Fancies of Spring

In southern Wisconsin, the snow has finally melted and the forsythia is about to blossum.

The racing season is well underway, but we're still waiting -- patiently -- for the debut of Subaru Rally Team USA's 2008 Impreza WRX STI and of Subaru World Rally Team's Impreza WRC2008. At recent auto shows and performance events, we've had previews and seen concepts of the cars.

Typically, waiting for these race cars to compete on the road (dirt, gravel, mud, etc.) would seem unbearable.

So I made the wait easier for myself by buying a new Impreza 2.5i 5-Door with Premium Package and a five-speed manual transmission. It's also helping to divert me from my annual springtime malaise concerning cars -- I always yearn for a new one during spring.

Coming from a vehicle that didn't even have ABS, I wasn't quite prepared for the value represented by this car, even though I write about the Subaru line every day. For less than $20,000, this car has equipment that was not available in many luxury cars 10 short years ago. At that time, variable valve timing, stability control, traction control, and brake assist were just trickling down into the entry-level luxury models, and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and in-dash CD changers were rarities.

The naturally aspirated engine in this car gets overlooked, too, with enthusiasts focused mainly on turbocharged WRX and STI models. Even without charging, the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter is gutsy. The five-speed is the smoothest-shifting manual transmission I've had since my 1973 Volvo.

Probably more than at any other time of the year, springtime weather makes me want to go on a road trip, preferably to a race or rally. After clocking about 1,000 miles in short trips in my new travel companion, I'm ready. This car will take me many miles. I can feel it. The long road trips to Subaru events around the country start next month!

Watch for me -- in a silver 2008 5-Door with Wisconsin Green Bay Packers plates. I still have some T-shirts to hand out!