The 2018 WRX STI is a rally racer designed for the road—not the trails. Still, the WRX STI’s AWD powertrain and 2.5-liter,305 horsepower, turbocharged I-4 engine could be enough to convince off-road enthusiasts to try their hand at lifting the STI’s suspension and slapping on some rugged tires to try their luck on some lighter trails.

Read on for further details about the ground clearance for the 2018 Subaru WRX STI, brought to you by

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2018 Subaru WRX STI ground clearance

The 2018 Subaru WRX STI simply wasn’t built to be an off-road vehicle, but that doesn't mean you can’t bend it to your will—it’s

one of the most customizable cars ever made

Realistically, there’s no getting around the fact that, off the factory floor, a WRX STI’s ground clearance is 4.9 inches. The optimal ground clearance for off-roading starts at 8.8 inches.

To increase a car’s ground clearance, you’re going to need a lift kit of some sort. And if you plan to go off-roading, you might want to equip your STI with some more rugged tires.

The good news is the STI’s engine sends more than enough power to its all-wheel-drive powertrain for off-roading purposes. Its hefty might means it’s capable of performing in situations where other cars in its class would likely find themselves stuck.

Subaru WRX STI ground clearance over the years

In 2014, the closest model—dubbed the 2014 Impreza WRX STI—had a ground clearance of 5.9 inches. The next year in 2015, Subaru dropped “Impreza” from the name and lowered the vehicle by an inch.

Since then, the first-generation WRX STI has maintained the 4.9-inch ground clearance.

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How to build a custom Subaru WRX

What is ground clearance—and why does it matter?

That’s all well and good, but what exactly does this all mean? And why should you care?

Well, it turns out that a lot of drivers don’t actually know the limits of their cars. And when cars are pushed beyond their limits, damage occurs. That’s why you should always be aware of your vehicle’s ground clearance when considering its capabilities.

When we talk about minimum ground clearance, we’re talking about the measurement of the distance from the lowest point on the car’s chassis down to the ground. If you hit uneven terrain, higher ground clearance will prevent your car from becoming high-centered, which can cause major damage to the underside of the car.

Experts recommend a minimum of 8.5 inches of ground clearance for safe off-road driving, meaning you’d need to nearly double your WRX STI’s ground clearance to drive off road safely.

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Is the 2018 Subaru WRX STI a good off-road vehicle?

No, but its Driver Controlled Center Differential AWD, combined with brilliant traction control, makes it a whole lot of fun to drive on dirt roads.

When you need it to, it’ll probably conquer rough terrain like gravel fairly well, especially compared to other cars in its class. But if you think taking your 2018 Subaru WRX STI on trail rides is something you’d like to do often, you wouldn’t be the first person to try to turn this rally classic into an off-road hero.

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Guard against accidents with the best Subaru WRX STI insurance

If you do ever end up having to go off road with a standard 2018 WRX STI, you’ll be happy you purchased good insurance coverage with

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All you have to do is choose a policy, and Jerry’s team of car insurance experts will take care of the rest, setting up your new plan and helping to cancel your old one! You’ll save time and money—both of which you can put toward modding your WRX STI for proper off-roading.

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