Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Subaru WRX Premium CVT
To get an idea of the WRX, click here: https://awheelthing.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/car-review-2015-subaru-wrx-manual/ for a more indepth view of Subaru’s 2016 WRX, in manual, entry level, form.
This will be a brief review of the CVT equipped as there’s really just a few notable differences between the basic manual and Premium CVT tested. As both transmissions are available in both models, we’ll start with the CVT (engines are the same).
The CVT is programmed with eight distinct shift points, operated by the gear selector or paddleshifts on the steering column. If left alone, it works fine and hand in hand with the turbo four’s performance, with that shove in the back coming in at 2500 revs launching the car forward at a stratospheric rate. Subaru’s official 0-100 kmh time is 6.3 seconds, just 0.3 seconds slower than the manual. Consumption of 95 RON gogo juice was rated at 8.6L/100 km combined, 11.9L/100km city and 6.7L/100 km highway.
Using the manual change, there’s a sense of real urgency you don’t get with the self driven option, with response to the gear change and forward motion being much, much more rapid. In that peak torque rev range, it’s a tractable, flexible, almost think and it’s done, car to drive.
From Reverse to Drive, there’s the usual wait for the gearbox’s internals to decide what it’s going to do, a downside of the way a CVT works.
Externally the two are the same, down to the same sized wheel/tyre combo, lip spoiler at the rear and flared, meaty, guards. Inside, there’s leather look, perforated but non heated/ventilated seats (power operated for the driver), a sunroof, the bigger touchscreen for the navitainment systen and the cruise control safety system, EyeSight. It’s a comfortable office to be in and leaves a driver relatively fresh after an extended run.
The dash dials in the Premium auto are the same, there’s two USB ports in the front end of the centre console, instead of one, no rear aircon vents, no memory seating but there is Blind Spot monitoring, Pandora audio streaming, the surprisingly lacklustre Harman Kardon audio, auto dimming rear vision mirror, Lane Change Assist, Smart Key start and the vastly handy left hand side rear vision camera for reversing.
Ride wise, the car provided seemed to have a softer rear end than the manual, to the point it hit the bumpstops on the larger speed control bumps found locally. This, at the speed appropriate for these things, which raised the question of why this car bottomed out but the manual didn’t. Apart from that oddity, handling, braking etc were identical.
The Wrap.
The auto makes sense around town for those that dislike being involved in driving a car, but it’s also a very good highway bruiser. A Wheel Thing saw a best consumption figure of 8.8L/100km in mainly urban highway, not country highway driving. Naturally, there’s the same warranty, service and safety ratings the manual gets, so depending on your preference to drive with two or three feet, and if the extra touches the Premium does get tickles you, then spend the extra coin (pricing can be found at the Subaru website). Either way, that two litre engine is a ripper and that’s the heart of the WRX legend.
Level 2, 9 Help Street