2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Look at what we have here. The Volkswagen GTI, the subaru w r xe and this the hyundai elantra. N. Now, these are all new for 2022. They have similar horsepower and they are very similarly priced. Now, they may look like everyday regular sedans, but the fact is these are performance models. So they've been upgraded for better acceleration, better handling, and hopefully anyway better sound to them. So we could get super in-depth about the interiors and the technology and the fuel economy, blah blah blah. How fun are they? That's what you want to know, right? That's what I want to know. And lucky for me, we've got an autocross course set up right behind me where we can toss these things around. And even better we'll also set a time for each one. Oh, yeah. You're in for a good time today. But hey, while we finish getting these cones set up, why don't you go ahead and click like and hit the subscribe button see more Edmonds videos just like this one. If you want to get a cash offer on your car right now, go to Edmunds.com. Slash sell my car. Seriously, cash offer Okay, let's talk about the Volkswagen GTI. And just a note. I want to do this quickly so that I can get behind the wheel of this thing. But the first thing that you should know is that Volkswagen actually no longer sells the golf. That's the standard version of this for 20, 22. The only one you can get is the GTI, and you can tell you got the GTI because of some cool red badging up here and on the front and in the back. No one is going to think that you're in a golf now. Otherwise, there's 241 horsepower under the hood. And to go along with that, you've got pretty big 13 inch brakes up there, 19 inch wheels, and it's wrapped in very skinny rubber band tires. Let's see how that matters with Grip when we get out onto the track. Obviously, this is a very, very bright, loud neon color how do I feel about it? I think it works on the car. It's not my choice, but too many cars are white and gray and silver right now anyway, so more color. The better. This is also the only hatchback we have here today which lends the GTI a little bit of extra character, makes it stand out, especially for a performance car. Now, let's go inside. All right. So the cabin is pretty standard stuff here for a GTI. Volkswagen keeps it fresh with cool angles. And panels and this honeycomb pattern that stretches all the way from side to side. So it doesn't feel bland in here at all. The standard screen on the GTI is 8.2. Five inches, and this one comes with an optional ten inch screen. Now, one thing that I like about that is that the panel that houses it also stretches across in front of the driver makes it look like one big screen unit. And the driver information display in front has some pretty splashy graphics animation, which feels like I'm getting an extra present when it gives me information. It's also really spacious in here. Like there's a lot of room to move around and get comfortable and find a good driving position, which is obviously very important. And then one thing that I want to mention is these seats, which are much more cushy than I expected. They don't feel like performance buckets or super hardcore or anything like that. So the GTI definitely gets an A in ergonomics, but one hangup is the controls. There are no buttons even the buttons aren't really buttons. Everything is touch capacitive or done through the touch screen, and you just run the risk of having issues with responsiveness or glitching. We downgrade other automakers when they do that, and we're going to knock points off of Volkswagen as well. But maybe the GTI can make it up on the track. Let's go race this thing or if it is time to drive. So on the GTI, the six speed manual does not have launch control. So instead, what I'm going to do is turn off stability control all the way and then build the revs up to about 4000 where the guy has max torque. Let the clutch go and take off. Let's see what happens. No doubt it's three to one go. Let's go. Oh, quick. Oh, love the steering Okay. On the brakes. You can feel the limited slip bringing it around. That was awesome. Okay, break for the term. Break for the tight, tight and back on slalom. Stay quick. Stay quick steering. Don't let me down. Back on. Nice. Nice. Little slide action. Back on the steering. Back on the power. Oh, nice and quick. We are moving we are moving. And all the way around Let's go. Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo. That was fun. The steering is very quick, very responsive. The power. You can just stab the throttle. You can touch it. It responds very, very fast. You got 66.15. I would love a little bit more power just to, like, really muscle out of some of those corners. But all in all, I mean, it felt light, felt compact, agile, really a lot of fun. Can't wait to see how the others do. Now for the Subaru WRC, the rally king and whatever the polar opposite of conservative is, that's how we would describe the styling going on here. Whether you're talking about the giant hood scoop or the pretty wide fenders or the lip spoiler there on the back. This is meant to stand out. It's the whole point of the w r x. And also special note for this classic Subaru Blue, which is