Topic: Comparison Test: 2015 Subaru WRX CVT vs 2015 Volkswagen GTI DSG

[Autos_Editor]

Don't want a stick-shift? That's a paddlin'.

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[JohnnyMac]

These are probably the two cars that I'll be picking from (minus the auto's) for my next ride.  I have a feeling that me and my wife will come to the same conclusion as this writer.  Now bring on the Subaru STI and Golf R comparison test!

[KD]

Great comparo!  Really enjoyed the writing.  Best line.... The turbo spools, the engine revs up into the powerband, and then zoom – you’re off after it like mountaineer roped to a plummeting Pavarotti. 

I really like both of these cars and interesting how well the Sube does with the cvt tranny. Too bad about the missing hatch though. That omission alone is enough to make the choice easier between these two.

[superukr]

Subaru lost in my eyes coze of CVT and no hatch

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Considering the fact that we have snow on the ground for 5 months of the year, my choice would be the Subaru.  What's more, if I was buying it as a second vehicle, the stick would be a no-brainer (it would then be MY car, and my honey-bunny would never drive it or scratch it).  HOWEVER, if we were considering it as a single family vehicle (i.e. trade in the Altima) I sure am glad the CVT is available, as it becomes a viable option WRT to the WAF.

I've driven both the GTI (a couple of years ago) and recently the new WRX.  The GTI was a hoot to drive, but the WRX was just somehow, MORE fun!  And while the interior of the GTI was noticeably nicer, the Sport-Tech trim of the WRX I drove was not a bad place to be at all.  As nice as the GTI? No, but I wouldn't feel slighted in the interior department if I bought the WRX.

I'm sooo tempted by this car.  If I hadn't just bought our Altima, I would definitely be looking at finding a way to pick up a new WRX.  Maybe in a couple of years after I've made a few payments to the Altima I'll be in a better position to look at getting myself into one of these fantastic cars.

I wonder if 16" winter wheels would fit on this car...?  I'll have a nice set of Blizzaks from the Altima that will only have a couple of winters on them...

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I should add, r.e. the winter driving, a snowstorm would present an opportunity to 'go out and have fun in the WRX' rather than the nuisance of 'I have to go out and brave this snowstorm in the GTI just to get to work'.  I could see many many trips being taken in the WRX just for the sake of getting out in the snow and having fun with it!  I used to do it when I had my truck.  I just LOVE snow-driving.

[Northernridge]

Good topic. Meanwhile my mind wanders to STI vs GolfR...

Now that I've read the article... An excellent review/comparo of enthusiast cars that actually includes a first hand assessment of performance. The article is perfectly written for my sensibilities. And, I appreciate the care taken in the photo shoot.

Now once more please with the STI and Golf R (once it arrives). 

[Brendan McAleer]

Did you engage launch control on the Subie?

I did so when I drove it at the launch event. Day-to-day, you're not going to want to brake torque the engine everytime, and I'm not convinced it's really any fast than just stomping throttle off the line (there's a little boost build but not much). Like I said, a little off-the-line lag compared to the stick version or GTI's DSG, but very good passing response when up and moving.

[SaskSpecV]

Gas, drive, honk. Honk, honk, punch.  Drive, drive, drive!
That`s a paddling.
Won't someone think of the pirates (children)?

Priceless!  Great use of Simpsons quotes in the review. Any others I missed?

And I appreciated the discussion of usable cargo space, not just the volumes specified by the MNFR.  First, there appears to be no standardized way of measuring volumes, so I'm pretty sure some MNFRs are fudging the numbers - counting space under the load floor, footwells, etc. (unlike in Europe, where they actually have to count the number of 1L-bricks that can be placed in the cargo area). Secondly, the squared-off cargo areas may have a decent volume, but are terrible for carrying longer/wider items (like golf bags). I'm always going to give the hatchback the win on cargo versatility, but it's nice to see a thorough discussion in the comparison.

