Originally the high-performance version of the Impreza, the WRX became its own thing back in 2014 for the 2015 model year. The first-gen VA spawned a higher-performance version in the guise of the STI, yet Subaru couldn't make a case for a VB-based successor.
Missed opportunity? It definitely is, but on the other hand, the Japanese automaker couldn't be bothered. With Subaru currently pivoting to electrified and electric vehicles, the thought of spending millions over millions of dollars on a brand-new STI might have put off a few bean counters. Subaru is also dependent on a much bigger fish for electrification, with Toyota charging a rather pretty penny for these technologies.
Painful though it may be, the VB-based STI was never meant to be. The WRX, on the other hand, is good enough to carry the brand forward together with Subaru's other halo. The GR86 boxer-engined sports car is a non-turbo RWD affair, whereas the WRX sweetens the deal with a turbo'd boxer mill and all-wheel drive.
Not designed to impress in the quarter mile, the WRX puts up a good fight against one of the segment's sweethearts. That sweetheart being the GR Corolla, a three-cylinder turbocharged hatchback that drives all four wheels via a trick all-wheel-drive system. The manual-only 'Yota is more powerful and torquier to boot, as well as lighter compared to the WRX sedan.
The numbers in question are 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet (370 Nm) versus 271 and 258 (350), whereas curb weight is estimated at 3,291 pounds (1,493 kilograms) compared to 3,401 (1,543) for the Scooby. Over the course of two rolling start races at the Dunnville Autodrome in Ontario, the GR Corolla makes easy work of the WRX. But from a dig, they're so much closer. Out of three dig races, the 'Yota wins twice, its best quarter-mile ET being 13.7 seconds.
The WRX ran 13.9 seconds, with zero-to-60 acceleration also favoring the GR Corolla at 5.1 seconds compared to 5.5 seconds for the WRX. Given these results, Sam CarLegion decided to test the GR Corolla against a more performance-oriented rival. Indirect rival, that is, because the Civic Type R comes exclusively with front-wheel drive. This particular setup isn't exactly preferable from a dig, though, with the Honda clocking 5.3 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) versus the GR Corolla's 5.1 secs.
How did it fare in the quarter mile? One tenth separates these driving fun-centric machines, the GR Corolla recording 13.8 seconds against 13.7 for the Civic Type R. Given the Honda's superior power and torque, as well as its lower weight, does it even come as a surprise? The real winner here is the GR Corolla, though, for keeping up with a car as capable as the FL5-generation CTR.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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