After driving the 2016 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited, I came up with a slogan of my own: "Constructive criticism. It's what makes a car review a car review."
An evaluation needs to include the pros and the cons of a particular model. A lot of the vehicles I've reviewed have done so many things well that evaluating them was a challenge. They gave me plenty to like, but I had a hard time thinking of something about them that rubbed me the wrong way. They were frustratingly likeable, almost boring.
The 2016 WRX made doing my job easier by having such easily identifiable flaws as well as obvious strong suits.
Love
-Styling: I'm used to driving a small sedan which makes an equally small visual impact. The WRX also has compact dimensions, but the personality and aggression conveyed through its styling is massive. With its gaping maw of a hood-mounted air scoop, Lexus RC F-esque front fender vents, and rear diffuser and quad pipes, the little Subie made a big statement everywhere it took me in Central Texas, from Austin to Spring Branch to San Antonio and back.
-The (eventual) punch: When I put my foot down while the WRX was in its commuting- and fuel-economy-friendly Intelligent mode, I had to wait a beat before the boost came on and the WRX took off. I wasn't used to such a nonlinear driving experience, but I could've grown accustomed to the thrust provided by the WRX's turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter flat-four engine. Its 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque enabled several roadside-blurring surges forward, especially when the WRX was in its performance-oriented Sport Sharp setting.
-Confidence of AWD: When I opened up the WRX on a curvy road, I felt confident leaving my right foot planted longer than I would've in other cars, thanks to Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. I could feel its grip keeping me shiny side up.
-Abundance of features: Subaru crammed a surprising amount of tech inside the WRX's four doors. The navigation system helped me get where I needed to go (sometimes). LED low beams lit the way in front of me. Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert looked out for people and things I couldn't see. My favorite bit of technology was the Adaptive Cruise Control, which worked flawlessly to keep me safely behind other motorists as I traveled down I-35 at 70 mph to the Texas Auto Writers Association's 2015 Truck Rodeo in Spring Branch.
Constructive Criticism
-Headroom: The WRX fit all 5'10" of me well in every direction - except one. The roof was lower than I expected. I realized how close the top of my head was to it when I went over a speed bump a little too quickly and felt it contact the headliner. Getting in and out of the car required a slight angling of my neck to make sure my head cleared the outer edge of the roofline.
-Ride quality: Given that it's a sports sedan, I had no illusions that the WRX was going to ride like a Cadillac. However, I was still surprised at how stiff and punishing its suspension was - and how much like an old, grouchy man it made me feel.
-Exhaust boom: I've always appreciated how bestial Subaru's boxer engines can sound with the right exhaust hardware and tuning. However, the low, near-constant drone in the cabin from the WRX's quartet of pipes became grating after a few miles.
-Build quality: The WRX is the first vehicle I've ever reviewed whose driver side mirror constantly vibrated at speed. I blame the car's rock-hard suspension tuning. I also noticed the alignment of the tilt-out drawer above the hood latch release was askew. It was a small detail that didn't receive attention - except for mine.
-Navigation system: As I hinted above, the navigation system was hit or miss. It got me lost twice - once while trying to get to my hotel room in San Antonio to take care of some time-sensitive business and once while on the toll road up to Round Rock, Texas. On that latter trip, the nav told me to just keep going and I wound up 20 or so miles away from my destination. It was the most disappointing navigation system I've ever used.
Ultimately, I didn't love the 2016 Subaru WRX Limited. On the other hand, I did have an odd respect for it. Not only did its shortcomings make my job as an automotive journalist easier, but they made the WRX memorable. Ironically, that's something more enjoyable vehicles often aren't.
My Lapis Blue Pearl 2016 Subaru WRX Limited review vehicle had an as-tested price of $36,858, which included a destination and delivery charge of $795 and nearly $6,000 in options. Those included the $4,095 Option Package: 23 (and its Subaru Starlink seven-inch multimedia navigation system, 440-watt nine-speaker premium audio system, keyless access/push-button start setup, EyeSight Driver-Assist System and other features, and Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection System), the $1,200 Lineartronic CVT, a $215 auto-dimming mirror compass, and a $158 center armrest.
