What's in a name?
That which we call a rose by...
Nads, I'm talking about the cars.
Sorry.
Anyway, these are rally cars for the road.
Ah, and we're gonna see which one's best.
Is that where you're going with this?
Basically, yeah.
Just play the thing.
Since its inception in the early '90s, WRX has been the rally car for the road, even
the name WRX stands for World Rally Experimental, because it was based off the brand's homologated
world rally car.
As for the GR Yaris Rallye, well, it's also a rally car, both by nature and name.
Of course, these two aren't identical rivals, one's a tiny, three-door hatchback, the other
is a sedan that'll seat five.
Even still, only about three grand separates the pair.
The Toyota costs just under 55K.
The WRX STI is more powerful on paper and is also quicker.
Subaru says it'll manage a sprint from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in 4.9 seconds.
Even though it's 250 kilos lighter, the Yaris is claimed to cover the same distance in 5.2
seconds.
Okay, so let's talk about what they have in common.
Well, obviously, that starts with their capabilities.
Both have a proper all-wheel drive systems, performance brakes, sports suspension and
light wheels with grippy tires.
I gotta say though the Yaris is really striking with those fat flared guards, but it's tiny,
at just under four meters long, and it kinda looks like an alien from the back, but I'm
into it.
I see what you mean.
It's unique, but when I was growing up, nobody was talking about a Yaris hot hatch, it was
go REX or go home, and although it's morphed over the years, I think it still brings that
raw beauty and the beast vibe to the road.
Behind its 19 inch alloy wheels, are six piston Brembo brakes.
There's a bonnet scoop up front along with LED headlights and daytime running lights.
Our tester is also fitted with a large rear spoiler, which is an extra $300 well spent,
if you ask us.
It's a performance car, but because of its rally bred nature, it doesn't sit all that
low or squat.
The Yaris isn't dumped either.
Day-to-day speed humps and driveways are no problem.
Just be careful of those beautiful 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels.
The low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber might need a little caution on pot holes,
but they're sticky and ready for the fast bits.
Stopping power comes from big, four-pot brakes up front.
The Toyota gets the most powerful three-cylinder engine in the world.
A turbo-charged, 1.6-litre triple that sounds part world rally car, part 911, at least to
some.
But the Subaru is the more powerful car here, with a 2.5-litre, turbo-charged boxer engine
that everyone loves.
The Yaris produces 200 kilowatts and 370 Newton-metres, and although that mightn't sound like much
next to the WRX's 221 kilowatts and 407 Newton-metres, the pint-size rocket is smaller, lighter and
more agile.
Both cars come standard with a six-speed manual transmission and both send power to all four
corners.
The Yaris uses two Torsen limited slip differentials, one at the front and one at the rear, compared
to the WRX STI, which only gets a centered Torsen LSD.
Those smart diffs are the Yaris' party trick, delivering active torques between the front
and rear axles dependent on which drive mode you choose.
In normal mode, it's a 40-60 split, but in sport, that becomes 30-70, and in track mode,
50-50.
The Subaru also has variable torque distribution, but only on automatic WRX variants, not on
the top rank STI.
What the STI gets is auto and manual torque split modes, which can be adjusted via a button
on the center console.
You can go anywhere from auto-minus mode, which sharpens up the steering, to a fully
locked diff via the manual settings.
Inside the WRX, it's a story of practicality and functionality above all else.
And despite a really busy display of screens and dials and buttons, it's actually pretty
intuitive, once you know where everything is.
Some STI badges and red stitching punctuate this car's track ready character, but I'd
love to see more, more drama, and less hard plastics.
Overall comfort, however, is great, as are the cabin ergonomics and electric driver's
seat, with lumbar support and two-position memory, as well as tilt and reach steering
adjust, sets you up for a great driving position.
The WRX's infotainment and technology suite is extensive, but the design feels a little
dated.
We're so used to seeing really large screens that dominate a cabin with all sorts of fancy
functionality that the Subaru's approach just leaves us wanting a little.
