back.
LANDING
A convenient position is selected very easily. The chair itself is quite hard, with very good lateral support. In turns, you do not have to make efforts to keep the body in the seat.
ON THE RUN
The steering wheel is very light at low speed, but with its growth, elasticity and reactive effect gains it. The ratio of corners of rotation of the steering wheel and wheel is optimal and easily fixed in the mind. The suspension is successfully selected in stiffness. At low speed, it may seem harsh, but on a large one everything returns to normal. Of course, if you release the car on the racing track, then even this suspension will be too soft.
The machine clearly monitors all the movements of the steering wheel and instantly responds to a change in the position of the gas pedal - naturally, provided that the turbine has joined the work.
The brakes are magnificent. The pedal is perfectly selected by the ratio of move and effort.
In general, a great car. But if I had the opportunity to get Impreza for personal use, as a racer I would prefer a previous generation car, and preferably not a station wagon.
Text: Alexander Nadens
A source: Motor magazine [No. 6/2001]
