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While the world continues to be filled with crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, automakers continue to offer a healthy diet of cars that are fun to drive. This is not a label held by a handful of people, as Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW all like to play in the same space. BMW is an outlier, but line up the M240i, Volkswagen Golf R, and Honda Civic Type R, and the battle lines are starting to blur.
The one to beat on paper is the BMW M240i. The coupe packs a BMW 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine, which produces 374 horsepower (278 kilowatts) and 368 pound-feet (500 Nm) of torque driving all four wheels. This has a major advantage over the Honda Civic Type R, which only drives the front wheels with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 320 hp (238 kW) and 309 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It is also the lightest of the bunch.
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The middle child in this delightful family is the Volkswagen Golf R. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine produces 320 hp (238 kW) and 309 lb-ft (420 Nm) of torque. It also drives all four wheels.
The advantages of BMW and Volkswagen are immediately visible in the first moments of the first race. Both lunges off the line, leaving Honda struggling for traction. The second race gave Honda a better start, but still trailed the other two, with BMW crossing first in 12.5 seconds. VW finished right behind him in 12.7 seconds, while Honda needed 14.2 seconds to complete the quarter-mile run.
Honda bounced back with a rolling race, where BMW and VW’s all-wheel-drive advantage disappeared. Honda followed and then passed VW, crossing the finish line just behind the BMW. However, the second race rolled closer, with VW beating Honda with sliver.
There is little chance of beating all-wheel drive, especially from a standing start. However, Honda showed that it had the strength to compete with the others – it just needed to go first. AWD will likely put it on par with the other two, but will increase cost and weight.
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