What's the ground clearance like on these two?  Is the GTI lot lower than a standard Golf, or the WRX much lower than the Impreza?

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Gas, drive, honk. Honk, honk, punch.  Drive, drive, drive!
That`s a paddling.
Won't someone think of the pirates (children)?

Priceless!  Great use of Simpsons quotes in the review. Any others I missed?

And I appreciated the discussion of usable cargo space, not just the volumes specified by the MNFR.  First, there appears to be no standardized way of measuring volumes, so I'm pretty sure some MNFRs are fudging the numbers - counting space under the load floor, footwells, etc. (unlike in Europe, where they actually have to count the number of 1L-bricks that can be placed in the cargo area). Secondly, the squared-off cargo areas may have a decent volume, but are terrible for carrying longer/wider items (like golf bags). I'm always going to give the hatchback the win on cargo versatility, but it's nice to see a thorough discussion in the comparison.

What's the ground clearance like on these two?  Is the GTI lot lower than a standard Golf, or the WRX much lower than the Impreza?

I'm pretty sure the WRX mechanical bits are at approximately the same height as the standard Impreza.  However, there are some sills tacked on the side of the car that lower the overall body by a good couple of inches.  I do remember remarking that the WRX seemed low to the ground when I was getting out of it, then on closer inspection seeing the ground effects kit mounted.  Jury is out as to whether it will affect deep snow performance or not.

[Scaerio]

Great review!  Having lived in Europe, I'd never buy a GTi, no matter how hot it is.  The Golf is Europe's Corrolla/Civic -- dependable (theirs aren't made in Mexico), competent, everyone has one, beige -- and I can't get that out of my head, no matter how much torque, hp, and funky styling accents are added.

The WRX is a Subaru -- quirky, imperfect, endearing, the whole world doesn't drive it.  While Toyota may own a big chunk of Subaru, they still haven't killed Subaru's soul.  It is perhaps the only relatively accessible niche brand left in the world now that SAAB is gone and Lancia is slowly being tortured to death.  Take note, Toyota -- do not treat your rally-winning bred sub-brand like GM and FIAT treated/treat theirs.

Note to Ford - Subaru and VW love you for not putting an autobox in the Focus ST, and hope you keep it that way for 2015.

[mixmanmash]

Great review!  Having lived in Europe, I'd never buy a GTi, no matter how hot it is.  The Golf is Europe's Corrolla/Civic -- dependable (theirs aren't made in Mexico), competent, everyone has one, beige -- and I can't get that out of my head, no matter how much torque, hp, and funky styling accents are added.

The WRX is a Subaru -- quirky, imperfect, endearing, the whole world doesn't drive it.  While Toyota may own a big chunk of Subaru, they still haven't killed Subaru's soul.  It is perhaps the only relatively accessible niche brand left in the world now that SAAB is gone and Lancia is slowly being tortured to death.  Take note, Toyota -- do not treat your rally-winning bred sub-brand like GM and FIAT treated/treat theirs.

Note to Ford - Subaru and VW love you for not putting an autobox in the Focus ST, and hope you keep it that way for 2015.

Lol.  If they did bring an auto, it better not be the clunky powersh!t transmission they use in the regular Focus.

[HeliDriver]

I should add, r.e. the winter driving, a snowstorm would present an opportunity to 'go out and have fun in the WRX' rather than the nuisance of 'I have to go out and brave this snowstorm in the GTI just to get to work'.  I could see many many trips being taken in the WRX just for the sake of getting out in the snow and having fun with it!  I used to do it when I had my truck.  I just LOVE snow-driving.

I have plenty of fun driving my GTI in the snow, and often take it out after a good snowfall just for the fun of it. It's not like a car that handles decently and is fun to drive in the summer suddenly becomes a chore to drive in the winter.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Hatchback versus AWD. Dunno. I'd lean hatchback I guess, but I'd be annoyed every time I had to accelerate from a stop on Regina's perpetually icy winter roads.

