The Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the best affordable cars on the market. The GTI has stood the test of time, while competitors have popped up and faded away over the years. This year is an interesting time for the sporty compact car segment. The GTI has some fresh competition in the form of the Hyundai Elantra GT and Honda Civic Si. The Elantra GT has the same 201-hp 1.6-liter turbocharged engine as the Elantra Sport, while the Civc Si has gone turbo for the first time ever and now produces 205 hp and 198 lb-ft of torque.

The Hyundai and Honda are both less expensive than the Volkswagen, but neither can match the GTI's 220 hp and 259 lb-ft torque. The Fast Lane Car decided to see if the new competition from Germany and Japan could match the GTI's performance by doing a 0-60 mph test.

The Elantra GT and the Civic Si are so evenly matched that it really depends on the driver's skill and how good the launch is. TFL determines that the Civic is slightly faster, but is difficult to get a good launch with the traction control off. After a terrible launch from the GTI, the Volkswagen is still able to fend off the competition with a 7.19-second 0-60 mph time. The Honda hit 60 in 7.31 seconds while the Hyundai took 7.67 seconds. This test was almost too close to call, and shows that Volkswagen does indeed have some competition to worry about. We'll be even more interested if Hyundai brings an N model to the US to really compete with the GTI.