Remove the WRX from that list and put in the up coming SE-R and you'd have a more equal comparison because all will fwd.
Mazdaspeed 3, 2.3L turbo, 263hp/280lb-ft
Civic SI, 2L, 197hp/139lb-ft
VW GTI, 2L turbo, 200hp/207lb-ft
Sentra SE-R V Spec, 2.5L, 200hp/180lb-ft
Chevy Cobalt SS, 2L Supercharged, 205hp/200lb-ft
As you can see the Civic falls far short in terms of torque which is what you need to accelerate. The Mazda AFAIK is close to what the stock internals can take at it's current boost level. The GTI can put out more hp with just a chip and isn't even close what the stock internals can take. Sentra is most likey at it's max as a normally aspirated motor. Cobalt can be bought from the dealer with stage 1 or stage 2 kits to make it put out 270hp with a manufacturer warranty.
Horsepower wise they can come close to a WRX but handling will be another story all together. The limitations of fwd vs awd is what makes the WRX a better vehicle. I drove my nephews Vishnu modded WRX with the 2L boxer which was up to STI territory in horsepower. I still can't believe the speed I was able to take corners in that car, only the EVO we test drove comes close. The acceleration was even more amazing with 2nd gear good for 70mph=112km/h and that was still with the stock turbo. Too bad he sold it for a BMW 3 series.
Heres a comparison made with some of the cars mentioned above.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...ars/index.html