Lamborghini or Ferrari? BMW or Mercedes? Fiesta or Corsa? These were just some of the difficult choices young car enthusiasts faced towards the ends of the 20th century. Lines were drawn, sides picked and allegiances forged.

As tough as those choices were, they were made easier by the lack of real competition. It was more often than not a straight choice between two or three rivals.

That’s the world the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo found themselves occupying. With their rallying pedigree, outrageous looks and four-wheel drive the two machines pretty much had the road to themselves.

Fast forward to 2014 and the landscape has changed considerably. For a start, the last version of the Evo X cost £50,000. That’s £20k more than the latest Subaru which, incidentally, is no longer an Impreza and instead is just a WRX STi.

However, while the Evo may no longer be a rival, plenty of other manufacturers – VW, Renault, Ford, Seat and Vauxhall – are now building cars capable, on paper at least, of giving the Subaru a serious run for its money.

Despite being longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces there’s no mistaking the Subaru’s origins. With a huge rear spoiler, bulging wheel arches, deep front bumper and gaping bonnet scoop this is no shrinking violet.

Climbing inside the WRX is like stepping back in time. The switchgear is haphazard and confusing while the 4.3in multi-function display – showing information about turbo boost and drivetrain - would have been a useful addition had it not been position so far from the eyeline, high in the centre of the dashboard.

The audio system is of the double-DIN variety which might have looked the business a decade ago with its myriad of buttons and LCD display but we consumers are a more discerning bunch these days.

The bolstered sports seats are supportive and comfortable and the steering wheel is nice and tactile. The driving position is excellent and, thanks in no small part to an extra 25mm between the wheels, there’s useful legroom in the back. There’s a smattering of soft touch materials on the dashboard and doors but far too much use of hard plastics for a car of this price.

Stiff! That’s the only way to describe the ride. However, despite the firm settings, I never found the ride to be intolerable. That’s not to say that I would want to spend several hours behind the wheel, but my back could easily tolerate short to medium-range journeys.

There’s a bit of torque steer under hard acceleration but feedback is excellent and the steering itself is direct and responsive. Grip levels are high – in the slightly scary range – but the excellent brakes quickly scrub off any excessive speed you might be carrying.

The gearbox has a nice short throw but it can feel a little notchy. It’s important to come to terms with its idiosyncrasies, however, because the short ratios mean you’ll be working quite hard if you want to make smooth progress.

There’s substantial turbo lag too, and you’ll find yourself twiddling your thumbs waiting for something, anything, to happen below 3,000rpm. Of course, when you do hit that sweet spot all hell breaks loose.

And then there’s the sound from the engine. It’s raucous, loud and intoxicating. I found myself pressing my right foot hard to the floor just so I could hear the growling, snarling 2.5-litre flat four do its thing. It’s a sound of freakish beauty. One of the motoring world’s great musical soundtracks.

For all its flaws and, let’s be honest, there are many, it’s hard not to love the WRX. The interior is dated and the Subaru is competing in a much more congested arena against rivals that are quicker, better handling, better equipped and more comfortable to drive. But there are occasions when you buy as much with your heart as with you head and its outlandish looks and intoxicating engine note call out to the little boy inside me. And that little boy is telling me I want one.

Subaru WRX STi

Price: £28,995

Engine: 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four

Transmission: Six-speed manual AWD

Power: 296bhp

Acceleration (0-62mph): 5.2sec

Maximum speed: 159mph

Urban: 20.2mpg

Extra-urban: 33.6mpg

Combined: 27.2mpg

Emissions (CO2): 242g/km

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