The new WRX S4 was introduced at a new car price of 4.5 to 5 million yen, and its greatly changed appearance and performance attracted a lot of attention.
Unfathomable torque and piercing acceleration.
It has extremely sharp handling, a rigid but surprisingly comfortable suspension system, comfortable accommodation for even adults, ample luggage space, and state-of-the-art driving assist equipment.
The test drive course was the usual C1 inner loop of the Shuto Expressway late at night.
I thought Orvis was going to shine in earnest, but I managed to get back safely without any accidents.
It was a shocking car, so I’ll write about it thoroughly.
- About exterior and interior
- Actual driving impression
- Quiet but powerful engine sound
- From the moment I started driving, I felt that there was something different about this vehicle.
- The best engine that provides unfathomable torque and tremendous acceleration.
- Dissatisfaction: Regarding the delay in starting the moment you press the button in S# mode.
- About the transmission
- The best brake that lets you feel the rotor directly in between.
- About the ride that is surprisingly comfortable
- The handle is as sharp as if you were stroking a Japanese sword with your fingers.
- Exercise performance that tests the rider’s self-control and skill
- Handling/Driving feel when turning (It is impossible to reach the limit on public roads.)
- Other things
- What people who buy this car are looking for
- Prior knowledge about this car (research before test drive)
About exterior and interior
It’s an element that will be covered by other media and YouTube channels, so let’s stream it quickly.
About the impressive exterior design
A Levorg was parked right next to me, but his face looked exactly the same.
When you look at them side by side, you can see the difference in the height of the bonnet, the narrowing of the front, and the body line.
This is a photo I took after I returned home, opened the hood, and was cooling down the engine that had been running.
Personally, the best shot I found with this WRX was a shot taken diagonally from behind, looking up from below. It was worth the effort to move the car forward to photograph the rear side.
I thought the unbalanced feeling of this tail lamp was not good, but when I see it in real life, it looks cool.
The tail lamp is said to be inspired by “magma.” When you get closer, it does look like underground lava.
I don’t think WRX and Magma are connected in any way, but they look impressive even from a distance, and even when you get up close, they shine artistically.
Although the price is high, the construction is appropriate and will leave you impressed.
about interior
Since it is a cheaper grade called “GT-H EX” (approximately 4.5 million yen), it does not have red leather seats.
The center is equipped with a large screen navigation system, and the meter is also fully liquid crystal.
The parts of the steering wheel that your hands touch are made of a hard material that looks like a bump.
The shift is a straight type, but each gear is clearly spaced apart, so it feels like there are fewer mistakes.
When you put it in reverse, the rear view monitor comes out, but the space seems to be poorly used.
Both screens appear distorted, so if I could change the settings, I would like to display only the rear camera on a large screen.
Brake hold and idling stop can be easily turned on and off using a dedicated widget.
It has an easy-to-use UI that incorporates user opinions.
Although 4.5 million yen is by no means a cheap price, the interior quality and equipment are generally of good quality.
Unless you pay close attention to the details or watch a lot of interior comparison YouTuber videos, you won’t have any complaints.
Even so, it would have been better if they had made it possible to purchase the manual from the beginning, to reduce the risk of being rejected outright and spreading a bad image…
Do they think that people who just drive around in old cars they bought second-hand and shout about it online, but won’t buy new cars, are not customers? Well, that may be true.
The comfort of the second row was not as bad as I expected. I think even adults can sit there normally.
Passengers who like high-performance sedans will be pleased…
I remember seeing a comment that “the trunk opening was made narrower because body rigidity was prioritized,” but as far as I checked, it was necessary and sufficient.
The trunk itself seems to be made of aluminum and is lightweight, and the protrusion at the bottom of the bumper and muffler give it an impressive feel.
Actual driving impression
Quiet but powerful engine sound
Please play the video below for details.
While the world is becoming increasingly deaf to cars and motorcycles that are so noisy that they can’t do anything about them, this exquisite exhaust system meets regulations and is kept within a range that does not cause any noise.
The genuine balance shines through.
It’s noisy the moment you start it up, but it emits a distinctive muddy sound.
The most beautiful sound of Subaru’s horizontally opposed engines these days.
The fact that the noise has been suppressed to a level that makes you think, “Maybe it’s due to the seasoning of the muffler,” is probably a result of the evolution of the engine.
With just a slight step, you can hear a deep and elegant bass sound. The volume is quiet and great.
When racing such a good car, please don’t violently kick the accelerator.
The low rotation range is quiet and produces a powerful bass sound. The high rotation range produces a pleasant high-pitched sound with a sharp sense of acceleration.
Acceleration performance is also more than adequate.
This muffler is suitable for adults who can afford to spend 5 million yen on a new car in this day and age.
