2015 Subaru WRX STI

2015 Subaru WRX STI

Episode 3336 , Episode 3349
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

The all-new Subaru WRX just rode home with our 2014 Drivers’ Choice Award for best sport sedan. It simply delivered lots of serious thrills for the money. But we knew that the WRX was just a tease until the next WRX STI arrived. Well, it’s here! So, with our hopes flying sky-high, let’s strap in, and see if the next hot Subaru can make our smiles even wider.

Going down the spec sheet, the 2015 Subaru WRX STI checks all the right boxes for purists: rally grade suspension…a six speed manual transmission…over 300 horsepower…check, check, AND check. Yet for a vehicle of the STI’s heritage, predicated on back-to-basics, old school fun, this latest model does benefit from some new-age technologies, despite changing little else from previous generations…

Returning is the BOXER horizontally opposed turbo flat 4; 2.5 liters worth, and rated at 305 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. Indeed it is the same engine, and the same output, that the STI faithful already know. And it’s mated to the very same six speed manual transmission, as well. Slight improvements for 20-15 reduce vibrations, and make shifts smoother between low gears.

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is naturally standard, as is the Driver Control Center Differential, which allows for mechanical and electronic control of the center diff through various settings. All this, combined with the helical limited–slip front diff, and the TORSEN limited-slip rear diff, basically translates to: GRIP. And lots of it.

New this year is Active Torque Vectoring, which works with the stability and traction control systems to apply a bit of braking while cornering. So what better place to experience all this, than at our test track?

Off the line power was easy to find, with a more manageable clutch than in our 2011 test. We just hooked up and flew to 60 in 4.7 seconds. Seven tenths quicker than the WRX. Then our STI punched through the full ¼ mile in 13.2 seconds at 104 miles per hour.

Where Subaru says they improved the STI the most is in handling. And indeed, through the cones it really comes alive. The added rigidly and a thoroughly retuned suspension, while a little more solid than before during commutes, really takes to tight switchbacks. The quickened steering ratio, now 13.0:1, adds precision and great feedback.

Getting to high speeds is easy in the STI, and luckily, so is slowing it down; taking a scant 108 feet from 60.        

As with the standard WRX, the STI distances itself from the Impreza sedan on which it is still technically based. Wheelbase is also stretched one inch over the last STI, to 104.3 inches, and the A pillars and windshield are significantly more raked, offering both a more swept look and better visibility.

But what’s an STI without the wing?! It’s here, in full force, to augment the WRX’s hood scoop up front, and quad exhaust in the back. Our Limited tester’s 18 inch BBS forged alloy wheels came wrapped in 245/40 summer performance tires. But our inner “Mr. T” wishes we could have the Launch Edition’s gold wheels, and its WR Blue Pearl paint, and we pity the fool who doesn’t grab one of the only 1,000 in production. But we digress…

Hop inside, and you’ll find things are also very similar to the standard WRX including racer red gauge accents, a 4.3 inch dash top screen, faux carbon fiber trim, and flat-bottom steering wheel that feels great. One plus, the improved “STI” embroidered seats do offer better grip, and we loved the STI-exclusive short throw shifter.

Government Fuel Economy ratings, are 17 City, 23 Highway, and 19 Combined. Even driving like we think owners will, our test loop of 23.4 on premium was better than expected.

Even better news is that STI base pricing starts at a reasonable $35,290. Limited trim goes for $39,290, with our test car adding a $1,500 NAV and Keyless Access option. It’s a little more “buck” over the WRX, but you do get a lot more “bang” for it.

Now it may seem to casual observers that the STI got left behind, as Subaru has been doling out the major overhauls everywhere else in their lineup. But while we always love something that’s “all-new”, there’s a certain charm to holding on to some of the “tried-and-true”. The STI has always been a showcase of exceptional performance with an accessible price; which is exactly why we love the 2015 Subaru WRX STI even more.

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.5 liters
  • Horsepower: 305
  • Torque: 290 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 4.7 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 13.2 seconds @ 104 mph
  • EPA: 17 mpg city/ 23 mpg highway
2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV

It May Not Make A Whole Lot Of Sense, But It’s Still An Awesome Vehicle

Episode 4402
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

The reborn GMC Hummer all-electric pickup delivered all the off-road chops we expect from a Hummer, plus the supercar-like acceleration of a high-performance EV that we didn’t expect. Well, now things have come full circle, as the Hummer is once again an SUV. So, let’s burn up some rubber, and some electrons, and learn what’s next for Hummer.

