drive.com.au review - New WRX v Golf GTI v Civic Type R [Archive]

digifish

2nd September 2007, 06:29 PM

The WRX is not in the same league as the GTi and Type R......drive.com prove once again they're complete morons.

Hang on...they concluded that it was ...

Type R < WRX < GTi

seems about right to me. The WRX vs GTI ordering is something that would depend on how much rain you get where you live :)

The type R's lack of torque is a huge handicap around town as is its suspension.

digifish

Calibrated

2nd September 2007, 06:49 PM

Wankers should've thrown the OPC in the mix with that...

digifish

2nd September 2007, 07:35 PM

They did mention something that I noticed...the first time I saw the Type R it looked like it had come from space...and I had to have one, right now!...within 12 months it just looks angular and a bit try-hard/fake (IMO).

The GTI sill looks very smart, although I think it's got too much front-end overhang.

The WRX will probably age well and grow on us...although right now it just looks plain and a little awkward.

digifish

Shaun

2nd September 2007, 09:23 PM

The WRX is not in the same league as the GTi and Type R......drive.com prove once again they're complete morons.
Are you kidding your self ??? Have you driven or even seen a New WRX in the flesh?

why? because it doesnt have a fancy interior?

The WRX is a great car. I have driven a MY07 (Last of the run out model) and i couldnt complain about the interior. Sure the may not be up to the European levels but they still are nice and the seats are comfy to sit in..

RudeOne

2nd September 2007, 09:32 PM

I hope there is a better sedan version coming shortly after that hatch is released or Mitsubishi's evo will take all the die hard rexie fans over to the dark side :)

Calibrated

2nd September 2007, 09:39 PM

I hope there is a better sedan version coming shortly after that hatch is released or Mitsubishi's evo will take all the die hard rexie fans over to the dark side :)
There is a sedan version..and its not much better looking :rolleyes:
its not BAD though..

however, keep in mind this is NOT the STI. i foresee a GTR type of breakaway.

Vectracious

2nd September 2007, 09:43 PM

The WRX is a great car. I have driven a MY07 (Last of the run out model) and i couldnt complain about the interior. Sure the may not be up to the European levels but they still are nice and the seats are comfy to sit in..

The bucket seats in my 05 are right up there in some of the best seat's I have sat in - unless you are a fat bastard and can't fit in them, they hold you in very well.

The interior is a bit bitsy though, however, you are looking (not in the new model obviously) at a car that was introduced 6 years ago now, you cannot expect it to compete with a Golf V or the Civic which are a lot newer. The 08 is supposed to address that issue, although I haven't actually sat in one so can't comment. :)

Vectracious

2nd September 2007, 09:45 PM

I hope there is a better sedan version coming shortly after that hatch is released or Mitsubishi's evo will take all the die hard rexie fans over to the dark side :)

The sedan version is actually quite conservative just like the hatch - the Evo X is definately more aggressive.

Subaru has played a different hand with this model - and I reckon they will sell a lot more cars for it....

SIMid

2nd September 2007, 10:22 PM

I like the Honda cause it's different (styling) than anything on the road. As for the Rex, engineering wise, it's a great car and again, shame about the body.

R3N

2nd September 2007, 10:30 PM

The bucket seats in my 05 are right up there in some of the best seat's I have sat in - unless you are a fat bastard and can't fit in them, they hold you in very well.

Have you sat in an RS4 or a Golf R32? :p

Vectracious

2nd September 2007, 10:34 PM

Have you sat in an RS4 or a Golf R32? :p

The RS4 has replaced the M5 as my ultimate car, and I have sat in one and almost had an accident, however, as good as the RS4 is, living in it wouldn't be a viable option :D :p

Hence, the Rex seats are still some of the best seats I have ever sat in :D

Calibrated

2nd September 2007, 10:40 PM

Have you sat in an RS4 or a Golf R32? :p

not impressed with the R32 at all. in all aspects.about $20 000 overpriced for what you get.

my 25cents worth.

