A cross between Count Dracula’s chariot and Mama’s sedan, the Subaru WRX looks like it should be left in the garage and thrown a raw steak now and then for nourishment. Although it has matured considerably over several generations, it is still the lovable bundle of razors it’s always been – there’s just more to feed.

When I first started reviewing cars 15 years ago, Subaru did not offer the WRX in the U.S. It was this ghostly apparition of a rally racer that was held in awe globally, but forbidden fruit stateside. The Impreza RS was as close as you could get. When the WRX finally came, only one drive made me fall in love with the stellar all-wheel-drive, turbo thrust, and quick reflexes.

Over the years, the car has grown from compact to practically mid-sized. It’s still aggressive, snorting through a big hood intake and sporting a front facia with big foglamps, honeycomb grille, and distinctive LED- headlamps. Rally-bred threads appear in the hunky fenders, chiseled flanks, and 17” black alloys while an arching roofline and subtle lip spoiler look sporty with only a small dash of boy-racer.

I still remember grabbing the heaven-sent MOMO steering wheel years ago. The thick multi-function leather-wrapped helm in the latest WRX is even more delicious. Compared to earlier WRX models, the interior is positively enormous with lots of glass. Padded dash and doors, sunroof, faux carbon fibre, and large red-lit gauges are for sport and function.

It is hard to fault the leather-wrapped and heated sport thrones, reasonable rear legroom, fold-down seats, and large trunk. The arching roofline causes the dash to stretch way out in front of you, but on the track, thin pillars and all that glass provide great sightlines during XX days. Tech streams from Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming, USB input, HD Radio, CD player, and available Navigation System with voice control and harman/kardon audio. Automatic climate control is appreciated.

Enthusiasts salivate over the car’s powertrain. Placed low in the chassis for ideal handling, the 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed “BOXER” four-cylinder engine breathes with a twin-scroll turbocharger and is direct-injected for a healthy 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. Our test car came with Subaru’s Sport Lineartronic continuously-variable transmission. I’d prefer the excellent manual transmission over the CVT’s obnoxious revving, but at least you can paddle-shift it into submission.

Despite the mechanical symphony, there’s absolutely no excuse for a big man’s appetite of 17/23-MPG city/hwy. (28-MPG with a manual). Camaros and Mustangs do better. The family-sized 2015 Chrysler 200 with a 295 horsepower V6 and AWD manages 18/29-MPG city/hwy. Just sayin’…

Thirsty or not, it takes work to beat the all-wheel-drive system into submission. Beyond shifting torque end-to-end and side-to-side, which works seamlessly, it is fortified with ActiveTorque Vectoring that over-rotates the rear wheels for agile cornering. Swifting through curving off-ramps, or going full-throttle onto the freeway coaxes out evil cackles as the car grips, twitches its tail ever so slightly, and claws at asphalt as a lion swipes at gazelles. A faint hint of turbo wine tastes sweet. Unlike many sports cars, the suspension can dance like Astaire, but still soak up road rough like pancakes taking the edge off of a drunken night.

Subaru is fortunate to have two unique cars that anchor opposite ends of the family spectrum – the Outback cradling families and the WRX cradling one’s desire to rip up backroads. While the WRX has fancy footwork, it chows down like Guy Fieri at a California eatery. For a truly ravenous eater, sample the WRX STi’s 305 horsepower and aggressive bodywork. Those hiding in the shadows are the VW GTI, Ford Focus ST, and Mitsubishi Evolution.

Storm Forward!

2015 Subaru WRX
Five-passenger, AWD sedan
Powertrain: 268hp 2.0-liter Turbo-4, CVT auto transmission
Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind
Wheels: 17”/17” alloy f/r
Brakes: disc/disc fr/rr with ABS
Must-have features: AWD, Style, Turbo
Fuel economy: 17/23 mpg city/hwy
Assembly: Japan
Base/As-tested price: $26,295/$31,990