2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contenders

Subaru Impreza: The Side Effects of Maturity

So far, so good for the new adult version of the WRX. Curb weights are down 45 to 110 pounds across the range, thanks to a five-door hatchback that shrinks 2.0 inches in length (despite a sedan that's 4.5 inches longer). The wheelbase has spread by 3.7, and, together with a revised front-strut suspension and a new rear-control-arm setup, the Impreza boasts a cushier ride and more cargo volume (0.3 cubic foot in the sedan).

Not so good, however, is the new styling: Some of our judges find the lines of the WRX five-door sporty and muscular, while some view them as drab and uninspiring. Everyone concurs, though, on the Subaru's higher-quality and more refined interior. Pass on the WRX and you're treated to even less pizzazz, as the naturally aspirated, 170-horse Impreza 2.5i sedan and hatch look even dowdier. But at least there's an Outback Sport (based on the hatch), which gets a raised suspension, 17-inch wheels, and a two-tone body treatment to spice things up.

The WRX still has plenty of spice under the hood, though. A carryover from the previous WRX, with a few tweaks to realize peak output 800 rpm earlier, the turbo 2.5-liter flat-four makes 224 horses and, when paired with the five-speed manual, propels the Subie from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds. The WRX delivered respectable figures of 0.84 g on the skidpad and 27.2 seconds around the figure eight, but the sense from behind the wheel is of too much roll, dive, and squat. Unlike the prior WRX, in which the handling felt taut, precise, and more akin to a rally car's, the new car seems too spongy, gentle, and, um, mature. By broadening the Impreza's appeal, we can only hope that the upcoming 300-horse STI is edgier than ever.

-Ron Kiino

What they did right: The WRX's 2.5L turbo flat-four is as charming as ever and still offers rewarding performance and character by the bagful.

Room for improvement: With its underpinnings prioritized for refinement over enthusiastic driving, the WRX is in desperate need of the chassis-tuning philosophy of the previous edition. An improved shift linkage is also needed.

Bet You Didn't Know: With the last-generation Impreza and WRX, GM owned 20 percent of Subaru. When the new Impreza appeared, GM was out and now Toyota holds a significant share of Subaru.