2011 Subaru WRX or 2011 VW Golf GTi..... which one?

[calais]

Just as my Skoda vRS thread which I started over two years ago, I am looking to update my Skoda.

I am considering two cars at the expense of every other desirable car in my price range (40k).

My criteria are as follows
- Fuel economy of less than 8.5L/100km during my daily 50km drive (rural 80km/h with twists and hairpins)
- Power to burn should I want to overtake, IMHO there is nothing more aggravating than putting your foot down to find a heap of noise and no shove.
- Decent resale (Both the VW and Subaru appear to do well in that regard)
- Comfy seats (No leather...... hate the stuff sadly)
- And above all..... to be a fun car to drive.

As far as my impressions after driving both for a considerable time, the WRX has the GTi eaten alive as far as handling and straight line performance is concerned, it truly is a weapon........ The VW definately has standard features, cabin ambience and quality of manufacture over the Subaru and doesn't give too much away in ride quality.

I'd like to know what other people might say in regard to either car, which may help me to decide which car to go with.

(BTW both cars are base model manuals, subaru being a 5 speed and the VW a 6 speeder, ratios are spread over the much the same range though)

Cheers!

[IceValk85]

buy another skoda....

the VWs are the toshibas of the car world... vastly over-rated.

as for the WRX... man that is alot of malformed plastic. the wagons just ugly, but its very functional. the 5 spd gearbox is not bad either from what ive read. then again, most subaru gearboxes feel like a screwdriver being dragged through an icecream bucket filled with nuts and bolts (clarkson or may for that one)

the skodas a better put together version of the VW, so why not go there again?

[calais]

The Skoda Octavia vRS hasnt been updated significantly over what I currently own, if it had been...... I'd be definately looking!

[superfly]

Will either car do 8.5L/100km? I doubt the WRX will get there having owned a couple. Not sure about the GTi.

Out of those 2, I'd go for the WRX but mainly for the AWD. They're a fun, safe car to drive. But they don't look at great and the interior is pretty dull. Golf looks good internally and externally but I don't know if I could buy one.

[Dave R]

I've experienced the latest WRX and they are really quite potent. The seats are nice and they are a blast through corners.. but I don't think you will get less than 8.5L unless you baby the hell out of it.

[1TUFFUTE]

maybe you should just suck it up and get the rex thing outa the way now man. Plenty of time later in life for a golf gti

[MITCHAY]

No way in hell you will get that good fuel economy. If you managed to it would be because you were driving like a granny so you might as well just got a cheaper car. Good luck keeping off the right foot though lol

[Wretched]

depends on what you prefer out of the two.
I'm not keen on the cut price nasty Subaru interiors and general lack of solidity they have. Personally I would go the GTi, it may not be as quick but as a total package I find them more superior.

[lockieoc]

Hard to say as neither of those cars are going to meet your criteria.

Also, proper performance car is going to do 8.5l through the style of roads your talking about.
I think some more research is in order. There are so many hot hatch comparisons and road tests that have published that you should be able to get a good idea.

[DJM83]

I really rate the looks of both cars, but the performance of the WRX not so much, lots of grip but nothing more IMO
That's still a bloody hard choice, I think the WRX would still win for me (are insurance costs still (rediculous)
I also reckon the VW will be better quality. Tough choice though.

[ebxr8240]

Both nice cars..
I would chose the WRX. Bigger engine, AWD..
Both would have good resale value..
Insurance is no more expensive. But I guess age group
comes into play ??
Your wanting [like we all do] TDI fuel economy from a performance EFI
engine...

[chevypower]

I would go WRX, but I also love to hate Subarus.

[BrisVegas]

WRX easily. Faster and more visceral. GTIs are for latte sipping girls and school mums. I rarely see guys driving them. Good mate of mine (a surgeon) had a red GTI and liked it, but he got tired of all the nurses at the hospital having the same car, so he eventually traded it for an S3.

Is the new Focus ST out yet?

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by BrisVegas

WRX easily. Faster and more visceral. GTIs are for latte sipping girls and school mums. I rarely see guys driving them. Good mate of mine (a surgeon) had a red GTI and liked it, but he got tired of all the nurses at the hospital having the same car, so he eventually traded it for an S3.

Is the new Focus ST out yet?

No new ST yet and it will be a while off too, I'm waiting aswell but still not sold

[GT014]

Being the owner of a MY09 WRX (which is basically the same as the MY11 without the wide body) I'd definitely go the Rex. As long as you can get past the cheap and spartan interior, its such a blast to drive. My average fuel economy after 31000kms, is 9.4 and I do a fair bit of freeway driving and short stops.

Drive it normally and it sips the juice, just like any 4cyl car. Put your foot down and it enjoys a drink. With a combination of short sprints and freeway driving you will average around 9.4 ltrs/100km.

Instead of buying a new MY11 WRX, ever thought of a MY09 Sti? There's a huge difference in handling.

If want new then the WRX is an excellent car, the seats are comfy and the car stick to the road. This year I'm updating to a FG F6 or a FG GT 315 as I have always wanted a V8, but am torn between the 2. I'm a bit over a manual transmission too, expecially taking the princess Fwy to work most morning in stop start traffic.

[TheSneakiness]

Based on your criteria, neither.

Based on performance, there is a reason why WRX will always rate a mention.

Personally I wouldn't buy either as my priorities in car buying have changed but I would drive both and make a choice from there.

