Subaru WRX STI – Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the Comfort:
From remarkable handling to exhilarating engine power, there’s much to praise about the 2006 Subaru WRX STI. However, don’t be confused – comfort ain’t on that list, unless you’re a rear seat passenger, in which case your butt is planted on a soft, spacious bench. Soft front seatbacks provide some relief for long-legged riders in back, though accommodations like a center armrest and headrests are absent.

For the driver and front passenger, comfort ranks a distant second behind bolstering. The front buckets are downright stiff, and after a few miles your back may be crying for a lumbar adjustment, just as mine was. Well friend, we need to suck it up and focus on the positives, like the large integrated headrests, the driver’s manual height adjustment, the tilting leather-wrapped steering wheel, the padded door panels, and those side bolsters that keep a body firmly in place in even the tightest corners. On the flip side, larger individuals might find the narrow sport buckets to be a bit too confining; suspension, road, and tire noise can make for a loud journey; and drivers of all sizes will likely take issue with the hard center armrest that’s placed too low and too far back.

Subaru WRX STI – Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the Comfort:
Big people and small cars usually don’t get along, so it’s no surprise that I found the 2006 Subaru WRX STI uncomfortable. For a sport seat, the STI’s driver’s chair doesn’t offer much range of adjustment, and after six straight hours in the saddle I was ready to get the hell out of this car. Leg room was a problem for me, too, and when I wasn’t testing the STI’s limits of grip on twisty roads, I sat splay-legged behind the wheel. Cramped, with precious little leg room, the rear seat is no treat, either. The bench is supportive, and there’s lots of foot room, but getting into and out of the car is literally a pain – I cracked my head on the arched roofline on entry. Once crammed inside, my legs needed to wrap around the front seatbacks. Loading the trunk is easy; the opening is large, and there’s plenty of room inside.

Subaru WRX STI – Ron Perry’s Opinion of the Comfort:
Inside the cabin, both seats allowed enough adjustment to find a comfortable seating position but could use a bit more bolstering considering the cornering capability of the STI. The seats are supportive, too, but other drivers might wish for a wider range of adjustment for optimum comfort. I really enjoyed the suede-like material on the seat inserts, which worked well to keep me from sliding around during hard cornering. I found the center console lid a bit too low to comfortably rest my right arm and the hard plastic surface made it even more unbearable. Thankfully, the door panels have padded rest areas for elbows. Wind, tire and exhaust noise permeate the interior making it a bit loud, but I feel it is of an acceptable level for a vehicle of this nature. As expected the ride is also a bit rough.

Getting into the back seat is easy and once set you’ll find adequate knee room and lots of foot and headroom. A flat bench seat makes seating for the sap stuck in the middle more comfortable but if riding just two up, you won’t find a fold-down center armrest or cup holders to hold your caffeine-laced energy drink. Instead, beverages are held by a pair of flimsy holders at the back of the center console, placing them just out of reach while belted in. Just as in the front, padded door panels at the rear offset the lack of a center armrest. A large trunk with a low liftover height is also a nice touch.