Toyota GR Yaris vs Ford Fiesta ST Edition vs Honda Civic Type R vs VW Golf GTI: Hot Hatch Shootout

[@Autoexpress]

Well it seems you guys LOVE a hearty debate about whether this lot should be considered rivals 😂So here goes... ✅The Fiesta has long been our favourite B-segment hot hatch. ✅The Civic has long been our favourite C-segment hot hatch. ✅The Golf is also C-segment, and one of the best all-rounders. The Yaris is B-segment in size, but closer to the C-segment cars in terms of performance and price. It also has four-wheel drive and a homologation rep which no other current hot hatch can boast. If it can match the Fiesta's fun with the Civic's pace, then Toyota has something special on its hands... Whether you agree or not - we hope you enjoy the vid! Alex

[@georgecarter1168]

@Paul Blackman this yaris has no resemblance to a standard one. It's not just a fast yaris, it's a completely different car.

[@dougiemiller5030]

I agree with George. The Yaris GR is a Yaris in name and approximate body shape only. It's got a trick engine, trick suspension, trick brakes, trick exhaust, trick wheels & trick drivetrain. These things all cost a lot to engineer & match homologate together. To say nothing of the fact that they need to be reliable and be driven by a huge range of different people. It's the total odd amn out here due to the above aspects. Comparing it to a standard Yaris is like comparing an orange to a lemon painted orange mate!

[@georgecarter1168]

@Paul Blackman it neither looks, walks or quaks like the duck in question. Test drive a proper one rather than commenting an uneducated opinion online, you might actually enjoy it 👍

[@Hollyone]

Are you sure about the Pilot Sport 4s on the Fiesta ST ??? This tire is not available on 205/40/18

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@Paul Blackman those who bring cost into it simply cannot afford one!

[@fajex]

Civic Type R - 00:47:10 Toyota Yaris GR - 00:47:90 Ford Fiesta ST Edition - 00:48:50 VW Golf GTI - 00:48:80

[@miromen44]

Yaris GR AWD, Golf GTI DSG...🤢 Fiesta ST, Civic Type R they are the best 🏆👍

[@MT-xy7fw]

not much in it.

[@matthewturnbull906]

surely the ST at a slight disadvantage with the damp track, if he ran the laps how the video plays out I imagine the track would have dried slightly

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

On such a short track the times will not be wildly different. Would like to see times around the ring

[@NickG24]

Sounds like what you want is a normal Fiesta ST for fun per £

[@Auraxium]

Huge respect to this driver blasting these cars round the track and still holding a calm conversation while doing so.

[@bobbyg5904]

Sutters is a legend

[@johnrudolph513]

With this group, the Focus ST would have been more appropriate. Fiesta did great though.

[@besiburukofficial5810]

Im only here for GR Yaris

[@nicenow25]

It's the best, it's the only homologation one. It's the only one with 4wd, a trick centre diff. Why are even questioning its the best. Gr Yaris mate!!!

[@0210mick]

@@nicenow25 Actually all tests say that the Fiesta is way more fun to drive.

[@rssummers7835]

Same but the gr Yaris on the video wasn't theTrack Pack

[@Dave-ns6ex]

@@nicenow25 type r is the best engineered. Better engine etc

[@Kavinda-x2t]

It lost to a fwd in wet conditions which I didn’t expect but would love one in the garage

[@buckleyjteams]

I had the mk 8 st only just got rid because the wife wanted something higher but every time i drove it it just made me smile

[@jameshoward9700]

UK testers slooowwwwly waking up to how good the Type R is. Only taken 3 years. A serious and nuanced piece of kit that testers have sneered at because of its devise looks. It's on worse tyres, in the wet, at a super tight circuit and it still beats the Yaris. In the dry, on equal tyres at a proper circuit it would annihilate it. And it take 5 people, their luggage or a bike. But, fair play, on backroads the Yaris would be a stealthy little weapon.

[@f181234]

EVO magazine made it car of the year when it came out in 2017

[@gregou22]

Finally some Sutcliffe !!! it was about time.

[@Autoexpress]

Glad you enjoyed the vid! In case you missed it, head over to our previous release - Steve pits the Porsche Cayman GTS against the Alpine A110S

[@STEVEBHPDEVON]

When steve talks you just listen to every word said great review 😀

[@motorrecon200]

Love all the cars in question here, it definitely would be between the Yaris and Fiesta for me. The Golf and Civic are both really rivals for the next size car up the focus.

[@JoeWalker98]

Yup, really a sporty polo should be up against the yaris

[@tomelliott9]

I expected the Yaris to come somewhere between the two Civic times mentioned in the video (FK2 dry and FK8 damp). The Civic proves again it's the king I guess.

[@garydavis1528]

Only disappointing car is the very often overrated over hyped golf gti living off very long gone days.

[@IamCredit]

Show me on the doll exactly where the GTI hurt you.

[@flacjacket]

Its a different sort of thing. You should go test drive one, they are the consumate all-rounder, as much about refinement and quality as they are about performance and fun. To live with every day they are better than the other cars in the segment, even if they aren't quite as good to drive.

[@trvnks]

Yes, the Golf, and specially the GTI, is the most overrated car ever.

