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From: Motorweek
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  • 3.07 who is knocking? Omg!

  • how is a 5 door AWD hatchback not bought for practicality? it certainly factored into me decision to get one

  • If I would have bought a 2008 Subaru wrx and found out that the 2009 model had an extra 40 hp. I would have shot myself in the foot

  • is this subaru better than renault megane rs?

  • @MegaSuzukiboy yes it is.

  • ok i just watched the motor week 2008 sti review and it show the sti 0-60 in 5.4 vs 09 wrx 0-60 in 5.0 and the sti using brembo brakes stops from 60 to 0 in 122 vs. 09 wrx 60 to 0 in 118ft wtf seems crazy!?

  • did they purposely stall at 3:06?.... listen to when the engine starts back up

  • @willneverstop that wasn't a stall. that was the defective engine knocking. There was a recall.

  • The Subaru WRX & Mitsu Ralliart have such great designs. There AWD, turbocharged, & have good interior & trunk space like any average cars. I would take these cars over the Spec V & Si. Those cars are good looking, reliable, & fun to drive, but lack the speed & potential of the rally cars. The 1 thing they have over the rally cars is gas mileage. I would take the WRX over the Ralliart b/c it has 28 more h/p, gets the about the same MPG, & comes w/ a stick.

  • Anybody else hear a spun rod bearing at 3:09 ? lmao....

  • I love MW. Watched it since I was a kid.

  • I have owned Mitsubishi, Dodge, Ford, Mazda VW but never Subie, what are some opinions on reliability, repair costs etc from actual owners?

  • @SauceCaptain If your a do-it-yourselfer, their pretty easy to work on for a foreign car. I worked on one for the first time yesterday, and they MOVE, I was really surprised at how fast they really are. The AWD also makes it much enjoyable to drive than the Mustang, between the two, it will depend on your lifestyle as to which one is the better choice, I've always driven American muscle, so I'm partial, but if you don't also own a truck and need space, get the WRX.

  • I'm gonna be buying a new car in a month or two, and I think it's come down to one of these or a 2011 Mustang. For 25,000 in the Stang you get better seats, better brakes and skid pad numbers, 305 HP V6, 6 MPG better Highway and 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and IMO better looks. But with the WRX you get more cargo space, a better back seat, close to the same performance though not quite as good, and AWD for the long snowy winters. Both are very different cars but are high on the bang for buck list.

  • nice review!

  • didn't the 2008 wrx have 265 horses? And when they tested the 2008 Sti they got 0-60 in 5,6 seconds, but the less powerful wrx gets 5 seconds?

  • @normalais its because of the sti's six speed. in order to hit 60 in the sti you have to shift to third while the wrx pulls sixty in 2nd gear.

  • @normalais 2008 had 225 I think. They upped it in 2009

  • I've read reviews were they got 4.5secs 0-60mph.

  • @06RallyBlue

    From bias sources, it's normally around 5.4 sec

  • @jakubgt1 I'm not sure why they would be biased. I can assure you it's 4.5 because all the other versions are as well. In fact the 2010 WRX came at 5secs. This made the editors ask themselves why people would pay so much more for the STi when it was just as fast.

  • @06RallyBlue

    Subaru claimed 0-60 in 5.4 seconds. I can also assure these cars will not do 0-60 under 5 seconds stock. I just laugh when people say the 09+ WRX is just as fast as an STi.

    WRX: 265hp

    STI: 305hp

    /end

  • @jakubgt1 It is as fast as the WRX STI through the 0-60 and 1/4 it has to do with gearing, Most people agree 1 less shift to get to 60 is the reason why its a tad faster. Oh and these cars are capable of under 5 sec 0-60 there are plenty of videos on youtube to attest to that.

  • @1987throwback

    A WRX will never be as fast as an STi or anywhere near as fast. The difference is even greater when both cars are modded. Ask any WRX owner, they will tell you the STI is a different beast.

    Stop being ignorant and listening to these bias sources. Its like comparing the ralliart lancer to the Evo.

  • @jakubgt1 Ok I am talking about Stock to Stock mind you. And the WRX IS AS FAST as the STI. I pulled some #'s off C&D 09 WRX (same as 10) 0 to 60 mph: 4.7 sec 0 to 100 mph: 12.9 sec Top speed 142 mph 1/4-mile: 13.5 sec @ 102 mph Braking, 70-0 mph: 160 ft MPG 18/25 skid 0.87 g STI 08 0 to 60 mph: 5.1 sec 0 to 100 mph: 13.0 sec Top speed 151 mph ¼-mile: 13.6 sec @ 102 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 155 ft MPG 17/23 skid 0.92 g This tells me WRX>STI for the Cash Difference Bro
  • @jakubgt1 I have a Stage 2 06 WRX, and yes a STI Stage 2 is a different beast.

