Hot Hatch vs. Street Truck: Practical Performance Vehicles Just Make Sense

Sometimes a vehicle needs to do it all, and for someone with one parking spot, a limited budget, and numerous hobbies, a practical performance vehicle has a lot of boxes to check. Need a fun daily driver that you can take to the autocross once in a while, but can also do a Home Depot run? There simply aren’t too many vehicles out there that can do it all. Typically, a vehicle that’s great at one of those tasks has to make so many sacrifices that it ends up being terrible at the other.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Maverick Lobo, however, perfectly embody practical performance, even though they’re at opposite ends of the automotive spectrum. By not going too hard in either direction, they end up being pretty good at everything without needing to make major sacrifices to get there. 

While you’re probably not cross-shopping a hot hatch with a street truck, they cost around the same amount of money and have similar power, and both prove that you can have your automotive cake and eat it too. 

2025 Ford Maverick Lobo

A pickup truck designed for better track performance, the Maverick Lobo is fundamentally a silly vehicle, and I have a big soft spot for silly vehicles. 

With a ride height that’s 1.27 cm (half an inch) lower in the front and 3 cm (1.12 in) lower in the back, 19-inch black turbofan wheels, and a unique grille treatment, the truck has a wicked sporty stance that helps it get a lot of attention on the road. The interior gets fun touches that match the truck’s louder outward personality, thanks to designer Kristen Keenan, who was inspired by street art and sneaker culture. The Grabber Blue and Electric Lime accent stitching looks really cool, bright blue accents around the cabin are welcome pops of colour, and a graffiti-inspired print on the seats makes the interior even more vibrant.

While the engine is the same 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with 238 hp and 277 lb-ft that’s available across the rest of the Maverick lineup, it gets other worthwhile performance upgrades. The cooling system from the Maverick’s 4K towing package and a transmission oil cooler help keep temperature in check during more spirited driving, the steering is tuned to be sharper, it gets better brakes, and the twin-clutch torque vectoring rear axle helps it power through corners with more confidence and composure. Instead of the eight-speed transmission in other Mavericks, the Lobo uses a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters for more control and engagement. Power is sent to all four wheels, making this all-wheel-drive (AWD) truck an excellent all-seasons daily driver.

And Ford’s performance engineers nailed it. The Lobo is a blast to drive. It feels more like a sports car than a truck and handles better than any pickup has a right to. The regular Maverick already drove well, but the changes listed above lead to tangible improvements that you can really feel in the Lobo. While more boost from the turbo and a raunchier exhaust would be appreciated, the provided power is more than enough to have a bit of fun with. The truck feels great in corners and changes directions like a hot hatch, while the Lobo driving mode gives drivers a lot of freedom to play around with tire-squealing hijinks on a closed course.

Despite being very entertaining to drive, the Maverick Lobo is also perfectly suitable for daily driving. Able to corner confidently without a back-shatteringly stiff suspension, the truck feels comfortable over rough roads and isn’t at all punishing. 

And the best part of the Maverick Lobo is that it’s more fun than the standard models but retains all the practicality that makes it an award-winning pickup truck. The 4.5-foot bed in the back opens up a whole world of utility with lighting, numerous tie-downs, and a power outlet. 

The interior is packed with storage cubbies and clever touches, making it one of the most practical cabins in the business. Under-seat storage helps keep clutter at bay and valuables hidden, big door pockets have bottle holders, and multiple rubberized storage cubbies help keep small items organized. The user interface is also straightforward, and the system still uses many real buttons and knobs.

The Maverick Lobo can only tow 907 kg (2,000 lb), which is less than the 1,814 kg (4,000 lb) of the regular Maverick when equipped with the same 4K towing package, but that’s still enough to haul a couple of dirt bikes or even a jet ski.

