2021 Honda Accord 2.0T vs Subaru WRX STI: Which One Is Faster In a Drag Race?
If you had to drag race a Subaru WRX STI, which car would you pick? A Volkswagen Golf R? Or maybe even an old Mitsubishi EVO? How about a 2021 Honda Accord Sport? That last one might sound like a random suggestion considering the Accord is a family sedan, but the 2.0T version can put up a fight. That’s what one YouTuber named Sam CarLegion thought too, so he decided to drag race an Accord Sport against a Subaru WRX STI and the results were interesting.
Honda Accord Sport vs Subaru WRX STI
Pitting a Honda Accord Sport against a Subaru WRX STI is probably one of the weirdest match-ups we have ever heard of, but we get it. We understand because the Honda Accord Sport with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is quite the beast in a straight line. In addition to Sam CarLegion, other YouTubers have put the Accord Sport to the test against other cars like the Acura TLX and Honda Civic Type R, and the Accord Sport was able to beat them quite easily. So why not put it against a WRX STI?
Front-wheel-drive vs all-wheel-drive
As a quick and brief rundown, the 2021 Honda Accord Sport can be outfitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the front wheels. That setup is able to churn out 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and, according to Car and Driver’s testing, it can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and down the quarter-mile in 14 seconds.
That’s pretty impressive, considering the Accord is a family hauler. But so is the Subaru WRX STI, in a way. Aside from four doors and four comfortable seats, the WRX STI is equipped with a turbocharged 2.5-liter, flat-four engine that produces 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that routes power to all four wheels. In Car and Driver’s testing, the WRX STI went from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and down the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds. So the two cars are actually a pretty close match-up despite their drivetrain differences.
The drag races were pretty close
When it came to actually drag racing the two cars, Sam lined up both for a series of different drag races mainly to see if the Accord could keep up with the WRX. In the first race, both cars were in “normal mode,” which meant that the WRX didn’t have the advantage of its turbocharger. The Accord ended up winning by two car lengths.
For the second race, the Accord was left on “normal” mode while the WRX was put into “sport” mode. As you can imagine, the WRX beat the Accord, but it was still a close race. For the third run, the Accord was put into “sport” mode with the traction control turned off. But that didn’t help much as the WRX was still able to keep the lead by about one car length.
The fourth run was a race from a rolling start at 45 km/h with the Accord in “sport” mode and the traction turned off. Once again, the WRX beat it, but only by a small margin. The last race, however, was the most interesting as the Accord was manually shifted using the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. In that race, the Accord was able to make use of its entire RPM range, which resulted in it finishing neck and neck with the Subaru.
What’s the main takeaway?
The main takeaway from this drag race matchup is that the Honda Accord Sport with the 2.0T engine is an insane performer for a sedate family sedan. Especially one that is priced in the low $30,000 range and comes with all of the entertainment and creature comforts you would need. Also, it costs almost $10,000 less than the Subaru WRX STI. Which one would you choose for a daily driver?
RELATED: The 2020 Honda Accord Sport Earns the Sport in Its Name
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