Subaru Impreza WRX 2015

True, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but the 2015 Subaru WRX doesn't look quite as menacing as the 2014 Subaru Impreza WRX from the front. Whereas the out-going WRX looked wide, purposeful, menacing, and well, ugly in your rearview mirror, the new car is much slicker and sleeker, with a low-set hood scoop, smaller headlights with LED running lights, and less-extreme fender flares.

The same traits carry over to the side-views of the WRX, as well. From this angle, the 2015 WRX shows off its sports car intentions, with its coupe-like roof, and longer wheelbase, whereas the Impreza WRX looks more rally bred, thanks to a shorter wheelbase, and up-right cabin. Though both the 2014 Impreza WRX and the 2015 WRX have similarly styled flared fender arches, the previous-generation model again looks more purposeful, due to the added (likely non-functional) ducts, and other aero work. In back, the 2015 Subaru WRX looks about as aggressive as the old Impreza WRX. The 2015 WRX ditches the outgoing car's fake diffuser, but traditional WRX styling cues remains including the quad-tipped exhaust, and square-cut bumpers. Less boy-racer-ish, the 2015 WRX's spoiler is also better integrated into the trunk lid than on the Impreza WRX.

Iinside, the 2015 Subaru WRX distinguishes itself from its predecessor with a high-quality, up-market cabin. While the last-gen Impreza WRX's interior was akin to a prison stint, the 2015 model's interior is a genuinely nice place to be. Instead of being covered in hard plastics, the 2015 WRX gets an upmarket, performance-oriented interior with carbon fiber-like touches. The 2015 WRX also gets a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a color multi-function display on top of the center console. One long-running design trait the 2015 WRX loses is the center-mounted tachometer.

Under the hood of the 2014 Subaru Impreza WRX sits a 2.5-liter turbocharged F-4 producing 265 hp and 244 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a five-speed manual, and puts its power down through all four wheels. The 2015 Subaru WRX is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged F-4 making 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The new 2.0-liter mill is mated to either a six-speed manual, or a CVT, and also has all-wheel drive.