What every comparison forgets to mention is what this shoot out would be like in a snow storm. I live in a northern climate and we get deadly winters. Now I have had a super charged front drive car, and it was a piece of crap in the winter, now I have the subaru and it is just incredible, these cars are made for terrible conditions and handles them with ease. It is the ultimate car for the climate I live in, period!

Butler-Henderson's has driven in more races than you've had hot dinners. She was the first woman ever to win a race in a Maserati. @17 she started her career as a racing instructor at circuits such as Brands Hatch and Silverstone. She has competed in series such as Formula First and the 2000 Pentel Ginetta Championship, the Porsche Cup and Speyside Stages Rally. Her racing line looks ok to me except when she's taking the piss with the handbrake - which I'm sure wasn't part of the timed lap.

GTI is just genius. I never experienced a more refined, fun, quality car, and Ive driven a few.

@Kamerak73 Thats the windshield wiper control stalk, she turned the wipers on. The indicators are on the stalk closest to the camera.

I actually just bought a WRX. It feels better than an old Impreza I had in 2005. The VW I had did feel pretty solid but the tranny began to slip at 16k miles and the dealer would/could not fix it and the rear shocks went shot. I was highly dissapointed since I was so excited to buy it.

Vicki is also known to pull the e-brake to get sideways. This will overheat the Viscous Center Diff on the Scooby. This WILL hurt performance as the ECU starts to pull back on the fun. So, She basically destroyed the car just before she took the lap. If you can find it, watch the vid of her driving the Forester STi. They keep showing her grabbing the e-brake during the parade lap before the timed lap.

The GTI has such an underrated HP rating.. It feels like so much more than 200.

Impressive. After going from an Elantra to an STI I told myself that I'd never buy a FWD car again. But my priorities have changed a bit. And with the fuel economy, refinement, balance, handling, and everything else, I'd be an idiot if I didn't at least try the GTI for myself.

Actually, it has been tested. You can watch the videos on Inside Line here. They got 0-60 MPH time of 5.2 seconds, and 1/4 mile in 13.7 seconds. It got through the slalom at 68.5 MPH. Compare that to the 2008 one, which got 0-60 MPH time of 5.9 seconds-0.7 seconds slower-, and the 1/4 mile in 14.5 seconds‚-0.8 seconds slower. And it got through the slalom at 67.7 MPH-0.8 seconds slower.

That slice of lime had it right; the VW is tighter. I own the 2009 Rabbit and for a "pedestrian" vehicle it really owns the road. Everything is right to hand and you've gotta love that fat steering wheel!

@rossymuz yes the golf has 200hp or so and the Subaru has 227hp and as the presenter says - "it does have 30 brake hp more tho, so immediately it does win in the power to weight fight"

The result is that it's 2 seconds faster than the awd Impreza which has 30 bhp more. The new Focus RS also has a fwd. If the chassis is very good, there's no problem with it.

Beware of that suggestion that "there's always the handbrake." I ruined the center diff in my Forester after a series of handbrake turns on a midwinter ice patch in my driveway. It only took a few dozen low-speed brake skids before the car needed a $1,000 repair. YMMV, as my car was a 5-speed manual.

@wazdatsky Yup. Horsepower at the brakes. As opposed to horsepower at the wheels (whp) or crankshaft horsepower (hp). But bhp and hp are pretty interchangeable.

I like both cars. I just ordered a GTI, but I could definitely see myself getting a WRX someday.

I own the 2008 GTI and I still find it amusing when other people with hot hatches try to race right by me to show how great their hatch is. Then I beat them in a little cat and mouse race. Then just to make sure I go to the youtubes to make sure others have the same results. Thank you youtubes I found the WRX this AM commute did not rise to the challenge either.

They tested the last of the new body WRX's to come in that configuration, the MY09 came with 195kw/260bhp, not to mention more torque.

You are right about most roads legally, but most people who buy performance cars dont plan on being legal all of the time, I sure don't. But you don't have to worry about the clutch if you launch it right, plus its designed for an AWD car anyway.

The 2009+ model WRXs kick the GTIs ass hands down. 265 hp and 244 ft lbs of torque. Plus a major upgrade in handling. Should I mention 0-60 in 4.7 seconds?

I considered the WRX but ended up with a 2012 GTI instead. For a daily driver, the GTI is just so much better. The interior of the WRX felt cheap compared to the GTI. The fuel economy of the GTI is far ahead of the WRX for very similar performance. The AWD isn't that big of a deal in the snow and rain, the GTI handles both fine. I'm from Wisconsin and I've never had problems with FWD cars in the snow. If you're that worried about it, winter tires > AWD for traction.

