shadoquad

I'll chime in on the GTI/STI/MS3 debate.

I love them, all three of them.

I bought an STI, because it's fast and practical, very versatile. I can drive fast, but then have confidence and tone it down if the weather gets frosty and wet, and I can take my dog in it, and I can carry quite a lot in it. It's wonderful. But the interior isn't great. It shares a lot in common with the base Impreza in that regard. The seats are nicer imo. It's fast, but its stock tune and notchy gearbox take away some of the thrills of acceleration. But it's a lot of car for its high price. Even the base WRX is a whale of a great car and for less money.

I love the GTI. It also finished second place in my comparison when I was shopping for the 370z. A base GTI with the plaid interior is comfy if cramped, the interior is nicely laid out and pleasing to the eye. The clutch is so smooth. The Golf R, which is more in the price range of an STI, is that with AWD and more power, and it's an absolute joy to drive. Both the GTI and Golf R are nicely refined, solid cars to drive. They suffer the usual electronic gremlins that go with German cars.

The MS3 is cheap inside, but man is it a goer. That car is so fast. It is brutal on your lower back in acceleration, which is one of the reasons I didn't buy one. I always wished they would have more interior options than the red/black seats, but it's great fun and practicality for the dollar.

The Focus ST probably belongs in the hot hatch segment, too, and it's also a blast to drive, but I found the interior cabin cramped.

All cars have tradeoffs, and indeed, speed is not everyone's top priority. And it comes at a cost.


Edit: Also, speaking of performance, many track rats I've known will tell you that sometimes one can have more fun driving a slower car fast than driving a fast car at 10/10ths. Just one of the reasons you find Miatas and FRS/BRZ's at race tracks flying to the edge of their handling.