I recently drove a Golf Comfortline, and I really don't see much difference in the interiors other than styling, and even there, both are pretty conservative compared to Hyundai, Honda and Ford. This strikes me as a "Princess and the Pea" kind of thing, I guess I'm just not that sensitive.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I should add, r.e. the winter driving, a snowstorm would present an opportunity to 'go out and have fun in the WRX' rather than the nuisance of 'I have to go out and brave this snowstorm in the GTI just to get to work'.  I could see many many trips being taken in the WRX just for the sake of getting out in the snow and having fun with it!  I used to do it when I had my truck.  I just LOVE snow-driving.

I have plenty of fun driving my GTI in the snow, and often take it out after a good snowfall just for the fun of it. It's not like a car that handles decently and is fun to drive in the summer suddenly becomes a chore to drive in the winter.

Yeah, but in the WRX you stand a good chance of being able to actually use the extra power the engine can deliver, while in a front-drive car, well, less so!  That, and four-wheel drifts in an empty parking lot = fun!  There's only so much fun handbrake turns can be!

[KD]

I absolutely love driving my wife's car during a heavy snowfall in the winter.  It may be a fairly pedestrian car, but it handles particularly well on snow-packed roads and even a little better than my old OBW.  Never once has clearance been an issue other than in my own driveway.  It handles infinitely better than my truck and is always first choice except in really deep snow obviously.  Having said that I don't believe awd is a necessity in winter, but it sure raises the confidence bar to a much higher level.

[roundupready]

Awesome. Thank you for the review. 

[Trainman]

Good topic. Meanwhile my mind wanders to STI vs GolfR...

Now that I've read the article... An excellent review/comparo of enthusiast cars that actually includes a first hand assessment of performance. The article is perfectly written for my sensibilities. And, I appreciate the care taken in the photo shoot.

Now once more please with the STI and Golf R (once it arrives). 

I totally agree, well done article.  Timely too as if plans go as expected next year I will be passing the Forester to our son and will need a new ride.  However my comparison will be Forester to WRX, both the CVT for a variety of reasons.  Never have been a fan of VW's and the AWD of the Subaru's comes in handy for what I do right now with driving.

And where were the pictures taken?  Some up Grouse?  The tree lined road?

[Brendan McAleer]

Good topic. Meanwhile my mind wanders to STI vs GolfR...

Now that I've read the article... An excellent review/comparo of enthusiast cars that actually includes a first hand assessment of performance. The article is perfectly written for my sensibilities. And, I appreciate the care taken in the photo shoot.

Now once more please with the STI and Golf R (once it arrives). 

I totally agree, well done article.  Timely too as if plans go as expected next year I will be passing the Forester to our son and will need a new ride.  However my comparison will be Forester to WRX, both the CVT for a variety of reasons.  Never have been a fan of VW's and the AWD of the Subaru's comes in handy for what I do right now with driving.

And where were the pictures taken?  Some up Grouse?  The tree lined road?

Indian Arm and Cypress, plus a backroad near my place that I forget the name of. Handily, I also had some time on California canyon roads in both cars, having attended a product launch for the WRX and the GTI was available at a multiple vehicle day for VW.

The Forester is considerably more comfortable/practical than the WRX, but also very soft in comparison. I'm sort of hoping we'll see a Crosstrek XT in the near future, though I have no basis for this other than it'd sell well.

[johngenx]

Smart move by Subaru.  The market for manuals, even in performance cars is shrinking, and by offering the CVT, I'm sure it will keep the WRX profitable.  I'm just hoping that the take rate for the 6MT is enough that the resale market for manual models is strong enough for us lovers of "previously enjoyed" cars.

Subaru manuals have had mixed reviews, and I haven't driven the 2.0L/6MT combo in the new WRX, but the old six-cogger in the STi when equipped with the short shift kit is very, very good.