$30K Showdown - Volkswagen GTI Vs. Subaru WRX Which Has Reserved A Place In YOUR Garage?

Coming in around $30k, the Volkswagen GTI and Subaru WRX may not be the most obvious of rivals, but they offer similar fun at a similar price point and as such, are cross-shopped quite often. Even still, they are quite similar fundamentally. Both have turbocharged four-cylinder power. Both are synonyms for inexpensive fun. And both have a lot to live up to.

As a genre-defining model with very few missteps along the way, Volkswagen has their work cut out for them each time a GTI refresh comes along. In the past decade, this challenge has been made even more difficult by the introduction of serious competitors to the US market from Ford, Subaru and others. Luckily, Volkswagen has not rested on their laurels for the seventh generation car, bringing experts from Porsche to tweak the GTI’s suspension, and developing a third generation of their EA888 2.0 TSI, good for 220hp and 258ft-lbs tq straight from the factory. Clearly the new GTI came to play.
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valhallakey - 2/18/2015 5:53:51 PM

0 Boost

Nice article, agree with the conclusion, WRX is more fun for the day but for a longer term ownership proposition to me the VW would be my choice as well. Day in and day out it is a nice drive and it is up for the game when you are.

MDarringer - 2/18/2015 9:08:18 PM

+2 Boost

I despise Subarus, but I'd go with the WRX for the advantages it has in quality, reliability, and durability. Life is too short to deal with VW's reliability, durability, and component replacement cost woes. Yeah, a Subaru will leak in your driveway at 75K miles and the valve train will get noisier about then, but it will go 200K miles.

vdiv - 2/18/2015 10:24:29 PM

-2 Boost

Neither...

The eGolf does ;)

trmckin - 2/19/2015 11:56:47 AM

+2 Boost

Hey look at vdiv! He's green! We get it man. Not everyone shares the desire for nuclear and coal fired cars. Thanks!

vdiv - 2/19/2015 9:38:30 PM

+1 Boost

Sun-powered, my friend, sun-powered.

trmckin - 2/24/2015 9:30:44 PM

+1 Boost

Sun currently provides next to nothing in terms of total US energy consumption. Great in theory, application not there yet. Wind and solar make your argument a little better but still, we just aren't there yet.

vdiv - 2/25/2015 9:52:12 PM

+1 Boost

Don't forget that wind power is sun power. EVs as a proportion are also next to nothing, but when powered by renewables they make a difference. Both are growing. For example 10% of Texas' electricity last year was produced by wind power, up from 6% in 2009.

We may not be there yet as a whole, but we could be, and we are getting there, some a bit faster than others ;)

MorePower - 2/18/2015 11:50:11 PM

+2 Boost

WRX is more fun, but the GTI has more space and is still fun to toss around.

I would wait for Toyota to get their heads out of their ass so Subaru can release a WRX hatch.

mini22 - 2/19/2015 12:19:06 PM

+3 Boost

It would have to be the WRX.I think day to day it will be more reliable, has AWD capability, as well as a secure locking trunk. The VW is more refined but I'm not sure about engine reliability(carbon build up on the valves after a few years). Also while the VW may be as capable I'm not sure the driving experience is as much fun as the Subaru. I don't mind putting up with slightly cheaper interior plastics.

carsnyc - 2/19/2015 7:41:11 PM

+1 Boost

WRX all the way based on reliability alone

flyimac - 10/16/2015 9:36:05 AM

+1 Boost

After buying a completely loaded 2015 XT Forester I would go with GTI, I've had loss of power issues, road roar is loud and too many rattles. Subaru needs to work on the details and their cars would be hard to beat.

flyimac - 10/31/2015 4:41:35 PM

+1 Boost

Well, I put my money where my mouth is, bought a 2016 GTI Autobahn....a incredibly fun car that has a great interior.