From the moment I started driving, I felt that there was something different about this vehicle.
Not only was there a beautiful sound that echoed from the moment you started the engine, but there was also the feeling in your hands the moment you turned the steering wheel slightly.
The movement of the undercarriage at the moment a single wheel fell into a manhole.
Within a few dozen centimeters of driving, I realized that there was something world-wide different about this car.
I’ll write down the details in the future, but even a slight movement will give the driver a glimpse of the unfathomable world.
The best engine that provides unfathomable torque and tremendous acceleration.
When you start driving and step on the accelerator slightly, it accelerates at an alarming rate compared to how much you are stepping on the accelerator.
The area is about the extent of trying to get out of the parking lot.
Specifically, even at speeds of about 10 to 20 km/h, where you’re moving slowly enough to rest on the accelerator rather than step on it, you can still feel the bottomless feeling of the engine’s torque.
Even when driving slowly in a crowded city area, you can feel the special feeling of knowing that the car I’m driving has incredible acceleration power.
You can tell that it’s a fast engine even if you don’t go through the trouble of revving it around to release it.
It’s been widely talked about that the horsepower is lower than the previous generation, but when you drive it, you get the feeling that it’s insanely fast even though you’re not even stepping on it.
No matter how strict the regulations are, the displacement has increased by 0.4L. There’s no way the 2.4L turbo is slow.
Dissatisfaction: Regarding the delay in starting the moment you press the button in S# mode.
Recent Subaru cars have a button that allows you to switch between “I”, which is the normal mode, and “S”, which is the sport mode, but this WRX has a special mode called “S#” in addition to this.
It is a mode that further enhances the feeling of bottomless torque that I have felt every time, and it shows a feeling of bottomless acceleration that is at a level that would be frightening if you were just riding around town with other people around you.
However, once I tried using it during sports driving, I found myself slightly dissatisfied.
There is a time lag between when you press the pedal firmly and when full throttle acceleration begins.
This slows down my running tempo and makes me sluggish when exiting corners.
I’m sorry to say this, but the throttle response is on a level comparable to the power mode of the Prius PHV.
There is a solution. It should be operated by manual shift.
Please note that if you hit the rev, it will not automatically shift up.
The acceleration G is too strong to begin with, so if you’re not used to it, you won’t have the luxury of glancing at the tachometer. If you carelessly looked at the meter, the car would accelerate so fast that you would have an accident.
It would have been nice to have a feature that would allow you to experience the sharp acceleration of manual mode with the ease of automatic mode…
Personally, it would have been better if automatic upshifting had been implemented in the settings, since automatic transmissions are so convenient. But as a sports car, this one is probably better. It would have been nice if this could be changed from the main unit settings.
About the transmission
Even if I knew this in advance, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a CVT.
If you put it in manual mode, you can enjoy shifting with the paddles as a multi-speed transmission.
Shifting is also quick and easy, with the same quick shifting as a DCT.
When I previously rode a CR-Z’s CVT, I felt the belt moving slowly when I changed gears with the paddles. However, the CVT of this car is completely different.
Even when I step on it, it doesn’t get stuck in the high rotation range, and I don’t feel the belt moving even when I shift gears.
Although the transmission is not as noticeable as the engine, it is one of the elements that contributes to this car’s sharp driving feel.
The best brake that lets you feel the rotor directly in between.
The brake feel on this car is very good.
There is no sloppy feel at the start of the pedal, which is common with commercially available cars, or the feeling that the pedal suddenly kicks in from the moment you press the pedal, which is often encountered in cars in this kind of speed range.
Accurate braking feel that feels like you’re pinching the brake rotor yourself.
The acceleration is extremely high and the handling is sharp, so it’s hard to notice, but this is one of the points where this car surpasses most commercially available cars.
These brakes alone make me want to review this as the best car ever.
It is often said that “you can feel the road surface through the steering wheel,” but with this car’s brakes, you can almost feel the contact between the brake rotor and the pads.
Actually, when you’re running at a high pace, you don’t have time to be conscious of such things.
In other words, there is a world that you can enjoy only because you are not flying.
This is the charm of the WRX S4 as a whole.
Even in urban areas, where a car like the GT-R would be uncomfortable, you can feel the aura of “this car is amazing” from every driving operation and input. Comfort is also guaranteed. I think a high-performance sedan is truly the perfect vehicle.
However, when braking at high speeds, the front tires locked up early on.
The rear suspension stretches, causing you to decelerate with your butt in the air. The absolute braking power itself is good though.
In terms of overall balance, the power is a bit excessive.
If I wanted to seriously attack this car, I would want to improve the grip of the front tires.
