Subaru Impreza Wrx STI 2005 test drive - 2007 sedan

Fifty fifty

In the past, current and probably future life they are inseparable rivals. And although the leaders of the world championship today are other models, these remain cult.
For many, they are the embodiment of all the brightest, extraordinary. Mitsubishi and Subaru are in many ways very close: all-wheel drive, 280 hp, turbocharged, 17-inch wheels with Bridgeto tires, Bilstein shock absorbers, Brembo brakes. You can hoarsely argue about the features of the settings of the active differentials of Lancer or talk about his aerodynamics. But be sure: Subaru will contrast no less effective and interesting developments. In general, such cars are always tolerant of checking in battle, finding a thin line between the abilities of the machine and their own.
 
Warm -up.
Outside the windows endless autumn rain. Therefore, we still put off the dimensions of the dynamics, but, using the weather, we try on cars for everyday life. They even have an isofix fixators for children's seats! Nevertheless, counting the armrests and cup holders in these machines is too prosaic. After all, barely finding himself in the arms of tenacious seats, feeling serious efforts on the pedals, feeling the racing burrum of six-speed boxes, you begin to look at a lot in a different way. It is not so important that the salon is trimmed with a cloth or skin, a soft or hard plastic of the instrument panel. The main thing is that all this obeyed a single ideology: holding, fixing, to be comfortable, grabbed, understandable and well read.
A small advantage is still for Subaru. Its style is more expressive, spectacular, brighter. In addition, the combination of devices is more convenient, like the steering wheel and twists of the ventilation system. But Lancer contrasts the emotionality of the interior of the Impreza Excellent sports seat, made as if to order, precisely for me. And the gearbox in Mitsubishi works clearly, insured against errors when switching.
The first driver's impressions give a slight advantage to Lancer. The pendants are more comfortable, in everyday life it is clearly easier, clearer in management, even despite a very sharp steering wheel. Where Impreza begins to rest a little at the entrance to the turn, Mitsubishi playfully should be the chosen trajectory. But Subaru takes her more convenient, burdened and much less noisy engine, clearly demonstrating the advantages of additional 500 cubes of the working volume. Otherwise, the improviser is tougher, it requires the driver more attention, reluctantly forgiven mistakes in management.
 
THE BASIC INSTINCT
The tachometer arrow froze at a five -thousandth mark (with the transmission turned on, the electronic limiter protects the clutch, not allowing the motor to unwind stronger). Start! Lancer Evo IX jerking forward, but then the turns falls up to 2000. Approximately semi -second confusion of the turbine seems an eternity. Finally, approximately 3,000 rpm of/min is a hurricane jerk, accompanied by a hard metal roar to gain the power of the motor. The programs snapped, the steering wheel trembled in his hands, which immediately became too sharp, launched the columns of the dynamometric road. It seems that this energy can not be calm down, but after about one and a half kilometers of the transmission are exhausted and the acceleration rate is weakening. The remaining 34 kilometers of the maximum speed of Lancer is already getting slowly. In principle, it is very emotional, and the motor spins great up to 7500 rpm, but the start ruined the picture a little. Try to play clutch? The lost fractions of the seconds of the catch, but the smell of burnt overlays reminds: this technique should not be abused.
With manageability at first glance, everything is in order. Evo provokes a fuck. But with an increase in speed, the behavior of the car is becoming more and more straightforward. He seems to be eagerly diving into a turn, but then under the traction begins to inexorably straighten the trajectory. Discharging of gas, the ruler’s margin, but the car reacts very lazily to the driver’s commands, demanding one to reduce speed. Attempts to download Lancer in advance, at the entrance to the turn, lead to a sharp skid of the rear axle, which immediately flows into too wide side sliding. I remember that Evo VII traveled in a completely different way. Here are clearly large for the sports car of the body rolls, it is obvious to the merit of rather comfortable suspensions. I am sorting through the transmission settings: asphalt, gravel, snow, the situation changes slightly. But you should carefully press the accelerator, Lancer is still impressing the turn.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI is not so sharp steering. Several movements of the gas pedal, and the machine, as if driven by a circul, obediently hovering in a controlled skid. The overload imprints the body into the rollers of lateral support so that I don’t want to move my hands once again. Impreza is logical and obedient: he pressed the gas shifted out of turn, removed smoothly left inside. Although smoothly this, of course, is not quite accurate, rather expected. I slightly went too far with a traction, wandered the stern, and it seems that the humble impregnis shot around the arc so that the road immediately became narrow, and in my head a hammer: if only not to miss!. A little later we will find a common language, we will begin to understand each other at a glance, but this car will not forgive this car anyway.
Having caught on, I recall the adjustable blocking of the central differential (inter -celes are also available, but they have factory settings). It turns out that by moving on manual control, you can lighten your life a little by correcting the explosive nature of the car. With a completely blocked center, the car becomes more straightforward, partly similar to Lancer. Having received freedom, Subaru is clearly more willing to turn into a turn, but is less stable in the control of lateral gliding.
Impreza starts more confident in Lancer, allowing you to honor the clutch honestly and immediately, without tricks, get the most intense acceleration. The converged gear ratio of transmission and cutting at lower speeds (7000) lead to the fact that almost on the first kilometer the driver is sorting through all six steps of the box. Then he simply expects when the car reaches the maximum speed, which is as much as 10 km/h lower than that of Lancer. Oh, it is not for nothing that the creators of the latter carefully engaged in aerodynamics!
 
Eternal battle
Their rivalry cannot be calm down. As in the races, one or the other break into the leaders, winning a second, kilometers, points. The latter, for sure, would have changed a little on other roads, in another weather, on other tires. Yes, and depending on habits, priorities, drivers' preparation. On the asphalt, Subaru Impreza STI is tougher, more aggressive, it is more interesting to manage it. However, this does not mean at all that Lancer Evolyushn is less expressive. It is frozen, more dynamic, although it has a little less rally anger. But in general, both cars are worthy graduates of higher automobile schools. Therefore, the sympathies of experts were distributed fifty to fifty. And the points are only a little differently ...
Sergey Voskresensky: A fight of cult machines forced to reconsider the established stereotypes. It turns out that the famous Lancer Evolyushn, although very fast, but more peaceful than before it seemed a more civilian and practical car. He lost two tenths to his interesting and tough opponent.
Lancer Evolution IX has retaining the racing, explosive, unbridled character, managed to become closer and clearer than the usual driver.
General assessment 7.9
+ Impressive accelerated dynamics verified for everyday driving controllability and smoothness, comfortable seat.
- A noisy engine, not very expressive in combat modes behavior on the road.
Subaru Impreza WRX STI is a powerful, hard, non -proportionate car fully satisfying driver's ambitions.
General assessment 8.1
+ A flexible, temperamental engine, perfectly balanced driving capabilities, good ergonomics of the workplace.
- strict suspension for everyday drive, mediocre clarity of the box.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Sergey Voskresensky
 

A source: The magazine "Driving"