No, the STi and EVO are both about the same in performance and price. The 2010 STi is $35,000 with 305 hp and a weight of about 3400 lbs. The 2010 EVO X is $34,000 with 291 hp and a weight of about 3500 lbs. The 2010 GTI and 2010 WRX are a good matchup. The GTI is about $23,700 with 200 hp and a weight of about 3000 lbs.The WRX is $25,000 with 265 hp and a weight of about 3200 lbs.

Funny how the Subaru fanboys are whining, but they do have a point. A better comparison would be a Golf R vs. the WRX. Of course, they'd then be looking at losing by 4 seconds or so.

Generally speaking 0-40 will say it all for most commuters being that in-town driving rarely exceeds that (legally). I wouldn't recommend the WRX for city drivers as the AWD can wear the clutch and other parts of the drivetrain prematurely.

I agree, the stock tires on the '08 WRX are trash at best. The '09 in addition to stiffer suspension, bigger turbo and better stereo will also have a wider, better rated tire. I also agree that driving style matters, the comparison is between two different animals. For the time being a $160 sturt bar on the WRX makes it about 4 seconds faster on the local track.

i think its pretty fair to compare the GTI to the WRX since they have the other siblings to compare to one another (talkin abt the R32 & STi). i'm for the GTI. personally based on experience, i think its an easier car to handle. i do agree that maybe she didnt follow the axle of the track whatsoever but you have to consider about how the car handles the track. different cars handle situations differently.

what are you talking about the GTI is awsome lookin everything matches up so nicely and the proformance is speechless...never judge a book by its cover!!!

people, not every car comparison should be won by the car wtih the best numbers. you should take in to account handling, drivability, quality and comfort, and in these areas the GTI is without a doubt superior

I love both both cars. I own a GTI so I do have a soft spot for them. And, yes, we know. The new WRX/STI will beat the new GTI's. It's not hard to make a car faster than it's competition. VW doesn't need to go ape shit over speed with the GTI. People are going to be all over them regardless because of the prestige that comes with driving a GTI. They have a history. The WRX/STI is still pretty new to the hot hatch world.

These normal people want something that is fun and exciting to drive in that brings the excitement of the track to the daily commute to work.

Regardless of how she drives, she's familiar with the track and is probably a more accurate comparison of what each car can do.

I agree, the 2009 WRX while still ugly will be a little better with better tires, suspension, exhaust, bigger turbo, better stereo, and a low key body kit. I am stuck with an '08 though and absolutely ticked that the 2008 was supposed to be completely new. A problem I have with my WRX is that it is extremely inconsistant. Some days it has a lot more power than others.

2009 GTI should be a beast. I'd like to see a 2009 GTI vs 2009 WRX. I would LOVE to see a 2010 R20 vs a 2009 WRX STI.. Ooo..

@54FLEX45 Fan boy? No, I'm just a realist. Where did I say the R would keep up with the STI and EVO? I said it would be the less hardcore option in the segment. Like the current GTI compared to faster cars like the Focus ST or Mazdaspeed 3. And yes, these days, Volkswagens are more refined than most Japanese cars. You know those plastic molding strips that cover the seam where the roof attaches to the frame on your Japanese car? VWs are one solid piece made with laser seam welding.

10.8 is definitely a typo unless its top gear acceleration, which if it was is wrong either way because a GTI will not go 30 to 50 in 3 seconds in 6th gear.

All these haters........Compare it to the STI. Hell they had to compare this one to the GTI. GTI is not AWD, less power, and costs less. I bet they wanted to compare it to the AWD R32, but there was absolutely no competition there. One thing I have learned since I lived in Germany....Its not the horsepower that matters, its how the car puts it to the road. Ask the Mustang GT/Civic SI owners stationed in Germany what happens when they hit the Autobahn hehehe.

Straight line performance doesn't tell you how good the chassis is.

Likewise. I love my GTI. I actually was challenged by a 2011 Ram 1500 to a race last week and I slaughtered it. He got a slight jump on me off the line but that was it. Those Hemi's are big, powerful engines, but no match for the GTI.

i have to agree with the poor driver comments. just watching how wide she was taking turns in the wrx should show what this is worth. she's def used to FWD and not the stiffness of an AWD car.

Those numbers are for the much much better 2009 WRX. The one used in this video was the 2008. Subaru thankfully realized the new WRX was too soft and underpowered so they borrowed some parts from the STi and corrected their mistake. The 2009 WRX is a beast and would have beaten the GTI easily.

Yes we are yet to see a test with the newer US-spec 260bhp WRX. It's quite a bit faster than this one.

@sbc2k1 In addition, the 2009 WRX gained a far more track-oriented suspension, which could at the very least, set lap times very near it (hopefully), if not maybe even better than a GTI considering its power and handling improvements.

To be fair, the GTI is underated in power. It might be only 210 HP or whatever, but it gets good numbers at the wheels.. where the WrX is only on par with what its suposed to get.

for the 2008 model subaru softened the suspension making it feel lot sloppier. think they stiffened it back up for the 09 tho.

