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Yet with the right tires it could be a champ for snowy commutes. While it's fundamentally a practical, all-wheel-drive compact sedan, it's a true sports car at heart, and a fun way to get to 60 mph just as quickly as a V-8 Camaro or Mustang. The WRX is whizzy, turbocharged, and a lot more than just a tuned-up economy car. Supercharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.The 2015 Subaru WRX serves as an interesting left-brained alternative to the musclecars in in the mid-$20,000 range. Top speed (governor limited, mfr's est): 144 mph Turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter flat-4, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection We can deal with disappointment.įront-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan But even if a theoretical S4 proves more finicky than the platonic WRX, we would still take the Audi. The same study forecast no long-term issues with the Subaru. Although Audi has a less-than-stellar reputation for long-term quality, and its dealer service is expensive, statistics show that the only real S4 issue to watch for is water-pump failure.
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The S4 was aging beautifully, with only a slight buzz in the passenger's door that could have been due to the extremely cold conditions in which it was driven. If there is an essential distinction between these two, it's that the Subaru speeds the road up, while the Audi slows it down.Įach came to us on winter tires that did little to alter their characters. Stellar wheel and body control is common to both, even if the S4 is more progressive, less jumpy, and more grown-up. Almost everything about these two cars is bound up in this pattern, this contrast by degrees: Both shifters have positive action, but the Subaru's borders on notchy whereas the Audi's feels well oiled. It's thrilling, but it lacks the linearity or the upper-register intensity of the Audi's blown V-6. The Subaru's power only comes on after 2200 rpm, as boost gets air-dropped into the flat-four. The WRX is always snare-tight and ready to play, without the suppleness and damping inherent in the S4's every move. The Audi's higher initial sticker price buys that extra measure of cushion, netting a bimodal car that's laid back when cruising yet aggressive when cornering. The WRX feels light, trim, and eager on the road, whereas the S4's six-pack feels buried under a uniform layer of, well-how to put this-a life well lived. Though made of flimsier stuff, the Subaru's cabin is now a simulacrum of the German car's, from its excellent seats and control relationships right down to the knurled HVAC knobs and high-mounted info screen. The WRX feels very much like the S4's little brother. “Previously,” we wrote in its road test, “the WRX left dynamic finesse to the pricier STI version.” Well, not anymore. By stiffening the Impreza suspension substantially and adding its own kind of brake-based torque-vectoring unit (albeit on the front, rather than the correct, axle), Subaru has turned this WRX into a master of cornering precision, a conscientious objector to the laws of brake dive and acceleration squat. Though lonely, this little sedan is tuned to make friends. And no breathed-upon economy car has such an unconventional engine, such a serious four-wheel-drive system, or such a Tony Montanian taste for white powder. No other turbocharged, rally-inflected sedan is as affordable as the WRX. This Subaru WRX will never be confused with the overachiever in its segment because, really, it has no segment. What we're talking about here is one of the best sports sedans ever made. is so pronounced on a skidpad that it feels like four-wheel steering.” Also from that same comparison test: “The S4's grip and path control is dazzling and convincingly outclasses the 335i.” The car then went on to wreath itself in more glory, winning a 10Best award for 2010. We said, “The active rear differential, which pushes one side or the other to aim the car. It did so with a carefully tailored mechanical package whose mightiest stitch may be its optional torque-vectoring rear diff. This S4 hit pavement and promptly dusted an E90-series BMW 335i in a comparison test. Note: All this nattering came from quarters overly familiar with the cars' spec sheets but not with their over-the-road behavior.