    A Stage 2 WRX is a little better than a stock STI.

  • Comment removed

  • @jakubgt1 The WRX couldn't possilbly be faster. Theres a 40 h/p difference. And why would Subaru make the cheaper model WRX faster & better than the more expensive STI? People are crazy. 0-60 isn't everything. Cars spin tires under heavy acceleration, especially w/ alot of h/p. If u drag race both models in a 1/2 run, the STI would be so far ahead.

  • @jakubgt1 Well that's because 0-60mph critics are claiming the WRX is 4.5-5.0 seconds. That's why you are hearing that. As far as total speed I'm not sure it reaches 160mph. Why would they make stuff up?

  • @06RallyBlue

    Insideline tested the 2011 WRX with a 0-60 in 5.3 sec and 1/4 mile time of 13.8 @ 98.2. I owned both cars and know the difference between them. The only people bragging about how the WRX is the same as the STi are the ones that wish they had an STi or could afford one because it's the sad truth.

  • @jakubgt1 I think everybody has thhe fact of this argument wrong and has lost what the argument was about to begin with. First regarding your comment. I have an 06 WRX and I know when I bought what the specs were and what it was capable of. 0-60mph in 5.4, that was the 06. Not saying kids are bragging and making things up.

  • @06RallyBlue 5.4 was the old STI time Ive never seen hawkeye rexs get too far away from a 6 sec 0-60. and a stage II rex is a drivers race against an STI with the preference going to the STI. better breathing turbo and more power under the curve.

    also you should rethink putting a 20G on your rex unless youve built the tranny or swapped to a 6 speed. stage II torque from the 2.5L is enough to grade 3rd gear. why a 20G? theyre so laggy you wont have power in the turns which is what a rex is 4

  • Now you mentioned WRX 11 and Inside Line. Well Inside Line is notorious for always giving very low ratings, I mean not even close to all the other publications.

    Having said that the reason why people are claiming WRX 0-60mph in 4.5-5.0 is because of WRX 2010.

  • @06RallyBlue also STIs are more than just straight line speed. they have a more rigid chassis, stiffer suspension, better interio, better brakes, infinitely better transmission, bigger turbo and intercooler and injectors, etc....

    if you took a rex and tried to make it equal to the STI in all respects it would cost way more than the price difference of the cars. a car is more than just straight line speed

  • @AlexanderBlueAvenue True. But Rex owners don't all want a 24 hour a day track car. WRX with mods does sti numbers at mosport every year. I'm not sure where you live..but check out mosport this summer. Plenty of wrx's are doing sti numbers for no so expensive upgrades.

  • @814gt I definitely agree with you here. a pro tuned stage II rex and some $ in the suspension is equal to the STI in peformance. but thats only half the battle, the STI still has the bullt proof transmission, brembo brakes, a better interior, and a better platform over all. if you did those same mods to the STI its on a whole other playing field.

    its relatively easy to make a rex perform like an sti but it isnt cost effective to make a rex equal to the sti in all respects

  • @AlexanderBlueAvenue I agree with you. They are for two different buyers and all the performance in the world won't get you around a track faster as most can't drive. Takes years to learn. I'm a family guy car enthusiast. STi is too rough a ride on highway and front axle brembo's are 2000 bucks or more. Sti is a great car. I'm not sure what a better platform, better interior is? Both are nearly the same for 2011. Brembo's 4piston are great, but front axle alone is 2000 bucks to replace.

  • @814gt the better interior bit only applies to the models from 02-07 when the STI still had that killer blue suede interior. by better platform I mean the STI is already like a stage II rex with an upgraded suspension, so all money in modifying the STI will go farther than in the rex.

    but I agree the STI I think is too harsh for a DD, Id rather have a rex for that. but if I had an affordable DD an older STI would be a cool build for a track car IMO.

  • Several publications did claim it doing close to 4.5secs, in fact you can find it in YouTube. So that's where the whole thing comes from.

    WRX 2010. Which is strange now it has gone up to 5.3 seconds, when back in 2006 it was a second slower. So you have to admit with 265HP and a better intercooler and turbo that it is only a .1 second differenece.

    Having said that to me I don't care.

  • I have a Stage 2 WRX and plan on adding a 20G turbo, so the STI to me isn't that big of a deal, unless you have an STI like my friend and is a Stage 2 and is going to upgrade the turbo to a dominator 3.0. Then yes I wish I had a

  • @06RallyBlue with that said you have a nice car and Im considering buying that year and color

  • @AlexanderBlueAvenue Well thes STI never did 5.4 secs it always did 4.5secs I wonder where you got that information. The WRX was always 5.4 seconds and that's something you can verify yourself.

