We say Still a performance giant in and a cheap one at that. Brash, rough and fast, it’s also rather ugly and expensive to run.Performance The five-door hatchback shares an engine with the four-door performance saloon and that means a well tuned 2.5-litre Turbo Boxer engine. It’s worth 295bhp which is enough to clear 62mph in 5.2 seconds and it will also hit a top speed of 158mph. In terms of torque, at its best it produces 300lb-ft which means it’s an incredibly powerful beast. Neck-snapping is one term that springs to mind.Emissions It’s a performance hatch so you shouldn’t expect much return for your money when it comes to fuel. The Boxer engine is good for 26.9mpg and CO2 emissions stand at 243g/km. That means it’s expensive in terms of fuel costs, VED rates and insurance.Driving If straight line speed and overtaking is your bag then you’ll love the WRX STI. It’s rapid in the straights and thanks to a number of suspension and chassis tweaks over the previous generation, it’s better round the corners too.It’s an all-wheel drive model which means grip is always at an optimum level and with a new, stiffer suspension setup there’s a lot less body roll around corners. That obviously has a trade off in terms of ride comfort but then you don’t buy an ‘Impreza’ for a soft, comfortable ride. Steering does feel a little light at times, too.If straight line speed and overtaking is your bag then you’ll love the WRX STI. It’s rapid in the straights and thanks to a number of suspension and chassis tweaks over the previous generation, it’s better round the corners too.Feel Despite its price tag, the WRX STI hatchback isn’t the most refined of cars. That’s more in relation to the cabin and the feel of the materials that are used and not the Boxer engine which is smooth if a little noisy, but then you wouldn’t want it to be quiet, would you.Space Recaro race seats come as standard so comfort and practicality cleartly isn’t high on the agenda for this hardcore driving machine however the WRX STI isn’t as uncomfortable as you might expect.The rear seats fold down with the hatchback – they don’t on the four door saloon – which means more load space if required. There’s enough head and legroom for occupants in the front and room without being enough to call it spacious but it doesn’t need to be.Equipment There are no gold coloured wheels but there’s plenty of kit on one of Subaru’s flagship models.There are 18-inch alloy wheels instead as well as keyless entry, a push button ignition and climate control as standard. There’s also cruise control and a satellite tracker system.Price The five-door hatchback costs exactly the same as the four-door performance saloon at £32,995. That makes it expensive - £5,000 more expensive than the last generation.Quality Compared to its competitors like the Ford Focus RS and the Mitsubishi EVO, the WRX STI looks cheap and way behing in terms of cabin quality. The materials inside are not as expensive as its rivals and the layout inside the cabin looks dated, too. Fortunately, there shouldn’t be any reliability issues with the WRX STI.Safety There are ten airbags, ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution as well as a brake assist system as standard with the Subaru hatchback. There’s also four-wheel drive which helps control the power of the model.Pros Blistering performance and much improved handling compared to the previous generation.Cons The Subaru WRX STI is too expensive for a car which dines out on performance alone. The cabin lets the car down massively because of an out of date design and some cheap materials.Alternatives Ford Focus RS, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, Volkswagen Golf R