just chef's kiss. One thing to know is that there's a little extra tire on here compared to the GTI. These are two 45 width. So we'll see if it makes a difference out there. But there are also 12.4 inch brakes in the front. That's the smallest in the group. And then, of course, surrounding that is this big plastic cladding with these cool streaks for extra speed. Now, there's a lot of controversy about that. A lot of people don't like them, but those people probably aren't driving through dirt and gravel sideways. So who cares what they think Overall, the w r x is meant to stand out, and that's exactly what it does. One key difference is that this is the only car we have today with all wheel drive, and it's the only car with a center differential. We'll see if it makes a difference in the turns, but for sure it makes a difference in terms of weight. Depending on the trim. The W are about £200 heavier than the other two cars. Well, let's see what it's like on the inside Now, for the interior of the oryx, I call it hard plastic chic. There's a lot of areas that don't feel all that nice to the touch, and they feel kind of cheap compared to something like the GTI. Now, to be honest, this is an improvement over the previous Generation X. So keep that in mind. And though they are few, there are more actual buttons in here than in the GTI. The touch screen in here is 11.6 inches, and it's vertical tablet style. Again, there's just not as much functionality. There's not as much space busyness as in the GTI. Otherwise, there is plenty of room in here, and it's just like the GTI. Easy to get comfortable and find a nice position. These seats are kind of a suede material, and they do feel more sporty like they're holding me in place. I think that's probably for when you're drifting around an apex, and that's pretty nice. The final thing I want to point out is the manual transmission, the W or X is going to be available with a CVT automatic, especially on the new high end GTI trim. But for now, because of shortage issues, every w r Xe gets a six speed manual. Overall, if I had to give it a grade, I'd give it C plus. Maybe it's just not jumping out to me. It's going to have to do really well on the track to make up for this. So let's head it over time. So again, a six speed manual, there's no sport mode, there's no launch control. What I can do is turn off traction control down here that turns on this green little track button in here. And hopefully that will propel us to victory. So let's see, how does the race is three. You want to show them all wheel drive? Well, that was violin shifts are not as smooth as a GTI for sure, but it got going quick. Definitely Okay. More power for sure. Oh, a lot of understeer. But the back came around eventually. Okay. Hard on the brakes? Well, not as much brakes either. The brake almost to a stop. Okay. Here we go. Slalom again. Be quicker. Be quicker. Steering is definitely not as quick as the GSI And let's hit this apex Yeah, just understeer is just enough. This is going to be tough. I don't think it's going to beat the GTI, but we'll see. Let's go across the line. Who Oh, well, that was fun. It was definitely eventful. I I don't know how quick it was. We'll have to wait and see, but it was definitely entertaining. There's a lot going on here. I think the big difference is the steering. Like, it's just it's nowhere near as responsive and precise as the GTI is. And maybe that's what you want if you're, like, on sloppy terrain and tossing it around and having a good time digging yourself out of gravel, you know, that sounds like a blast. But out here definitely lack some grip and some precision for sure. But the speed was a lot of fun. Off the line it was, I'm pretty sure, quicker than the GTI. And that's got to be that all wheel drive giving you better traction when you launch. And then I think just more power overall helped pull it out of some of that stuff where the steering and handling wasn't really up to par with the GTI. Overall, pretty fun ride. So your last race, you got a 56.15 on this race. You got 56.6. Whoa. Wow. I'm surprised I didn't that didn't feel anywhere near as fast. Yeah. If you're like me, you heard that Hyundai was making the Elantra and you thought they really serious, but then you see stuff like this red accent on the front, sharp teeth, front grille, a pretty big rear wing. And you realize, okay, not only are they serious, they're maybe a little too serious. Like, we get it back for a shot. But one of the things that stands out about the Elantra and is, first of all, the power. 