Hip to be square
Next to the conspicuously hip Brit and fashion-forward Swede, the GTI plays the role of the conservative, humorless German. As the veteran of the trio, the VW's sensible shoe styling appeared "boring, chubby, and bootlike" to some, yet clean and inoffensive to others. But everyone agreed the GTI's sole concession to style-the Tartan cloth seating material-is as cool as lederhosen at Oktoberfest.
What the GTI lacks in looks, it makes up for in performance and practibility. Despite having the worst power-to-weight ratio of the group, the 200-horse GTI was the champ in ever measure at the track, posting a 6.1-second 0-to-60 time and a 14.7-second quarter mile. We couldn't decide what was more surprising, how easily the GTI smoked the much more powerful C30 or how handily it outflanked the Mini.
"This is the most effortless of the three. Its power is quick and smooth, and whether you use paddles to shift the DSG or leave it to Sport mode, it's wonderful," says Harwood. "Handling, steering, suspension all feel like they were designed to work together."
Due to scheduling conflicts, we had to test the VW's optional dual-clutch DSG gearbox. Say what you will about automatics, for all intents and purposes, the GTI's DSG is a manual and one that offers the option of lightning-fast gear changes when you want to toggle 'em in for yourself or a fantastic sport mode when you don't. Wherever our drive took us, the GTI was consistently lauded for its composure. "Ride is a nice compromise of sporty tautness and everyday livability; the best of the group," says Kiino.
Euro trashAs a four-seat city car, the C30 is miles ahead of the Mini in terms of cruising and comfort. It offers a much more commodious rear seat and surprisingly large cargo area with the seats folded forward. It's also the quietest and smoothest of the bunch on the freeway. But there's a serious requirement missin from the Swedish hot hatch, and that's the fun factor. So by smallest margins, the C30 must finish third in our comparison. Even then, it was a split decision. "I don't think the C30 compares with the other two here," writes Harwood. "It's incredibly roomy and has the coolest styling of the three by far. It's the one to be seen in-like a Mini for people who aren't into driver's cars."
The Mini Cooper S is most definitely pro driver-in fact, it's for people who love driving so much they're willing to put up with a few of the Mini's, ahem, shortcomings. And one of the largest is the hit your wallet takes in the name of style and performance. Our Mini's myriad expensive options included the $1900 leather package, $1400 premium package (to get that noisy sunroof), and $1100 17-inch wheels. Heaps of fun, but hardly the value proposition at $28,850-priciest of the bunch.
In the end, the GTI remains the leader of the premium compact segment by turning ever seeming deficit into a benefit. It may sound funny, but longevity and practicality are built into the GTI's somewhat bland and bloated styling. Despite being smaller than the C30, the GTI doesn't compromise a thing for its occupants. In fact, it's the only five-seater in the trio and equals or beats the other two in nearly every interior measurements. Its right-size engine provides an impressive balance between performance and economy. And then there's the price: Even with the $1076 optional DSG, our GTI was $1646 less than the C30 Version 2 and almost $2800 cheaper than the Mini Cooper S.
Kiino sums it up best: "For the money, the GTI is tough to beat in this group-make that unbeatable. It offers the best combo of performance, utility, and value. It may not be the most fashionable, but the GTI flat-out works."
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