2005 Volkswagen Golf GTI from UK and Ireland - Comments

The thing is, you are buying a lot more car when you buy the WRX, the value is great, not only are you buying a fast car, and a great drivers car but one of the best AWD systems around. And you are wrong about the streight line speed, a WRX will match a focus ST on mid range punch, the WRX is based on a rally car, its gearbox is designed for fast acceleration off the mark and out of bends, the focus does have a better top speed because of this, and would probably take the WRX in the very high end of things.

You can buy plenty of other cars with 4x4 that go quick like a golf R32. At least some of these are comfortable and they don't have awful interiors and a spoiler that shouts, "Look at me! I bought one of the bottom spec cars in the range!" The Impreza is a good car, with all due respect, but unless you are going for the top spec ones, what is the point? The service costs, the ridiculous price parts of Subaru, and the incredibly poor MPG don't make sense in a car which has a big brother that does everything better; and other cars which do everything the WRX can at less cost with more comfort and better image.

Well its the STI that has the big look at me wing, not the WRX, that has an average normal wing. And don't forget over half the WRX's on the road have the free PPP on them that subaru was giving away, a wolf in sheeps clothing, 0-60 in a claimed 4.8 seconds, from a £19.995 WRX. And from the reviews it got in the mags they said they could really believe those figres.

The fact that the STI has the big 'look at me' wing means the WRX stands out as being the runt of the Impreza range. The 0-60 time you quoted seems way out, the STI might get under 5 seconds but the WRX is going to struggle to get much below 6. I have seen honda Integra type R's outpull or at least keep up with WRXs' to 60 and they have a book figure of almost exactly 6 seconds.

Ha, I don't know where you are looking but even the 2001 bug eye 215 bhp impreza do 60 in 5.8, its hard to find one over 6 seconds. The WRX 225 2003 model has an almost mirror image performance as an escort cosworth 0-60 in 5.6 and 0-100 in 15.7, both faster than a focus ST. And the prodrive figres for the WRX PPP are correct at 4.8 to 60 and 14.1 to 100, have a look.

Re-read the comment it said 'much under 6 seconds', you then go on to tell me the standard WRX does 0-60 in 5.8 seconds...

With the PPP it makes a good car, I never said wacking 40bhp onto a normal WRX wouldn't, I said that a standard one at 220bhp (give or take 5bhp depending on series) is not worth owning compared to the STI (for proper head spinning performance) or a hot hatch which does similar performance and better comfort and prices (not to mention the sheer amount of WRX's you see on the road, compared to say how many focus RS' or Seat Leon Cupra R's or even Astra VXR's there are). The big clincher is the expense of having a WRX for something that isn't really worth it when you look what else you could have for less money, particularly the running costs.

Well the WRX is certainly comfortable enough, but it doesn't have as much goodies as the golf or focus ST, but it is not pointless its the AWD system that puts it a little higher £ than a golf or focus. But you are getting a lot of car for your money, AWD handling, cracking engine, low centre of gravity. Don't forget the STI is £6000 more than the WRX new. And what can I say about the integra type R, it's a fast car, but that is even more stripped out than a WRX, and only FWD although is does handle well.

I have had my DSG Mk5 GTI for 4 months now, and it seems to be getting faster. There might be faster cars, but in reality it is fast enough. Best of all, I live in the USA and it cost about $25k, or about 13k GB pounds! Europe car prices are high!