Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Sensational performance and handling, value for money.
Thirsty, image can be problematic.
If you love driving, the WRX and STi offer an experience to be savoured.
As a tool for driving on country roads at stupendous speeds, there's little that can touch an Impreza WRX or STi. We've already road tested the all-new Impreza hatchback, but the high-performance versions have not yet arrived, so drivers keen to defy the laws of physics (never mind those in the Highway Code) will have to stick with the old-shape Impreza for now.
And in its final form, it's a superb car. The 2006 facelift gave it a big, Alfa-style grille and hawkish headlights, and there's lots of reflective chrome surrounding the rear lights. The STi gained a diffuser underneath the rear end, as well as a window roof vane that will baffle casual observers. The cognoscenti, though, will recognise it as a World Rally Championship homologation detail.
The WRX and STi both have a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which develops 276bhp and 289lb-ft of torque in the STi and 227bhp/236lb-ft in the WRX. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard on all Imprezas except the STi, which has a six-speed manual.
And 2007 brought special editions of both hot models. The STi sired the black-painted saloon-only RB320, complete with 18" alloys, Prodrive-developed suspension, lower ride height and outputs of 316bhp and 332lb-ft courtesy of the Prodrive Performance Pack. That's a lot of kit for an increase of £3,500.
But don't overlook the other special edition, the WRX-based GB270. It's an absolute bargain: something like £7,000 worth of extra kit for a price increase of less than £3,000 in the case of the saloon and less than £2,000 for the estate.
The range kicks off with the 1.5R, which even its admirers - including us - admit is underpowered, with just 106bhp, but it has all the balance, poise and grip of the more powerful versions. Like them, it's four-wheel drive. The 2.0R and 2.0RX make 148bhp, and again benefit from the chassis qualities that have made the Impreza so respected, plus a large portion of the turbocharged cars' aggressive stance.
The Impreza range starts at £12,495 for the 1.5R and rises to £26,495 for the WRX STi, or £29,995 for the RB320 special edition.
