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"This is one of those glorious times when looking at a spec panel will give you the wrong idea about a car. We recently reviewed the 2015 WRX and had wonderful things to say about it.  And now, Subaru has allowed us a turn behind the wheel of the WRX STI. We were expecting disappointment, because while the WRX uses the new 2.0-liter turbocharged FA 2.0-liter engine, the STI uses the old port-injected 2.5-liter unit. That laggy lump runs at a 1960s-grade compression ratio of 8.2:1 and relies on 14.7 psi of boost to make 305 hp. The WRX, by comparison, runs at 10.6:1 and makes 268 hp\u2014only 37 hp less. READ THIS: 8 things I learned driving the new Subaru WRX  Given the WRX engine&amp;#039;s faster response and 119-lb weight advantage, we scratched our heads and said, &amp;quot;Uh oh\u2014the WRX is going to be the car to have.&amp;quot;  Oh, but it&amp;#039;s not.   If the WRX is a nice Olympics-grade figure-skater leap better than its predecessor, the STI is a downhill ski long jump ahead of the last car.  The STI not only retains its old engine, but its six-speed manual, as well\u2014whose rod-actuated shifter is in a different league than the WRX&amp;#039;s cable-actuated gear selector. It retains three limited-slip differentials (helical in front, TORSEN in the rear, and electro-mechanical center) where the WRX&amp;#039;s front and rear are open.  And most importantly, the STI keeps hydraulic steering assist, screwed into a quicker (13.0:1) rack. (The WRX&amp;#039;s electric power assist works on a 14.5:1 rack.) WATCH THIS: Design Walkaround: The Subaru WRX Concept  The suspension is largely the same between the two models, with slight tuning changes and inverted struts up front\u2014and slightly wider rubber on one-inch-larger wheels.  Sounds like a whole lot of nothing for the STI&amp;#039;s $8200 price premium over the WRX.   But oh my word. For the first time ever, there is an STI that wants to turn. This is a Subaru that, unlike any all-wheel-drive Subaru in recent history, can be driven on a racetrack without frustration. And not only does it turn into corners willingly, it&amp;#039;ll accept loads of power without pushing wide. Oversteer isn&amp;#039;t part of the car&amp;#039;s repertoire, but drive the STI the way it wants, and it at least goes neutral. And fun. And very, very quickly.  It&amp;#039;s also obscenely forgiving. The 2015 STI continues Subaru&amp;#039;s grand tradition of being basically uncatchable on bumpy back roads. The Honey Badger of the automotive world, the STI doesn&amp;#039;t give a sh**. It just doesn&amp;#039;t care. Midcorner bumps? Yumps? Doesn&amp;#039;t matter. The front spoiler never scrapes, the suspension stays out of the bump stops; the STI never throws itself sideways, never bites you, it just goes faster. Until you hit the rev limiter\u2014which, like every STI with the old short-stroke 2.5-liter, you do continually.   The WRX&amp;#039;s electric power steering is nicely tuned. Or so you think until you hop in the STI. The hydraulics relay information back through the flat-bottomed steering wheel in ways the WRX&amp;#039;s steering could only dream of. The dreaded Subaru kickback from bumps at high lateral loads is still there, but it&amp;#039;s now been tamed to level where it&amp;#039;s no longer offensive. Torque steer is also present, but only in small doses. The steering is, in a word, magnificent.  The brakes are likely the STI&amp;#039;s weak point\u2014Subaru wisely fitted Ferodo track pads for our drive around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a track known for roasting the most robust of brakes. They made it through one very hard lap (unofficial lap time 1:48.20, with easily a second more to go), and then the pedal went mostly to the floor. VIEW THESE:Photos: Subaru BRZ Wagon Concept  On the road, on street pads, we caught the STI&amp;#039;s front pads on fire\u2014but even while the flames were brewing, the pedal felt great and the brakes worked fine.  The seats are tremendously supportive and just as comfortable. The driving position is damn near perfect. The Harman-Kardon stereo is the best I&amp;#039;ve ever heard in a Subaru. (That is saying absolutely nothing, since Subaru has the worst stereos in the business. This one sounds just okay\u2014and don&amp;#039;t get me started on how miserably unusable the touchscreen is.)   We didn&amp;#039;t have any time to drive the STI around town at normal speeds, but we suspect all our complaints about the old engine will remain: lag, lag, and more lag. But this new interior is spacious and more expensive-looking than the last one.  If we had to find one flaw, it&amp;#039;s the enormous appendage you see when looking at the back of the STI. No, not the spoiler, silly\u2014that&amp;#039;s a necessary part of an STI, and it&amp;#039;s also functional. It&amp;#039;s the trunk: Like the WRX, the STI will be available only as a sedan.  We think it&amp;#039;s a pretty good-looking sedan, but we&amp;#039;d still rather the hot Subies be available as hot hatches. Subaru said it just didn&amp;#039;t have the development resources to make both a sedan and a hatch. But hey, at least it had the resources to get the STI right. Man, did Subaru ever. Bravo. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a7088/2015-subaru-wrx-sti/>