CAR REVIEW: 2015 Subaru WRX: Expanding the friendly confines of a sport sedan

Everything about the 2015 Subaru WRX is tight.

Admittedly, the WRX (and the associated hyper, harder WRX STI) account for only 4 percent of Subaru’s sales. Even with Subaru’s phenomenal sales boom this year, selling more cars than ever in the company’s history — more than 420,000, more even than much bigger Volkswagen or BMW — that’s a small amount. Only 16,000 in the states to be exact.

It gets smaller still. Until this year, new WRX’s came only with a manual transmission, which alienates a large number of new car buyers who can’t row their own gears. Roughly 85 percent of new cars today are autos, and for good reason: younger drivers look at the third pedal like a third nipple. What’s it do?

Not done yet: The WRX is all-wheel drive, right out of the box. Automotive purists looking for sporty cars insist on rear-wheel drive only like it were a genetic predisposition.

What we’re looking at here was the automotive equivalent of a left-handed, foreign, experimental film with no subtitles. Where’d the audience go?

That type of stuff is great for bragging rights, but better if you can make it understandable for the rest of us.

To that end the 2015 Subaru WRX tinkered a bit with the original formula. Gone (for this year, at least) is the wagon. Instead, you can have an automatic — a CVT, no less. And the name “Impreza” was dropped from its proper name. Just call it the WRX, as if you called it anything other.

Think Subaru let the WRX down then by playing fast and loose with the rules? Not so much. Tight just got tighter. Here’s what I mean.

First, even though the WRX dropped the Impreza moniker, it’s in name only. The car is still easily identifiable as a descendant of the Impreza platform. Even though the WRX shares no common sheet metal with the Impreza, its heritage is unmistakable. The best of the Impreza still made it through to the WRX.

In particular, that means the tighter feel of the Impreza’s skeleton. Let’s talk numbers: torsional rigidity is up 40 percent over the outgoing WRX and body rigidity is up 30 percent. Lateral stiffness in front is also up 14 percent. Asleep yet? Front and rear springs have been stiffened 39 percent and 60 percent respectively. Whew, that was a lot.

Although the base model Impreza was certainly worthwhile, the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine in the Impreza had a habit of leaving some unanswered questions. The WRX does its best to pick up for those shortcomings by offering the 2.0-liter FA engine, borrowed from the turbo Forester, a turbocharged, direct-injection four that produces 268 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine in the WRX, quite frankly, is a revelation. And although it cranks only 3 more horsepower, but weighs 60 lbs. more, the WRX is plenty lively underfoot. Acceleration from 0-60 mph happens in 5.4 seconds (a half-second more in the automatic) and combined the WRX pulls nearly 1 g in skidpad testing, according to Subaru.

All these numbers shouldn’t be a surprise to Subaru fans. The subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan has always placed a premium on handling above power in their sports models, and the WRX is no different. In the bends and twisties, the WRX dives into corners without hesitation and holds grip throughout the corners. This year the WRX benefits from a torque vectoring system that spins the outside wheels around corners. It’s all lovely.

It is worth noting that the WRX gets the bane of handling’s invention these days: electronically powered assisted steering. Those three letters, EPS, have become some sort of curse word in certain automotive circles. Few automakers outside of Porsche have figured how to keep drivers connected to the road with EPS, despite the multitude of computers between them and asphalt. Subaru mitigates the electronics with a new formula that actually feels connected and somewhat natural, despite the gizmos. I can’t say that the WRX feels quite like a Lotus, but it’s close and that’s what matters. There is a natural feel of understeer at moments, but the WRX does its best when you’re confident and deliberate, not helplessly sawing at the wheel and plowing into corners. Points to the handling guys.

The combined effect between the WRX’s improved body stiffness and engine is actually remarkable. Our drive through California’s twisty roads was a joy from beginning to end in the WRX. It may not be wholly better than the current WRX, but incrementally better in the way that the 2015 model is more approachable. My guess is that more drivers could coax more of the new car’s capability than the last model.

In other words, the 2015 WRX is speed you can use. Which brings us to the matter of the transmission. The WRX this year is mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT, the first automatic in the WRX since 2008. The six-speed is a pleasant short throw from gear-to-gear, and with improved syncros, each cog slips into the next without batting an eye. The CVT is also borrowed from the Forester and can be tripped into sport modes to paddle around corners. Subaru estimates that only one in five WRX’s will be optioned with the CVT, but it’s clear that they’re heading in that direction. With three drive modes selectable; Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp, the CVT does its best to retain the characteristics of a sports car. Aside from the curious decision to offer an 8-speed simulated transmission in Sport Sharp mode (I didn’t care much for braking hard, dipping down three gears, and powering out) the CVT is actually serviceable. Perhaps the CVT will be reformulated in coming years, but that’s a minor gripe. It’s still a good pick.

Pricing hasn’t been announced for the WRX, which will be released stateside later next year. But it’s obvious that despite the omission of a wagon and the inclusion of an automatic, Subaru’s WRX is firmly entrenched as the all-wheel pick for a budget hot sedan.

Aaron Cole is managing editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him acole@aurorasentinel.com