I’ve been on a kick to rearrange my fleet a bit but I just can’t think of any car that’s as well rounded as the Golf R.

It’s small enough to be to tossable and agile but big enough to hold an extra set of wheels and tires along with camping gear and track accessories for a track day weekend without any creative solution required.

It has huge customization potential with a robust aftermarket of quality upgrades that are not insanely priced. Even stock it’s far faster and more powerful than its closest competitor the GR Corolla while being much nicer inside and having more tuning headroom while staying reliable. The AWD system is advanced and robust enough to hold on to multiple push laps on a hot day without overheating. 

Considerations:  
Roughly 3,450 pounds  
315–328 hp stock  
Torque-vectoring AWD  
Fast dual-clutch transmission  
Compact exterior dimensions  
Genuine rear-seat and hatch utility  
Comfortable year-round daily use  
Exceptional tuning support

Perhaps its actual closest competitor are previous generations of the Golf R and maybe the Focus RS which is famous for having a fragile driveline.

Of course, I have many complaints about the car, some of which I have mitigated (replaced steering wheel touch buttons with physical, replaced subwoofer with previous generation, removed steering tug nanny for adaptive cruise, etc), but I really can’t think of any car that can quite match it in being such an excellent practical all rounder.

The Golf R is unmatched