Tiff, Plato and VIcky are drivers with racing licences. Vicky was racing instructor at silverstone circuit until she take the job at Fifht gear.. so i bet she can handle this cars as good as plato or tiff... well maybe not Tiff ;D

Yeah the new MKVI's are so nice. Looks way more like the originals from the 80's But i really like the MKV as well. I have an MKV GLI Jetta, Love it.

@12valvepower1 It's at least a 2007 model, but probably a 2008 model as that was when 5th Gear did the comparison.

impressively cool and collected driving!

ECO mods don't give you that kind of power in a stock car, only after it has been highly modded. Even if the car is turbo/supercharged from the factory because then you'd be raising the boost and fuel which is not only a ECU re tune (and this tune will likely kill the reliability of the car, cause if not they would have done it straight from the factory). ECU's give a 20 - 30hp increase at most, alone, the ones that claim more, read the dyno chart they probably have other mods with the ECU.

If you were listening, the WRX is a 2.5L engine, to be a rally vehicle, it must be a 2.0L or smaller.

I'm a VW fan, but I never expected that in all honesty. Go golf!!!

A ECU mod will give you a +40 hp bump easily, but I'm with you, a few mods will not get you almost 200 hp per liter.

@luminaeus Sounds good... wouldn't be surprised if the Golf takes a considerable power increase in it's stride, great chassis. Not sure if torque steer comes into it w/power increase(for the FWD GTI), I've never read complaints about it before. I am actually not a WRX owner but looking at a MY11. In AUS the R is another 20k... too much.

Okay lets say there are tiers for car manufacturers, for Subaru the Impreza is tier 1, the Impreza WRX is tier 2, the Impreza WRX STi is tier 3...... why do these shows constantly race differently classed cars against each other? this is like comparing a Corvette Z06 to a Mustang GT...

this should not be top comment. There are a ton a subaru* fans out there that love all cars and respect all drivers.

The Impreza has been in the U.S. market since it's inception in 1993, so blaming America for the Impreza's current shortcomings is silly at best.

Whenever I take my WRX wagon up to the hills with the VW crew, I have never felt like I couldn't keep up(on all season tires) and those guys have far more horsepower than I do along with summer/track tires. I focused on upgrading suspension, they focused on talking about german engineering and installing carbon fiber grill trim. It's not difficult nor expensive to upgrade the WRX suspension to a point where it is competent enough for track use. I just can't stand FWD.

choosing between the two is very hard for me. i love the golf's power and refinement, and comfortable interior. but if it were up to me, i would prefer not having fwd. the suburu is much less luxurious, but i think it has a bigger boot, more power, and awd. it's also a bit slower... idk... if the gti had awd, it would be everything i want in a car...

I think if there was a drop of moisture on the track the WRX would win. Hot and Dry evens out the AWD advantage. Plus it's a hot start, theres no advantage to initial start for the WRX. I love both the VW and WRX, I'd drive both of them.

True, but cornering is also all about AWD. Seriously, even if the GTI beat the WRX, it wouldn't be by 2 seconds. 2 seconds is quite a bit of time for a single lap, specially considering a car with 30hp more power.

If there was a brand new GTI in front of me and a brand new WRX and I could just get either one, I would get the GTI any day of the week over the WRX, waaaay better handling on the GTI, no one can prove me wrong.

You have me rolling, thank you.

I like the new GTIs alot... a whole lot actually. But you know there's something wrong when you see used ones for sale all over the place with less than 8K on them. When I went to test drive the '08 WRX that I now own there were 3 GTIs at the dealer... all traded in for WRXs. The Rex may have lost this one, but it has it's advantages. That's for sure.

I would love to see this run again with 09 models.

These normal people who own cars like these DO race either on a track or on a road.

i was expecting more from the subaru, but if i were to choose between the two, i'd have it anyway because its 4wd and you can have fun of road and on snow as well, not just on a track.

Well the WRX is Subaru's mid range performer and so is the GTI... if you didnt notice there is a thing called the R32. Not only that, the STI is ten thousand dollars more expensive than a GTI. What is the point of comparing one car to another that carries a 50% premium over the other? Yeah that's what I thought.

She says it has a better power to weight ratio? It does if you measure power at the crank. If you want the full story measure power at the wheels to weight.

First off, how is she fat? She weighs all of maybe 130-140lbs. Second, she was an instructor at the Silverstone Circuit for years and she also maintains a national racing license. She's proven time and again that she can keep up with the most talented drivers in the world on the track. Most of you replying here have probably no seat time on a track, let alone the computational fortitude to understand the chassis dynamics on both vehicles. There are more things at play here than HP or FWD vs AWD

I think it's time that Fifth Gear had a re-match with the current WRX(2011 model) and MkVI Golf. I wonder which car would win if they had a comparision between the Clio RS cup and the Golf MkVI?

shes proof you can drift fwd cars without applying the brake

Ok, so subaru listened to all the gripes and changed all the stuff people were complaining about on the 08, which were addressed on the 09, or attempted to be fixed anyway.

