2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI user reviews

Pros The intersection of performance, good looks, versatility and value. Also, since it's four doors with a hatch, insurance companies consider it a wagon, so insurance is surprisingly affordable.

Cons Gas mileage, but what can you expect for 305 hp! Everyone else seems to be going slow!

Summary Ok. After reading extensive reviews and test driving both the new 2008 STI and the new Evo, I purchased the base STI (i.e., w/o the navigation and BBS wheels). I bought the charcoal gray STI and, to me, the STI just looks more sophisticated, inside and out, than the Evo.
Driving-wise, the STI is less of a rough ride than the Evo, but is still plenty responsive and has a ?planted?/solid feel at high speeds and around corners. I have not experienced the clunky, lurching below 4000 rpm that the review spoke of, but perhaps I am now just used to driving the car at lower rpm on the street, downshifting when necessary to obtain more power. There is a noticeable "boost" at 4000 rpm and above, and the car just pulls and pulls and pulls all the way to the redline from there. Truly exhilarating! The STI is also a pleasure to drive because the seats are more comfortable for longer distance driving (I commute 100 miles per day for work). The Evo?s seats are a bit hard, and are essentially racer-boy Recaros, which are fine if you want to be a poser/wanna-be racer, but not much practicality for every day driving. The STI also has 3 different driving modes depending on what type of driving you want to do - Intelligent/everyday vs. Sport vs. Sport Sharp, a cutting edge racing type driving mode that?ll gobble up a tank of 93 octane like nobody?s business! The Sport Sharp mode is like flipping a nitrous switch and boosts the already awesome acceleration over 3500 rpm. I leave my STI in Sport mode (I haven?t noted any better mileage in ?Intelligent? mode) and usually flip it to Sport Sharp when I want to drive even more aggressively or "teach somebody a lesson." :-)
The STI?s styling is very bold and, at a glance, it looks unlike anything on the road, which is something I appreciate. The charcoal gray color almost lends the car to looking like a small ?Batmobile? or a Stealth fighter plane if you will ? very bold and aggressive, yet very subtle. I seem to get a lot of stares and ?thumbs-up? signs while driving the STI. The Evo?s styling, on the other hand, looks nice, but it?s a bit commonplace and is easily confused with other small 4-door sedans at a glance, namely, Mitsu?s base Lancer. Inside, the materials of the STI have a better fit, finish and overall substance, in my opinion, than the Evo too. Due to its hatchback design, there?s a ton more cargo space in the STI than the Evo too, especially when you drop the back seats forward (which I don?t think you can even do in the Evo). I mean, I couldn?t even fit a single set of golf clubs in the trunk of the new Evo, whereas I could easily fit a single set of clubs in the back of the STI, and probably an additional set with one of the back seats down. The STI is just a better, all-around, everyday-driving small sports car (I?d even say it?s a poor man?s Porsche 911 Carrera 4 due to its AWD and boxer engine) than the Evo. I mean, I actually had the little woman thinking that our new STI is a great family car, that is, until she saw how I drove that bad boy (after the break-in period, of course)! If you?re really on the fence about which one to go with, just employ a little common sense and ask yourself if you will primarily be driving your car on the track or on the street. If on the track, go with the Evo, if on the street, definitely go with STI. You will not be disappointed!