The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI has quite a few bragging rights. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also one of the most efficient options in its class.
The GTI also competes with some of the best sports cars on the market, such as the Honda Civic Type R. It’s a tad less powerful, but it’s almost as fast and fills the need for a sporty hatchback.
The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the best affordable sports cars for performance. According to Edmunds, it has a turbocharged 2.0-liter that makes 241 horsepower and has a torque of 273 lb-ft.
This is a front-wheel drive car that uses a seven-speed automatic transmission. However, the Volkswagen GTI 380 trims use a manual transmission.
The 2024 Honda Civic Type R is more powerful than the Volkswagen GTI, but not by much. It uses a 2.0-liter VTEC engine with a maximum output of 315 horsepower and a torque of 310 lb-ft.
Regarding speed, it takes the Volkswagen about 5.4 seconds to get from 0 to 60 miles per hour. This isn’t far off from the Type R as it does the feat in about 4.9 seconds.
Buyers will be happy to know that the 2024 Volkswagen GTI is one of the best sports cars for fuel economy. It averages 24 miles per gallon in the city and 33 MPG on the highway.
For comparison, the 2024 Type R gets 22 miles per gallon in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. Additionally, both cars have four drive modes. The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI offers the same performance.
There is no denying that the 2024 Honda Civic Type R is one of the best sports cars for its interior. This is the case for many reasons, but notably because of its comfortable and sporty seats.
The two vehicles are also similar regarding interior technology. The Type R uses a 9-inch touchscreen, while the Volkswagen has options for either an eight or a 10-inch unit.
Buyers will also be happy to know that the Volkswagen GTI has four USB-C ports throughout.Regarding price, the Volkswagen starts at $31,965, while the Type R has an MSRP of $44,795.