No it isn't only about AWD. It's about chassis.

The new S4 (2010 model)is really fantastic!!

STi has got the same chassis and also has enormous body roll.

well IMO, they arent even in the same class. i mean granted that the gti is turbo'd i think its meant to be in the class of tuners such as RSX's, TC's and so on. so the would have to get the hatches to compare and she did say 2.5 so it had to be an STI right? but at the same time she also said 230 so i could be wrong there too.

I hated this comparision because GTI owners have bragged about the outcome for the past year or so. It's a well known fact that the GTI( Stock) is one of the slowest turbo "hot" hatches you can drive. The NA Civic Type R beat the GTI on the TOP GEAR track but you don't see fans carry on and on and on about it. The current WRX would easily beat the MK5 and even the Mk6 GTI.

I think an sti would make a better comparison as far as modle comparison. And I think it would be watching the gti as a little white spec in the rear view

@luram86 nope. just the wrx. the sti is a 6-speed car with about 305hp.

This is a shock for me I knew the GTI is fast but I thought the impreza was faster. I ve raced against a GTI with a stock Lancia Delta evoluzione & I ` ve pulled the gti pants down. Consiidering that the Impreza should be faster than my Lancia than the Impreza should have won

Well not all of us can afford (whether time or money) to dick around with a daily driver. They're ready to go out of the box. That's the whole point of these cars. They provide enough fun and thrill, but yet they're incredibly civilized.

I'm a VW guy, I have a GTI and love the thing dearly. However, I've always loved Suby's, and I'm a little upset it performed so poorly compared to the last body style. Hey, at least they still have the STI right?

I almost got it too like my other friends but there modding the hell out of them soon. I'll see if I can hang with the older Modded WRX friends when I get the New 09' in a few months

Not to mention it costs significantly more than a GTI.

Still, you can't be sure whether more horsepower will make it 2.3 seconds faster to keep up with the Golf.

I respect Vickys thoughts on the scoobie, but id still go for the wrx. its more fun and useful in the winter when it snows, which it does all the time in Sweden, its 21st march and still snowing..

How much kilometres do you go on ice/snow/gravel/dirt/mud? And after you respond me, how much of themes do you go really on the limit?

Maybe it was a boost in confidence or something then, but I am pretty sure I read the stopwatch right side up.

Can't believe the GTI won! Love to see the rear wheel lifting in fast corners :-D I used to love all older WRX models, but the new one just looks bad doesn't it?

that's a great video, lots of subie folks are butt hurt around here now :D Notice how the GTI is rolling on 18" wheels (we all know the Huffs are pretty heavy) and the Scoobie on 17"s but still beats it with LESS Hp and no AWD :P

the GTi is faster than the regular WRX on a track. If you take it rallying it's another story.

Goes to show that the most detrimental weight on any car is reciprocating mass. Heavier wheels & tires are bad for performance so having twice as many axles and driveshafts and differentials can't help either.

@54FLEX45 And it's highly misleading to say the WRX is only a fraction of a second slower than the STI. We're not talking drag racers here. The extra $10k the STI costs all goes into better parts. Iron suspension parts versus aluminum. If you talk to people who have driven both on real roads, they'll tell you that the WRX reaches its limits far before the STI does. So, in the real world, I would expect this order. GTI < WRX < Golf R < Evo < STI < Non-US Spec Evos & STIs

You all know that the 2009+ WRX's are a completely different beast right? They dyno the same #'s as the STi. Stiffer suspension, bigger anti-sway bars, uprated dampers, wider tires, better transmission than previous generations (LGT trans). The new WRX would rape the GTI.

I'm still waiting for the re-match between the current GTI and WRX.

Damn I love my car! This video just proves what I already knew.

Wow, did she just cross her arms over each other while holding the wheels with her thumbs?...that definitely looks like a proper driving technique...

anyone think that these shows are completely biased and which ever car company pays more gets the win

Your right Doesnt Sabine hold the record on the Nurburgring... She Drove a damn diesel Ford delivery van around it in under 9 min.. That girl can drive Yes the 2010 Sedan WRX is no Joke... Its Very quick I raced one with my Lightly Modded Rabbit.. I still managed to keep within 2 car lengths from dig.. ..

AWD loses the most HP from crank to wheel compared to any other setup. Also, FWD + Front engine is the best setup (same as RWD + Rear engine) for the least power loss.

Actually...They brought back the Golf for the MKVI, and got rid of the Rabbit.