Video: 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX

So we're going to go over some of its attributes as a sports car, but also how it works as a practical car. Now, as we said, this is a practical car too. It's a four-door sedan, but there's one thing to keep in mind. If you or your driver is a little bit on the tall side, the interior is just a little bit cramped. I mean, they give you cutouts here sort of for your knees, but as you can see, I'm right up against it. The headroom is decent though. Now the WRX like all Impreza's, is available both as a sedan and as sort of a wagon-like hatchback, we have the sedan. And if you decide to go that route, there's one thing, a couple things actually about the trunk you want to keep in mind. First, it has these old kind of hinges that sort of intrude in your cargo area, not a big deal, but just something to be aware of. Also, there's a real pronounced hump in here in the trunk. It just kind of ramps up as you go toward the front of the car. Again, not a huge deal, but if you're the type of person to totally cram your trunk, it's something you're going to want to keep in mind. Now, one of the things I really like about the Subaru is its interior, not just the quality of the materials, which is very good, but everything is really laid out as a driver's car. The tachometer is right in front of you. It's the biggest gauge that you're going to see. And the red line is sort of up toward the top, where you can be looking down the road and see the gauge where you need it to be. Everything falls very easily to hand. And the steering wheel is among the better that I've had, just a good meaty feel to it. And one of the nice things about the WRX is it's really got two sides to it. If you have to commute in the city and drive like an adult and generally not be a hooligan, the car lets you do that. It's got a turbo-charged four cylinder engine that produces a lot of tort, but basically if you're just gentle with all the controls, you shift early and that sort of thing, you really wouldn't have an idea that you're driving a performance car. And that's nice sometimes. One of the things about the WRX is it comes in two versions. There's a WRX that we have and then the WRX STI, that's a step above this. One of the big differences is the WRX has a five-speed manual transmission. The STI has a six speed. Personally in driving around, I didn't find myself really wanting that extra gear too often. I thought the five speed was just fine. The ratios are a little bit taller, but I don't think that's a big deal driving around town. Now, like I said, this is a turbo-charged four cylinder engine, and one of the things that you learn really quickly when you're driving, is you want to keep the revs in the high range before you shift, and that gives you plenty of power to pass when you need to. So we've gone over pretty much everything about the WRX from its practicality, to how much fun it is to drive. And I think the best way to sum it up is, you're left with a car that's very fast, if you want to go very fast, but if you just want to go to the grocery store, it'll do that too. (upbeat music) <v Narrator>For more car related news, go to cars.com or our blog KickingTires.net.