Design preferences aside, the Subaru's cabin is driver-focused and in-car information and
graphics will speak to the tech savvy buyers.
Again, functionality is at the forefront, where in cabin storage is concerned.
We've got two cup holders, a lidded arm rest, some extra storage here, and indoor storage
too, it's actually really good.
It's a performance flavoured cabin here in the Yaris too.
The cabin feels inviting with these figure hugging suede sport seats, and most of the
driver's touch points are finished in suede or leather too, so it feels quite cosy.
That said, each get high perch driver seats and lots of hard plastics around the rest
of the cabin.
Unlike the Subaru, the Toyota comes with manual seat adjustments, but no lumbar support.
Tilt and reach adjustments for the steering wheel offer flexibility, but drivers over
six foot will likely struggle to find a comfortable position.
There's not as many screens here in the Toyota, but you still get all the same important info
from the instrument cluster and central touch screen.
Oh, and the Yaris adds a colour head-up display.
The touch screen is the same size as the Subaru's, but it sits higher in the dash and obscures
a fair bit of view at the wind screen.
The sound system isn't as good as the Subie's either.
They both have eight speakers, but the Toyota's JBL system is nowhere near as loud and crisp
as the Harman Kardon system in the STI.
Being a small hatch storage isn't its greatest asset, even still, there's bottle holders
in each door pocket and handy storage bins up on the dash.
Common to both cars is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, Bluetooth and digital radio.
The Subaru also gets a CD player, just in case you still use those.
Where safety and driver assistance features are concerned, the Subaru misses out on at
least one must have: Autonomous Emergency Braking.
The newer Yaris ticks more boxes.
Its AEB gets pedestrian and daylight cyclist detection.
Plus, there's traffic sign recognition and intersection turn assist.
The WRX's dimensions are in its favour here.
Second row space is pretty good.
Really good headroom and legroom, got an armrest, comfy seats, but that's about it, as far as
creature comfort goes, not much else.
Air vents and power outlets are nowhere in sight.
All you get is bottle holders in each door pocket and ISOFIX points for the outboard
seats.
Clearly, it's tighter here in the back seat of the Yaris.
I'm 166 cm tall and my head is hitting the roof.
Surprisingly though, leg room isn't too bad behind my driving position, but getting in
and out is hard work, even for little kiddies.
Both get a 60-40 split-fold rear seat to increase boot space, which again is favoured considerably
by the Subaru, which can hold up to 460 litres compared to the Toyota's measly 141 litres.
There are no pockets, hooks or luggage nets in the boots of these cars, and sadly, but
not surprisingly, neither of them comes with a full-size spare tyre.
The WRX gets a space saver, while the Yaris comes with a fiddly tyre repair kit.
Neither of which are gonna be much use when we get these bad boys out in the tough stuff.
Totally, Ellie, because these cars are all about driving, not what fits in the boot.
True.
Okay.
Give me the keys! [laughter]
It's really easy to get comfortable behind the wheel of the WRX, which is a good thing,
because this is a car that requires a decent amount of concentration and effort.
And with that, comes reward.
You need to work the Subie's boxer engine hard to get the most out of it.
There's a bit of turbo lag at lower speeds, and it performs best when you keep the needle
in the tacho close to the red.
The WRX is also noticeably more difficult to launch from a stand still, a combination
likely due to its heavy clutch pedal and center diff settings that sometimes take practice
to find a happy medium.
On the move, gear changes are notchy and tight, but it's not a super short throw.
The WRX feels solid and planted on the road, and it sits really flat as you dip into the
corners and weave through the bends.
It feels somewhat smaller than its actual proportions.
I'd call it nimble, but maybe not sprightly.
This is a car that requires a decent amount of driver input to get the best results.
The WRX needs longer sweeping bends to show off its neatly balanced body, but its firm
steering isn't as direct or as responsive as it should be.
Three drive modes that offer different throttle mapping also don't deliver obvious results
at first, with slightly laggard response from the go pedal, even in its sportiest setting.
With no adaptive dampers, the ride is firm all the time, and as a daily driver, it might
even be too rigid for some.
