► Month 5 with our rally refugee
► Is that cheap interior rep justified?
► Mark Walton’s latest diary update
When car folk talk to me about the Subaru many of them ask about the performance first and the interior second. Subaru has a reputation for bad plastics and cheap detailing, but I don’t find the WRX that offensive – it’s not up to German standards, but it’s no worse than your average Japanese standards either.
What lets it down is the Alpine sat-nav and sound system: yes it’s a colour screen, but it’s fiddly to use and it looks so aftermarket. It suggests trips to Halfords, massive exhausts, and auxiliary boost gauges fitted to the top of the dashboard.
@markwalton_
Logbook: Subaru WRX STI
Price: £28,995
As tested: £28,995
Miles this month: 1316
Total miles: 6313
Our mpg: 20.8
Official mpg: 27.2
Fuel this month: £280.32
Extra costs: £0
Read more from the June 2016 issue of CAR magazine