2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI Autobahn

The GTI is Volkswagen's hot hatch, the one that turned a practical Golf into a driver's car. The steering is sharp and the front end grips tenaciously, making it a blast on back roads. Inside, you get a clean, upscale cabin with supportive seats and a hatchback that swallows gear. The Autobahn is the top GTI trim, adding adaptive dampers, a bigger infotainment screen, and leather upholstery over the SE and Anniversary Edition cars below it. Its 2.0L I4 makes 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, routed through a seven-speed automatic to the front wheels, and manages 28 mpg combined on regular fuel. Only the Autobahn gets the DCC adaptive damping system, which lets you firm up the ride for a track day or soften it for a highway trip.