Track ATTACK: Civic Type R vs. Focus RS, WRX STI, and Golf R - Pick YOUR Winner

It's been a long time since we such a wide and varied selection of sports compact cars hitting the market at once. They make something for everybody: modern daily drivers, old-school rally cars for the road and track toys. Yet somehow, everything revolves around the new Honda Civic Type R.

he second time Honda stuck a turbo in the CTR, it got a lot more things right, like the sort of ride you can live with every day or the type of toys that young enthusiasts want. This review from Auto Guide also paints a pretty picture when it comes to tracking use, as the Civic rewards even the novice driver.

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MDarringer - 9/1/2017 7:42:01 PM

+2 Boost

I'd prefer the Focus RS to the Golf R because the Focus is much more rowdy, but I wouldn't kick the Golf R to the curb.

The Subaru is the least appealing to me. Styling is a foreign concept to them and then there's the annoying Beetle engine to contend with.

The Civic is a great car hobbled with hideous styling.

t_bone - 9/1/2017 8:07:24 PM

+3 Boost

Civic R styling - why wait for Lego to make a Technic model when you can do it to the real thing?

Firewombat - 9/2/2017 3:08:40 AM

+3 Boost

Golf if you're just using it as a daily. Focus if you actually are going to a track on the weekends.

mini22 - 9/3/2017 1:15:32 AM

+1 Boost

The Ford Focus RS to me has the best exterior styling. Much better than the Type R or WRX STI. The Golf is simply dull and does not distinguish itself from a base GTI. However more then one publication has said who poor the ride quality is in the Type R. It may be great on a track but day to day driving its soft setting is very hard and track setting is simply too uncomfortable for anything but track driving. In fact I've read it spoils the car. The type R looks outrageous but drives as comfortable as a Golf R when in comfort mode. The point is you can live with it everyday. It has one of the most comfortable seats, great rear leg room and cargo capacity. The Subaru has always been the gritty sports sedan. Not the best interior but durable and hard wearing. Too much turbo lag yet it still handles well for it's age. It does not ride great off track but at least its rides a little better than the RS. I'm not so sure it's that much better than a regular WRX for the extra price Subaru charges. It does not really handle better than the WRX and may be a little quicker in a straight line. However optioned out the regular WRX is over 5 grand cheaper and 98% as good.From an engineering point of view the drift mode on the RS and the engineering the torquesteer out of the Type R is frankly amazing. The RS sounds better but I keep reading that the Type R still drives better and is technically lower in price(if you can find one).