Subaru WRX Vs. Volkswagen GTI
40K (in WRX STI and Golf R trim). 300/month over the life of a 60-month payment book. 40K Subaru or Volkswagen is cheap in terms of enjoying the additional performance, but if your goal is only to get places in a fast hatch or sedan, you can keep your outlay far closer to the base price. Just mind the options. VW GTI: In the increasingly popular hot hatch segment, the GTI was arguably the first. Based on the revolutionary (for the mid-'70s) Golf hatchback, the GTI offered upgraded power, improved handling and just enough cosmetic enhancements to let others know you were driving something special. Consumer response was immediate, and imitators came out of the woodwork. Now in its seventh iteration (as of the 2015 model year), the GTI has consistently evolved. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four makes 210 horsepower and 鈥?more important in day-to-day driving 鈥?258 pound-feet of torque.
Its footprint remains comfortably small, with easy access to front and rear seats and, if you need to carry something large, it has an expansive hatch and fold-down rear seat. Whether selecting the six-speed manual transmission or six-speed DSG automatic, know that a responsive, agile hatchback is just a throttle tip-in away. It's perfect for the in-town commute, weekend getaway or cross-country romp. And it appeals to a wide demographic, so resale value will remain high. Subaru WRX: This once was a performance derivative not shared with American consumers. But with its success globally, Subaru brought the WRX to the States, with the high-performance STI variant not long after. Having been offered in the U.S. WRX is available only as a four-door sedan. As on every Subaru available in the U.S. Power is supplied by a turbocharged flat four displacing 2.0 liters but upping the horsepower to 268, while available torque is numerically identical to the GTI's at 258 pound-feet.
3 a gallon, but the Volkswagen wins with efficiency some 20 percent better. A great many Subaru fans continue to wish for the WRX hatch. Today's four-door sedan isn't unattractive, but the versatility implicit in a hatchback is missing. With that, we're sure the body is more rigid than its hatchback predecessor. And that rigidity, in combination with almost 270 horsepower, makes for one very immersive driving experience. This is horsepower closer to Volkswagen's Golf R (292) than the GTI. And while it falls short of the WRX STi's 305, the entry-level WRX is also significantly less expensive. Beyond the lack of a hatch, the other disappointment 鈥?at least when coming from the VW showroom 鈥?is the Subaru's interior spec. Everything in this price category is plastic, but Subaru's take on plastic is decidedly downmarket; the product execs put their money into the all-wheel drive. So, don't slide in expecting to be delighted by the visual, but do expect to be excited by the visceral. 30K, both cars offer practical alternatives to a sport coupe. Even with a child seat, or on a run to Home Depot, either can bridge the gap between a larger family hauler and a Miata.
For infotainment, the Rabbit edition offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. It also comes with nice interior ambient lighting, and red accent stitching throughout the interior which makes the car look sharp. There鈥檚 that Rabbit tag - subtle, but cool, right? Overall, it鈥檚 a super spacious interior, yet drives like a nimble sports car. Behind the rear seats is 22.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold them down for 52.7 cu ft. Plenty of cargo space behind the hot hatch! The 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Rabbit, of course, comes with the hot hatch. And what鈥檚 great about this design is the amount of clean raw space you are given even with the back seats up. Now fold those backseats down and you鈥檙e talking serious space. This edition comes with the standard safety equipment, including antilock disc brakes, stability/traction control, automatic hill hold, front-side airbags, driver-side knee airbag, and side-curtain airbags. Rabbit delivers all the essentials. For driver鈥檚 assistance, it offers the handy adaptive front-lighting system, blind spot monitor, front assist with pedestrian monitoring, rear traffic alert, and a rearview camera system.
Great visibility - forward, backward and the sides. Because of the vehicle鈥檚 seats and slender windshield pillars, the GTI offers excellent forward visibility. The view to the sides and rear are great as well. As a parent, I particularly loved the ease of availability and configuration of the child safety seat latches in the back seat. And there鈥檚 ample room for child seats in the back seat. Whether you have your rear-facing infant seat or your rear (or front) facing toddler seat. There鈥檚 still room for someone in the front seat without squishing their legs! If you don鈥檛 have kids then just know this - the Golf GTI Rabbit Edition is spacious (very)! Easy to use child safety seat latches in the back seat. The 2019 VW Golf GTI Rabbit Edition also got a 5-Star Rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which will put a smile on every loved one鈥檚 face!
