2008-'09 Sport Compact Comparison Test

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=128908
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Thanks to three turbochargers, 724 horsepower and five limited-slip differentials, comparing the 2008 Mazdaspeed 3, 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX and 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart should be more entertaining than a cage match between Quinton ""Rampage"" Jackson and New Kids on the Block. Imagine the fun! Donny and Danny hangin' tough from the walls of the cage while Joey, Jordan and Jonathan get tossed into the crowd.

The way we see it, our Rampage vs. New Kids bout is no different from pitting the Mazdaspeed 3 — the current champ of the sport compact world — against the Lancer Ralliart and Subaru WRX. On the track, an epic ass-kicking is bound to ensue.

But comparison tests aren't always won on the track. Since these cars all share a focus on real-world driving for enthusiasts, we weighted performance as 25 percent of this test's scoring total, leaving the remaining points to price (20 percent), feature content (20 percent), fuel economy (15 percent), our subjective evaluation (15 percent) and personal and recommended picks (5 percent).

So performance is important, but in the end, the most well-rounded car wins.