    As far as the 20G well it is the biggest turbo I can get and won't need to do any engine work. As far as I read and heard the WRX transmission can hold it. And believe my car is a ALL rounder. I got COBB springs and swaybars and in the spring I plan on getting KW coilovers probably version 1.

  • @06RallyBlue Please post stock STI doing 4.5 seconds 0-60. Road and track timed them 2x and wrx was faster. I like both cars, but no STI in 2010, or 2011 has ever done 4.5 0-60 consistently.

  • @06RallyBlue the sti is not running 4.5 stock in 60 runs. the cosworth built to hell sti does that, Im telling you your average STI will run a 0-60 in the 5s. you can just quote the lowest number you find and assume it represents the car all across the spectrum

  • @AlexanderBlueAvenue Well I can tell you the same. Find the highest number (Which I know you haven't, because every magazine states 4.5 secs) and apply it across the spectrum.

    I belong to ClubWRX and everybody agrees with this...yet again not much of an argument.

    And when I say I belong I don't mean just in forums, I actually meet up with the members and go for drives.

    As far as the Cosworth I'm not really sure why it is 4.5 as you say. It depends what they focused on.

  • @06RallyBlue If they ONLY get 4.5 well you are either getting the numbers wrong or they are doing something reaaly badly, because 4.5secs now adays for a Race car/Track car is pretty bad.

  • @06RallyBlue lol 4.5 is not bad for a performance oriented car at all. the new camaro that is rated at 426 hp to the crank barely hits 5.1. when you start talking about 3s that is supercar/drag car territory. the WRX is a 6 second 0-60 until it got the bigger turbo in 09. I also belong to clubwrx, start a thread on there and I am sure you will get corrected.

    if the wrx runs 4.5 then what is the STI running? 4? high 3s? these are exotic times no stock subaru is doing this.

  • @06RallyBlue I started a thread for you on clubwrx look in the off topic forum. my name is Cmaj7th

  • @06RallyBlue AS far as a Stage 2 WRX vs. a stock STI people say the WRX has the advantage. You figure it is the same 0-60mph mark and then the WRX has the advantage because of all the air coming in and going out at a very high speed. In fact a Stage 2 does 12.6 in 1/4 mile said by many in forums. I belong to CLUBWRX and this is a common topic.

    As for the lag I don't know, I haven't heard anything. I'll need to check.

  • @06RallyBlue I disagree I do not think a stage II rex on pump gas will run 12s. mid 13s maybe because you have to consider that a rex stock is doing mid to low 14s and stage II is what 40whp?

  • @AlexanderBlueAvenue Well how can you disagree? This comes from people who actually have them!

    These people are not lying. They belong to the forums, and if you lie well... that is just stupid as everyone else has the same car with the same set up or a better set up.

  • @06RallyBlue As far as th einterior I have the Limited edition with ALL leather, sunroof, heated seats and sideview mirrors, so believe me my interior is better. In fact the 07 STI Limited edition got copied from my car's interior. My friend has it except the STI doesn't have heated side view mirrors.

  • @jakubgt1 Sorry man. Too long. Read from bottom to top.

  • Just got a 2010 today and

    It's a rocket just need wings and it would fly

  • I currently own a 08 WRX, and I should be driving a 2010 WRX limited in a month time.

  • Must be nice to be rich or in debt all the time.

  • back with a fix??? what!!!

    07- wrx wasent bad!

    i had a 07-wrx it was great, thought

    i have a 09-sti, and i still take my wrx for a cruise once in a while

  • They are talking about the baby soft 08.

  • baby soft?

  • Lol I like how they still add crappy 90's music to this vid

  • No LSDs, wtf...

  • If I walk in with 20k cash in hand, you think they would make a deal? The economy sucks right now. I dont want to spend 25k on a car! aaaaaaaa!

  • doubt it. i'm still in the process of buying one and the best deal i got so far was 26500 on a 2010.

  • @kwazyxbboi

    What about a slighlty used one 2k miles ?

  • i wouldn't know.

  • @kwazyxbboi---you should take it, mine out the door was $27,400.

  • @1986GreatYear

    yeah i'm going to go back this week and try to get that deal hahaha wish me luck

  • i agree with him i got 25900 after taxes and fee! Thats the best price u will get!

  • These guys don't know how to accelerate

  • @shossni Um...sure they do. 5.0 is about right for this car. If you want to buy one and do redline clutch drops to drop a tenth or two, be my guest, but most people don't drive like that, and they don't test like that.