276 horses under the hood. And then just like the GTI, there's an electronic limited slip differential that sends power to whichever one of the front wheels needs it most. Now, just like the GTI, it's front wheel drive. So that means it's pretty similar in terms of weight, which is going to make it lighter than a w r x Big advantage out here. It's also got the same width tires as the W rex, but the biggest brakes of the bunch at 14 plus inches Hyundai's not playing around. So Hyundai is clearly taking a risk here. But the reason they're doing that is because the Elantra on which this is based, has no racing pedigree whatsoever. Really no performance pedigree whatsoever in order to make it seem like they're serious about this. They almost had to go 100 miles an hour on the styling. So does it work? Well, it definitely looks the part, and that's at least half the battle. Let's see what it's like inside Elantra and Interior. Let's dove in. First, let's talk materials. Now there is quite a bit of hard plastic in here, but it's disguised much more than it was in the w r. And the points that you're touching are really soft and feel very nice. So that helps cover it up. Up front, the center touchscreen is 10.25 inches, and it's connected on one panel to this driver information display which is also very cool because like the GTI, there are neat, colorful animations, but the graphics in the Elantra end take it a step further which just helps enhance it and feel a little bit more special in here. Also, hey, buttons, there's buttons everywhere. Real buttons. It's awesome. I can just push them and they do the thing they're supposed to do. It's so great. I really enjoy that. Speaking of buttons, up on the steering wheel, there are some really colorful buttons and that changes your drive mode. There's other end which skips straight to the most aggressive race setting. And then this bright red Angus that stands for End Green Shift, and it gives you an extra ten horsepower for up to 20 seconds. So that gives a maximum of 286 horsepower, which is easily the best that we have here. Cool function. Yes. The interior colors and design is a little bit shouty but it also just makes sense. So not complaining otherwise ergonomically. Just like the other two. There's plenty of space in here. Very easy to find a good driving position. And then the seats. These are the most aggressive seats of the three that we have so far. The bolstering comes right up to the side so it's going to hold you in place. And there's a nice mix of leather materials and some kind of suede like material. Not sure if it's real or not, but all in all, this is my favorite of the bunch for sure. The real question is how does it do against the other two through the cones? Let's find out more. And finally, it's Elantra in time, so let's see how it stacks up against the other two cars. Now, this one is not a manual. It's a dual clutch automatic transmission. And so it does have launch control. And you activate that by pressing this big red end button, turning stability control into sport or off going into the end mode menu, selecting launch control and then picking the RPM that you want to launch at and then you basically stomp both pedals, come off the brake and you're off. Is that an unfair advantage over the other two that didn't have launch control maybe. Let's see how the times play out. But if you want to see how a manual launch and stacks up against a manual, check out our huge rags episode between those two to see how that played out. Ryan, are you ready to do it? In three, two, one. Yeah, oh, okay. Pops and bangs off the start there. Okay. Steering's way heavier. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it's just something I noticed off the bat. Oh, we're out of there, quick. We're out of that term. Quick. Oh, this is the fastest of the three, there's no doubt about it. Okay, sure. Can I get out of this fast? Back on the screen. I think this is a lot quicker. Let's see a nice turn in the differentials. Bringing the car around nicely Need to get on the brakes hard here. On the brakes. Oh, yeah. Okay. And get across the line. Get across the line. There we go. Woo! Well, that was something. The steering. The heaviness of it makes it direct and responsive. It is just as quick as the GTI, especially when you need a power out of something or dove into a corner around a cone. First base, you got 56.5. Oh, Second ratio to 2669. Huh? If you launch right in any minute, a whopping 450. 04. Wow. Chicken dinner. A moderate. So a second and a half ahead of GTI. Almost 2 seconds ahead of W That's booking So what did we learn today? Well, we learned that the car that has the most horsepower is probably going to go the fastest. Imagine that. But most importantly, we learned how these three stack up against one another. We learned that the w r ex still has an attack mentality. It's just probably a bit too heavy and sloppy for our track here. We also learned that it's hard to find fault in the GTI, even though it's mostly just a polished up version of the old one. And we learned that Hyundai is not messing around with the Elantra. N, which sure feels like the sharpest and most serious performance car here. So in this comparison of affordable, compact performance cars, my personal choice is the Volkswagen GTI. It's fun as all get out the R just kind of failed to excite in the way that we hoped it would. And while the Elantra n is the best performance bang for your buck, the styling is just a little bit too out there for me. But I do think everyone should test drive one basically as soon as possible. Hyundai officially has our attention. And if you're looking for something that grabs your attention while being a sensible daily driver at the same time, it's the Volkswagen GTI that deserves the closest look. Hey, you're still here. Great. Why are there? Click like and hit. Subscribe to see more Edmunds videos just like this one. Okay, now you can go