Subaru's WRX STI is a brilliant and competent car. It's superbly quick in acceleration, agile when thrown into a corner, but it's not a road racing competitor to Volkswagen's Golf R as everyone ...

The all-new Honda Civic Type R takes on the competition in the ultimate showdown for sport compact supremacy.

But the Subaru is running a PPG straight-cut 5-speed gearbox, while the Golf R has a more modern 7-speed dual-clutch one. The STI weighs in at 2,535 lbs (1,150 kg).

The 2022 Golf R competes with other affordable performance cars including the Honda Civic Type R, Subaru WRX STI, Hyundai Veloster N, and Subaru BRZ.

Although it’s super quick in the corners, the long-awaited 2023 Toyota GR Corolla barely manages to cross the line ahead of the Subaru WRX STI. First place – as expected - goes to the Golf R.

The Subaru Levorg STI Sport R also benefits from a few hardware upgrades from the WRX sports sedan, such as a drive mode selector that calibrates the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and the ...