  • @shossni there getting better

  • this old guy don.t know shit lol

  • its not supposed to be a wagon the the hatch version...its a 5 door hatchback

  • I agree, the new wrx/sti look just like everything else on the road. I with they had kept the old body and just updated the engine/suspension like they did.

  • It's a lot more mainstream for Subaru standards, but it's definitely not mainstream by anyone else's standards.

    They've shifted from old-school style import sedans to more practical hatches. Considering Subie made so many wagons, I see this as a good blend of modern style with historical practicality.

  • i love the hatchback one

  • this car looks ALOT ALOT ALOT BETTER

    in person, trust me, I hated it until I actually saw an 09 in person

  • I'd take the hatchback over the sedan. Good job Subaru

  • 5 door is so sexy!

  • I absolutely love the design of this car!!!!

  • The hatchback is very ugly.

  • I liked some of the older front ends but this one is sooooo ugly what were they thinking. with adiferent front end I might have considered getting one

  • do these come in automatic?

  • Comment removed

  • Great production, incredibly informative video.  5 stars, thanks for posting.

  • "We're glad to have you with us!" That's classic!

  • Get the 09 guys! I love it. And then go stage 2. You will be surprised on the power.

  • next car, next car. i need boost. lol

  • finally a good in depth review on this new wrx. I picked mine up a couple weeks ago and am in love. i will never buy a none-subaru again.

  • gettin mine 3 weeks...

  • 4 door or 5 ?

  • Bardzo fajne auto :):)Pozdrawiam

  • The one thing I don't like about the 09 5-door is the trunk space is almost 20 cubic ft smaller than the previous models (non hatch).

    I own a 2004 WRX Wagon and I use the wagon/trunk a lot. It has around 61 cubic feet of space with the seats down, and this 09 only has 44 cubic feet.

    I went to check out the 09 in person and the trunk entrance is wider (tested it by putting my dog crate in the back) compared with the 04-07 wagons, but the length is a lot shorter behind the back seats.

  • I guess I just don't see why they removed so much trunk space. The measurements of the exterior are almost identical between years, yet they lost a lot of trunk space with the 08 and 09 models.

    I'm going to wait until the 2010 models come out before I move up to a newer model. I'm a subaru addict now and LOVE the WRX! Just give me more trunk space! Give me a real wagon again!

  • I own an 02 Stage 2 WRX and wanted to buy the new facelift that launched in 2007 (08 wrx) and when I test drove the sedan it was a HUGE dissappointment. Not only did it seem slow and sluggish, but overall bad value. This new 2009 WRX is aboslutely amazing by any standard. It's only like .5 seconds slower than the 08 STI for nearly $8,000 less when everything is said and done! The numbers arent a lie, 0-60 in 4.6-7 and 1/4m @ 13.5 are phenominal numbers out of the box.

  • The 09 WRX rocks if your a fan of these cars I stongly suggest a test drive I have an 06 WRX with just an SPT intake and it made my car seem slow.

  • lol I hear some rod knock or something coming from that engine

  • Why no 1/4 time?  I thought motorweek tested that. LAME

  • 4.7 0-60 with a launch and 13.5 1/4 mile...which is just amazing bang for the buck.

  • 13.3 quarter is what I heard

  • If you nail it perfect, I am sure it could get that time.

    From Car & Driver, to Leftlane, to Winding Road, to Road and Track etc., they all have it performing very , very well, put it that way.

  • wow.. he's really aging.. nice review though

  • wow this is much better deal than the sti, all you need couple bolt ons and you will smash the sti why spent 5grand more for an sti if you can invest that in mods and kill the sti?>

  • Insurance?

  • actually the 09 sti is ten grand more than an 09 wrx

  • @PremusRed i pay 125 a month in new york! clean license and never had an accident!

  • I am selling a cobb accessport, aem intake, hks BOV, agency downpipe, magnaflow exhaust, MSD dashhawk, exhaust adapter, all for half what I paidfirst $1500 take all the STG 2 stuff I got..See my video (08wrx) Pm me if interestedits for the 08 09 wrx

  • The sound isnt a spun bearing. I have 83000 sweet ass miles on an 02 and it has made the horizontal 4 rattle you hear from the time i pulled it off the lot. that rattle is a the normal engine sound. A spun bearing is much louder and much more hollow sounding. You never have to wonder if you've lost your engine in these cars.

  • i love this car, o to 60 in 5 seconds

    and space for all my surfing staff

  • its actually 4.7 if you launch car and driver even got it 4.7

  • If you put the volume up and listen carefully at 3:09-3:12, there seems to be that rattling engine sound many have complained about in the WRX 265.

