Which one? Ultimate Hoonage or Ultimate Driving Machine Edition.

Welcome back to another exciting edition of "Which One?", where two potentially similar and interesting vehicles duke it out for superiority in the Arena of Destiny. Today's episode is somewhat less of an apples-to-oranges comparison. Station wagons are very close to my heart. They combine practicality with all of the fun-to-driveness of a normal car. In a world where BMW Gran Turismos and Acura ZDXes exist and the 5000-pound crossover is king, station wagons stand out and run against the grain. So, 2011 BMW 328i xDrive Sport Wagon or 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STi?

Some will say that the E90/91/92/93 3-series is the last great iteration of BMW's best-selling Ultimate Driving Machine. It was the last series to be imbued with a line-up of only Billy Dee Williams-smooth straight-sixes, the last in which any body style you wanted, be it sedan, wagon, coupe, convertible, could also be ordered up with a clutch. Sure, by the time the E90 rolled around, other non-sacred demons such as Active Steering and iDrive had found their way this low on the totem pole, but most seem to agree that, in general, the E90 had sacrificed little of the magic that keeps it winning comparison tests and staying on best-of lists, its inherent 3-series-ness.

This particular example is a 2011 E91 328i xDrive, which in Europe would have been called a Touring. Underhood is a naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter straight-six producing 228 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, provided to all four wheels through a six-speed manual. I think all E90s were great-looking cars, and this wagon is no exception. The original owner didn't go crazy with the option boxes, adding only Bluetooth connectivity, heated front seats, and a panoramic sunroof before putting 39931 miles under the tires. The lack of iDrive is a great thing, leaving the interior unmarred and frustration-free. But the lack of a sport package means this Bimmer is tuned more for the college drama professor who, likely concerned with the demise of his favorite carmaker by this time (can you guess?), decided to jump ship, instead of a genuine canyon-carver. Regardless, this car does wear the roundel, so there will be some driving enjoyment to be had, and its sure-footed all-wheel-drive grip will keep things safe, if somehow you lose hold of 228 horsepower.

I like this car a lot, for reasons already mentioned above. There's cargo space galore, thanks to the fold-flat rear seating, it has the nearly-impossible-to-find-in-a-wagon-this-new manual transmission (Save the Manuals!), and it has decades of Bayerische Motoren Werke cred to back it up. I don't particularly like the sea-of-black interior, or lack of satellite radio connectivity in a car this expensive, but I guess beggars can't be choosers. $32500 and a trip to, bizarrely, a Kenosha, Wisconsin Kia dealer will have you driving away in this fine example of why it's baffling that America hates wagons so much.

Okay, yes, technically this 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STi is a hatchback. But it still checks out all the practicality boxes that the Bimmer does, and this comparison becomes narrower than you think. Both have five doors, drive all four wheels through three pedals, both wear a similar shade of ticket-me-please red, and their prices are even similar. However, the STi also checks a few boxes that the Bimmer does not.

How many Scandinavian flicks has your drama teacher attempted in his BMW? This STi is the latest iteration of the decades-old Evo vs. STi battle that has only recently spread to these shores. By 2010, the STi had received its mid-life freshening, wearing meatier bodywork and allowing the option of a sedan, after purists howled at the fact the earlier models were five-door-only. A 2.5-liter boxer four strapped with a massive turbocharger cranks 305 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque, meaning this machine can get you and your groceries to 60 in about five seconds, no sweat. And when the way home just happens to be a rally stage, its all-wheel-drive system with an electronic center differential will keep the hoonage factor turned to eleven. 

This example has 23635 miles on the clock, so hopefully probably few of those have been spent hooning or riding around with untold ill-advised modifications. 305 horsepower is a tough number to resist, although it's very easy to draw the attention of the constabulary in a machine like this. The Scooby looks tough and muscular without being super gaudy. I would definitely have to find a set of gold rims for it, however, and the interior has the same sea-of-black problem as the Bimmer. Unlike the Bimmer, the Scooby also has satellite radio capability and even navigation, which is kind of a plus. It's also a shade cheaper than the Bimmer, at $31998 for a package that's sure to provide the tickets thrills by the ton.

So, which one? The ultimate driving machine or the ultimate hoonage machine? I'm actually torn. On the one hand, I would love to enter into the halls of BMW ownership with something so eminently practical, yet still eminently drivable. On the other hand, 305 horsepower. And it's an STi. What's not to like? What say you?