What a roller coaster the Hummer has been on. In seemingly no time at all it went from aspirational military-inspired ruggedness, to the poster boy for excess and environmental irresponsibility; and then just as quickly, it disappeared altogether as a casualty of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy.

Well, then under the GMC banner, the 2022 Hummer EV Pickup flipped the script by becoming the ultimate pollution-free EV at a time when EVs were just becoming mainstream. Since this 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV more closely resembles the original, it looks like we’ve come full circle.

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Most of the same stuff that made the pickup version so unique and so awesome are here: interactive LED lighting, Crab Walk, Super Cruise, Extract Mode, Watts to Freedom… just slightly less of it as the SUV version has four fewer modules in its double-stacked battery assemblies that make up this Ultium platform.
This 3X uses the same three-motor arrangement as the pickup, one up front and two in the rear, but “only” 830 horsepower here, due to the smaller battery; though 11,500 lbs. of torque is plenty enough for any land-based automotive task we can imagine. As to range, if you opt for the Extreme Off-Road package, which comes with mud-terrain tires, you’ll be limited to just 298 miles; but the standard setup here is rated for 314.
We saw as much as 305 available in the gauge display, so we planned a 302-mile road trip and still had an indicated 46 miles remaining at the end of it, putting us on pace for a range of 348 miles.

It can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke.

With a 9-inch-shorter wheelbase, the SUV’s tidier package makes for better off-roading agility; that is, if you’re comfortable hammering through trails in your six-figure EV showpiece. And the SUV has also brought a few new things to the Hummer portfolio such as satellite-based trail mapping as part of the myGMC app and a Power Station onboard generator that gives you 19.2-kW of power for charging things out on the trail, including other EVs.

Much like the Hummer EV Pickup, it can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke. Then only 3.6 seconds to 60 for a borderline cinematic experience with unique displays and sounds along for the ride.

Nothing is held back here. Full power is unleashed whether there’s enough grip for it or not, so you tend to get pulled in different directions as you take off and, for the most part, the whole way down the track. We cleared the quarter in 12.3 seconds at 112 mph as power never really lets up.

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It’s easy to say that an 8,500-lbs. vehicle probably shouldn’t be moving that fast, but a few trips through our handling course reveals it has more than enough stuff to handle that weight. If you’re not afraid of some body roll, you can push it quite hard, and it will turn in without issues; the four-wheel steering clearly helps. And it dealt with that weight just fine in panic braking runs too, stopping us from 60 in a respectable 130 feet with no drama.

With everything forward of the rear seats the same as the Hummer Pickup, the interior is very familiar. There’s plenty of comfort and space for three in the rear seats, plus lots of flexibility. Cargo area is accessed through a side-opening, power-operated door that reveals 35.9 cubic-feet of space, which expands to 81.8 cubic-feet with the seatbacks folded; and of course, there’s also 11.3 cubic-feet in the front under hood cargo area.

But even with the shift to battery power, this Hummer remains very thirsty, using 63 kWh of energy per 100 miles. Pricing for this 3X starts at $106,945, the two-motor 2X at $98,845. Both the same as the Pickup.

While it can seem more ridiculous than practical, it’s hard not to love the reborn Hummer. Not only is it a purely unique automotive experience, but it’s a rolling example of what’s possible with battery power, while at the same time being incredibly fun and surprisingly easy to drive. The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV delivers much the same macho bravado of the original Hummer H1, but does it for a new era.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Motor Setup: Tri Motor
  • Battery Size: 212 kWh
  • Horsepower: 830
  • EPA Range: 298 miles
  • 0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 12.3 seconds at 112 mph
  • Braking, 60-0: 130 feet (avg)
  • MW Test Loop: ~ 349 miles
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray 11

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

More Of A Mind Bender Than Fuel Sipper

Episode 4401
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Big changes arrived for the Corvette in 2020 as the C8 debuted wtih an all-new rear mid-engined chassis. As radical as that long-rumored change was, it was still packing a traditional naturally aspirated V8 engine. Now, at long last, the Corvette E-Ray has arrived as the quickest production Corvette ever. Let’s see what else a little electric assistance brings to America’s supercar.