R3N

2nd September 2007, 10:41 PM

The RS4 has replaced the M5 as my ultimate car, and I have sat in one and almost had an accident, however, as good as the RS4 is, living in it wouldn't be a viable option :D :p

Hence, the Rex seats are still some of the best seats I have ever sat in :D

doesn't the brochure say uncomfortably sleeps two?

R3N

2nd September 2007, 10:43 PM

not impressed with the R32 at all. in all aspects.about $20 000 overpriced for what you get.

my 25cents worth.

i was talking about the seats, not the car in question

Vectracious

2nd September 2007, 10:43 PM

doesn't the brochure say uncomfortably sleeps two?

Yeah, but 400L of boot space wouldn't fit all of my wife's shoes - hence the problem.. :p:D

Calibrated

2nd September 2007, 10:47 PM

i was talking about the seats, not the car in question
i know:p

seats are comfy. i'll agree..but i wouldnt pay 70k for its seats :p

R3N

2nd September 2007, 11:01 PM

hmm just checked the recaros on the r32 are a 4k option!

oh and given the 3 options, i'd take the GTi

typeR is too much of an attention whore and i just cant stand the look of the wrx

Calibrated

2nd September 2007, 11:25 PM

hmm just checked the recaros on the r32 are a 4k option!

oh and given the 3 options, i'd take the GTi

typeR is too much of an attention whore and i just cant stand the look of the wrx
and if an OPC was in the equation?

bornwild

3rd September 2007, 08:19 AM

Definitely the OPC Astra.....Even though the Golf is a more refined car, I'd still have the Astra

Apex

3rd September 2007, 09:09 AM

Shaun

3rd September 2007, 10:15 AM

I believe this was a good comparison, I can see merits in all three cars tested and I think choosing the write hot hatch is personal thing.

The Civic would be the car I’d go for, I don’t drive during the week and enjoy a weekend fang on a back road or a race track.

I thought the WRX looked soft in comparison, they need to get rid of that stupid interheater scoop and give it and extra 20kw and an extra cog!

Golf. Yawn.

Civic is a Good Package and looks great.

I agree that the WRX looks softer as the body now has softer lines then the out going to model.

Golf YAWN... Im just bored thinking about it..... The DSG is a great thing though in the Golf GTI i wont dispute that. But with the New EVO having the same transmisson fitted (just under a different name as its a Borg Warner Transmisson) i would dare say it will be come common in a few more cars soon enough.

skulless

3rd September 2007, 10:59 AM

i would still go for the wrx and then type r. better yet if i can afford the sti...which probably wont happen in the short future...lol

my fav wrx version is still the 22B STI

digifish

3rd September 2007, 11:10 AM

I thought the WRX looked soft in comparison, they need to get rid of that stupid interheater scoop and give it and extra 20kw and an extra cog!

Honestly with the torque it has, it probably doesn't need one. I am fairly sure the CDTi would be quicker to 100 if they lost a cog and stretched the remaining gears out a bit.

digifish.

rjastra

3rd September 2007, 01:46 PM

The civic type-r is selling at a rate higher than the MPS3.
I didn't understand why then I thought. What are the only hot hatches you can drive on your Ps?

The only competent ones are the Swift SPort, XR4 and the Type R.

Other figures: The GOlf Gti sells at twice the rate of the other hot hatches.
The just replaced WRX was only selling 100/mth which is about the same rate as the Mazda MPS3.

I think Subaru was correct in going the softer hatch route for the new WRX.
I think mitsubishi has taken the wrong path in releasing the new Lancer as a sedan only initially. Not to mention that the photos of the production Evo X look nowhere near as nice as the concept car pics. It looks poorly detailed and unbalanced.

sasrit

3rd September 2007, 02:39 PM

Civic is a Good Package and looks great.

I agree that the WRX looks softer as the body now has softer lines then the out going to model.