[@brianellis1257]

Gold is so over rated, it’s not been a drivers car for many years. I am sure people buy the golf r because of its zero to 60 time in auto and simple to drive fast in a straight line appeal. Would not see which way a well driven type r, Yaris or ST went on windy roads/track.

[@arunmfive]

@A World Under A Spell 380hp on a Golf is pretty much gameover for the transmission and engine reliability. It's a VW after all. They design cars to last 50,000 miles and then fall apart.

[@AkaAndyKnuckles]

AWD makes the case for the Yaris here in Norway.

[@aminedahimene5722]

Paul Blackman are been sponsored by Ford?

[@jamiefisher1430]

@@aminedahimene5722 This d|çkh3ad Paul Blackman has been an absolute Karen. He's been commenting on every GR Yaris video showing his unjustified hate for the GR Yaris when he clearly hasn't driven one on a windy road on a wet day.

[@TeoSluga]

Because of the snow? All you need in snow is proper winter tires. Also tires should be narrow (not wide like sport cars have...).

[@TeoSluga]

@@bernhardtsuballa5341 if you would know anything about rally cars you would also know that they use extremely narrow winter tires (usually tires with nails). This is how you can go fast on a snow. Nothing to do with modern sport cars or SUVs, that you can buy in a store... Also if you consider ultra hard rally's, like Dakar, you can clearly see that AWD is not an advantage. AWD is useful in certain situations and conditions (like going fast through the corners on a flat slippery terrain), but not really the most important factor when snow or rough terrain...

[@riesa85]

@@bernhardtsuballa5341 I concur in every other thing with you but for the fact that Finland has 7 different champions with 14 championships against Norways 1 and 1, as in Petter Solberg (ok, France wins with 17 championships BUT only 3 champions). But Teo Sluga has clearly never driven an awd car in real winter conditions!

[@jamiep61]

I always enjoy watching a Hot Hatch Shoot out

[@donbrashsux]

GReat Yaris

[@isimon.]

So best buy a Fiesta ST? 😁

[@f00lxpl]

Mr.Sutcliffe... I have been waiting way too long to see you again :)

[@Autoexpress]

Skip to 11:43 for an exclusive first look at the new two-wheel drive Toyota GR Yaris

[@andreaperaldo6702]

ehmm.. it's 4wd

[@Stringwar]

Come on son, sharpen up a bit. They are referring to the car cornering on two wheels at that time in the video.

[@andreaperaldo6702]

@@Stringwar ah sorry, i was focus on the new drift machine, the fiesta st at 4:35

[@Autoexpress]

4:35 - when you try to showboat for the cameras but it's your first lap out of the pits and you've forgotten to disable the stability control 🤦

[@Stringwar]

@@andreaperaldo6702 Cant go wrong with any of these cars but I do find the Golf ugly.

[@ALLIENSKILLS_HCTS]

Honda Civic Type R is a BEAST!!! When Honda decides to make a fast car, then thje result is EPic...!

[@potzblitz6337]

Im really into JDM but i dont Like the Look of the Civic at all. Otherwise it would be my favourite

[@krisc6644]

So the civic type r wich is 100kg heavier beats the yaris gr, wich is awd, and this in the rain, that sais it all about the capacity of the civic! This yaris is some next level hot hatch, ligthweigth and awd. But on the track apparently it is still the civic that rules

[@Speyde]

It has 60 PS more and less friction because only front wheel drive.

[@neubs1969]

honda type r still the king on the track sorry you yaris gr lovers....

[@Speyde]

@@neubs1969 I did not deny it. I just said what’s the reason for this. But is there now a big hate between Civic type r and Gr Yaris driver?

[@Andre-xf7tp]

Both great cars but different target

[@palethorpe01]

Finally collecting my ST Edition tomorrow and I simply cannot wait. I'm just crossing my fingers, and toes in the hope that the snow doesn't fall as forecast.

[@Autoexpress]

Great choice. I'd say "enjoy" but I know you'll love it anyway!

[@jasonaves8871]

Steve Sutcliffe I personally feel is not given the credit this man deserves. Although very very quick Chris Harris was slower than Steve in a F1 car on the national circuit at Silverstone. F1 cars require the driver to be on it immediately to keep the tire temperatures and pressures up and believe that it will stick when your mind tells you it won’t, the black art of downforce. I have a Caterham and believe there are few journalists that can get the best out of a 7, as they require balls of steel commitment to get the very best out of a 7. And Steve excels in doing just that out of the R500 evo my personal favourite and the 620R he drove them both and did them justice. Put Steve and Chris on top gear together and we wouldn’t need the Stig of which is quite frequently a different hired race driver. I remember perry mccarthy telling me he was the black stig. Steve keep doing what you do best my man. Hopefully we will see you full time on something like top gear. Great vid keep them coming.👍🏻

[@powerswearingfluids]

Best comment i have read ever

[@powerswearingfluids]

