Ch-Ch-Changes: 2009 Subaru Impreza

Subaru has given the redesigned-for-2008 Impreza WRX a healthy boost in power for 2009, up from 224 to 265 hp. Besides the bigger turbocharger, the folks at Subaru also retuned the suspension and made summer performance tires standard, rather than the all-seasons it had for 2008. It only comes with a five-speed manual transmission.   

That’s really all the change you need to know about for the WRX; the car itself was completely redesigned last year. The move is to allow the WRX to better compete with Mitsubishi’s upcoming Lancer Ralliart.

There’s also a new Impreza trim level being added that keeps the outgoing WRX’s power plant. It’s called the Impreza 2.5 GT. It will come only with an automatic transmission.

One major addition to the entire Impreza lineup for 2009 is stability control, which will now be standard. That means the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick designation for the car will now apply to all models. More photos below.

Update: And yes, a power moonroof is now part of the Premium option package. That package is standard on the new 2.5 GT model. No pricing has been announced yet.

Update 2: The WRX and 2.5GT will go on sale September 1.

More Impreza News (KickingTires)

Video: 2008 Subaru STI vs. 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

It’s the most tired clichéd predictable storied matchup in recent automotive journalism history: All-wheel-drive Japanese sport compacts with 300-hp turbocharged engines battle it out for supremacy on the track. Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder gets behind the wheel of both in this video and explains which is better for track days and every day.

Subaru Closes Month With Small Tent Sale

Usually when end-of-month incentives sales are announced, they come with some pretty inflated rhetoric: The Year-End Event, The Tent Sale to End All Others, The Event of  a Lifetime (that’s our favorite), and so on. The hyperbole can get a little tiring.

Kudos to Subaru for avoiding that, calling its modest, 10-day incentives boost what it really is: kind of small or at least short. The Small Tent Big Event begins today, and until March 31 Subaru will offers customers 0.0% financing plus $1,500 cash back on the 2008 Outback, or 0.0% and $2,000 back on the outgoing 2008 Forester. Customers can also get 0.0% financing on a lease deal ($179 a month for 36 months) on the 2008 Impreza. The financing teamed with cash back is impressive, especially on these two models. The Forester is a Cars.com Best Bet and the Outback was our 2008 pick as Best Car for Weekend Athletes.

Subaru Small Tent Event (Subaru.com)

Video: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

What happens when I get to take the 2008 Subaru WRX STI for a few days of high-performance frolicking? Snow. Snow and cold. Snow, cold, ice and an assignment to shoot a video about this amazing new hatchback. Check out the video to the left and shoot any questions my way in the comments below.

Through Ian's Lens: 2008 Subaru Impreza STI

The Subaru Impreza received a complete redesign for 2008, six years after its last update. Boy, did it need it. The four-door hatchback — there’s also a sedan version — has finally shed its ghastly oblong rear windows and rounded rear end, replacing it with a more angled, aggressive hatch. The front has followed the design cues of its big brother, the Subaru Tribeca, and rid itself of the split grille, replacing it with a nice curved façade. A single hard body line moves from the corner of the headlight across the top of the front fender, past both door handles and finishing at the flared corner of the rear taillight. The STI model I shot has a few exterior features that are quite impressive, including multiple LED brake lights and a generous yet subtle spoiler. The engine in this car still revs at rally levels, but for the first time the exterior wants to live in the city. More photos below.

The 2008 Cars.com Mileage Challenge: Part 2

Yesterday, we detailed our scheme to document the real-world mileage of four 2008 models — a Nissan Rogue, Subaru Impreza, Dodge Grand Caravan and Hyundai Sonata. All the cars except the Rogue had trip computers with mileage readouts, so we were able to easily track our mileage along the way. The results are in:

The 2008 Cars.com Mileage Challenge

As the price for a gallon of regular gas hovers above $3 a gallon — $3.40 in California — it’s high time we investigate what sort of mileage our cars achieve in the real world. In October, the EPA released its 2008 Fuel Economy Guide, which rates mileage using stricter standards for acceleration, air-conditioning use, cold weather and top speeds than were used in the past. The new measures purportedly reflect real-world driving better than before; MPG ratings dropped some 5 to 15 percent per car using the new standards.

Still, the EPA tests are done in laboratories, not on the road. To test real-world mileage, we took four cars across interstates and rural roads between Chicago and Madison, Wis., in October. Nine hours, two pit stops and one greasy lunch later, we had logged some 300 miles.

Subaru Prices 2008 STI Under $35,000

We just saw the new 2008 Subaru WRX STI for the first time in the U.S. a few hours ago, and now we have a price. The rally-inspired hatchback will start at $34,995. There wasn’t much more detail in the press release we were given, but we’ll follow when we can with news on when the car will officially go on sale. If you really want one, though, you can get on a waiting list today.

2007 L.A. Auto Show: 2008 Subaru WRX STI

• Competes with: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Volkswagen R32
• Looks like: Demonic hatchbacks have a new hero
• Drivetrain: 305-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual
• Hits dealerships: Early 2008

It’s rare when two classically opposed models debut at the same time. The Subaru WRX STI hits the show floor at the same time as its archrival, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. That’s like debuting the new Camaro alongside the new Mustang. The differences between the two, however, have never been more clear: The Subaru is a hatchback, while the Mitsubishi is a sedan.

Obviously there’s a lot more to distinguish the two, but like the Evo the STI is a turbocharged-four-cylinder all-wheel-drive sports car. It puts out more horsepower — 305 versus the Evo’s 291 — but has less torque, with 290 pounds-feet versus 300 pounds-feet in the Evo. Still, the STI should be an impressive ride.

Video: 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX

While we get hard at work on the full review of the new Subaru Impreza WRX, we figured there was enough interest out there to warrant a video. After you watch the staffers hit the highlights, don’t forget to read our first impressions of the redesigned sedan. If you’re a member of the Mitsubishi Lancer camp — it’s like a Hatfield vs. McCoy thing — you can check out our expert review of the new GTS, along with a video of its own, here.