Motor
03-09-2010, 03:45 PM
Comparison: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 vs 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart vs 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX vs 2010 Volkswagen GTI (http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/112_1004_mazdaspeed3_mitsubishi_lancer_sportback_r alliart_subaru_wrx_volkswagen_gti/index.html)
Spring Chickens: Four Youthful Expressions of High Performance -- and Proof that Fowl Play was Never so Much Fun
In addition to the Mazda and Subaru, we brought along the all-new Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart and the sixth-generation Volkswagen GTI. The fifth-gen GTI, you may remember, won our last sport-compact shootout, a test that included sedans, hatchbacks, front-drivers, all-wheel-drivers, turbos, and natural aspirators. For this go-'round, though, we invited only turbocharged four-door hatchbacks, in search of the ultimate utility missile. Would the all-new Vee-Dub retain its title? Would the Mazda have the speed to throw an upset? Or would the all-wheel-drive Mitsu and Subaru, for years rally archrivals, be the bearers of bad news to their front-drive foes?
In some regards, the Lancer is as sharp as the weapon its namesake brought to battle. The six-speed TC-SST twin-clutch automatic, for instance, is a quick-firing, intuitive gearbox that dispels any wonderment as to why the Ralliart doesn't offer a manual. The steering too is precise, beautifully weighted, and full of feedback. Then there's the utility factor, in which the Mitsu tops all others in cargo capacity with the rear seat down-46.6 cubic feet, to be exact. That's an impressive figure, especially considering the steeply raked C-pillar that signifies the Sportback moniker.
Unsurprisingly, the Lancer puts up the least favorable lateral acceleration (0.84 g), figure eight (26.6 at 0.67 g), and 60-to-0 braking (115 feet). Mitsubishi, it seems, needs to let more of the Lancer Evo goodness trickle down to the Ralliart.
http://image.motortrend.com/f/28229083+w750/2010-mitsubishi-lancer-ralliart-sportback-front-three-quarter.jpg
Except for a 2006 Impreza WRX STI sedan and a slammed 350-horse 2008 Cobb Tuning STI, the slightly modified WRX you see here is the quickest Subaru Motor Trend has ever tested. Well, at least to 60, which takes a scant 4.5 seconds. Quarter mile? Will 13.3 at 101.3 mph suffice? Better yet, the WRX isn't any slower to 60 than that '06 STI (it's equally quick) and is only 3/10ths behind at the quarter. And remember: That STI ran a 300-horse flat-four, a six-speed manual, a more advanced all-wheel-drive system, and bigger, stickier rubber.
So what kept the WRX from ranking higher? In light of the others', the Subie's helm comes across numb. "Steering is the least sharp of the bunch," says MT road test editor Scott Mortara. The five-speed too, even with the short-shift kit and STI bushing, feels sloppy and rubbery at times and could certainly use a sixth cog for highway duty. As for the interior, St. Antoine notes, "Interior is functional -- good seats, simple controls -- but it looks really dated, with outmoded display fonts and materials." Not that there isn't plenty to love with the WRX (c'mon, 4.5 seconds, anyone?). Mortara, who ranked the WRX second, sums it up: "Who needs an STI with this car around?"
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32427663+w750/2010-subaru-impreza-WRX-SPT-front.jpg
If the WRX is a slip-sliding rally machine, the Speed3 is a point-and-shoot race car. The Mazda simply feels way more dialed in, ready to consume apexes for breakfast and checkered flags for lunch. There's no slop or slack on the Speed's menu. Sure the suspenders are discernibly tauter -- the downside is a more jarring ride -- but the reward is 0.90 g of lateral grip (best of the group) and a chassis that always feels alive. The body exhibits just a smidge of roll entering a turn, so steering inputs prompt instantaneous response. On-center steering feel is firm and precise, making the Subaru's feel loose and vague in comparison. Further, the standard six-speed manual offers a tightly spaced pattern that borders on Miata slickness, although a couple of us found it too tight on occasion, making it difficult to engage the desired gear.
Inside, the Mazda delights with a modern, jazzy cockpit replete with Bluetooth phone and audio connections, automatic climate control, and leather-and-cloth seats. Our tester came with the $1895 Tech Package, which adds Bose audio, satellite radio, navigation, and pushbutton start. All said and done, our Speed3 cost just $25,840, or over $2000 less than the Mitsu and Subaru's base prices. So despite a "compact" nav screen that St. Antoine describes as "a bit of a laugher" and that nagging torque steer, the Mazda is one speed trap in which we're happy to get caught.
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32427708+w750/2010-mazdaspeed3-front-three-quarter.jpg
This we know: The GTI ranks last in acceleration times (6.0 from 0-60, 14.5 at 97.1 in the quarter) and behind the Mazda and Subaru in lateral acceleration (0.87 g), figure eight (26.5 at 0.67 g), and 60-to-0 braking (112 feet). This we also know: The GTI is the hot hatch we'd want parked in our garage. Heresy, you say?