I always yearn to observe more technically measured out battles since it evaluates vehicle performance with upmost precision and helps to segregate facts from a growing variety of distorted opinions. These cars where put to the test against the clock by a racing licenced driver Steve Sutcliffe. I grew up enjoying the sharpness of british car journalism. Most of it nowadays has been dispersed into the grand void of showbusiness in two years time. A racing driver Tiff Needell who founded second largest british car programme was fired for the same reason Chris Harris was hired in Top Gear. Jethro who had the qualities of harris was bought by big business Motortrend who lately with Top Gear are well known for approving ssc tuatara unofficial "highspeed record" in a petty way to get the views. Such desperation for fictionally producing outright numbers can give some idea of what we have led to believe in. Last week i wrote that These great racing licenced journalists like Steve Sutcliffe and Owen Mildenhall have also disappeared along with the memories of propper and more driver focused cars in GENERAL but i sicerely hope that Steve who is one of the most experienced journalists will be back for more videos that used to make autocar and auto express as good as they where. Since direct and primary function of a driver has a secondary value over electromechanical actuators that direct the preordained target of all measured forces like lateral, longitudional, torque and braking angle it would be daft to feel joyous feedback from the direct mechanical movement since there is no direct connection left to feel from a purists point of view but rally bred yaris gr showcases exactly what all new cars are missing. Lighter weight and therefore less lateral load to manage on less than perfect conditions. The purpose of automotive intellectuality and its relation with a driver and the vehicle is underdeveloped to say the least. There is very little for the best natural gyroscope and foresight system that is a human being left to actively monitor, naturally feel and foresee the road ahead and we have to believe what politicians and marketing men tell and that is why we need more technical and aspirational videos like this. More aspirational cars like, 2016 toyota corolla, gt86 or 2021 rally bred gr yaris that all manage to be safe cars that weigh around 2.800 pounds and therefore can remain active at slippery low speed avoidance manouvers. Most latest gadgets are sold for people who have more money than sense and it is great to see very expencive yes- but still functional vehicles that can perform on low grip circumstances like these great offroad vehicles. Despite what we are told most road legal vehicles have geat issues putting its power down thus they have to create these admittedly brilliant but more to the point essential reverse haldex 4wd systems for sportsedans that offer mechanical traction or provide electronically limited and therefore so called "controlled" traction systems for modern overweight cars. In modern cars power understeer is minimised particularly at dry medium to high speed racetrack conditions since they have to meet stability requirements on deristricted autobahns and are therefore mostly well suited for the high speed racing tracks that might sound all well and good. On the contrary you can learn how poorly some impressive sporty nieche modern cars behave at low speed accident avoidance manouver like for instance moose test that is created by swedish people who also have to drive on less than perfect dry tarmac. I am not impressed that a modern sportscar weighs 2 tonnes hence i come to the point that safety systems are created for consumers who have not attained the basic knowledge of vehicle dynamics and therefore literally cant control the vehicle themselves due to the narrowed down power to weight window that only works well with potentially minimal traction system intrusion at dry highspeed autobahns or racetracks - I know perfectly that these cars cars are created for unwise people because i barely survived a car crash in an old 1987 honda accord tin can and i actually apreciate that my relatives can now own a basic ´´safe to crash at the direction in which it is heading´´ car that does 100 braking calculations a second via car stability program that measures car yaw, lateral and longitudional, steering, brake and throttle angle and then creates a preordained target overlapping these parameters via electromechanical actuators so that a person could not choose to oversteer at its own will. Oversteer is deemed to be unstable=unsafe and every danger is presented to millenials as impermissibly dangerous yet we have trouble focusing on a single a task these days and dont bother to understand that danger or in car terms oversteer is a natural physical effect that might potentially in some low grip circumstances be used as a pendulum in order to immediately avoid the course of direction by cutting out the middle men(delaying stability program) if the primary object truly is driver awareness and safety whilst leaving painfully slow preprocessed ways of thinking behind our imminent present. Fun thing about life is that it is dangerous but if you stop people making decisions in crucial circumstances they become inert. But for people who actually know something about driving toward a predefined future an Initial understeer effect is emphasized by modern vehicles unusable ratio of overweight and overpower so that a drivers input has secondary value without any direct mechanical actual feel of what is going in our isolated environment. Stability program deliberately tries to avoid a situation at poor conditions avoiding pendulum effect(oversteer) thus a modern overweight car will suffer with vehicles ability to steer especially at accident avoidance at slippery conditions. I am a 264 pound man and i can prevent my traction issues on ice as much as i want buying fancy boots or learning how to move my weight but i can never respond with the immediacy that a fit 180 pound man reacts on ice. There are very few real life situations where i have a benefit. It is sometimes faster to avoid a crash when first of all you actually learn to read the road by your own sensors and learn to feel the braking power via mechanical cable and learn to apply power and gearbrake by choosing constantly between gearing, throttle and clutch slip angle. At least these cars that where tested let you adjust cars balance but moreso with yaris due to the understressed ratio of weight and tire pressure per square inch. There are no systems that can see and predict the levels of grip with human gyrocopic precision not even mentioning insight of other human senses -there are no systems developed in car industry that can cancel out the forces of everso bloated vehicles and all we have is a false sense of security and false economical understanding of a modern cars ecological footprint.

[@sodazman]

The Type R is the quicker track car at the end of the day. It's unbelievably good and balanced.

[@geetee4037]

Just a pity it looks rank and sounds worse.

