Road Test: Subaru Liberty GT - Tuned by STI

Review by Feann Torr - 25/July/2007

As the sun rose on a cold and dark Saturday morning it dawned on me that this Australian-issue Liberty GT was the real deal. Warming it's tyres through some grand sweeping corners, xenon headlights shining the way, the special edition Subaru Liberty felt good to drive, sounded good to rev, and even the leather smelled good.

In terms of luxury and comfort it's light years ahead of its headline-making sibling, the WRX.

That the Subaru Liberty GT is a luxury performance car is not in dispute, but if you wanted a flat-out sprinter the WRX was always the pick. Unless of course you manage to get your hands on one of these limited edition Liberty GT models, whose extra herbs can deliver a massive rush of adrenaline.

On top of it's innate luxuriousness, this limited edition Liberty has the kind of turbo charge you'd expect from it's trouble-making sibling, the WRX. Powered by a turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer engine and sitting on Subaru's trademark symmetrical AWD system, the Liberty GT follows in the footsteps of the "Tuned by STI" version of the Subaru WRX, released here early in 2007. 

Like the fettled WRX, this modified Liberty GT Spec.B has a tailored get up, benefits from a number of new performance features, and is very hard to come by.Subaru Australia's managing director, Nick Senior, said the 'Tuned by STI' special editions "have been very well received by customers" and indicated that there will more of these models to come, which is very good news.

"We've created a niche for locally tuned performance vehicles. This has been made possible through continued support from Fuji Heavy Industries and our local engineers who spend months testing and perfecting these vehicles for Australian conditions," added Mr Senior.

Subaru put just 300 versions of this souped-up cruiser on the market. For the most part these limited edition models sell quicker than umbrellas on a wet day; it's a rare car, one that only 300 other people in the world will own. Subaru chief Nick Senior also mentioned that the special edition's popularity was "reflected in both initial sales and, later on, in resale values." 

You can almost hear the Ebay bids ticking over...

If I snagged one of these bad boys, there's no way I'd sell it though. Why? A wise man I once knew, let's call him Steve, once said that money begets selfishness. But moreso because the STI tweaks turn a competent car into a brilliant one, and in the same vein of the WRX STI this thing is the vehicular equivalent to a punch in the neck. It hurts and leaves you gasping for breath. Okay, so that's a poor analogy, so let's just say it's powerful. Check it out:

Drive: 4.5/5

Known as the Legacy in some overseas markets, it was clear from the get-go that this Subaru Liberty was far sharper than its donor car. It's sits lower to the ground, and my first drive of the modified wagon through city streets confirmed that the fettled suspension was more than a mere tweaking. It's got a harsh ride, and makes no apologies for this.

Ride quality suffers in comparison to the standard Liberty, but with STI badging the car has a reputation to live up to. The Liberty STI isn't a complete mongrel on second rate roads, and retains some of its luxury car DNA from before the STI fit-out, but if you were expecting Lexus ride quality, you'll be disappointed.

The new suspension tune is simply described as "STI tuned sports suspension", and results in a much more involving drive. It turns more crisply than the standard turbo GT, and days before even having the chance to drill the car on some fast corners, I was already anticipating the adrenaline rush.

But just how good this vehicle turned out to be completely flabbergasted me. Quite simply, it's an awe-inspiring drivers car, with scads of grip and extra helpings of torque that wash over the car's AWD system giving it an almost invincible feel.

You can really feel the difference when you switch the SI Drive system from Intelligent to Sports Sharp mode, which we'll get to in the engine segment. The turbo feels more lively and the throttle response is much crisper.

Outputting 194kW of power and 350Nm of torque, the sooped-up Soob feels a lot lighter than its 1545kg kerb weight would have you think. It's very quick off the line and the turbo begins huffing low in the rev range, giving the car a really tractable feel. Miss a gear? No dramas, just floor the throttle and the turbo catches up remarkably rapidly.

The turbo pumps hard in Sports Sharp mode, and the car feels as though it would easily break the 6.0 seconds 0-100km/h mark. Granted, it's no RS 4 Avant, but at times I had to wonder what a comparo between the two would yield...

