And, if youre willing to drop the clutch of your personal car with somewhere north of 6000 rpm showing on the tachometer, the WRX can bolt to 60 mph seven-tenths of a second quicker than the GTI can (5.1 seconds to 5.8).
But that is really the crux of the biscuit, isnt it? In the real world, without the brutal launch, the WRX gets to 60 mph (from a 5-mph roll) in 6.6 seconds. The GTI, which is down 48 horsepower on the WRX, goes from 5 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. The difference in times speaks specifically to the WRX engines lack of flexibility.
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Compounding the uneven power delivery is a touchy throttle that, even with the measured use of your right foot, results in a festival of herking and jerking. Outside of the loop (like, for example, the roughly five hours of driving it takes for us to get there), the WRXs tensed suspension is tiresome, thwacking and heaving uncomfortably down the road. Tire and wind noise add to the unnecessary sensory assault. And the thing wanders on the highway as if it carries with it its own heavy crosswinds that affect no other nearby vehicles.
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In the powertrain section, the GTI takes a seven-point win despite its substantial horsepower deficit. The thanks go to the engines linear, torque-rich delivery. It also enjoys a superior-shifting six-speed manual and a stunning 4-mpg fuel-efficiency advantage (26 mpg C/D observed to the WRXs 22). The same goes for the chassis category: The GTI blunts the WRXs small outright performance advantage (slightly shorter braking performance and 2.5-mph-higher speed through our slalom) by delivering spectacular steering, excellent brake feel, and ride quality that is so much better than the WRXs that it more than erases the Subies small handling edge.