Comparison: Sporty Runabouts Under $30,000

Small, Sporty & Under 30K | Lexus NX First Drive | VW Golf R Euro Spec | Toyota 4Runner SR5      NEW CARS USED CARS ROAD TESTS AUTO SHOWS FUTURE PHOTOS VIDEOS FEATURES BLOGS FORUMS WOT

Comparison: Four Fun, Sporty Runabouts Under $30,000 Honda Civic Si vs. Mini Hardtop Cooper S vs. Subaru WRX vs. Volkswagen Golf GTI Twenty years ago, in the August 1994 issue of Motor Trend, we tested four sports cars whose averaged stats read like this: 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, quarter mile in 13.9 at 102.3 mph, 60-0 in 116 feet, and lateral acceleration of 0.92 g. The cars? Porsche 911 Carrera, Acura NSX, Chevrolet Corvette, and Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Legendary nameplates, to say the least. For the day, they were heady cars touting heady stats. Today, numbers like theirs are still heady, but are associated with nameplates with a bit less panache and histories not quite as storied (save for the bantam Brit, maybe). I'm referring to the sporty runabouts on these pages: the 2014 Honda Civic Si, 2014 Mini Cooper S Hardtop, 2015 Subaru WRX, and 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Whereas the 1994 icons boasted averaged outputs of 279 hp and 280 lb-ft, these pocket rockets come in at 220 hp and 224 lb-ft. Thus, their numbers aren't as quick, but not far off, either: 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, the quarter mile in 14.4 at 97.4 mph, 60-0 in 106 feet, and lateral accel of 0.90 g. Keep in mind that the average inflation-adjusted price of the "oldies" is $77,559, a big leap from the $27,293 for the youngsters. Now, let's take a look at today's youngsters. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL COMPARISON Civic Si First Test: Heavier, But Ever Sporty 2014 Mini Hardtop Cooper S: First Test 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI First Test 2015 Lexus NX First Drive: Entry-Level Luxury Crossover Has The Goods 2014 Toyota 4Runner SR5: True To Heritage 2015 VW Golf R Euro Spec: We Want 2015 BMW M3 Track Drive, Road Trip Challenger Hellcat: More photos, video Check Out Our YouTube Channel Subscribe to Motor Trend FROM OUR FRIENDS SUPER STREET Cars, Girls, And More Girls At SpoCom NorCal 2014 FOUR WHEELER Ultimate Waterproofing: Tips From The Kings Of Submersion HOT ROD More From The100-Acre Junkyard At Turner's Auto Wrecking TO OUR E-MAIL SUBSCRIBERS: YOUR PRIVACY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS EMAIL IN ERROR OR WISH TO UNSUBSCRIBE, PLEASE CLICK HERE. Write to us at: Motor Trend Digital Newsletter 831 S. Douglas Street El Segundo, CA 90245 Privacy Policy (c) 2013 Source Interlink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.