<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Aspen, Colorado\u2014Rally-inspired cars are perfect for all types of adventures, on the road, track, or even on the dirt. And that&amp;#039;s exactly where I had the chance to drive the new 2011 Subaru WRX and WRX STI models. On mountain roads, a local road course and a hillside dirt track gave us ample opportunity to slide these cars around and fully appreciate their rally-inspired roots.   First impressions: On the winding roads near Aspen, the two cars are not the darty and stiffly sprung boy racers you might expect. They are good weekend fun, exhibiting a supple ride in addition to a handsomely toned down interior color combination. New for 2011 is the availability of the 4-door sedan body to complement the 5-door hatchback. The new WRX also now shares the same wide-body design with its higher-performance STI sibling. And to not lose the much-revered rally look, the big and prominent rear wing is back on the sedan. says it reduces drag by 5 percent, when compared with the 5-door.   Thanks to its 1.5 in. wider front and rear track, the new WRX is able to ride on wider 235/45R-17 tires. Bringing the closer to the in performance and looks, the car&amp;#039;s rear subframe attaches to the chassis with stiffer bushings, and both share the aggressive front end styling. On the road, the WRX feels peppy with its carryover turbo flat-4 engine, which sends 265 bhp and 244 lb.-ft. of torque to all four wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. On the curvy mountain roads between Aspen and the 12,000-ft. Independence Pass, the WRX tracks through corners with responsive turn-in and progressive steering feel.   To improve the performance for the top-of-the-line WRX STI, especially in the handling department, Subaru engineers used pillow-ball bushings to attach the front suspension arms to the chassis for more precise wheel control, enabling faster steering response and turn-in. With thicker anti-roll bars, stiffer springs (by 16 percent up front and 53 in the rear) and well-matched dampers, the new STI corners with less understeer, and with more on- and off-throttle stability. This is clearly demonstrated through high-speed corners where little steering adjustments are needed. Look ahead and point the car toward the apex. Any over-run of the car&amp;#039;s lateral grip limits can be easily adjusted with slight throttle modulation without upsetting the car. The STI&amp;#039;s 2.5-liter flat-4, with 305 bhp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 6-speed manual transmission, remain unchanged. The same goes for the adjustable all-wheel-drive system featuring a helical limited-slip differential up front and the Torsen limited-slip rear.   On the race track, even with just a few laps\u2014we couldn&amp;#039;t convince Subaru to offer more\u2014the STI is an absolute thrill to drive. The turbocharged engine feels unaffected by the high attitude. And the tighter cornering ability (over the previous STI Special Edition) is immediately clear. On a special rally stage, these Subarus, on rally tires, can be flung into corners and exit them in beautiful tail-out fashion, much like a well choreographed dance routine. Indeed, these cars are clearly at home in the dirt, especially when driven by a pro rally driver.   Look for the new 2011 Subaru WRX and WRX STI to show up in dealers late this summer or early in the fall. Pricing for the WRX starts around $25,000. As for the STI, the 4-door is expected to start at $34,000, while the 5-door will likely start at $36,000. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a16079/2011-subaru-wrx-and-wrx-sti/?click=main_sr>