When the engine is on song - pretty much anywhere above 2500rpm - the car can be coaxed from corner to corner with alarming speed. The precise 6-speed gearbox also helps keep the car steaming along, with short throws and solid shifts.

It was remarkable just how quickly the car could pounce between corners; the nose turns in with precision, the rear end follows diligently, and whole kit feels incredibly solid and impressively talkative. Even when I overcooked a few approaches the car let me know I was being a tool and it was effortless to correct.

Bodyroll is kept to a minimum which gives you a prolific platform with which to accelerate through corners, and the Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres gave the Liberty STI wagon astounding levels of grip, even if they are only 215/45 R18s. I did note a touch of understeer when heading into tighter corners, but in general the Liberty STI steers excellently and grips through corners like barnacles on a pier. 

With these supremely high levels of grip and reassuring AWD traction, you can keep the responsive boxer engine on the boil for extended periods without too many heart-in-mouth moments. It's an incredibly exciting car to wind up, and it gets even better when you sling it through corners.

Not since 2003, in the Mitsubishi Evo VI TME, have I driven a car that so adroitly cleaves through corners under full throttle and is so flickable, caring little for the laws of physics. The engine has huge reserves of power, which is managed by the sweet-shifting gearbox from the WRX STI - a 6-speed manual transmission that can be flicked between gates with an alacrity that belies it's Japanese origins.

The chassis deserves a lot of praise. It isn't completely outshone by the stonking 4-cylinder turbo engine and STI-sourced 6-speed manual gearbox. 

The Liberty STI sits very nicely through corners; very flat, with only a small amount of body roll. It loves being thrown around and is just awe-inspiring under full throttle through familiar corners, and the progressive AWD system does the turbo engine justice, putting the power to the ground with force and diverting torque between the front and rear axles seamlessly.

It also delivers a direct steering feel that offers good - if sometimes overwhelming - feedback, and this relates to the tight Bilstein suspension. When you are tracking over lumps and bumps you often get significant kick-back through the steering wheel. This was evident part-way through one particularly fast corner with irregular surfaces, yet even with the thumps through the body and kick from the steering wheel, the car never became flustered or unwieldy. You just keep your eyes on where you wanted to go and car obeyed.

The low profile tyres helped in this respect too, and if the road surface is smooth the Liberty STI is capable of holding a very tight line, tracking through the corner with the precision of a laser-guided tactical nuke. Fitted with big golden Brembo brakes, the vehicle has reassuring levels of deceleration that afford the driver the kind of liberties that will make their passengers turn white with terror. Indeed, the brakes are very strong, with good pedal feel and awesome stopping power, which allows the car to dive deeply into corners before needing a strong bite from the anchors.

It steers brilliantly, grip is almost beyond comprehension, and though I did note that quick changes in direction began to hamper its poise every now and then, the Subaru Liberty STI now ranks in my Top 10 best drivers cars. It's fearsome.

And even if you decide not to nail it, and perhaps cruise your favourite twisties at 6/10ths, the car still feels very swift, and I must reiterate that when you're punching in and out of corners - on the brakes, on the throttle, on the brakes - it feels much lighter than it's 1545kg lead you to believe.

Piloting the fettled Subaru Liberty was one of the most rewarding drives I've ever experienced. It's quick, responsive, and utterly rewarding. If this is just the start of things to come from Subaru Australia, then we've got a lot to forward to.

Engine: 4/5

The heart and soul of the Liberty STI is a modified version of the GT's turbocharged 2457cc boxer engine. It's got a top-mounted intercooler like the WRX and together with the "Subaru Intelligent" Drive can instantly transform from frugal to ferocious. 

The "Intelligent Drive" gizmo is represented by a small dial with three modes, and also steering wheel-mounted controls that can change the SI Drive mode:

Intelligent: Reduces throttle response, improves fuel economy.
Sport: Improved throttle response, improved engine performance.
Sport Sharp: Super-hero mode. Maximum power and response.

I found that I switched between Intelligent and Sport Sharp mode the most, the former for highway and town cruising, the latter for serious performance driving.

The switch between SI modes is instantaneous. Under a part throttle application you can instantly feel the car lurch forward with more insistence when you turn on the Sports mode as the injection mapping and throttle response changes. 