The Maverick Lobo’s fuel economy is rated at 11.2 L/100 km in the city, 7.8 on the highway, and 9.7 combined, very decent for a truck with AWD. After about 750 km of driving, the indicated efficiency was a stellar 8.9 L/100 km, which is even better news when you consider the Lobo runs on regular gas and the fact that I was not gentle on the throttle.

The 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo goes for a very reasonable $47,800 before destination, a bargain for what it is.

While I wish Ford had pushed the Lobo a bit further in terms of performance, those upgrades would have required sacrifices to its daily livability and made it more expensive, so I can see why Ford took this route. I adore this well-rounded, surprisingly fun truck.

2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf GTI has long been a poster child for practical performance. Its utilitarian hatchback shape and rambunctious personality have resonated with pragmatic driving enthusiasts for decades. 

Like the Maverick Lobo, the GTI is also powered by a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder, and with 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, they’re pretty equally matched. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends power to the front wheels.

The GTI has plenty of power throughout the rev range and pulls hard no matter the situation. We wish the performance of the transmission and steering were sharper, but the hatchback is happy to be chucked around and is rewarding to drive, even though it’s not the most exciting. It’s fun without pushing the limit, and you don’t have to be a pro driver to get the most out of it. The GTI has never been the most hardcore hot hatch with the wildest personality, but that’s what makes it easier to live with day to day. Comfortable over rough roads and still able to gobble up corners for lunch, it’s always poised and polished thanks to its adaptive dampers.

The Golf GTI’s cargo capacity is rated at 564 L in the trunk, which expands to 977 L with the rear seats folded flat. There’s also the bonus of having a pass-through in the middle seat to make room for longer items like skis or snowboards and still have room for four adults. Looking strictly at the numbers, the Golf might seem to have an edge over the Maverick’s 943-L bed capacity, but we all know there’s always more to the story than just numbers. The Maverick has the benefit of an open bed and more vertical storage, but the GTI can still hold a surprising amount of cargo. 

The fuel economy story is similar. Rated at 9.9 L/100 km in the city, 7.4 on the highway, and 8.8 combined, the GTI’s outright efficiency is better than the truck, but when you consider that the Maverick has the added benefit of AWD, the Maverick’s as-tested 8.9 L/100 km is not that much worse than the front-drive Volkswagen, and actually beat the Golf’s indicated 9.0 L/100 km as-tested average. The Golf GTI also runs on regular 87-octane fuel.

The GTI’s user interface isn’t as bad as you might have heard, and while most functions are centralized in the touchscreen, a logical layout and quick response times make it easy enough to use. It will never be as good as having physical buttons, but recent updates make it easier to live with.

A bit more concerning is the fake carbon fibre and piano black plastic trim that cheapen an otherwise well-assembled and high-quality interior. The seats look sporty and are very comfortable, and the steering wheel is another highlight. As a driver’s main touchpoints, it’s good to see that VW put the effort in where it matters most. The biggest red flag is the overly sensitive safety systems that beep constantly, tempting drivers to turn them off entirely, defeating the purpose of their being included in the first place.

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Autobahn trim tested goes for $40,495 before destination, plus a $500 paint upcharge, again representing a great value for what you get. It’s quite a bit more affordable than the Maverick Lobo, but the truck’s AWD and added practicality help soften the sting from the price difference.

The Golf GTI is simply delightful: Well-rounded, super easy to live with, and entertaining enough when you want it to be, it’s a balanced and sensible choice.

Final Thoughts 

The car-buying advice I repeat most often is not to buy more vehicle than you need, and both the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Maverick Lobo are perfectly just enough. As versatile daily drivers that can tear up an autocross one day and do a dump run the next, they both strike the perfect balance of performance and practicality. Not too hard and not too soft, not too big and not too small, I think even Goldilocks would find lots to love with these fun, pragmatic vehicles. 

We’re not here to tell you to pick one over the other because it really depends on your needs, but if you want a vehicle that does it all, you don’t need to make too many compromises to achieve that goal.