First of all, it's got lots of power. As mentioned, its turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter engine generates 227 horsepower, which delivers strong motivation to a 3,100-pound car. And there's nothing like a generous dollop of horsepower in a compact chassis to twist the excitement dial over to the right.

Upon starting it up we were able to sense the familiar and friendly Subaru vibrations, a distinctive feature of a horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. The controls are light and the pedals well spaced; there's little to suggest in its mannerisms that the WRX is anything but an ordinary Impreza.

A glance at the instruments reveals that it seems to rotate the speedometer with remarkable ease. Brisk acceleration is almost casual, the driver finding that the car arrives at the speed limit much sooner than usual. But slam the pedal to the floor: the WRX just grips and goes. The engine never gets loud, never gets raucous, but does sound like a very serious Subaru, one that's been spending a little extra time in the gym.

Look under the hood and you'll see the intercooler sitting atop the engine like a crown. It cools the intake charge after it is compressed and heated by the turbocharger. The turbocharger is tucked behind and to one side of the engine. An unusual feature is a catalytic converter between the engine and the turbine. There are two more cats in the exhaust behind the turbo. The engine features dual overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder, and solid lifters for reliable high-rpm operation. Indeed, the WRX engine reaches its power peak at 6000 rpm and is redlined at 7000 rpm.

Gear ratios on the five-speed manual gearbox are well matched to the engine's torque curve, with second gear good to the high side of 60 mph. The shifter is quick and accurate and the transmission always willing to go to the next gear.

This car is extremely stable. All-wheel drive eliminates any hint of torque steer under hard acceleration, a mode we constantly found ourselves in. The suspension has been well tuned to reduce understeer, the tendency for the front of the car to push toward the outside of a turn. When driven very hard, the WRX responds appropriately and enthusiastically to an enthusiast driver's input. Subaru has learned the hard lessons of world-class rallying well.

Around town, the ride quality is firm. The short 99.4-inch wheelbase and sports suspension make a luxurious ride impossible. Textured pavement generates noticeable road noise in the cabin, but the WRX never feels harsh.

Wind noise is almost nonexistent. And the standard audio system sounds greet.

We drove the WRX over some rough roads, the kind they use for special stages in rallies. Along with some race instructors, we beat the WRX like a living room rug over a clothesline and it never shook or shuddered, much less fell apart like it should have done. We came away impressed, not only that the Impreza wasn't shedding parts, but that it felt as solid as chunk of concrete. That bodes well for its long-term durability, as well as for the other Impreza models, which are built on the same solid chassis.

Big disc brakes quickly bring everything back to a more sedate level of activity. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard, with big 11.4-inch front rotors and twin-piston front calipers. Four-channel/four-sensor anti-lock brakes are also standard.

The WRX is quite firmly packed with technology, so it's a little heavier than other subcompacts. According to Subaru, the turbo, the all-wheel drive, the fully independent suspension, and the chassis were all put on a gram-by-gram diet. The chassis was made as light as possible, with competition in mind, using tailor-welded blanks (essentially, thicker metal only where it's needed). Still, the WRX weighs in at over 3000 pounds, though Subaru notes that it has a better power to weight ratio than even the sporty Audi S4.

The Impreza 2.5 RS can be considered WRX Lite. With 165 horsepower and, just as important, 166 foot-pounds of torque on tap, it will suck the headlamps from the 120-horsepower Mitsubishi Lancer OZ, the 130-horsepower Mazda Protege, and the Ford Focus ZX3. More potent competitors include the 160-horsepower Acura RSX and the 180-horsepower Volkswagen GTI 1.8T. While the Subaru benefits from all-wheel drive, these other cars muddle through with front-wheel drive. Best of all, it comes with the same spirit as the WRX, only with a few ponies less for more affordability. The same spirit comes in subcompact wagon form in the 2.5 TS Sport Wagon. Both the RS or TS cost about $5,000 less than a WRX, and they are likely less expensive to insure than the powerful WRX.