According to biologists, there are more than 200 known species of Stingray, and to add to that, we’ve now discovered another one, this 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. Available in both Coupe and Convertible versions, it’s very obvious the E-Ray is a decedent of the widebody Corvette Z06.

Now while it lacks the Z06’s massive rear wing, it has its own set of aero enhancements, which can be further boosted with carbon fiber.

Same 20 and 21-inch wheels, but the E-Ray comes standard with all-season tires, though performance tires are available, as applied to our Riptide Blue Metallic Convertible.

The interior remains very familiar too, with the C8’s squarish steering wheel and “great wall of controls” separating driver and passenger, while lots of E-Ray logos and 5-grand worth of optional carbon fiber in here set the tone.

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Now, as for the powertrain specifics, despite the E in E-Ray, this is not a true EV, there’s not even a place to plug it in, and there is still a big lump of good ol’ American pushrod V8 behind the rear seats.
6.2-liter’s worth, in the same tuning as the standard Stingray Z51 at 495-horsepower and 470 lb-ft. of torque.

The E part comes into play between the front wheels that are now driven by a 120-kW electric motor delivering 160-horsepower. That gives this gas-electric hybrid a combined output of 655-horsepower, while also making E-Ray the first all-wheel-drive Corvette ever.

But this 4-wheeler is not built for the trail, and while dual-motor setups are far from a novelty at this point, GM claims the E-Ray’s is both unique and much simpler.

The gasoline engine takes care of just the rear wheels through the same 8-speed DCT as the regular Stingray, while the e-motor handles just the front wheels; both getting their orders from a new software package and your right foot.

Is that a shriek or squeal? Who knows! Is it real or fake? Who cares! It just sounds unique and cool.

The battery and all necessary hardware are integrated into a single assembly stored in the central tunnel, so there’s zero intrusion on interior or trunk space.

We put in an order for some biggie size acceleration at our Mason Dixon test track, and the E-Ray delivered us a mega happy meal of torque. Even on a very humid, 100 degree day, we rocketed to 60 miles-per-hour in just 2.8-seconds. A blink of eye slower than the 2.5 seconds Chevy quotes for ideal conditions.

With one of the best launch controls we’ve ever experienced, the E-Ray delivers the kind of acceleration that sits just between fun and alarming. With a full on power assault through the whole ¼-mile, we finished in 11.0-seconds flat at 127 miles-per-hour.

We could clearly feel that front motor keeping steady power going for that brief microsecond that it takes the Stingray’s DCT to find the next gear. And there are some different sounds for sure. Is that a shriek or squeal? Who knows! Is it real or fake? Who cares! It just sounds unique and cool.

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There’s just a tiny 1.9-kWh battery, which you can usually charge back to full on the return trip to the starting line. That means a very limited EV-only range that GM calls Stealth Mode, where you can drive a short distance at modest speeds, perfect for quietly pulling away from your neighborhood. The battery also never gets fully depleted, so there is always all-wheel-drive traction when you need it.

Hard to say what the e-motor really adds to handling, as the E-Ray absolutely cut up our cone course with surgical precision. We also didn’t notice any torque steer at launch, but punching the throttle coming out of a corner, or when making a lane change on the highway, you get a real sense of the amount of power being sent to those front wheels, and it’s significant.

At 16-City and 19-Combined, most Government Fuel Economy Ratings are the same as the standard Stingray, but the E-Ray is rated for one fewer MPG on the Highway at 24. We averaged a good 22.0 miles-per-gallon of Premium.

Pricing starts at $106,595; about 36-grand over a standard Stingray, but around 8-grand less than a Z06.

Now purists may bristle at the drastic metamorphosis the Corvette has gone through recently, and now Chevrolet is even adding electric assist. Heresy! But there’s much more to love in this hybrid; you get the same widebody look as the Z06, yet it’s rated quicker, and still costs less! Plus, it allows for silent getaways, and with all-wheel drive is an even better long-distance road car. Suddenly, the highly-refined 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray makes a vast amount of common sense.

Specifications

  • Engine: 6.2-liter V-8
  • Transmission: 8-speed DCT
  • Horsepower: 655
  • Torque: 595 lb-ft.
  • EPA: 16 City | 19 Combined | 24 Highway
  • 0-60 mph: 2.8 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 11 seconds at 127 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg): 96 feet
  • MW Fuel Economy: 22.0 MPG (Premium)