Whether you’re a fan of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Ford Focus RS, or the Subaru WRX STI, you’re looking at a hot hatch.
These cars are meant to offer you the ability to have a lot of fun if you head out on the track and turn a fast lap while also being the right models to drive on a daily basis as well. With that in mind, it’s good to have a comparison test to see which of a few of the hot hatches offered on the market is the one that will be the right choice for you.

Compare the Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf R, and Subaru WRX STI Type RA

When you’re willing to offer up a bit more money to have the fun you want while still enjoying the small size of a hot hatch, these four are the ones you’re sure to admire. Starting with the fact that you’ll immediately be able to tell the brand and model you’ll want to drive right away, it will be easy to find the car that shows you the performance you’re looking for and the quality you admire for the drive.

Subaru WRX STI Type RA

As the Subaru brand looks to continue to offer us faster and more active cars for the drive, this model makes use of a newly revised 2.5-liter turbocharged flat four-cylinder engine to make 310 horsepower and 29 lb.-ft. of torque. This car is also offered with a short-throw six-speed manual transmission, Bilstein suspension dampers, a carbon fiber roof and rear wing, and performance tires that grip the road and track perfectly. This can be a lot of fun for the drive, but you’ll have to part with nearly $50,000 to have the benefit of driving this amazing car.

Volkswagen Golf R

Here’s a car that packs a lot into a package that certainly flies under the radar. the Golf R shows up with 292 horsepower and 280lb.-ft. of torque to give you the power you’re looking for in a car that has AWD and the transmission that makes the most sense for you. This car is a sleeper amongst these giants and is a car that shows up at less than $41,000 to be the fun and active drive you’re sure to love and admire when you take it out for a ride on the road or let it loose at the track.

Ford Focus RS

Here’s a car that we’ve talked about endlessly as one of the best offered. This beauty is built to experience the power you’ll surely admire with the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pumps out 350 horsepower and 350lb.-ft. of torque. This car makes use of a six-speed manual transmission and a torque-vectoring AWD system that has a limited slip front differential to make sure you can have the driving performance you want. This is a car that will cost you around $42,000 to have the pleasure you’re looking for.

Honda Civic Type R

As the least expensive of the four hot hatches you can choose, the Civic Type R will cost you nearly $35,000 and it makes use of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to give you 306 horsepower and 295lb.-ft. of torque. This car can be a lot of fun for you to drive and it’s built to look great and perform the way you want when you take it out on the track and show off what it can do. This FWD Civic will feel just right when you drive it.

Which Model is Right for You to Drive?

With four hot hatches compared, you can choose the one that makes the most sense for you. The Subaru WRX STI Type RA is built to give you the rough and tumble ride you want when you head out on the dirt and gravel trails. The Volkswagen Golf R is soft and heavy on the track but can be driven for long periods of time. The Ford Focus RS is a car that delivers the goods, but is in a final and limited production. Finally, the Honda Civic Type R is a car that shows off with the look and style you’re going to easily admire when it’s time to take a ride and head out where you need to go.