The cabin is a little noisy, and road imperfections are noticeable.
Feedback comes both through the steering wheel and through the seat.
It's a more visceral race car-like environment here.
Which, I guess, there's no surprise there.
As mentioned, the sport seats are naturally positioned high in the Wrexie, but that only
aids the driver's view, with plenty of vision out of every direction.
It's also worth noting that, even though the Subaru is the louder car in this pairing,
its soundtrack doesn't match its dramatic looks.
Jumping behind the wheel of the Yaris, it's immediately noticeable how much vision is
impaired by this high-sitting touch screen and low-sitting mirror.
And at the back end, not a lot can be seen either.
But once you're going, any shortcomings are quickly forgotten.
That three-cylinder engine never runs out of puff.
Put your foot down in any gear and the little turbocharged 1.6-litre always has more to
give.
Compared to the Subaru, throttle response is swifter, the clutch is lighter, and even
though it still takes a few goes to launch cleanly, it's a more user-friendly car to
drive than the Wrexie.
The Yaris' synthesised sound effects sound great inside the cabin, but like the Subaru,
it's an underwhelming experience for those on the outside.
The Yaris' pint-size proportions make it feel a lot more playful on road, but it's still
every bit as sure-footed as the Subaru.
That is, until you flick it to Sport Mode, which sends 70% of torque to the rear wheels.
It's a real pocket rocket with bounds of energy, and it's really easy to drive fast.
But it's also really easy to get tail happy if you're not careful.
Despite how easy it is to get loose, the GR Yaris Rallye is a real confidence-inspiring
machine when driven to its capabilities.
It's got oodles of mid-corner grip, and whipping it around hairpins and long sweepers alike
shows off its outstanding stability and traction.
Although it's a downright performance car, steering is relatively light all the time,
even in between its three drive modes.
There isn't the same firm steering feel as the heavier WRX, but it is more direct.
The Toyota also feels more settled and poised over bumps and potholes, even with its sport
suspension.
There's still plenty of tyre and road noise in the Yaris, but it's not as bad as life
in the WRX.
The ride is rough and ready, but it's also a lot of fun.
Gear changes are smooth too, and there's a nice weighty feel to the gear stick.
The Yaris' rev-matching feature is also a bit of fun.
Not only does it blip the throttle when you go down a gear, but it does the same if you're
up-shifting and your revs aren't high enough.
Neither of these cars lived up to their claimed fuel consumption rating in this test, but
that's a good representation of how we put this pair through their paces, and likely
how they're gonna be driven in the real world.
Outward vision in the Subaru is excellent, but good cameras never go astray, and the
Subaru has crystal-clear camera quality and multiple view points.
It's really good and really easy to park.
Being smaller, the Yaris is even easier to park.
Screen clarity is about the same, but the Yaris gets less viewing options.
Both cars come with guidelines, but only the Yaris' moves as you input steering.
The Subaru's guidelines are static.
As a daily drive, each have their own compromises to deal with.
The Yaris is a little more refined on more types of road surfaces, but the WRX's spacious
and ergonomic, friendly cabin will suit a broader range of audiences.
It'll also be easier to get your hands on a Wrexie, unlike the sold-out Yaris.
Both of these all-wheel drive rockets are covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre
warranty.
The Toyota needs to be serviced every six months or 10,000 kilometres, which adds up
to just over $1500 in the first three years.
The Subaru also needs to visit the workshop every six months, but it has a more generous
distance limit of 12,500 km.
The STI also costs considerably more to service in the first three years, at a total of $2300.
I guess that's what you get for buying a boxer.
Alright, so what have we learned?
Well, the Subaru feels like the less flexible car here, because you've really gotta wring
its neck to get the most out of it, and that won't be for everyone.
Yeah, and on the other hand, the Toyota is ready to rumble anytime, anywhere.
It's a tightly wound ball of fun.
And in the right hands, with some patience, it's an extremely rewarding car to drive.
So it seems to me like the newcomer has set a new benchmark, and it's our winner.