[@juliestonelake7606]

@@geetee4037 it's a funny old beast. I wasn't sure about the looks to begin with but now I think it looks insane and incredibly cool. So different from other hatchbacks

[@geetee4037]

@@juliestonelake7606 it's one of the only cars I've not come round to, looks-wise. Just too much going on for me but looks are a matter of opinion! I'm not a track person either so probably not the car for me. It's clearly awesome though.

[@markdean3217]

I think after watching lots of comparable shoot outs, in my humble opinion Auto express and especially this video is is the best presented video full stop.

[@steveberridge4648]

That’s a very impressive display by the Fiesta - only 0.6 secs down on the Yaris on a damp/dry track given the power deficit and only FWD. Civic is a masterclass however.

[@tinhinnh]

it better be with over 300hp!

[@pigeonpoo1823]

There's no bad choice here, just the one that suits you most. Great video, thanks...... but obvs the Fiesta wins cos fun and pretty

[@allwheeldrive]

Agree. To your point, real-world, day-to-day fun!

[@aowen1079]

Finally some real driving skill and very good driving feedback from one of the best in the industry. The GR Yaris is special, but so is the Type R. And out of these 4 cars, that is the car I would want to own.

[@kjoey76]

AutoExpress, you needed to add the Hyundai i30 N to this group.

[@shaunsimpson9902]

Why

[@kjoey76]

​@@shaunsimpson9902 Why not

[@akie64]

Brilliant comp, the two best cars won on the day, Japanese engineering at it's best.

[@Soh90]

The CTR is an animal. What it lacks in cornering compared to the GR Yaris (which isn’t much) it makes up for in brutal straight line acceleration. I’d still take the GR Yaris though lol

[@tinhinnh]

bravo for your honest opinion 👍

[@StefanoDellaSchiava]

It's GR Yaris guys, please! It's written in the Badge!🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Philbyyyy]

UK journalists seem to be dyslexic

[@rasch19785]

@@Philbyyyy yep, only in the UK they say Yaris GR.. They also pronounce everything wrong ( USA journalists tend to do the same)

[@TrueBlueEG8]

@@rasch19785 So we are all here telling the English how they should speak English....

[@TrueBlueEG8]

@Tiende Pamodzi Well I am sure they are delighted to have the gift of your superior reading skills and knowledge bestowed upon them.

[@deet4895]

Toyota Yaris GR-Four 🙅‍♂️

[@markrhoden68]

Could you hear the finger nails being chewed by the Type r owners as the GR started its lap 😆

[@neubs1969]

ha ha yeah i was....

[@spursfansawaydays5659]

do this test again from a standstill and they will be crying

[@akie64]

🤣🤣👍

[@Schuey_M]

VTEC just kicked in yo!!! 😂

[@alexandrudanmalinas5763]

Outrageous/imoral/dreadful ... fast! Quod erat demonstrandum ...

[@walidabdulwali420]

🤣🤣🤣 so funny such an original joke

[@Osprey1994]

Now it's boost instead of vtec. Even the EA888 has variable valve tech.

[@wisnudwntr6169]

No more vtech yoooo

[@nielsdebakker3283]

@@wisnudwntr6169 the civic still has vtec, and a turbo.

[@kramshiron]

Best value...most usable day to day...ST.

[@corkyb9896]

Fiesta’s chassis is top notch

[@quon9700]

Fiesta is CRAP

[@samueljenni]

why didn't they use focus st? wouldn't that be closer to the comparison of a type r?

[@King-Gilamashur2758]

this should have been focus st, yaris gr, golf r and type r, still probably the type r would have won.

[@notmenotme614]

True. The Fiesta isnt even the same size group as the Golf and Civic. Its more of a VW Polo and Audi A1 competitor. The Golf R is the more focused hot hatch compared to the more all rounder Golf GTi

[@Rockytroys]

Type R 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@JohanSalvattore]

Honda just keeps pushing the boundaries of FWD

[@Chemak2]

I love the Fiesta ST

[@jamesmc0716]

I can’t believe Ford are releasing another special edition ST. I bought my ST in Feb last year for just under 20k who is buying these ST editions for 27k? The dealers struggled to shift the performance edition.

[@chirpywiggins5796]

Regardless of which spec you go for, as long as your MK8 has the performance pack, you’re in for a riot ! They’re all essentially the same car

[@martinmcdonald4207]

The Yaris GR is the best kit here by a country mile, and not just bang for buck. Simply different class. Well done Toyota. Steve ive loved reading your reviews and photos in Autocar over the decades its good to see you on youtube. Keep us up to SPEED!

[@pagey1950]

Prices for the same cars in Australia: Converted from AUD @ 1.78 to the pound, 01/01/2021. Fiesta: ST GBP 18700. You pay 27000 Pounds. Golf GTI: GBP 27000. You pay 32500 Pounds. Civic Type R: GBP 30950. You pay 34820 Pounds. Yaris GR: GBP 27860. You pay 33495 Pounds. Australian average yearly earnings are around $90 000 per annum ( GBP 50600) v. UK average of GBP 34500. Some rip off you subject to.

