Test drive a Subaru WRX STI (VAB)

Thanks to writing this blog, I have had the opportunity to drive a number of cars. My husband, in particular, has had the opportunity to drive a car that someone he knows called "I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ride.I've been told that the number of people who say "I'm a new car" has been increasing lately, and every time I go to Ashiu Driveway, I'm allowed to drive a new car. (I love it!)

In the midst of all this.A blog reader kindly allowed me to drive a WRX STI (MT).It was a new car that was contracted near the end of the order in December 2019 and delivered in April. He came all the way to Ashiu Driveway from as far away as Kanto, Japan, for a road trip as well.

The weather managed to hold out that day, and here we headed out in a 911 Cabriolet (992) and a Cayenne E-Hybrid.

For your information, the Subaru WRX STI that we were allowed to test-drive is as follows.

Grade：Type S
Engine: 2.0L DOHC twin-scroll turbo
Drivetrain: AWD (all-wheel drive)
Transmission: 6-speed MT
Maximum output: 227kW (308PS)/6400rpm
Maximum torque: 422 N-m (43.0 kgf-m)
Equipment: 19-inch tires, RECARO seats, Bilstein dampers, brembo 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes, etc.

Even though I am much more comfortable driving a MT Boxster or GT3 than I was a few years ago, I was still a little apprehensive about MT Subaru cars because of the image of difficulty.

This is because my brother is a Subaruist and has been driving a MT Legacy for a long time, and when I was allowed to ride in one once before, I could not even start the car properly (at that time, I could not drive a MT car at all). (I was not able to drive a MT car at all at that time.)

So how did it really go... (laughs) I am not familiar with the structure of cars, so unlike my husband, I can only write sensitively, but it is only aThoughts from a woman who likes cars a little more than the average person.I hope that you will read this as "the first time I have ever seen a person who is not a member of the community.

For advanced users, WRX STI

Conclusion.The MT WRX STI (VAB) felt like a car for advanced drivers.I think it is a very fun car for those who are confident in their driving skills, such as handling and gas pedal work.

My 911 (992 model) is so high performance that I feel there is not much room for human intervention, and even someone like me can drive it reasonably well on mountain pass roads such as Ashiyoshi. I can drive it on a mountain pass such as Ashiu without feeling scared even at high speeds.It turns like it's going to cut in without having to think too much about things like "it's RR" or "load transfer."I even feel like I am a better driver because I am a better driver.
 

The WRX STI, on the other hand, was a car that directly reflected my driving level. If you just tried to drive around a curve without thinking, the tires would slip at times, and if you drove too fast, you would feel fear. Of course, the car is not equipped with an auto-blipping function, so you have to operate the clutch and downshift by yourself.

Also, the shift lever is for advanced users.Oh, did you just go into 3rd gear? Maybe 5th gear? No, but from the sound of the engine, I'd say 3rd gear...Sometimes it's like, "I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this.I thought I was fully capable of driving a MT car, but when the car changes, I'm not quite there yet.It was a painful reminder of the fact that "the

It's not about the performance of the car.How much I usually rely on the car to drive.I felt like I was being shown the "Mere Old Man" in stark contrast.

So far I've driven the BMW 320i, Porsche 911 GT3, 981 Boxster GTS (981 and 718), Mazda Roadster, Honda S660, Subaru Legacy, butDriving the WRX STI (especially the clutch) was honestly the most difficult of all of them.

The meet point is narrow, or if you somehow connect it, you will get a shift shock or almost stall the car (in fact, it stalled when parking in reverse), and I thought that this is indeed a sports car in this area.

My husband, however, was notReally? Was it that hard? I didn't think so.said, and in fact, the owner of the WRX STI, too.

Your husband was riding right from the start! He was so good!

So, next, I would like to write about the whole test drive.

WRX STI, interior, driving, etc.

When I got inside, I found that the "This is the sports car!There was an atmosphere of "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do.

The clutch is just the right weight, neither too heavy nor too light.

When I started it up, the engine sounded milder and quieter than I expected. I think my brother's was much louder (I wonder if he had modified it a lot). Then I slowly started the car.Boom!I was so surprised that I let off the gas pedal, and the shift shock came with a jolt.

According to the owner.

'When your husband got on earlier.The clutch is a long way from connecting.He said."

He said.

Indeed, I had the feeling of a Boxster or GT3 and thought, "I wonder if it will connect around here," and stepped on the gas pedal at that timing, but the clutch meet point of the WRX STI was much further forward.

When I drove with this in mind, I managed to shift gears in a reasonable manner.

As they start to run, theAs one would expect from a horizontally opposed engine, it sounded very good.Somehow, I felt that the sound quality was similar to the sound of the 718's engine. However, although I knew that the engine sounded good when I revved it up, I could not step on the gas pedal as much as I wanted to when it was my first time to drive the car and it was someone else's car.

My husband used to tell me

."If you don't drive more boldly, you won't know how good the car is.You don't have to be so scared, just drive like you normally drive our car.

And I'm told by the owner this day.

You can have it pulled more (laughs).It's not a passenger car, but a sports car, in case you're wondering (laughs).

They said, "Yes, that's right...!I took a chance and stepped on the gas pedal on a straight line. As soon as I pressed down on the pedal to a certain level, I suddenly felt a tremendous acceleration, and I had to slow down.

It used to be called "Dokkan Turbo", and I think it has similar acceleration power!

Wow, this is the Dokkan Turbo...!

In the case of the Boxster and GT3, when the driver accelerates, the body of the car sinks down and the feeling of ground contact increases, giving the car a crawling feeling of acceleration. (I can't find a good way to describe it...)

Driving on the highway must be crazy fast.

As for the ride, it was smoother than I had imagined. The owner had driven a long distance that day and was not tired at all.

We rode for about 20 minutes, with the owner driving and allowing me to experience the passenger seat and drive again, but as I wrote earlierThe MT WRX STI is for advanced drivers, and for those who are confident in their driving skills, this is the most enjoyable sports car of all!I felt that it was a good idea.

Then we had a 992 ride to our house, etc., and I'm glad we made them so happy!

Still, I need to work harder and devote myself to becoming a better driver!

Thank you so much, owner, for this valuable experience! (I will have my husband write an article about the test drive later, so I hope you will look forward to that as well.)