The Lemon Index
Head to head
Each car's headline trim of its newest generation. Green check = the better of the two on that line (more power, quicker, lighter, cheaper, fewer recalls).
Volkswagen Golf R
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Subaru WRX STI
VA WRX STI · 2015–2021
VA WRX STI · 2015–2021
Horsepower
328
310
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
295
290
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
4.1
4.4
Top speed
—
—
Weight
—
3,450 lb
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$47,100
$36,595
Engine
VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R)
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
Subaru EJ257
2.5-liter flat-4, turbo
2.5-liter flat-4, turbo
YouTube owner tone
out of 100, these years
out of 100, these years
—
57
Owner complaints
NHTSA, raw count, these years
NHTSA, raw count, these years
28
250
Recalls
these years
these years
7
0
Owner complaints are raw counts from NHTSA, not per car sold: performance cars sell too few for a fair per-car score, and the busier seller usually draws more. YouTube owner tone = how positively the most-watched videos about those model years talk about the car (100 = all praise).
Pick other generations or add a car
Every generation
Volkswagen Golf R
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk8 · 2022–2025 | Golf R (2025 update) | 328 | 4.1 | VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 28 | 7 |
| Mk7 / Mk7.5 · 2015–2019 | Golf R DSG | 292 | 4.5 | VW EA888 Gen 3 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 43 | 9 |
| Mk6 · 2012–2013 | Golf R two-door | 256 | 5.9 | VW EA113 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 5 | 0 |
Subaru WRX STI
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA · 2015–2021 | WRX STI | 310 | 4.4 | Subaru EJ257 | 57 | 250 | 0 |
| GR / GV · 2008–2014 | Impreza WRX STI hatchback | 305 | 5.0 | Subaru EJ257 | 53 | 178 | 2 |
| GD · 2004–2007 | Impreza WRX STi | 300 | 4.6 | Subaru EJ257 | 52 | 75 | 0 |
Everything on the Volkswagen Golf R · Everything on the Subaru WRX STI · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.