Before I bought my current car, a Mazda Protege5, I considered buying a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. But there were things I didn't care for, aside from a much higher price. The WRX wasn't an attractive car. Especially not in wagon form, where there has been more than a little resemblance to a 1970s AMC Pacer. The 17-inch wheels necessary for a decent appearance and roadholding ability were a very expensive ($2,500?) dealer-installed option. The engine was noisy and high strung. The steering wasn't especially quick or communicative. The interior had a downmarket appearance. And the rear seat was very tight.
For 2006 the Impreza has been thoroughly updated. Updates include the car's third thoroughly revised front end in five years, a larger engine, an upgraded interior, and, for the WRX, standard 17-inch wheels.
To find out how effective the changes are, I took a 2006 WRX wagon for a test drive.
Styling
With the 2006 redesign the Impreza (and WRX with it) gets Subaru's new corporate front end.The grille is split into three sections which are shaped to resemble the wings and fuselage of an airplane. It seems that Subaru, like its Swedish ex, has a heritage in aviation and is darn proud of it. The corporate front end is ghastly on the Tribeca SUV, and I expected no better from the new Impreza. Yet I find myself liking it. While not pretty, it is distinctive and even sophisticated. Headlamps shaped like those on a BMW 6-Series don't hurt.
The rest of the car remains much the same. The sedan's is saved from utter anonymity only by prominent fender flares. The wagon continues to lack these flares, and as a result continues to look a bit much like a punchbowl on wheels. It's not quite ugly, but the Mazda I currently drive remains considerably more attractive.
Both sedan and wagon benefit for classy new 17-inch alloys. Plainly visible between the spokes are new, enlarged brake calipers (four-piston up front, two-piston in the back). Painted red, these scream "high performance." In a good way.
The interior has been subtly upgraded with better materials here and there. The styling unfortunately remains the same until the next total redesign, when I expect the interior will be upgraded to look more like those in the Legacy and Tribeca. Until then WRX drivers will remain quite aware that they're driving a budget-priced subcompact, if one with solid materials and workmanship.
The car I drove had cloth seats. Leather in black or tan is standard with the new Limited trim. I'm interested in seeing what the leather does for the ambiance of the interior. The tan certainly looks sharp in the brochure. With leather the door armrests are upholstered, a luxurious touch.
Accommodations
The high driving position remains the same, as do the large windows, so the WRX remains very easy to see out of. The instruments are large and easily legible. I like how the tach sits directly ahead, with the speedometer to its right. A head-up display would be even better.
In cloth, the front seats provide excellent lateral support. I also find them quite comfortable, the best for my taste in any Subaru. The last Impreza I drove had been fitted with aftermarket leather, and as a result they were less comfortable and did not grip as well. The factory leather might be better.
The back seat remains among the tightest you'll find in a four-door car. An average-sized adult male (me) can barely fit behind a similarly tall driver (also me). On the other hand, headroom is good and the seat cushion is high enough off the floor to provide a hint of thigh support.
In either sedan or wagon cargo volume is fairly tight. In the sedan only a passthrough is provided between the trunk and passenger compartment. If you want a folding rear seat, you need the wagon.
On the Road
The WRX's engine has been bumped from 2.0 to 2.5 liters, such that it is now the same size as the turbo fours in other Subaru models. On paper peak horsepower is only up by three, to 230, but midrange power gets a significant boost, as evidenced by eighteen more foot-pounds of peak torque, for a total of 235. Both peaks are 400-500 RPM lower than before. As a result, full-throttle acceleration feels just a tad quicker, but the engine feels considerably punchier both off-boost and at part throttle. It is also much more civilized in typical around town driving. Big power is available from 3,000 RPM on up, and boost kicks in more smoothly than before. Some people might miss the old engine's more frenetic, higher-strung nature, but I prefer the new one.
There's still no mistaking the engine's sound for anything other than a flat four, but for me at least this adds character to the car.
The shifter remains the same. So throws are low in effort and moderate in length. I strongly recommend the optional short-throw shifter, which was not installed in the car I drove. A similar unit in the Legacy is among my favorites.
In past years I found the WRX's steering too slow and a bit numb. This has been rectified for 2006. The revised steering feels firmer and sharper, and the car turns in much more quickly. Very entertaining.
If my memory is accurate, the 2006 WRX feels more balanced in hard turns than previous versions. I remember more understeer. Lean remains on the low side of moderate. As before, the all-wheel-drive system does an excellent job putting the power down in turns. Some people will wish for an even firmer suspension, and go to the aftermarket for a solution. Or to the hardcore STI.
These people better be sure they can live with a busy ride first. Perhaps because of the new, lower profile tires, the 2006 WRX's ride seems busier than I recall. Reactions to some minor road imperfections border on harsh. In general, though, the Impreza has the solid, composed feel of a more expensive car, and this tends to compensate for a very firm ride. The car may jolt over some bumps, but it never shudders.
Engine and road noise are lower than before, and lower than those in the average subcompact. As a result, the new WRX feels like a higher quality car.
Subaru Impreza WRX Price Comparisons and Pricing
Despite the new wheels, larger engine, and other upgrades the price is up only $100 from the beginning of last year, to $25,075 for the wagon. The sedan oddly remains $500 more expensive.
Dealers should be discounting. The salesman told me that any final price would be much closer to invoice than MSRP.
Given the additional features, the 2006 is a much better value than the 2005. Not quite the steal the Saabaru 9-2X was at the height of the employee price sale--its price dipped below $20,000 for a month or so--but a good value nonetheless.
Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)
TrueDelta's page for the Subaru Impreza and WRX:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/Impreza.php
Because many WRX drivers are young, it has one of the highest insurance claim rates of any car. Expect insurance to be expensive.
Last Words
Subaru's revisions address many of the complaints I had with previous WRXs. The larger engine packs a stronger midrange punch and is smoother and more civilized. The revised steering is quicker and the revised chassis more agile. And attractive 17-inch wheels are now standard. The WRX always offered a lot of performance and all-weather driving enjoyment for its price. For 2006 it is an even better value for the driving enthusiast on a budget.
A Note on Subaru Impreza WRX Reliability
I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a WRX rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Subaru Impreza WRX reliability comparisons.
Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the WRX--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive
free access to the site's reliability information. For non-participants, this access will cost $24.95.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
A link to this website and alphabetized links to
my other vehicle reviews can be found on my
profile page.
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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
2004 Subaru WRX review
Acura RSX review
Chevrolet Cobalt review
Dodge Neon SRT-4 review
Mazda3 review
Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart review
Nissan Sentra SE-R review
Saturn ION Red Line review
Subaru Forester XT review
VW Jetta GLI review 
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