A sport compact 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.