[@majorminor3367]

Not entirely correct. The Fiesta ST edition is a limited model of 300 units none of which will end up in Australia. Australia import only one version of the Fiesta ST for around aud 32000 before options. In the UK a run of the mill ST can be had for around £23,500 before discounts

[@johnybigarms]

The standard Yaris GR is £29995 in the U.K., in Australia they sold the first 1000 cars for $40 AUD which is £22600 at today’s exchange rate, I think the U.K. is getting taken for a ride, PCP is the cause, 90% of cars are on these deals, cash buyers are being ripped off

[@johnybigarms]

That’s $40000 AUD

[@deeplato5647]

*Suttie* You are the class act / benchmark in auto journalism. Crackin' work!

[@CristianP]

Toyota Yaris GR 4x4 rulz ! 🏆🏆🏆

[@irfaan7868]

Always great to see Steve back again in a Hot Honda!

[@sizwenzama3988]

Ford fiest- st won my attention didn't expect the car to beat the golf gti

[@dragbag1616]

@Paul Blackman Nice bait.

[@THE8END0fDARKNESS999]

nobody wanted a or this fiesta st with 19... i wanted the evo 7 and the Lancia Delta HF Integrale xD

[@NickG24]

@Paul Blackman They are great cars but I do see your point! You need a decent income to splash out this much on Fiesta. They’re reasonably subtle now though, unlike Yaris or Type R.

[@chirpywiggins5796]

I have a 2019 mk8 ST and it’s a hoot to drive. Handles brilliantly with the diff, a true B road blaster!

[@FatHead1979]

@Paul Blackman Main problem with the Corsa VXR was the suspension felt like it was on coil overs set at the lowest ride height. On anything other than a racetrack or freshly laid tarmac, driving one at speed felt like being on a bouncy castle!

[@markeywestskies6503]

I wonder how the Veloster N DCT would stack up since it's a similar type car.

[@Hali88]

interesting to see how they do on track but hot hatches are popular for their mix of B-road fun and everyday practicality, not lap-times

[@arifazar786]

Hot hatches as a complete affordable package + fun factor is I assume what most people want.. fiesta ST has always over delivered on the sum of its parts.. it came third and that says something given the price point of the other two.. civic still came out on top not a surprise given it has more power and handling is brilliant.. Yaris just behind based on less power but manages to claw something back in AWD. Civic is something more attainable for most people in terms of everyday practicality and sheer mechanical feel minus the looks and exhaust sound.. a hot hatch cannot have it all.. that's what makes this segment so exciting..

[@carlosgj1308]

For the same price 35k I prefer 100% type R it’s bigger and can put 4 people comfortably 👍🏼

[@jak3est]

So a tuned st would be as fast as a civic type r around a track.. good to know

[@steveb3914]

This sort of comment never makes any sense, because tuning will cost the same for both, and the increase on the 2.0 vs a 1.5 is even bigger so you end up with the fiesta being even further behind 😅

[@jak3est]

@@steveb3914 a tune on the fiesta would be under $500.. idk about the honda, probably similar.. your right but you still comparing a $40,000 car vs $20,000. So yeah if you got money to blow have at it. But if you want a quick car without being broke then the fiesta hands down. Plus it doesn't look like future boy ricer with all the canards and fake wings on a 300hp fwd road car lol i still cringe everytime i see one drive by its beyond bad borderline terrible looking😞 you know its bad when even the honda street scene dont really talk about it or drive them. These corporate remakes of classics have just been money grabs by honda and Toyota and nissan

[@user-iz3gv5vo6b]

Focus ST must be in the same ballpark.

[@grasho]

Yep... No idea why they are comparing Fiesta with Golf and Civic... I guess that's what they got and had to do the video anyway...

[@Osprey1994]

Wait wouldn't it be more reasonable to have the Golf R? This is kinda a weird comparison because you have an AWD car vs 3 FWD cars and two top of their line cars... PS. As a GTI owner there's a good bit left on the table in terms of the chassis and the engine. Plus I gotta say for the amount of comfort you get that's still respectable.

[@jacquemaclmont9805]

I drove the Type R and its mighty quick for a FWD car but I had way more fun in the GR Yaris set on 30:70. Everyones differrent but in the end I ordered a GR Yaris circuit pack (or 'rallye' version as I'm in AUS. )

[@tinhinnh]

great choice!

[@ibrahimbashir6634]

Civic ranks in bigger category.. Yaris is a subcompact car and civic is a compact car

[@Random.Contents.]

Golf ranks in bigger category.. Fiesta is a subcompact car and Golf is a compact car

[@krisc6644]

Same price-range

[@iangillett2488]

Phew! I'm glad I bought my Fiesta ST3 in Performance Blue, it does make me smile every time I drive it. Why would I need to spend £1,000's more? If money was no object, I would go for the Civic, having owned a 03 plate Type R 30 Ann, having fallen for the screaming V-Tec engine. On the road the ST, does like to 'play' especially in the damp, with a fair bit or torque steer and axle tramp. I suppose I am comparing it too my 05 plate Scooby WRX with PPP, that seemed too ignore everything I tried to do to unsettle it. The Golf, too me, is just fill. The Yaris, does look tempting, but having driven a standard one, do feel it is a little small inside

[@noremac0575]

Lol, we get it, you're into cars.

