2009 Subaru Impreza WRX

When the redesigned 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX hit the market, many enthusiasts expressed concern. The new WRX gave priority to civility and comfort, rather than outright driving excitement. Our long-term WRX sedan notebook is full of such comments: "When you want to tackle that twisty road, the WRX is not nearly as eager as before," says senior editor Ron Kiino. "It's simply not as fun to drive -- the previous WRX was really playful, like it wanted you to push it; now it just feels like it'll give you a few sprints but then it wants to relax."

Guess what? Subaru listened. To criticism and complaints, to forums and magazines, the company listened. And as a remedy, Subaru has outfitted the 2009 WRX with a stiffer suspension, better tires, and a bigger turbocharger. The updated WRX's 2.5L boxer-four now delivers a healthy 265 hp and 244 lb-ft of torque, enough to blow last year's WRX out of the water and nip at the heels of the current STI. Joining the refreshed WRX in the 2009 Impreza lineup is the Impreza 2.5GT, a vehicle that's essentially the same model as the 2008 WRX.

Out at the track, the new and improved WRX launches hard; all four tires spin as the car leaps forward as if it were rear-ended by a bus. A mere 1.6 sec pass before 30 mph is reached, a time on par with the new BMW M3 and Cadillac CTS-v. Sixty mph comes in 4.8 sec, and the five-door, five-passenger hatchback we tested covered a quarter mile in 13.5 sec at 101.1 mph. That's near a second faster than last year's model and just a tenth slower than the 2008 STI. Consider the $10,000 difference between the base WRX and the homologated rally car, and you'll be asking yourself, "STI why?"