[blueoval]

Both cars are very exceptional vehicles to which I have dreamed of in the past to some degree still do.

personally I am a fan of VW's. If I had the choice, I'd go the Golf R or R32. V6, AWD and goes pretty hard. Not sure how that would compare to a wrx but it should be close I would assume.

Build quality is excellent and resale on those is pretty good too. The fuel consumption would be the killer on a 6. But the insurance I would imagine be slightly cheaper over the cult wrx.

Another option is a GT Sport Golf with the supercharged turbo 4? From what I hear they pack a punch. I think you can get them in a diesel option too???

The WRX's are fun, quick and respected cars too. It's a tough choice and I look forward to hearing your reason for your decision.

[falconnut]

Why dont you get a FG Falcon?

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by falconnut

Why dont you get a FG Falcon?

If he does, he can throw away the resale portion of his requirements.

[falconnut]

Originally Posted by blueoval

If he does, he can throw away the resale portion of his requirements.

Maybe he should wait for the 2016 model

But in all seriousness what car do you have now op, a skoda?

Why not a BF XR6T ?

[jjw]

http://brisbanetimes.drive.com.au/ne...107-14ta0.html

This may provide some useful reading.

It gives the gong to the gti over the mps and then the wrx. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of those, but they all have their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Which dealer is closest to you for after sales and servicing?
What brand 'does it' for you in terms of key-ring credibility?
Is there still a waiting list for the gti?
Should you wait for the new model wrx or even the focus st?

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by calais

Just as my Skoda vRS thread which I started over two years ago, I am looking to update my Skoda.

I am considering two cars at the expense of every other desirable car in my price range (40k).

My criteria are as follows
- Fuel economy of less than 8.5L/100km during my daily 50km drive (rural 80km/h with twists and hairpins)
- Power to burn should I want to overtake, IMHO there is nothing more aggravating than putting your foot down to find a heap of noise and no shove.
- Decent resale (Both the VW and Subaru appear to do well in that regard)
- Comfy seats (No leather...... hate the stuff sadly)
- And above all..... to be a fun car to drive.

As far as my impressions after driving both for a considerable time, the WRX has the GTi eaten alive as far as handling and straight line performance is concerned, it truly is a weapon........ The VW definately has standard features, cabin ambience and quality of manufacture over the Subaru and doesn't give too much away in ride quality.

I'd like to know what other people might say in regard to either car, which may help me to decide which car to go with.

(BTW both cars are base model manuals, subaru being a 5 speed and the VW a 6 speeder, ratios are spread over the much the same range though)

Cheers!

If I can get 8.0L/100km out of my Forester XT (MY09) on a 70km daily commute, I'm sure you can get 8.5 out of a WRX. Your right foot is the only limiting factor.

I had a MY05 WRX that averaged 9.75 with heavy urban commuting so a newer more efficient model would have no trouble.

WRX goes harder, faster than the GTi, but isn't that flash inside... whats more important.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by falconnut

Maybe he should wait for the 2016 model

But in all seriousness what car do you have now op, a skoda?

Why not a BF XR6T ?

1- Where do you buy a new BF XR6T
2- Lower resale.
3- Fuel economy aswell, although its not bad.

[calais]

I appreciate the constructive comments thus far, and have given them due consideration.

To those that have said I was dreaming with my fuel economy expectations, im not. I have had each car for three days apiece and over my daily drive which my Octavia manages 7.6l/100km, the VW managed 7.4l/100km and the Subaru 8.3l/100km. I get such economy with nothing more than a smooth driving style which utilises torque over peak power. I like to be comfortable though so the A/C was always on.

So far it seemed as though the Subaru really is the driver car of the pair, owing to the way it delivers power, and grips and goes. That said though the interior is definately sparse and built with simplicity in mind. It still has cruise/bluetooth/low beam xenons/sports seating/stablity control etc...... I am aware though that the EJ25 engine in the WRX is now a generation behind the times by being without direct injection and a 6 speeder, but is it a strong and reliable driveline?

The VW is definately softer and perhaps easier to live with day to day in the way it drives, and being front wheel drive with an electronic tricky diff up front, tugs when the power is applied in low grip situations, but it has better seats and like I said earlier the ambience is really nice too with the dark rooflining. The VW also has nice little things like an adjustable centre console/auto dimming rear view mirror/automatic headlights/multifunction display and little things like that. What I dont like though, is the dual mass flywheel which the manual car is equipped with (Nasty rattle when they fail and they are expensive to fix when they go!) And that the Golf is physically a much smaller car.

There really is so much to consider!

[calais]

I should also shoot the "buy an XR6T" ideas down right now.

Owing to the simple fact that I dont want or need a car that large.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by calais

I should also shoot the "buy an XR6T" ideas down right now.

Owing to the simple fact that I dont want or need a car that large.

Add to that the fact that they are not fun compared to a hi-po small car particularly in auto...

Id go for the REX for the sake of performance, the closer VAG rival is the Golf R. VW interiors and options are pretty though, the REX has an interior that looks like it came from a 4x4 tradies ute.

[HVAC PRO]

have you looked at the VW Scirocco R i think they look alright not sure how the price compares to the golf or rex. http://www.volkswagen.com.au/en/models/scirocco-r.html

[calais]

The VW Scirocco is definately out of my price range :(

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by calais

The VW Scirocco is definately out of my price range :(

How do the GTi/WRX compare price wise

I know in NZ the Golf is at least $12k more

[xr8 007]

Renault Megane anyone?