[@Philbyyyy]

Yaris is a bigger car than the Fiesta. It has corolla chassis at the back half.

[@iangillett2488]

@@noremac0575 lol jus a little, I bounce between fun and luxury, my last vehicle was a Velar, but had full massage / climate seats, and no Heated steering wheel, which my ST3 has as standard 😂. Now looking at EV for my next leap 😉🤔

[@iangillett2488]

@@Philbyyyy 🙄 got me! It was a few years back when I drove a Yaris, I'll have to visit my local Toyota dealer and re-evaluate 😉

[@richierich9761]

@@Philbyyyy The GR Yaris is MUCH smaller than the Fiesta the latter has usable rear seats and the boot is over 100l bigger

[@ibrahimbashir6634]

Only GR Yaris ❤❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@kimiroihanz9924]

It seems that if you want to compete with these three cars, the Golf GTI TCR is the answer, for some reason the GTI MK8 is not progressing with the previous generation for the engine specs it feels the same that's why the GTI TCR is better, but just wait for the GTI Clubsport MK8 and see the results.

[@AI3THEANSWER]

CONCLUSION : for the price the Fiesta ST is the ABSOLUTE winner

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

If money is no object then the only choice is the GR

[@hotrod7603]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 Definitely not I am not paying just for fast to that boring toy ota

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@hotrod7603 did you not like it when you drove it?

[@tsotsi5254]

Spend 10k£ for an extra 0.6 secs… 👎

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@tsotsi5254 it's a Ford Fiesta - who would pay 27k for Ford Fiesta, which share alot of its parts with the Fiesta van 😁

[@Byley-e7h]

Don’t own any of these cars but that Yaris looks so much more fun.

[@notmenotme614]

Nice review but in defence of the Golf. I dont drive every day on the track. I drive on roads through city centres, motorways and occasionally A-roads. Compared to the Fiesta and Yaris, the Golf is a much bigger, better equipped, more luxurious and more expensive car to be in. My Golf 7.5 feels very solidly built and well put together. The Golf and maybe the Civic are in a totally different size category compared to the Fiesta.

[@Truenorth1234]

Type R still the king

[@SamAustin]

Great video! Although the Golf GTI in DSG starts from around £34,500 not £32,500 🤔

[@SamAustin]

@Paul Blackman RRP

[@notmenotme614]

Buy a nearly new mk7.5 Golf Gti with DSG. Its a much better car than the mk8. Better looking too.

[@coldstartpoetry]

its GR Yaris :D, deactivate IMT do it yourself and make 47 secs :D

[@MD-uu5nt]

You can't heel and toe in it. The pedals are too far apart.

[@rasch19785]

@@MD-uu5nt what? How tiny are your feet? Roll your foot it's fine

[@BanzaiYaris]

@@MD-uu5nt i have no issue in mine.

[@dvtc8u]

@@MD-uu5nt change your shoes. i find the best shoes are worn vans.

[@sodazman]

@@MD-uu5nt Yes the pedals are a bit too far apart from my experience

[@gumpy4960]

So for all it’s spec the Yaris is slower on a slippy tight twisty track that should benefit it most because of its awd and yet it’s not as quick as the civic?

[@richarddavies5711]

To be fair most of llandow is straight and long sweeping bends only one section consists of some tight bends and it was timed from a rolling start on the straight so gives advantage to the civic. On the B roads where it matters, the Yaris would leave the rest for dead.

[@gumpy4960]

@@richarddavies5711 in the dry I can’t see the Yaris leaving the civic on a twisty back road, Yaris just isn’t as fast seemingly even in damp conditions

[@mattbozanic3028]

On a tight B road the fiesta would have also have an advantage being the lightest. Im constantly amazed at the grip mine has for a fwd, for my needs the mk8 ST is the best decision I've ever made

[@darrenprior6339]

Engaging IMT doesn't do it any favours. I've driven it with it on and it's very dimwitted and slow. If you can heel and toe the Yaris would eat the Civic's lunch. Also, because this car has bogs of exit grip I'm thinking that perhaps the 30/70 torque split would have been more suited than 50/50 track?

[@tinhinnh]

@@gumpy4960 your mind is made up that the civic is faster so why post the question?

[@tomoday4450]

👍🏻 Great show Steve

[@shaunsimpson9902]

So in ideal conditions for the Yaris it was still 8 tenths away from the Honda on a very short lap. Maybe should try it again when it snows.

Great video! GR just received for longtime testing.

[@th3b0untyhunter]

great vid as always Mr Sutcliffe but tbh lap times on standard road cars mean bugger all. it looked like you had more fun in the Yaris, hence for me thats the winner

[@terrywright9765]

Focus ST would be more appropriate and fair.

[@shauntompkins5061]

I own the Type R. Told my good lady she should get the GR. Both quite brilliant drivers cars.

[@greymark420]

I also have a FK8 Shaun. Sensational car to drive, great handling and sublime gearbox. Smile on my face all the time, enjoy your car mate.

[@shauntompkins5061]

@@greymark420 Couldn't have said it better myself mate. Had mine a year and a half and still look forward to the next drive.

