Golf R

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

Here's the thing about hot hatchbacks: they typically have an appearance that just screams youth and speed. Just look at the MazdaSpeed3 and the previous generation Subaru WRX STI five-door. Both are awesome cars but at some point many of us will outgrow that boy racer thing. That doesn't mean, however, that you still can't drive something with lots of power, performance cred, and, well, five-doors. Sure, there's the Golf GTI with its trademark honeycomb grill and other bits. But then there's the new Golf R.

It has a more conservative appearance than the GTI, but quite a bit more power plus AWD. Problem is the price tag. The Golf R starts off at $36k while the GTI bases at $25k. Consumer Reports gets behind the wheel of both to see if that extra $11k is worth it.