Many enthusiasts take output for granted, as in more power is better. In a straight line, provided that you run the right rubber and you launch with minimal wheelspin, that is correct. Be that as it may, adding corners and braking zones to the mix will make any race a lot more interesting.
The U-Drags format used by Edmunds in the featured clip is that kind of race. Although the Elantra N is fast in a straight line, launch control sometimes doesn’t work as intended. The Golf GTI is arguably the better all-around car because it does everything you want perfectly fine.
Had it been a quarter-mile dash and nothing more, Hyundai’s hot sedan would have wiped the floor with the German rival. It did exactly that in the first of two races on the long straight of the U-Drags course, recording 14 seconds at 101.8 mph (163.8 kph) compared to 14.2 at 101.1 (162.7 kph).
Those couple of tenths are best explained by the Hyundai’s 35 extra horsepower and 16 extra pound-foot of torque. It’s also worth noting that Hyundai rocks an eight-speed tranny compared to the seven-speed box of the Golf GTI. But alas, the Elantra N is quite an idea heavier at 3,300 pounds (make that 1,497 kilograms) compared to 3,181 pounds (1,443 kilograms).
Weight makes a world of difference under braking and when cornering, which is why the Golf outcornered the Elantra in the first of two races. Back on the straight leading up to the start/finish line, the Golf stretches its legs to take the win in 38.5 seconds versus 38.6 for the South Korean sedan.
The Hyundai’s launch control didn’t perform as intended at the start of the second race. Neck and neck going into the turn, the competing models both pulled serious Gs while cornering. Still, one of them turned more eagerly; Volkswagen. The Golf GTI came out of the turn ahead and kept its lead all the way to the finish, crossing the line in 38.7 seconds compared to 39.6.
“These vehicles are so closely matched,” noted Edmunds vehicle test editor Kurt Niebuhr. “As good as that car feels [pointing at the Hyundai],this car [the Volkswagen] performs a tiny bit better just all over the place. I bet if we did this 10 times in a row, it would just flip back and forth every time.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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