Golf YAWN... Im just bored thinking about it..... The DSG is a great thing though in the Golf GTI i wont dispute that. But with the New EVO having the same transmisson fitted (just under a different name as its a Borg Warner Transmisson) i would dare say it will be come common in a few more cars soon enough.

Maybe we're saying YAWN about the Golf because its been top of the tree as an overall package for the last 2 and a half years and we're all a bit over it, it's not the quickest or the most outrageous looking but it does almost everything so well that it is the benchmark. I've seen a couple of new WRX's on the road now, and they just look dull and almost copy a Daewoo Lanos in profile.....the old rex wasn't a good looking car as such, but at least was purposeful and had some street cred. They have gone for the 35-55 yr buyer group with the new WRX IMHO.

Vectracious

3rd September 2007, 03:00 PM

the old rex wasn't a good looking car as such, but at least was purposeful and had some street cred. They have gone for the 35-55 yr buyer group with the new WRX IMHO.

Exactly. The majority of the members in the Victorian WRX club are closer to 30-40 years old than there are to 20. All the original fanboys have grown up and are probably looking at something that won't scare the neighbours or the inlaws. And considering the backlash Subaru has received over the Impreza styling the last few years (who can forget the bug-eye uproar, and the more recent "pigface" with the 06 model) - they've played it safe bringing out something very conservative style wise.

digifish

3rd September 2007, 03:12 PM

...who can forget the bug-eye uproar

I must say I never got this upset...

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2002ImprezaWRX.jpg

That looks like a reasonably pretty car to me,

digifish.

Vectracious

3rd September 2007, 03:16 PM

I must say I never got this upset...

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2002ImprezaWRX.jpg

That looks like a reasonably pretty car to me,

digifish.

You'd be surprised, a lot of people really hated the 01-02 model. It was also the heaviest and slowest of the lot so that might have a bit to do with it as well.

bornwild

3rd September 2007, 06:22 PM

I doubt that the bug-eye WRX is any different(technically) to the just gone-out model WRX....maybe a few tweaks here and there but not that drastic....it was just ugly..

Wraith

3rd September 2007, 09:00 PM

I read that comparo and thought it was a pretty good and unbiased run down.

As much as I like the look and interior of the new Civic type R, it really does lack in power (ie: torque) to raise any serious interest for me....

The Golf Gti really is a class act.

And as for the Wrx, I agree with most peoples comments here, BUT just wait till the new '08 Sti model arrives, styling wise, it's looking better and better all the time, it will have at least 225kw and 430nm stock and I wouldn't be surprised if Subaru have also developed a DSG type trans version as well, to compete with the new Mitsu Evo 10 in certain markets, afterall Subaru have been using automated padel shifting manuals in some of their rally cars for quite some time...

The new upcoming Golf will be a treat too, I've read it will have the same uprated 2.0ltr TFSI engine as the S3 :)

Black Nugget

3rd September 2007, 09:04 PM

I hope there is a better sedan version coming shortly after that hatch is released or Mitsubishi's evo will take all the die hard rexie fans over to the dark side :)

The sedan looks worse IMO, it lloks like a kia rio sedan!!

URL=http://imageshack.us]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3016/uglygo2.jpg[/url]

not ugly but very corrolla like in......what, i fell asleep!

USC

3rd September 2007, 11:45 PM

OMG! the new WRX sedan is SO UGLY!!

The sedan looks worse IMO, it lloks like a kia rio sedan!!

URL=http://imageshack.us]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3016/uglygo2.jpg[/url]

not ugly but very corrolla like in......what, i fell asleep!

R3N

4th September 2007, 12:26 AM

I'd take the VXR if given the choice but then again it doesn't fit in the category, not because its not a hot hatch but simply because of the price. Face it, the kind of market these cars are targetted at puts a huge emphasis on price.

If they were compared based on being hot hatches and want to include the VXR, then you should also include the Alfa 147 GTA, Renault Megane turbo, Clio 182 Cup, Golf R32, BMW 130i, Audi S3, etc etc... well you get my drift.

