2008 Subaru Impreza WRX

Exactly one year ago, our May 2007 cover of the all-new Subaru Impreza WRX lit the Interwebs on fire. It also ignited a still-burning debate about the value of embargoed vehicle launches, but only in the backbiting, internecine world of hack auto journalists.

Turns out John Q. Public is more concerned about the way the new Rex looks and drives, so we decided to investigate and requested that Subaru immediately send us over one of its very latest.

Say what you want about the looks (we say they're growing on us), but this is one well-equipped vehicle. Not only does it have the segment standard bells and whistles-such as automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, and an audio AUX-in jack-but Subaru also includes endearing features like optional heated front seats and side mirrors, windshield wiper de-icers, and an incline start-assist system that prevents the vehicle from rolling backward.

The WRX is bigger, too, though this has been a sore point for some fans who've also lambasted Fuji Heavy for simply repurposing chassis and powertrain components from the larger Legacy sedan. Of course, another way to look at it is that consumers are getting many of the flagship goodies at a much lower price. Plus, there's no denying the larger body and redesigned rear suspension mean significantly more rear passenger and cargo room than previous-generation WRX sedans, without an appreciable drop in performance. Our WRX's 224-horsepower, turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four propelled it to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

You certainly pay for what you get, though the way WRXs are bundled, you won't see a string of dollar signs on the window sticker. The MSRP for our Lightning Red WRX came in at $24,995. Tack on $2100 for a premium package (those heated goodies, foglights, etc.), $2000 for navigation and Sirius Satellite Radio, and $163 for a center armrest, and you're looking at $29,258.

So far we've had the WRX for five months, and it's rarely spent a weekend in our G3 garage. In fact, we recently spent $111.48 at the local dealership for the standard 7500 service: a chassis lube, oil and oil filter replacement, and tire rotation.

Motor Trend was the first to break cover on the all-new Subaru WRX, so why not join us for the ride through the ownership experience?