I'd say get the GTI. I woulda got a 20th AE but they wanted too much. I don't think they have HIDs, but that can be changed easily. The GTI looks better and is more comfortable. They both have the same ammount of room and can hold the same ammount of passengers comfortably.

The WRX's are nice cars, but they're still an ecomony car with a bad ass drivetrain. They are better than a sunfire, neon or even a civic, but they don't hold a note to the VW on build quality.

If all you care about is performance out of the box, get the WRX (beware certain mods require some other expensive additions to keep the car running good). If you want a nice car to roll in everyday with a little bit of luxoury and still some good speed, get the GTI. This is why i got mine.