EL BURITO

4th September 2007, 12:38 AM

how much is a Golf fully optioned thou? around the 58K mark on the road. (I think i want one thou)

R3N

4th September 2007, 12:59 AM

how much is a Golf fully optioned thou? around the 58K mark on the road. (I think i want one thou)

yea but the options are basically luxury items (bar the DSG) and wouldn't make it perform any differently. There's not much you can take out of the VXR to bring down the price that I can think of, besides 18s as standard and an option for 19s

rjastra

4th September 2007, 08:40 AM

The new upcoming Golf will be a treat too, I've read it will have the same uprated 2.0ltr TFSI engine as the S3

Apparently the next spec update may see the GTi get the engine tune used in the GTI 30th anniversary version. So about 160kw vs 147kw.

bornwild

5th September 2007, 01:15 PM

Apparently the next spec update may see the GTi get the engine tune used in the GTI 30th anniversary version. So about 160kw vs 147kw.

That's coming 2008, but the all-new golf gti(~2010) will have around-about 200kw.

bornwild

5th September 2007, 01:17 PM

Wraith

5th September 2007, 01:27 PM

That's coming 2008, but the all-new golf gti(~2010) will have around-about 200kw.

This should be a very nice Golf Gti, hopefully it's a new or uprated engine/turbo combination and that's the base output, as the current 2.0 TFSI can be re-mapped alone without any other mods to well over 200kw and well over 400nm - hate to think it's the same engine with just a different tune/map....

Maybe the Golf Gti will go AWD with this next new model ??? or maybe not as then it will compete with the companies own Audi A3 and S3 ???

Tfer

5th September 2007, 01:36 PM

The sedan looks worse IMO, it lloks like a kia rio sedan!!

URL=http://imageshack.us]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3016/uglygo2.jpg[/url]

not ugly but very corrolla like in......what, i fell asleep!

How can the same company which puts out such a well proportioned sedan as the Liberty is.... come up with something positively South Korean as this? :eek:

Wheels look so tiny :rolleyes:

Shaun

6th September 2007, 12:54 AM

I doubt that the bug-eye WRX is any different(technically) to the just gone-out model WRX....maybe a few tweaks here and there but not that drastic....it was just ugly..

Again go do some home work... Bug eyed WRX had a 2.0 LTR and the Out going model had a 2.5 LTR motor. Somehow i believe that is a TECHINCAL Difference.
I would call that a Major change along with others things that were changed.

bornwild

6th September 2007, 12:39 PM

Again go do some home work... Bug eyed WRX had a 2.0 LTR and the Out going model had a 2.5 LTR motor. Somehow i believe that is a TECHINCAL Difference.
I would call that a Major change along with others things that were changed.

My mates 2006 model(outgoing WRX or the one before it...whichever) had a 2.0L turbo boxer....

Shaun

6th September 2007, 01:11 PM

My mates 2006 model(outgoing WRX or the one before it...whichever) had a 2.0L turbo boxer....

My Sisters Fiance's MY07 is the outgoing model and its a 2.5 Ltr Turbo boxer Motor . It was the last One in Stock in any Dealer Nationwide in Urban Grey.

bornwild

6th September 2007, 01:13 PM

My Sisters Fiance's MY07 is the outgoing model and its a 2.5 Ltr Turbo boxer Motor . It was the last One in Stock in any Dealer Nationwide in Urban Grey.

Ah well...then it's the one before it. Nevertheless, the 2.5l and the 2.0l don't have any serious differences from what I've heard. I have only driven the 2.0l though.

Anyhow, yeah....byee:D

Vectracious

6th September 2007, 01:41 PM

Aus-spec WRX's up until the 05 model had the 2.0L EJ20. The MY06 and onward have the 2.5L - 2.5 has a lot more low down torque than the 2.0L so isn't as laggy - its a different block too.

In terms of the 07 compared to the 01 model, same floorplan but there has been some changes in transmissions and suspension work not to mention the engine.