Repair-It

It's stiffer, less racy-looking and perhaps just as homely as its predecessors. Maybe homelier. Or perhaps just less outré than some, less subdued than others. It's the 2015 Subaru WRX. Outdoorsy tech guys who've just landed an entry-level manager gig love it. So do crunchy-granola types with a thirst for socially responsible zip. And let us not discount the fervor of the flatbill contingent, dudebros who'll spend to park one next to the Raptor and the CRF. For a car that evolved out of a specialized mission -- homologating the Impreza for WRC duty -- the Rexie's fanbase is surprisingly diverse. It's the rational man's sport sedan.

Sometimes we did find ourselves wishing for a slightly shorter final drive (though it's already a plenty-steep 4.11 gear); there were places on our meandering route up the Marin/Sonoma coasts and out around Lake Berryessa where a ratio somewhere between second and third would've been welcome.