2008 STi Test-Drive
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:23 am
Okay, I need to come clean. We've had the new STi in for quite a while, and I actually got to drive a black one last week...
... and have been slacking in writing a review on it.
Here's the one that managed to escape straight onto the platform right after PDI before I could get a hold of it
:


Looks: Okay, I honestly think, save for the taillights, it's a good-looking car, especially with the pictured wheels. The fender flares work well, and the body-colored strip on the hatch instead of the chrome one makes a big difference.
I'll have to look, but I don't think there's even an option for foglights, so that's my other disappointment. But it looks good, especially in black.
Drive: I didn't beat the crap out of it, but I did flog it a bit. As you all know, I lay all the cards on the table, so the test-drive I did was right after PDI, and the car had 7 miles on it with the fuel light on. So it definitely wasn't broken in yet.
As far as power goes, it feels about the same as the old STi. Understand that I'm a bit jaded, so it didn't feel ridiculously fast to me, but it's still a quick car. I do have to say that the turbo lag seemed a little more pronounced, not only over the WRX, but even the old STi. Again, that may be a break-in thing.
Now... what impressed me the most was the handling. The body roll is significantly, noticeably less than the WRX, and with the good rubber, I did a fairly judicious turnaround in a cul-de-sac without even making the tires squeal. My favorite part of the car is the handling by far.
But the ultimate question is... could I have FUN in the car? You all know how picky I am, and the fastest car in the world does nothing for me if I don't find some sort of aesthetic pleasure in it. As far as this car goes...
... the answer is yes.
Blah blah blah framed windows something blah blah no parking light switch something blah something... yeah, I still miss that stuff. I can't ignore that, and I can't help not being able to ignore that. Sorry.
But at the very least, this car is enjoyable enough that I can outweigh that stuff and still have fun.
Now if only I could get past that $36k starting price
... and have been slacking in writing a review on it.
Here's the one that managed to escape straight onto the platform right after PDI before I could get a hold of it



Looks: Okay, I honestly think, save for the taillights, it's a good-looking car, especially with the pictured wheels. The fender flares work well, and the body-colored strip on the hatch instead of the chrome one makes a big difference.
I'll have to look, but I don't think there's even an option for foglights, so that's my other disappointment. But it looks good, especially in black.
Drive: I didn't beat the crap out of it, but I did flog it a bit. As you all know, I lay all the cards on the table, so the test-drive I did was right after PDI, and the car had 7 miles on it with the fuel light on. So it definitely wasn't broken in yet.
As far as power goes, it feels about the same as the old STi. Understand that I'm a bit jaded, so it didn't feel ridiculously fast to me, but it's still a quick car. I do have to say that the turbo lag seemed a little more pronounced, not only over the WRX, but even the old STi. Again, that may be a break-in thing.
Now... what impressed me the most was the handling. The body roll is significantly, noticeably less than the WRX, and with the good rubber, I did a fairly judicious turnaround in a cul-de-sac without even making the tires squeal. My favorite part of the car is the handling by far.
But the ultimate question is... could I have FUN in the car? You all know how picky I am, and the fastest car in the world does nothing for me if I don't find some sort of aesthetic pleasure in it. As far as this car goes...
... the answer is yes.
Blah blah blah framed windows something blah blah no parking light switch something blah something... yeah, I still miss that stuff. I can't ignore that, and I can't help not being able to ignore that. Sorry.
But at the very least, this car is enjoyable enough that I can outweigh that stuff and still have fun.
Now if only I could get past that $36k starting price