[@greymark420]

@@shauntompkins5061 👍

[@23ofSeptember]

Yes, as others have pointed out, its hard to consider the civic a "hot hatch" , let alone a hatch. Its more of a four door sedan tank. Its bigger than an Accord from the 80's or 90's. Not a fan.

[@akie64]

Maybe so, but it slays everything that goes up against it, end of.

[@yuujithedreadlord3988]

Except a GR Yaris in a drag race or in a rally. Which fun fact one of those are made for the track while the other for the rally

[@MrKrishnadevotee]

Gti's always boring , yaris and ford is exciting, type r is a track weapon.

[@A--lex]

Why not include the focus st?

[@andyhunt457]

Fiesta is still the more fun on the road,Yaris just a smidge behind...

[@Gianniz27]

hahaha

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

Said no one ever !

[@andyhunt457]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 well except excellent motor journalists you mean

[@Autoexpress]

I'd have to agree with Andy! Not much in it though 😊 - Alex

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@Autoexpress rubbish !

[@VITOBAKO]

13:18 lets hope that drift wasnt done in the timed lap 😅 i think if you stayed on the 50/50 split torque configuracion you wouldve gotten a better time

[@neekjp]

weird comparison. Yaris GR is a track focused car, fiesta ST also a small road car, the gti is a bigger heavier daily road car, and the type r is a track focused car... if you are using the Type R i would expect you to use the Golf TCR/Clubsport... if you had an SI here which competes with the golf it wouldnt be as close i bet.... stop doing comparisons just because you have the cars in your fleet and actually get the same cars in the same class.

[@steveb3914]

If they use the track focused golf TCR why not then use the track focused Civic Type R LE

[@neekjp]

@@steveb3914 they should

[@MT-xy7fw]

Would be nice if you can put polo gti, audi s1 against the yaris.

[@93455Driver]

Worth watching Piston Heads comparison of the GR Yaris (both convenience pack and circuit pack versions) and Fiesta ST. The Yaris was viewed as the better car for the track, but the ST seemed as much the fun for the road. Sutcliffe is a great car reviewer, another hat tip to the GR Yaris, but that Type R is quick even with two less driven wheels.

[@NickG24]

I like the fact the Yaris is 4WD, reasonably big power for a small car etc but think I prefer the Fiesta overall. Let’s face it, you can’t drift a car much on the road or a track day so it’s party trick is a bit pointless. It is nice however, being able to put all of your power down which big power FWD and RWD cars struggle with on UK road conditions!

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@NickG24 the GR can deploy all of its power all of the time (and safely) thr same cannot be said for any FWD Hot hatch.

[@NickG24]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 it’s nice knowing that, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more fun to drive.

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@NickG24 goes it's what how you determine "fun" in a car. It's all down to individual preferences. For me the GR is more fun, along with being a very special and unique product, sure that comes at a cost, but special things cost money

[@NickG24]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 true, there’s no denying it’s a bit different to the norm and more special for it. For me it’s a slight shame they had to use the Yaris as a platform and name because unfortunately it has no history or heritage.

[@Freddanrocco]

Strange how close they all were. Having driven both I’m really surprised that the Fiesta is within 3 seconds of the Yaris, even on a short track like that.

[@75Mdb]

What? the Fiesta was only 0.6 slower than the Yaris.

[@Freddanrocco]

@@75Mdb my point exactly...

[@75Mdb]

@@Freddanrocco Haha got you now, you thought that it would be more than three seconds slower.

[@paulmiller5936]

I get the distinct impression that you enjoyed the Yaris and Fiesta a bit more than the Honda, would that be right? The Civic is massively impressive, but I do wonder whether the extra weight just makes it less enjoyable to chuck around...

[@dotulloch]

GR Yaris two hot hatch not practical, for everyday use. No storey space, rear seats are useless basically it's a rally car.

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

That's not fair to compare a bespoke mini Lexus LFA to mere tarted up production cars.

[@nickegan3988]

Love the GR Yaris but it looks like something Mickey Mouse would have as a daily driver.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Least it doesn’t look like it crashed through the Ripspeed section of Halfords like the Civic Type R!

[@nielsdebakker3283]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ It also doesn't look like it has been rear ended by a corolla.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

@@nielsdebakker3283 I don’t think the camera does any justice to how low and wide the back of the GR is in the flesh. It always looks smushed up in wide angle shots, whereas in real life it flows nicely.

[@fasthracing]

Noticed the Golf mirror wobbling about. VW build quality on the slide again.

[@lcpd26]

Vw will surely break in 5 years 2 years if you thrash it just when the warranty ends

[@f181234]

@@lcpd26 in the car wow drag race there Yaris had a power steering malfunction

[@lcpd26]

@@f181234 no he stalled the car.. It happens in my Corolla as well.. If you stall it and keep rolling it does that.. That's why when he turned the key back on and off it went off

[@toddstevens8506]

@@lcpd26 You're stuck in the 80's. Modern GTI's are reliable, at least that's been my experience.