    I refer you to ericflg's video of the engine rattle.

    Did anyone hear it too?

  • Yes I heard it too.

  • shoot, u mines as well add the SPT package while its at the dealer for another $2,000

  • I Just bought one. Traded my MY08 in on it. Worth it.

  • I love the 09, I feel like it recaptures the spirit of the 02 when it was first released over here, it was a good idea to make it Manual transmission only. it should have a LSD too, they should have not taken that out.

  • i just ordered mine in satin pearl white. leather, sat nav sunroof. jap cars offer really good value for money. my mates S3 the option for sat nav only was $7,500 AUS. And with the wrx for leather/sunroof/sat nav it only cost $4900 AUS for all three of these items ???!!!! rediculous value. and a car that goes as fast in a straight line as its big brother (the sti) that costs $30,000 AUS less than an sti why would you buy an Sti? the hatch looks shit anyway. sedan looks much more aggressive

  • Just went to the Subaru dealer and test drove one of these. Great car. Has very good power as their turbocharger is beastly. The salesman let me go fast and man is it fast! AWD is insane. Headroom in the back is alright. The only thing that I didn't like was the lackluster interior. It's just okay. Overall a great car with LOTS of power. The WRX (which I test drove) is about $26, 500 w/o tax and license. You will hit about $30k for the car.

  • should be a well made car, with boring interiors and if u swallow the looks, it should be worth it.

  • It seems like a well made car. As I said, car power and seems like great performance. But if I'm going to pay close to $30k, I would like the interior to be a bit more exciting than what they offer. It's really plain.

  • we payed 25k for our 09'

  • maybe you can wait for the z28 if your into that sort of car. But the interior may be worse in a chevy.

  • hey man i wanted to ask since im ganna buy the subaru wrx i wanted to know is the sport shift real? some say i can switch between manual and automatic transition but some say no its just manual could u plz give me some info thx in advance

  • this car only comes in manual

  • they offer an Automatic with a sport mode when where u can shift it manually, its nothing special....if u leav e it in gear long enough the car will shift it up for u

  • I have the sport shift auto transmission. trust me, if you can stick wtih the 5 speed. the automatic searches up and down and it is almost half a second slower from 0-60 than the manual.

    i only got the auto since my wife can't drive manual.... it was a trade off otherwise i couldn't get approval to buy it.

    i live in asia and have the S-GT model...

  • This looks like it could give the MS3 a run for it's money.

  • Did I hear him say there's a moonroof available? That's not good...adds weight.

  • so don't get it

  • spun bearings and grenading trannies.. Mmmhmm

  • If you knew what you were talking about then more people would listen.

    Yep, they had a few that had spun bearings, they were the early production line of the 09's (basically the ones that were off the line in late 2008). The problem has been fixed and if you bought one of these early production cars Subaru fixed it for free.

    Nice trolling though. Obviously you haven ever driven one and don't intend to.

  • Sweet looking car.

  • Why is there no quartermile posted? also rating this to a ralliart lancer this get "practical 21mpg" and the ralliart gets "23 mpg" then wrx gets 16.3 barrels of oil per year with co2 being 8.7.  the ralliart gets 18 barrels per year and co2 9.1????? this makes no sense??? also the breaks are good on the ralliart Mitsu uses a 215 width tire vs a 235 width??? motorweeks math is off better go get a hold of pat goss for the real answer to this???

  • i wonder how much motorweek got paid by subaru to not mention the spun bearing

  • Maybe you should read up on the problem yourself. Like I just posted, it was only a problem for the early early production line of the 09's (the one's off the line in 2008). Subaru has fixed the issue at the production line and has fixed the problem on all cars that were sold with the issue.

  • I don't like how carbon footprint replaced quietness.

  • spun bearing 3:08!

  • Gotta spend money for a worthy TV tuner card.

  • Hah, sounds exactly like a spun bearing.

  • How do people upload tv shows and they're so crystal clear? That always made me wonder. haha

  • I never made excuses for the MY08' I just did a little upgrading so that excuses weren't needed. =D

    The MY09's are really nice, but I wouldn't trade my MY08' just yet.

    Waiting until next spring to upgrade to a MY10 STi.

  • maybe fuel ping?

  • lol at the spun bearing

  • i dont think it's a spun bearing, but whatever it is doesn't sound good...

    maybe rod knock?

  • what you talkin about ?

  • Awesome review. Makes me feel good knowing I own an 08 :) haha it's all good. Still gotta love Subaru for listening to it's fans.

  • I love motorweek!

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