About the ride that is surprisingly comfortable
(Note: I rode the cheaper “GT-H EX”. The higher grade “STI Sport R EX” is equipped with an electronically controlled damper. This may make a difference in ride comfort. Highly sensitive.)
I was prepared because I had heard a lot of comments online about it being “too hard,” but I didn’t think that was the case.
With normal suspension, when you go over a bump, the tires move up and down a little before the shaking settles down.
It seems that what could not be absorbed there goes from the bump rubber to the frame, and is finally transmitted as a shock to the passengers.
But this WRX is different.
Even if you go over a bump, you will hit the bump rubber at that moment.
It behaves in a way that makes you want to call it “bump rubber suspension.”
However, the bump rubber part has a solid thickness, and it collapses appropriately and greatly reduces the impact, resulting in a comfortable ride without a bumpy feeling.
However, even if the vehicle goes over a bump under high load and becomes unstable, it will regain stability the next moment.
The shock absorber is turned into a sporty version, and the bump rubber that immediately hits the vehicle ensures comfort.
It has a skilful suspension that rivals some Toyota vehicles.
I was worried about the lower grades not having electronically controlled dampers, but with this suspension, I feel safe.
If you are considering purchasing the WRX S4, please feel free to compare both grades.
If I were to buy one, I think the cheaper grade would be more than enough…
The handle is as sharp as if you were stroking a Japanese sword with your fingers.
I like to compare it to the sharpness of a Japanese sword, as if you were stroking it with your finger.
Even when turning, only a minimal load shift occurs.
It turns so sharply and flatly that if only this car existed in this world, the word “roll” would not have existed. Even so, there is still room to create a turning position by shifting the load.
This sharp steering feel relentlessly stimulates the driver, whether it’s turning the steering wheel to get out of a parking lot or taking a curve in the city.
Exercise performance that tests the rider’s self-control and skill
This car’s acceleration is too strong.
If you press hard and accelerate hard without thinking, you’ll reach a level of speed that will make you unable to handle the next corner before you know it.
If you think it’s a sporty sedan that costs around 4-5 million yen at most, you’re wrong.
If you want to rev the engine hard and drive at a high pace, you’ll need to feel exactly like a 600 horsepower supercar.
If I had to say one thing specifically, it’s the same thing: you need to have a solid braking plan and then press the brakes down to a level that allows you to safely clear the next corner.
Let’s try saying it another way.
If you can safely drive at full throttle with this WRX S4, you can probably drive safely in a GT-R/Ferrari class supercar.
On the contrary, the tires do not spin due to the torque, and the acceleration remains in an exquisite range where the human soul is barely left behind.
Driving at full throttle requires a great deal of preparation, attentiveness, and an understanding and consideration of road conditions.
It looks like an ordinary sedan, but inside it has the fighting power to track a supercar.
Naturally, its acceleration performance is better than Tesla’s Model 3 RWD grade, which is in the same price range.
As mentioned earlier, the moment you press the button, the start is one tempo slower, but it outperforms EVs in absolute speed.
The overall power of the Tesla Model 3 I borrowed was so great that I thought there would be no gasoline-powered car that could match it, but it seems I was completely wrong.
Handling/Driving feel when turning (It is impossible to reach the limit on public roads.)
While turning, you can enjoy the feeling of running while making full use of the tire grip.
There are very few cars that can corner like this without taking too many risks.
When exiting a corner, open the accelerator to flatten the tire grip, allowing the car to naturally drift out of the corner and exit at lightning speed.
A technique that can be performed because the acceleration power itself is high. It jumps out into a world that cannot be experienced with underpowered cars.
Even when approaching a corner, just a little push will comfortably reduce the vehicle’s speed and the nose will sink in just the right amount.
After stabilizing the turn, there was a slight movement that suggested the front stabilizer was set too strong, but for me and the Shuto Expressway, the absolute limit of the vehicle was too high and I couldn’t take advantage of it at all.
Unless professional racers drive at full throttle on the circuit, they will never be able to see what lies ahead. It makes me realize once again my own immaturity.
In other words, even after all this talk and driving videos with the speedometer hidden and driving at a level that would get the police to call out to you, the true performance of the WRX S4 is still not being demonstrated.
All I had to do was drive carefully in time with the cars around me, find an opening, and push the tires into position. That’s it.
The pace was clearly faster than any other car I’ve ever driven, and if I had an Orvis, it would have lit up.I’ve seen many scenes over and over again where when I submitted the driving record footage of the car behind me to the police, my driver’s license had disappeared. There were times.
Even after many minutes of driving like this, I was still only able to achieve about half of the car’s original performance.
I’ve even stepped on it many times. I pushed it so hard that I could hear the tires screaming even when turning. But the limits of a vehicle are probably not like this.
