There’s probably not too many of you who wouldn’t want a Subaru WRX parked in your driveway, especially the wonderful STI model. However, how many of us truly need what is pretty much a full-blown rally ready competition hot rod?

That’s a good question, and to make matters even more interesting, this week I’m testing out the Subaru WRX 265, a vehicle which, to all intents and purposes, is a priced down / powered down version of the STI.

Ok, so you might not get all the bells and whistles which you do with the STI, and you’ll have to make do with a few less ponies in the 265 (the STI boasts 305hp), but believe me, the WRX 265 supplies plenty of fun.

From the outside there’s really not much to tell them apart, especially as my tester was painted in the famous Subaru rally blue. Even the interiors appear similar, with the exception of a few STI only buttons. You also get some sharp looking, and very comfortable, rally-style front bucket seats to complete the look.

Yes, you’d need to be a pretty avid Subaru fan to be able to spot the difference between the two. Possibly the fact that the 265 has one less digit on top of its gearshift might be a giveaway. It carries a 5spd as opposed to the 6spd in the STI, but does that really make that much difference? On the road, I found it was actually better, as there’s less work to be done. I also found that the gear ratios worked so well with the power output of the 265 that a 6spd could be deemed more trouble than it’s worth.

Yes, the 40 hp loss might make a difference at the track, but on the road, where the gadgets pointing at you from the sidelines aren’t TV cameras, but rather police radar guns, the loss is a lot less noticeable. Performance is still ample enough to plant you firmly back in your seat and impress the living daylights out of any passengers, and the small fuel savings over the STI shouldn’t hurt either.

Speaking of money, if you go for the Subaru WRX 265 instead of the full-blown STI, you’ll drive off the dealer’s lot with enough money left in your wallet to book yourself in for a few track lessons. In fact, the WRX 265 at $34,895 will save you several thousand dollars over the STI versions: Base STI at $39,995 or STI Sport-Tech at $49,995.

The difference is not exactly small change, although I’m not about to say that the STI is in any way overpriced. The STI is simply an awesome machine and a true track demon. However, being able to adjust the throttle sensitivity and the power bias from front to rear might make a huge difference to a track vehicle but, as I’ve stated previously, very few owners will ever venture onto a track.