2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS Costs as Much as a Subaru WRX

Going on sale across America, the 215 horsepower hot Juke starts at $26,120, plus $810 for destination and handling. Now, call us biased, but the Subaru BRZ which has won many awards for its handling is actually cheaper, while the brand new WRX performance sedan is only slightly more expensive at $26,295.

In its defence, the Juke Nismo RS equipped with a manual gearbox does get a Helical Limited-Slip Differential. There is also a long list of cool features, which include Recaro seats and Alcantara leather.

However, the Subaru has 270 horsepower from a bigger 2-liter engine and should be faster everywhere, from the track to the road, because it comes with all-wheel drive as standard. And as everybody knows, a boxer engine with a turbo is all the feature you need to have fun...

You can also have the fast Juke with all-wheel drive, but then you'd have to put up with the Xtronic CVT gearbox and pay $28,120. The FWD manual Nismo model should be more fun. But if FWD fun is what you're after, what's wrong with the Ford Focus ST or the Golf GTI?

The only good thing we can say about the little Juke Nismo RS is that it looks completely original. It's also got horsepower more than a 208 hp MINI Countryman JCW, on paper at least, which starts at $34,950.