At $32,360, our tester didn't exactly come cheap. But take away some of the dispensable options-$2750 Autobahn package (leather, sunroof), $1750 nav, $700 bi-Xenon headlamps-and the bottom line drops to $27,160. And that's with the $1100 DSG, $750 18-inch alloys, and $199 Bluetooth. And for another $140, summer tires can be had. Regardless, whether at $27,000 or $32,000, the GTI is a winner. Per St. Antoine: "Not the fastest machine in its class, but far and away the best enthusiast's car. Worth every bit of its bottom line."
http://image.motortrend.com/f/26768567+w750/2010-volkswagen-gti-front-three-quarters-driver.jpg
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32194860+w750/sport-hatchback-comparison-front-view-2.jpg
Spring Chickens: Four Youthful Expressions of High Performance -- and Proof that Fowl Play was Never so Much Fun
In addition to the Mazda and Subaru, we brought along the all-new Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart and the sixth-generation Volkswagen GTI. The fifth-gen GTI, you may remember, won our last sport-compact shootout, a test that included sedans, hatchbacks, front-drivers, all-wheel-drivers, turbos, and natural aspirators. For this go-'round, though, we invited only turbocharged four-door hatchbacks, in search of the ultimate utility missile. Would the all-new Vee-Dub retain its title? Would the Mazda have the speed to throw an upset? Or would the all-wheel-drive Mitsu and Subaru, for years rally archrivals, be the bearers of bad news to their front-drive foes?
In some regards, the Lancer is as sharp as the weapon its namesake brought to battle. The six-speed TC-SST twin-clutch automatic, for instance, is a quick-firing, intuitive gearbox that dispels any wonderment as to why the Ralliart doesn't offer a manual. The steering too is precise, beautifully weighted, and full of feedback. Then there's the utility factor, in which the Mitsu tops all others in cargo capacity with the rear seat down-46.6 cubic feet, to be exact. That's an impressive figure, especially considering the steeply raked C-pillar that signifies the Sportback moniker.
Unsurprisingly, the Lancer puts up the least favorable lateral acceleration (0.84 g), figure eight (26.6 at 0.67 g), and 60-to-0 braking (115 feet). Mitsubishi, it seems, needs to let more of the Lancer Evo goodness trickle down to the Ralliart.
http://image.motortrend.com/f/28229083+w750/2010-mitsubishi-lancer-ralliart-sportback-front-three-quarter.jpg
Except for a 2006 Impreza WRX STI sedan and a slammed 350-horse 2008 Cobb Tuning STI, the slightly modified WRX you see here is the quickest Subaru Motor Trend has ever tested. Well, at least to 60, which takes a scant 4.5 seconds. Quarter mile? Will 13.3 at 101.3 mph suffice? Better yet, the WRX isn't any slower to 60 than that '06 STI (it's equally quick) and is only 3/10ths behind at the quarter. And remember: That STI ran a 300-horse flat-four, a six-speed manual, a more advanced all-wheel-drive system, and bigger, stickier rubber.
So what kept the WRX from ranking higher? In light of the others', the Subie's helm comes across numb. "Steering is the least sharp of the bunch," says MT road test editor Scott Mortara. The five-speed too, even with the short-shift kit and STI bushing, feels sloppy and rubbery at times and could certainly use a sixth cog for highway duty. As for the interior, St. Antoine notes, "Interior is functional -- good seats, simple controls -- but it looks really dated, with outmoded display fonts and materials." Not that there isn't plenty to love with the WRX (c'mon, 4.5 seconds, anyone?). Mortara, who ranked the WRX second, sums it up: "Who needs an STI with this car around?"
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32427663+w750/2010-subaru-impreza-WRX-SPT-front.jpg
If the WRX is a slip-sliding rally machine, the Speed3 is a point-and-shoot race car. The Mazda simply feels way more dialed in, ready to consume apexes for breakfast and checkered flags for lunch. There's no slop or slack on the Speed's menu. Sure the suspenders are discernibly tauter -- the downside is a more jarring ride -- but the reward is 0.90 g of lateral grip (best of the group) and a chassis that always feels alive. The body exhibits just a smidge of roll entering a turn, so steering inputs prompt instantaneous response. On-center steering feel is firm and precise, making the Subaru's feel loose and vague in comparison. Further, the standard six-speed manual offers a tightly spaced pattern that borders on Miata slickness, although a couple of us found it too tight on occasion, making it difficult to engage the desired gear.
Inside, the Mazda delights with a modern, jazzy cockpit replete with Bluetooth phone and audio connections, automatic climate control, and leather-and-cloth seats. Our tester came with the $1895 Tech Package, which adds Bose audio, satellite radio, navigation, and pushbutton start. All said and done, our Speed3 cost just $25,840, or over $2000 less than the Mitsu and Subaru's base prices. So despite a "compact" nav screen that St. Antoine describes as "a bit of a laugher" and that nagging torque steer, the Mazda is one speed trap in which we're happy to get caught.
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32427708+w750/2010-mazdaspeed3-front-three-quarter.jpg
This we know: The GTI ranks last in acceleration times (6.0 from 0-60, 14.5 at 97.1 in the quarter) and behind the Mazda and Subaru in lateral acceleration (0.87 g), figure eight (26.5 at 0.67 g), and 60-to-0 braking (112 feet). This we also know: The GTI is the hot hatch we'd want parked in our garage. Heresy, you say?
At $32,360, our tester didn't exactly come cheap. But take away some of the dispensable options-$2750 Autobahn package (leather, sunroof), $1750 nav, $700 bi-Xenon headlamps-and the bottom line drops to $27,160. And that's with the $1100 DSG, $750 18-inch alloys, and $199 Bluetooth. And for another $140, summer tires can be had. Regardless, whether at $27,000 or $32,000, the GTI is a winner. Per St. Antoine: "Not the fastest machine in its class, but far and away the best enthusiast's car. Worth every bit of its bottom line."
http://image.motortrend.com/f/26768567+w750/2010-volkswagen-gti-front-three-quarters-driver.jpg
http://image.motortrend.com/f/32194860+w750/sport-hatchback-comparison-front-view-2.jpg