The engine has plenty of mid-range torque in the sports modes and can punch out of corners with venom. The engine feels eminently willing, and very flexible too. In the miserly 'Intelligent' SI mode, the engine feels as though the turbo drops off a bit and isn't quite as keen to spool early in the rev range.

The Intelligent mode has another useful fuel saving feature as well as the reduced engine response. A small triangle lights up on the instrument cluster which denotes the optimum gear change time to save fuel - which is usually at about 2300-2500rpm. 

The idea behind this function is to encourage drivers to drive more efficiently and in turn improve their fuel economy. If you change gear when the icon flashes, you're not going to unnecessarily tax the engine. In practice it actually works quite well.

In Sport Sharp mode the car feels very strong and energetic and together with some decent acoustics - a rising thrum from the boxer engine, a faint whine from the turbo - the modified Subaru delivers an engrossing driving experience. It's not as crazy as a bombed out WRX, but it has a bit of thrum to it and combined with an increasing turbo whine it's a very encouraging sound -- plus there's even a subtle 'hiss' when the waste gate dumps its built up pressure between gear changes.

The extra 10kW of power and 11Nm of torque have been extracted via tweaks to the car's ECU software and a new exhaust system, and the car feels substantially quicker than the Liberty GT as a result. But as well as a voluminous mid range and an addictive surge of power higher in the rev range, the engine is also relatively refined and is quite capable to simply cover a distance without using too much fuel.

At 100km/h in 6th gear the engine ticks over at about 2100rpm, and will drink about 8L/100km when the engine gets up to temperature. At the other end of the spectrum, the engine absolutely drains the fuel tank when you're going at it hammer-and-tong...

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this 2.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo is it's torque delivery. Tuned by STI in Australia, this thing has serious force and it sounds fantastic. It doesn't completely press your body into the seat cushions like some high performance cars, but it comes close and because the torque is apportioned to all four wheels it sets a cracking pace from a standing start.

When you hit about 3000-3500rpm with a full throttle, the Liberty STI really starts to charge, and it doesn't let off until 6500rpm. It's got a seriously potent top end too, and winding the engine out to its rev limit through second and third is an exhilarating experience.

Exterior: 3.5/5

The car looks fantastic with it's STI-parts bin extras, but overall I reckon the Liberty is a fairly average looking machine. The Brembo brakes, front and rear spoilers, Enkei mag wheels and quad exhausts add plenty of eye candy to the car, but for mine it's like dressing up a crack whore in designer threads. Underneath the make-up, jewellery, and fancy fabric there's still a drug-addicted sex worker...

Perhaps that's a little harsh, but the car just didn't excite me, and I reckon the sedan model is even less attractive again. The wagon we tested didn't elicit much attention from other road users, though one Nissan Stagea (Skyline wagon) driver took an interest.

It does gain attention when it powers forward under full throttle, simply because it's so quick off the line and a lot of drivers don't expect to be humbled by a wagon in the traffic light tango.

The shape of the car isn't great, kind of like an ergonomic sausage, but on the whole the cosmetic extras combine to give the vehicle a far more interesting appearance than the bog standard Liberty models. 

Our model was black, and with tinted windows had a somewhat sinister look to it, which is augmented by the most excellent STI exhaust outlets. There's a roof spoiler that looks about as aerodynamic as an anvil, but the front end lip spoiler affixed to the front apron does manage to give the car some attitude and probably improves negative lift over the front end.

The Liberty headlight cluster has evolved into a more rounded design and when punctuated with xenon projector beams and coupled with a discreet bonnet scoop and chrome grille detailing, results in a decisive-looking front end. The golden Brembo brake calipers are a really cool touch, and the car sits slightly lower to the ground than normal, which is emphasised with the sporty body kit.

Overall, the Subaru Liberty GT: Tuned By STI has enough visual extras to ensure it's not identified as a standard GT model, but fails to brag quite as loudly about it's performance credentials as some Japanese performance cars.

If visual discretion was the plan however, then it's a mission accomplished, but the Liberty's underlying design does not convey the same arrogance that some (German) cars manage so effortlessly.