Unfortunately, I think this is a world that cannot be reached on public roads.
There is a world in this car that only experienced drivers can enjoy on the wide circuit.
In an environment where there is a strict crackdown on roulette drivers and reckless driving, it’s probably best to drive moderately like I do…
Other things
The navigation area is liquid crystal but very easy to use.
Brake hold and idling stop are very convenient because they exist as widgets on the home screen.
Also, the lane departure system can be quickly turned off from the Subaru common menu.
You can also quickly switch between combat mode and leisurely driving mode.
The buttons for controlling the air conditioner are large and simple, making it easy to use even while wearing loose gloves.
While there are some car models that don’t have a good control feel in this area, Subaru has one with the best balance.
Although the hazard is a little hidden. It’s conveniently located on the driver’s side, where it’s relatively easy to push.
Too bad one-touch turn signal (can be canceled later & improved with annual improvements)
(Note: This car’s one-touch turn signal can be deactivated using a specific method.
I also saw a comment that one-touch operation is no longer possible due to annual improvements.
Either way, please read with the premise that if you are seriously dissatisfied, you can return to the conventional version. )
This car, the WRX S4, has an insane overall combat ability, but this one-touch turn signal is just too bad. This is the only shame in Subaru’s car development. It can be said that this car has a dark history.
It’s impossible not to have safety at 0 o’clock and advanced assist equipment because it has the highest overall balance.
It can be released by turning it slightly to the opposite side, but when you are driving to take advantage of this car’s performance, you don’t have time to worry about that.
If it’s a manual car, you’ll need to change gears, and even if it’s an automatic car, it will rev up in manual mode, so you need to monitor the rotation speed.
“Am I running at a pace that is many steps faster than the development team’s public road test?” I thought to myself. I hope this kind of defective blinker disappears with annual improvements. There is no need for evolution and change in this part. It’s the only glaring weakness that makes me even more angry.
Or do you want to take advantage of the sharp steering feel with zero play, quickly defeat it, and change lanes within 3 flashes?
…If you want to drive seriously, it’s better to flash 3 times in a row without turning down the turn signal.
It goes without saying that it is better to push the bus all the way in between steering wheel operations and spend all your nerves driving.
The fact that neither the air conditioner controls nor the self-driving system embedded in the LCD screen particularly interfere with the user made them stand out as blemishes all the more. If you are buying a new car, I would like you to receive the one-touch turn signal with the one-touch turn signal disabled when the car is delivered.
What people who buy this car are looking for
- Be able to prepare a purchase price of 5 to 6 million yen.
- Situation judgment and driving skills that allow you to ride without putting anything in danger despite having this much performance.
- The patience to not get stressed out even when the performance of the vehicle is affected by road conditions
This car is faster than everyone thinks.
I want you to ride with caution. And congratulations to those who were able to purchase it.
Prior knowledge about this car (research before test drive)
*The following items were written by me as part of my preliminary research before riding.
From this WRX, I decided to thoroughly research the car before driving to learn more.
While putting my own feelings first, I wanted to get a proper feel for the thoughts of the development team.
Subaru has released an official introduction video, so it’s easy to understand.
price and grades
There are mainly two grades. The new car price is 4.5 to 5 million yen.
Depending on the options, the price could reach 6 million yen.
It seems that a rear wing and sunroof can be added as options.
Although this spoiler seems to be a genuine product, I wonder how it balances the design…
The STI logo may or may not be included. It’s a small difference.
The electronically controlled damper is only available on the higher grades (STI Sport R EX).
This is a disappointing point for me personally.
I won’t reveal the name of the car, but when I rode in a certain low-priced Subaru, I noticed some bad movements, like, “The springs are stiff, so the thrust is hard, and the damping is slow, so it becomes unstable as soon as you pick up even a little speed.” I have been there before. Although it is a low-priced model, it starts at 4.5 million yen, so the operation of the shock absorber is an important point for me to pay attention to.
about engine
The engine displacement of the conventional WRX S4 was 2.0L.
Bore this up to 2.4L. It seems that the low-speed torque has been greatly increased.
about transmission
Although it is a CVT, it is equipped with a transmission that boasts irregular speeds comparable to DCT.
about platform
about interior
A design typical of recent Subaru, with a large display placed in the center.
The price of a new car is approaching 5 million yen.
The red stitching and materials used in each part are something I would like to see in person.
about design
The black part of the fender arch is unique.
The taillights are described as “magma” and I plan on seeing them on the actual car.
At first, I felt strange about this design, but as a versatile high-performance sedan that can handle all kinds of road conditions and ease of use, I’ve come to think that the raised vehicle height isn’t a bad thing.
After all, the XV’s maneuverability was at an insane level.
