I've always tended to be enthusiastic about Subarus, and in particular of Imprezas, but I'm not so misty-eyed on the subject that I consider all versions to be equally good. The one that impressed me most was the 1997 Sport, a car which could barely get out of its own way in a straight line but had a handling balance I have rarely experienced since then. The Turbo of that time, though outstandingly quicker, was fussier to drive and I enjoyed it less. Later Turbos were more fun than their naturally-aspirated siblings, but nowadays a humble Impreza GX can be very appealing to an enthusiastic driver.Remarkably, the WRX is greatly inferior in this respect. If you gave me the choice between a GX and a WRX for an enjoyable afternoon's run over interesting and preferably deserted roads, I would go for the GX every time. The WRX, with its turbocharger and its power output marginally on the high side of 220bhp, is of course a much quicker, and provides a very respectable rush of acceleration when required, but it's also much harder work.And that's not just because of the extra grunt. The WRX STi (not very closely based on the model being tested here, despite the similar name) has 40bhp more power again, and yet it's a pussycat to drive by comparison, far more agile and with far better ride quality.It's difficult to say why this should be the case. Like all 2005 model year Imprezas, the WRX benefits from several chassis improvements, including in this case STi-style front damper struts, revised steering and aluminium front suspension links. This should really be the best Turbo yet, with finer road manner than any of its predecessors.Instead, it seems to challenge, rather than to assist, the driver. Turn into a corner and you're not quite sure how the car has reacted. Press the throttle at this point and it's not entirely clear what the car intends to do with the power. The best Imprezas, past and present, react to what the driver does by saying, "Yes, great idea, let's do that!" This one says, "Oh yeah? Go on, then. Make me."So what happened with the chassis mods? Those are all very well, but you still need to have properly calibrated spring and damper settings to make the car work properly. Read through the other Subaru tests in this magazine and you'll find the phrase "soft but well-damped suspension" appearing so often as to run the risk of cliché. But it doesn't apply here. "Harsh and incorrectly-damped" is nearer the mark.Because of that, Subaru's characteristic handling balance evaporates, and with it the principal reason for buying an Impreza at all. Oh, it's quick in a straight line, but if you put 221bhp into any car of this size and weight it's going to be quick in a straight line. Nothing too clever there. But unless the suspension has been sorted in a way that Subaru has achieved in the past (and is achieving now with both cheaper and more expensive models) the car must lose that vital balance, and what use to anyone is an unbalanced Impreza?From past experience I'm confident that in the near future Subaru will once again offer a great turbocharged Impreza at sub-STi prices. For the moment, though, the 2005 WRX seems fated to be one of the few cars in Impreza history that fell a long way short of its intended target. Engine 1994cc, 4 cylinders Power 221bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 30.7mpg / 219g/km Acceleration 0-60mph: 5.6 seconds Top speed 144mph Price £19,995 Details correct at publication date
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