2015 WRX vs Focus ST, VW GTI, Mazdaspeed3 and Civic Si

Only slightly biased review. I like the AWD, but the interior highway noise level of the WRX killed it for me. I chose the ST, which is a great blend of daily drivability and fun when I want it. It's also made in the USA, which is a plus if you're patriotic at all.

This is a pretty biased article.

You're clearly a Subaru fan boy. You do so much cherry picking of data I'm a little surprised you wrote that review professionally to be honest. The biggest problem with your review is you imply that the quantifiable attributes you selected directly correlate with what people are looking for in a car. More gears, quicker steering, more space, more power...

Also, you don't acknowledge that these are vehicles people buy to live with on a daily basis. "More is better" is just childishly simplistic. Turbo lag, boost threshold and engine noise are all engine characteristics that can't be easily quantified but can massively affect the real life usability of the power and pleasure of driving.

Saying a CVT is a better option over a DCT in any sort of performance car is just blasphemous. An automatic will always lose the owner credibility points, but a CVT with simulated gears is about as cool as simulating engine noise through the audio system. Automated manuals are the undeniable trend of the sports car industry, and the only acceptable compromise to a manual. The CVT is just a reminder that the WRX can't get entirely away from the Impreza.

The WRX easily is the best handling car because of its AWD, but realistically the bar for the WRX is higher than the competition. The "hot hatch" field was meant to be upgraded economy cars with only a bit of excitement. They have made big strides in power recently, but their affordable and practical nature is why the WRX is not really in the same class.

Feeling the road through the steering wheel is the most important attribute of a car's handling, and bad EPS destroys the feel of even a tight steering ratio. Without a test drive the best steering system can't be determined. The Focus ST obviously has very tight steering, but the variable ratio is not for everyone. A lot of reviewers don't like the inconsistency.

Consumers want a car that FEELS spacious more than they want a car that leads in cubic feet. How well the space is used can easily be the determining factor in which car is right for a wide variety of drivers and passengers.

Too bad Subaru couldn't figure out how to make more power than Hyundai does out of their 2.0 turbo.... and do it on 87 octane like Hyundai does.

How Hyundai just needs to build a better car to put it in.

AWD is definitely not the way of the future for true performance driving. Proper driving happens with RWD. There is no compromise. The front tires do the turning and most braking. The rear tires are for power and braking. AWD gives the front tires too much to do and adds a lot of weight.

I agree the article is biased, but take it for what it is; somebody's opinion.. just like my post here.

I think the WRX has always been a great car. It will continue to be, but it's a sport compact car, not a true sports car.

A sport compact car comparison that discusses engine power but ignores weight and drive-train losses isn't very informative. The WRX is probably the heaviest and has the most drive-train losses in the group. Compare the 5-60 mph sprints that many auto enthusiast magazines perform and you'll see the WRX fails to differentiate itself from the pack. Also, dyno tests show the WRX is not making peak torque at 2000 RPM as advertised.

These are all inexpensive cars that represent a compromise between practicality and sportiness, but purchase price and fuel efficiency have been ignored. Still, the author claims Direct Injection is a "must have" while the Si gets better fuel economy than the WRX without it.

I agree that ETV can enhance the driving experience, but sometimes the fun is temporary. The ETV on the Focus ST cooks the brakes pretty quick and leaves you with an understeering pig afterward. Meanwhile, most (all?) of the other FWD options here include mechanical LSDs which offer many of the same advantages. Will the ETV system on the WRX hold up? It's too early to tell. At any rate, I'm pretty sure the Subaru BRZ matches or surpasses the WRX driving experience without it.

Steering ratio is of limited importance, especially when the numbers are similar. There are other attributes to steering that are much more important, but those attributes are admittedly subjective. The author's presentation of the information makes it sound as though a lower ratio is always better, which it's not.

Regarding passenger volume, more is not always better because there's a natural compromise between volume and weight, as well as size. Smaller cars are typically lighter, easier to park, and have a smaller turning radius. The fact is that people need as much room as they need, and having more is of little benefit. If more was always better, who would by a BRZ?

The objective comparisons are simplistic and ill-informed, and this article has no redeeming qualities. Having reached the end, I am left questioning if the author even so much as sat in each of the cars, let alone drove them.

I own a BRZ and test drove a cvt auto wrx for my wife. I can safely say ithe cvt wrx handled almost as good as my brz. No complaints from me if she gets it. Cheers.

i just wonder why u compare 2015 sport car with 2014 sport car?
How about i compare 2020 sport car compare with 2015 WRX ?
I grantee 2015 WRX lose all the spec to future 2020 sport car~