Lancer EX GT-A vs Impreza 2.0R Sport

Since I’ve been thinking of a new car, I thought I’d compare them. They have to have a 2.0L engine just because it’s a nice balance between fuel economy and power. Plus it’s 2.0 is a nice round number compared to 1.8, 1.6, and 1.5. They also has to be reasonably priced.

That still leaves quite a few options: the Ford Focus, the Mitsubishi Lancer EX, the Subaru Impreza, the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Altis. The list needs to be trimmed down to two  (nice round number).

The Ford Focus, the Mitsubishi Lancer EX, and the Subaru Impreza are interesting to me because they’re domesticated versions of monster rallying cars. They’re the poor man’s rally machines. The Honda Civic and the Toyota Altis don’t have such heritage and are just too dime-a-dozen to boot so they’re out.

The top-of-the-line Ford Focus has an awesome 2.0L diesel engine and a PowerShift dual-clutch transmission. However, even with the face lift, the current look just doesn’t appeal to me at all. The 2011 model does look good but it’s still not here or even out. Plus, it’s a bit bare in terms of features.

It therefore boils down to The Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A and the Subaru Impreza 2.0R Sport.  The tale of the tape:

It seems that, based on the specifications, the clear winner is the Lancer EX GT-A. But how do these two drive? Unfortunately, I haven’t’ drove them. Is it time for a test drive? Hmmmm.