[@lcpd26]

@@toddstevens8506 to be honest I don't know about the Gti... But every tsi, and vw in general has been problematic after. Exactly 5 years.... They all Break down so fast.... I'm tired. Of fixing my friends cars... 3 vw all been broken.... 1.4 tsi 122 hp 1.4 tfsi 140 audi this one 1.0 tsi vw polo all broken

[@jinxmade]

Sutcliffe and Harris are GOOD.

[@minimumtrade]

MOAR SUTCLIFFE PLZ. The GOAT of automotive journalism.

[@MrKudliker]

Good video but what is the fiesta doing there? All the other cars are a compleet different price category, you should used the Focus RS for this comparison.

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

Seeing as the Focus RS no longer exists, you cannot walk into a showroom and buy one, hence why it cannot be in these tests

[@MrKudliker]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 then they should've used the Focus ST

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@MrKudliker I agree they should - although on this tight and tiny track I suspect the Focus ST would of finished in a similar position to the Fiesta.

[@filippopippo6583]

I think we definitely need to see a VS between Civic Type R and Megane RS Trophy! The ultimate FWD hot hatches comparison 4 me! Anyway, beautiful videos guys, i'm officially in love with that little Japanese 3 cil. BEAST! 😁👏

[@kevinparker461]

Thought the GR was the only four wheel drive of them!. Plus i have heard some horror stories about the Ford 3 cylinder motor.

[@SunWindWave]

why no GP3, surely would be competitive?

[@adamkhan5274]

Have to a pretty pointless comparison. A golf gti and yaris gr are two totally different cars. No one will be wanting a yaris Gr or vice versa and consider the other. The golf is a true daily family car its an allrounder. The Yaris is a performance car plain and simple not much else considered.

[@averagebro413]

I would rank them like this: 1. Toyota GR Yaris, its awd, it can drift, its just the proper little beast. 2. Type r, some say its ugly(well most of you), but to me its just so Japanese and thats why i love it so much, it has great aero, superb engine and handles CRAZY good for FWD 3. VW Golf GTI. We all know Golf is a good car and GTI is no joke, but MK8 Golf is just not new enough, not improved enough and also 4. Fiesta ST, it's a nice car, drives well, but it can not match times of Type r or Yaris and it won't be as great daily car as golf will be.

[@castroalves8843]

But after driving both the Golf and the Fiesta, you would pick the Fiesta keys every time you want to have fun, but I can see why the Golf is the best all around for most people.

[@kevinparr4823]

I don't understand surly a better comparison would be a focus st ? Not a fiesta ??

[@benjamingabet7419]

Fiesta st pilot sport 4s ??

[@stevemcqueen7103]

so the moral of this would be more power and or 4 wheel drive gives you a better lap time around this circuit. Money Vs. performance = Fiesta wins.

[@Autoexpress]

The Fiesta may not be the quickest, but it's HUGE fun. But that shouldn't take away from the fact that the Yaris is brilliant too!

[@Random.Contents.]

GR Yaris is still the best car here, also people who really care about price to performance wouldn't buy the new Fiesta, they'd buy used Fiesta ST for £9k

[@Andy-2022]

People would laugh when you told them you paid £34k for a Yaris 🤪

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

@@Andy-2022 depends how much money you have - to many car enthusiasts 34k is not a huge sum. I have a GR, collected it 2 weeks ago and ive not driven it once - perhaps I will at somepoint, until then itl stay in my Garage 😎

[@Andy-2022]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 but why? Drive that thing, it deserves it! Congrats btw, it certainly looks better than any other hot hatch. For now I’m happy with my cheaper but not at good Fiesta ST. Always brings a smile to my face

[@ActionHeinz]

Too bad the Civic looks like a 6 year old's wet car dream... It's so unbelievable ugly with its flamboyant wings, flaps, scoops and grills... really hard to look at without getting sick :D

[@rasch19785]

And it's huge, no need for the Euro accord anymore, the current civic seemed to replace both previous generation accord and civic..

[@H8XME]

Wheres the focus mk4 st?

[@joshbacon8241]

Why is the GR Yaris limited to 143mph? From what I’ve read in some KZbin comments, it could potentially reach 155 if de-limited!

[@rausyansafwan9720]

Wrc rules.

[@mattbozanic3028]

All of those cars can go faster than their limiter, isnt that the point of a speed limiter....

[@tinhinnh]

its even less in japan

[@joshbacon8241]

@@tinhinnh That’s because under Japanese law, all cars sold there must be limited to 112mph.

[@tinhinnh]

@@joshbacon8241 no point in going to a track then lol

[@ObiWT]

Weird timing of Yaris, just skipped suddenly ftom 47.04 to 47.90. Are you sure with that final laptime?

[@dln.sweeney]

The timer is wonky through the whole video, only shows 2 tenths for every second.

[@relentlesspursuit6894]

It's a scam - the GR was quicker 👍

[@marcusfordus66]

@@relentlesspursuit6894 creative editing...

[@richardprior6501]

Give Steve Sutcliffe recognition and Autosport's viewers would double

[@Chrislav7]

Gotta love the yaris. Focus RS-like performance, Fiesta ST size.

[@ColonelJohnmatrix1000]

These cars all have artificial sound generators.

[@tominator23]

They should be banned! On a serious note, since they are played through speakers, why don’t the manufacturers allow the users to turn them off or customize them? So silly.