Rajendra Jadusingh, Contributor

Disappointing! That sums up my experience driving this car. Having a reasonable amount of seat time in the GC and GD WRX platforms had raised my expectations of the '08 Impreza WRX. However, within 30 seconds of moving off, terminal understeer, excessive drive under braking and overly long clutch pedal travel had already marred my drive and set the tone for what was to come.

Going down Stony Hill, it soon became evident that any attempt to quell the understeer by late braking and a late turn in would be thwarted by an electronic stability control system which, rather than being a driver's aid, was only a hindrance, intervening too early and abruptly, cutting the throttle on corner exits. The system can be negated, though, and having it off improved things.

Through Manor Park on to Norbrook revealed other performance concerns. The brakes had faded and a quick inspection revealed cast iron sliding callipers at the front, a retrograde step from the aluminium four piston fixed callipers of past generations of WRX. Also, the very soft suspension resulted in considerable body roll and pitching in transitions from braking to acceleration at relatively low speeds.

High speed sweepers and some long straights to stretch the legs of the turbo 2-litre flat four were next on the agenda. On the Palisados/Port Royal strip, we hoped that the 'Scooby' would redeem itself. But some full throttle runs revealed a distinct lack of top end power. The motor ran out of breath by 5,500 rpm and a 6,000 rpm shift point proved optimal. The motor was also slow to rev, perhaps due to a heavy flywheel or a conservative ECU tune.

cork-screwing effect

In fourth and fifth gear sweeping corners on this route, a heavy cork-screwing effect was felt from the rear suspension, suggesting poorly matched spring and damper rates. This effect manifested itself when hitting mid-corner bumps, causing a disconcerting lateral movement from the chassis. The overall feeling is of a heavy car rotating around a high central point. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

To add insult to injury on our return leg, moderately heavy braking from race speeds resulted in the middle pedal hitting the floor, causing raised eyebrows from both testers on board. In summing up, this WRX represents a huge backward step for Subaru and occurs at a time when its market competitors are on the rise. One hopes the forthcoming STI version will address these glaring inadequacies.