Volkswagen Golf R vs Subaru WRX STI

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is the hotter of VW’s two hot hatchbacks, boasting more power than its Golf GTI platform mate, plus a standard all-wheel-drive system (AWD), known as 4Motion, and a commensurately higher base price that puts it in the same competitive set as the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla. The current-generation Golf R was launched as a 2022 model but gains a handful of small updates for 2025, including a new touchscreen infotainment system and two new styling packages.

Verdict: It’s hard to fault the Golf R’s performance capabilities and everyday usability, but the same can be said of its GTI sibling.

A performance sedan is an ideal blend of fun and functionality. It’s similar to hot hatchbacks, like the Volkswagen GTI, Volkswagen Golf R, or Hyundai Veloster N. They offer performance and practicality, and do it at a relatively affordable price. But there’s not just one tier of performance. Like selecting fuel at the pump, there are levels. And for every level you go up in performance, it becomes more of a commitment. Such is the way of the 2021 Subaru WRX STI, a performance sedan that will put a smile on your face, but it’s also a bit of a lifestyle choice.

The WRX STI was last redesigned for the 2015 model year, and though it received some infotainment updates for the 2019 model year, it is a somewhat dated car. It's still based on the previous-generation Subaru Impreza platform, in fact.

Automakers tend to let their performance offerings linger a bit longer before a redesign, however. And just as the Golf R is to the VW GTI or the Type R is to the Civic Si, the STI is a level up from the Subaru WRX. So does the STI offer enough performance to warranty selecting it over the standard WRX, or other sporty compacts for that matter? Read on to find out.