Car and Driver - 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 vs. 2010 Volkswagen GTI Comparo

Before you start tickling your Blackberry to tell us we paired these two just a few months ago [“Dirty Speed, Done Dirt Cheap,” January 2009], listen up: These aren’t quite the same as the top two in that seven-way all-skate. Both have undergone makeovers for 2010, so we are clearly obligated to explore what effect, if any, the revisions have had on their relative standing in the cheap-speed continuum.

That’s our official rationale. Unofficially, we figure no excuse is too trivial when there’s a chance to put these compact outlaws through their paces. (How’s that? They changed the GTI’s headlight bezels? And the Speed 3 has new exhaust tips? Okay! Let’s go!)
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JustaCar - 11/16/2009 9:31:08 AM

+6 Boost

The difference is "which car would you want to take out for a joy ride (Mazda) and which car would you want to own and drive on a daily basis (GTI)".

dhkss2002 - 11/16/2009 4:20:07 AM

+3 Boost

Well put Badgewhore. The VW gets points just for showing up.

Shredmo - 11/16/2009 10:57:19 AM

+1 Boost

The GTI does the 1/4 in 14.9 seconds?
Come on, minivans aren't much slower now days.

Shredmo - 11/17/2009 10:08:07 AM

+1 Boost

The differences in "luxury" are not that far off between the two cars. Acceleration performance is a tested category and the MSP3 has a significant advantage here, this is why us "Yanks" are discussing it. In the US, there are two types of hatchbacks, performance and economy. In the US, hatchback and luxury are not synonymous. Not sure why this concept is so offensive to Euros.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 11/16/2009 8:42:57 PM

+1 Boost

I keep wondering if it is the same Golf GTI we drive over here that badgewhore is talking about.

Because the GTI we get over here is bettered only by the S3

The levels of Refinement and Build Quality presented in the Golf is not matched by anything from Ford / Vauxhall / Mazda / Volvo.

Also the fact that the american commenters here seem to be focussed only on HP and Accel Nos as opposed to refinement and Quality of Materials confirms everything we Europeans feel about Yanks not knowing the first thing about Luxury or Quality.

Either that or the NA VW Golf is built to much lower standard in terms of Quality or Refinement.

Shredmo - 11/17/2009 10:22:44 AM

-1 Boost

I95, Euros know about luxury and quality. Americans know about brute force. Luxury and quality are nice qualities to have in your living room, while brute force is an excellent feature to have in your daily driver automobile, to make your morning commute more stimulating than a double espresso. Great job picking up on the differences between the two cultures. Frown upon me that I like having a car that will still throw me back in my seat when I drop the hammer while traveling over 120kmh. To me that is far more impressive than wood inserts on my 'people's' car. Grow a sack.

Shredmo - 11/17/2009 12:42:47 PM

0 Boost

What this has to do with two similar cars with similar weights is beyond me. The fact that one vehicle has substantially higher power to weight ratio should be a good thing. What has motoring come to?

F1_Driver - 11/16/2009 6:22:29 PM

-3 Boost

VW ... yawn ... wake me up when they can build a car that excites me.