If you’re in the market for a reliable hatchback that handles really well and keeps much of its value after the warranty is over, you can’t go wrong with the Golf GTI. The most hardcore variant available today is the Clubsport, which packs 300 ps (296 horsepower) from a 2.0-liter turbo four-pot mill.
Not available stateside, the Mk. 8 Golf GTI Clubsport also flaunts 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque. Tipping the scales at 1,461 kilograms (3,221 pounds), the compact car is exclusively offered with front-wheel drive and a dual-clutch transmission capable of delivering blistering-quick upshifts.
The paddle-shift DSG definitely is quicker than a row-your-own manual, and it’s also worthy of note that a two-pedal setup is better for everyday scenarios that include traffic jams. Be that as it may, the stick shift creates a more organic connection between driver and vehicle, which brings us to the Hyundai i30 N Performance driven by Daniel Abt in the featured clip.
Slightly lighter at 1,429 kilograms (3,150 pounds) in this configuration, the South Korean interloper is gifted with a 2.0-liter turbo as well. But as opposed to the GTI’s engine, Hyundai kept it sensible with 275 ps (271 horsepower) and 378 Nm (279 pound-feet) for the i30 N Performance.
Although the Hyundai is available with a wet-clutch DCT, the manual example in the following video simply doesn’t stand a chance against the VeeDub in a straight line. The best runs to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) ended in 6.3 seconds compared to 5.18 seconds in less-than-ideal weather. As for the quarter-mile sprint, Volkswagen asserts dominance once again with an elapsed time of 13.23 seconds versus 14.20 seconds.
Although not as proficient in a straight-line showdown, it’s very important we mention the starting prices for these cars. Over in Germany where Volkswagen is based, the most basic specification of the GTI is €38,250 ($42,820 at current exchange rates) while the Clubsport starts at €43,585 ($48,800). Hyundai, meanwhile, wants €33,650 ($37,670) for the standard specification of the i30 N or €36,900 ($41,310) for the Performance pack.
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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