Subaru Impreza 330S

We’d pretty much given up on extracting any pleasure from the new Impreza. Then we drove the new 330S and – shock, horror – it’s very good indeed. Even more surprising, the differences between the 330S and the WRX STI aren’t particularly striking.

And the differences between the Subaru Impreza STI and 330S are...

The 330S begins life in Japan as the WRX STI. The factory then adds 18-inch five-spoke alloys, Alcantara/leather Recaros, keyless go and DVD sat-nav. UK cars, however, are a little more gifted, being fitted with the Prodrive Performance Kit once they land in Blighty. This boosts power from 300bhp to 325bhp and torque from 311lb ft to 347lb ft courtesy of engine management tweaks, freer-flowing intercooler piping, performance-friendly catalytic converters and chunky-looking quad exhausts.

So you’re saying you like it?

Love it. Particularly revealing was the fact that I drove the 330S back-to-back with my longterm Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-360. The Subaru has a nicer, slicker gear change with a sixth gear (the Evo’s manual gets just the five speeds and is far less tactile); the ride is better if still understandably firm; the steering is more progressive and less hyperactive immediately off-centre than the edgy Evo; and the engine is a whole lot better.