Subaru Impreza STI A-Line: Adding a dimension of class
It’s difficult to find a car that can do both weekend warrior/project car and everyday car that’s comfortable, reliable and fuel efficient. The compromises that result from trying to create a car that suits both an enthusiast’s heart and the everyday person’s logical criteria can end up with a mediocre car nobody wants to drive.
But I think I’ve found a good candidate for the job that fulfills both the weekend warrior/project car candidate while meeting the criteria for everyday car status. Enter the Subaru Impreza STI A-Line. A little background to those who don’t know about Subaru yet. Subaru is owned by Fuji eavy Industries, manufactures really fun-to-drive cars and cross-over SUV’s, with their entire line-up being all-wheel drive (save for a JDM-only kei car) and usually available with a turbocharged engine. Aside from that, they are only one of two car manufacturers that utilize a horizontally opposed boxer engine for the vast majority of their cars.
Subaru is, for the most part, an enthusiast’s brand. Motor Image Pilipinas, the local importer/distributor of the brand now enjoys an almost mainstream status and following due to the strong cult-following of their vehicles. The STI sits atop the brand’s line-up as the flagship sporting and halo product. Anyone from a college student to an entrepreneur, a high-level executive and even an empty-nester can be seen driving an STI. A typical STI owner will usually own or have access to one or more other vehicles he or she can use during the busy work-week so the STI, with its 6-speed manual, sport-tuned suspension and powerful but mechanically noisy engine is often relegated to weekend car status.
The STI A-Line, on the other hand, offers a slightly less focused, more all-encompassing driving experience for people who are looking for both in a single car. The A-Line still has the same boxer engine (albeit tuned very slightly differently to offer more low-end power which suits the 5-speed automatic transmission better), Symmetrical AWD transmission, massive Brembo brakes, VDC/Si Drive system and off course, the mad rally-replica looks but now comes with a leather and suede covered interior, electronically adjustable power seats, the aforementioned 5-speed automatic seen in the Legacy line-up and flappy paddles behind the handsome 3-spoke steering wheel.
Though the seats are still of the same shape, the leather and suede just completely changes the mood, from a huge mallet, to a velvet gauntlet. Thanks to the precise micro-fine adjustment offered by the powered seats, it’s easier to find a driving position that’s comfortable yet supportive. Thankfully despite the transformation, the A-Line still has great steering feel, and while the suspension for the most part remains the same, the added weight of the automatic transmission somehow provides a more hunkered down feel to the car. The immediacy of the car’s feel has been naturally dumbed down noticeably, which might disappoint some fans, but it makes the A-Line easier to handle every day. You don’t want to be crashing into things every time you sneeze, blink or cough don’t you?
The biggest complaint with the STI is the massive fuel consumption in-city. According to a tuner-friend of mine, the STI’s air-fuel ratio is very rich (i.e. higher concentration of fuel versus air in the engine) for normal driving. Perhaps Subaru/FHI programmed the ECU to take into consideration our poor fuel quality. But with the advent of high-octane fuels, it’s safe to say that the STI owner can get more power AND fuel efficiency by having his/her car tuned by any of the now many professional tuners in the country. However, I thought I’d challenge this and check to see if I can improve the fuel consumption.
As I was picking up a friend flying in from Singapore via DMIA Airport in Clarkfield, Pampangga, I took the A-Line and proceeded to get the best fuel consumption possible while traveling at a decent pace, hovering at the NLEX’s speed limit. By the time I got back to Manila, fuel consumption had improved to an amazing 11 liters per 100 kilometers, or about 9 km per liter, typically double of what a typical STI owner sees in his car’s fuel consumption. Not bad, and I know I can easily do this again, even with a manual, keeping the revs between 2800 rpm and 3200 rpm and stepping on the throttle as lightly as possible. The A-Line adds a dimension of class and refinement you don’t normally associate with the STI, opening up the brand to an even broader audience.
Of course, the rest of the STI’s appeal is there in the A-Line: maximum confidence even on poor road conditions, massive AWD grip through the curves and corners and a chassis that is willing to play with you on the track or a twisty piece of road. All with four doors, a decently sized boot and space for five people for the school run or the daily urban rally.
