The Honda Accord 2.0T has completely changed people's perception of what the average mid-sized sedan can. But you still wouldn't expect it to stand up against an AWD performance car like the Subaru WRX STI.
A couple of days ago, we found out exactly what makes it so fast. Sure, the powerful engine and lean curb weight do a lot, but the 10-speed automatic is a deciding factor. To prove that, YouTuber Sam Carlegion used a rare manual Accord 2.0T with an engine tune and it was slower than the auto stock model.
That same normal 10-speed configuration is now back to test its metal against the Subaru WRX STI. It's bright blue, has lowered suspension and a gigantic rear wing, so it's got to be faster than an Accord, right? Well... yes, but not by a lot.
Subaru's most popular enthusiast car is old and on the verge of being replaced. It's also not built specifically to drag race, though the AWD is permanent and should help. The core of the car is the 2.5-liter boxer turbo making 305 horsepower. And because this is a compact car, the curb weight is only 35 lbs (16 kg) more than an Accord, which is nothing.
But Subaru doesn't make an automatic STI, only the WRX, and that's got a CVT anyway. Having to row your own gears is usually a huge disadvantage in a drag race any time you go past about 200 horsepower.
So, despite having the bigger engine with more power, the WRX STI loses to the Accord 2.0T Sport in the first race, which is done in Normal mode. This is not the proper outcome, as the STI driver apparently missed a gear. In the second race, the Subaru is allowed to use Sport mode and pulls ahead, but the lead at the end is still pretty small.
The rolling races also put the Subaru ahead by a tiny margin at first. And in the last one, they're actually even. Now, almost losing to a regular Accord doesn't sound crazy until you realize there's a substantial price gap between the two.
The 2021 Accord 2.0T Sport is $32,110 right now. Meanwhile, the 2021 WRX STI starts from $37,245 without destination, and Subaru dealers like to mark it up because it's an enthusiast car.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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