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Last night a Scooby saved my life

STEVE SMITH - Nov 25 2009 15:04

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I was lost. It was an existential thing. My wife prefers to call it “early onset midlife crisis”, but my angst had a depth Jean Paul Sartre would’ve been proud of. I chose instead to define it in philosophical terms.

Yes, I was at a crossroads -- at an age where a man has to be honest with himself, let go of his youth and embrace the responsibilities and expectations the second half of his life holds. It’s not an easy thing to do. “Like I said,” repeated my wife, “midlife crisis”.

On the one hand, I love family life more than anything -- wouldn’t swap it for all the unsold inventory on a General Motors car lot. On the other, in me lurks something of a rock ‘n roller. My mates and I play in a band. My jeans are skinny and my Converse’s tatty. The road -- in theory at least -- is mine to lay down rubber as I see fit.

Was it really time to trade in my stovies for something a little higher in the waist and wider around the ankles? Was it time for ... trousers?

Clearly I needed help.

There are three options available to a man looking to ease his furrowed brow: I could take the tough route and engage the services of a therapist; try the easy and very popular option of ignoring the problem altogether or I could phone the guys at Subaru.

They’re a friendly bunch and, for the purposes of my dilemma, they offer two very different cars that have within them the same engine. It was the perfect metaphor for my predicament. Engine = me. Choice of car = how to live my life.

The engine in question is a belter. Obviously. It’s the Japanese manufacturer’s DOHC 16-valve in-line four-pot turbo and it inhabits the two Scoobies in question: the Impreza WRX sedan and the Forester XT 2.5. In the WRX, the engine’s been slightly modified with a different turbo and manifold to produce 26 more kilowatts than the Forester’s 169.

I drove the WRX first. The new sedan is the latest in a proud lineage of be-winged all-wheel drive Imprezas that have cultivated a cult following around the world. One down from its let’s-go-rallying-right-now STi sibling, the WRX is still, (cough) just like me, one hardcore individual. Given that last year’s WRX hatch version was such a disappointment with its wobbly suspension and big butt styling, the sedan also had something of a patch up job to do.

CONTINUES BELOW

It more than sets things right though. With an uprated engine, firmer suspension, and glorious sonic accompaniment, it’s an intoxicating drive -- properly quick in a straight line and, thanks to Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, glued to the road through the corners. On public roads, you are not going to go much quicker in any other car. Together with its street-fighter styling, this is the automotive equivalent of rock ‘n roll. I loved it.

Up next was the Forester. My initial take on the new Forester wasn’t favourable. Whereas I quite liked the previous generation -- it looked like an estate punching above its weight -- the new model errs on the bulky side like a slightly shrunken SUV. Driving it changed my mind though. While nowhere close to the thrills the WRX was able to dish up, the Forester is still a very quick car regularly able to surprise fellow road users both at the robots and around the bends.

Along with that there was also a host of safety features that kept the family safe. The cars all-wheel drive system, sending just the right amount of the car’s 320Nm of torque to each of the wheels and the VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) stability system that uses brake and power intervention to control cornering behaviour, were great safety nets, as was a braking system with brake assist, ABS and electronic brake-force distribution.

Then there was the space factor. Along with going quick enough to satisfy my ego, it also had plenty of room for all the stuff my life requires.

Wife/daughter/shopping/mountain bike. Tick. Band members, band instruments, beer. Tick.

Though the term “crossover” might be bandied about willy-nilly by carmakers these days, the Forester is the genuine article. And that’spretty much when the answer hit me.

I was a Forester.

Whereas the car was the perfect crossover vehicle combining space and safety with performance, so I was a crossover kind of guy. Why was I anguishing about abandoning my rock ‘n roll cred for the comforts of family life? It wasn’t about compromise, it was about crossover. I could enjoy the fruits of both. A bit like the Forester, I could do both. Sadly Subaru wanted their test car back, but at least it set my head straight.

Downsides to both the cars, I must finally add, is that they are both very thirsty individuals, particularly if you drive them hard. And frankly it’s tough not to. The Forester is also pretty pricey compared to the WRX.

Fast facts
Subaru 2.5 XT Sportshift

Price: R420 000

Engine: 2.5-litre, in-line four-cylinder turbo

Tech: 169kW and 320Nm

Performance (claimed): 0-100kph in 7.9s

Fuel consumption (claimed combined cycle): 10.5 litre/100km

Transmission: four-speed auto with optional sequential mode.

Subaru 2.5 WRX sedan

Price: R349 000

Engine: 2.5-litre, in-line four-cylinder turbo

Tech: 195kW and 343Nm

Performance (claimed): 0-100kph in 5.8s

Fuel consumption (claimed combined cycle): 10.4 litre/100km

Transmission: 5-speed manual

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Last night a Scooby saved my life

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