Interior: 3.5/5

One thing that I found somewhat concerning upon clambering into the Liberty STI was that it's not the largest interior ever. Sure, the boot has plenty of room - enough for the mountain bikes (sans front wheels) and a picnic lunch - but in the cockpit it felt more like an Astra than a mid-sized Asian car.Head room is fine, and rear seat space isn't too bad for a car of this size either.

Apart from a slight lack of shoulder and elbow room, the interior is easy to appreciate. There's leather everywhere - and it's good quality cow-hid too - covering the seats, the steering wheel, the gear shifter and the handbrake. The steering wheel controls for audio and cruise look good and work well.

Right after stepping in and adjusting the mirrors, build quality stood out as one of the more impressive aspects of the interior. After driving the WRX and seeing how cheap and plastic-y that was, this vehicle is at the other end of the spectrum. The plastics are high quality, fit and finish is good, even the seats are very supple with their black leather finish. It's also got attractive door handles, and the garnish is a grey plastic of sorts that suits with the car's dark monotone interior decor.

The two front pews can be described as 'sports seats' but they don't have the necessary lateral bolstering - and they should have considering the insane amount of corner grip this thing possesses. The driver's seat does have 8-way power adjustability though, with dual memory settings which a nice luxury touch. A very large sunroof is also fitted as standard to the 300 special edition Subaru Liberty GT models.

The overall ambiance in the Liberty STI is suitably upmarket, if somewhat dark. There's lots of blacks and dark shades highlighted by crimson lighting from behind the centre console, instrument cluster and other areas in the cabin. It adds to the car's somewhat sinister image and creates a tangibly dark feel, which suits the car's monster performance better than the exterior updates. 

Indeed, the red back-lit interior is very easy on the eyes, and the blue back-lit cupholders add a touch more colour at night time. The black-backed instrument cluster looks good, yet is fairly basic in a stylistic sense. The font is conservative, as is everything else about it. Except that whenever you strap in and start the car, the speedo, tacho, heat, and fuel dials spin up to their maximum points briefly, in an aviation style 'pre-check' sequence. Useless, but highly entertaining.

Subaru has seen fit to include alloy pedals, which look great, and the other inputs are likewise sporty, particularly the gearshifter. The steering wheel is leather and features the SI Drive information buttons, but overall the tiller could have been a touch smaller to suit the car's high levels of performance. 

The centre console is a very shiny looking obsidian area, with clearly marked buttons and dials in silver, once again adding a dash of premium flair to the cabin. The stereo is quite a high fidelity system too, with no less than eight speakers in the front of the cabin, comprising tweeters and middies. All told, the 14-speaker McIntosh sound system does a very good job of delivering both clarity and volume, and because it's got a 6-CD stacker that is MP3/WMA compatible you can load it up and listen to your own music for literally hours on end.

The Subaru Liberty is also one of the safest vehicles in its class; the entire range has been awarded the highest score by the ANCAP Occupant Safety Rating, with a five star result. This is because the Liberty has six airbags, including front and rear curtain airbags, plus ABS and EBD, the all-wheel drive system, and an advanced frame with reinforced door beams that improve side protection.

Overall: 4/5

The scorching new Liberty STI is a wicked car. It's the Japanese answer to the RS 4 in that it's an AWD luxury car that's relatively easy to drive. Though it's not as insanely powerful as the German A4-based model, it delivers a level of involvement that comes close in some areas. I'm not sold on it's overall image, but this becomes a minor shortcoming because the car is just enthralling to drive.

It's got huge reserves of power from its turbo boxer engine, yet the SI Drive system ensures that it can also be driven efficiently. What's not to like?

Subaru's AWD system capably deals with the boosted turbo engine's power, and it's got an amazing amount of grip thanks to its tuned up chassis which includes Pirelli tyres, stiffer suspension and Brembo brake calipers. The car steers so precisely and grips the road with such security that I'm running out of ways to describe it. The ride does suffer from the compromises made to improve performance, but it's far from impossible to live with.

Subaru Australia has created a number of these special edition models before, and now fans of Subaru's AWD performance cars will be pleased to see this limited edition Liberty model  - with almost as much power as the WRX STI - is now in existence. When the calibre of vehicles the local Australian STI group is developing is so impressively high, it's exciting to think about what's next on the drawing board. The next generation Impreza WRX can't come soon enough...