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First you have to start with the definition of "handling", as it's a subjective word. It could mean any number of things, including peak lateral grip, chassis balance, body roll and composure, damping, mid-corner adjustability, turn-in, steering response, feedback, etc.
A lot of people simply look at lateral grip (i.e., speed through corners) and label that as handling, which I don't agree with. To me, handling encompasses all those things and not just peak lateral grip.
Now that you know my definition of handling, I can tell you that the GTI is not even in the same league as the FR-S in terms of handling. I own both at the moment and have pushed them pretty hard (backroads, autocross, streets, etc.). After spending a week driving the FR-S, I have to force myself to dial it back in corners when switching to my GTI, otherwise I find myself overdriving it.
FWIW I've also owned an STI hatch and the FR-S handles much better than that as well, especially on comparable tires. In my opinion, it'll be difficult to find any hot hatches on the market that will outhandle a purpose-built sports car like an FR-S.
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