RS vs GTI - New Top Gear Aus Magazine

[BlackOctaviaRS]

Just got my latest copy of the Top Gear Australia magazine, and in their long termers section, they've got a new Mk 6 GTI, which this month they compared to the RS wagon.

They reckon overall the GTI is a better car, as they reckon it handles slightly better, but then they didn't bother to mention the fact that the RS is actually a practical, useful car with a decent cargo area???

[Driven Threads]

Yeah I read that too. They mentioned the cars were so similar yet the GTI just did things a little better. At the end of the day if you have a family the skoda is the more practical option IMO. I love the look of the RS-P (pity they won't be making it.)

[BlackOctaviaRS]

Yeah I read that too. They mentioned the cars were so similar yet the GTI just did things a little better. At the end of the day if you have a family the skoda is the more practical option IMO. I love the look of the RS-P (pity they won't be making it.)

Yeah, and they even said that they won't be selling the RS-P parts...

[Driven Threads]

Yeah, and they even said that they won't be selling the RS-P parts...

Yeah real shame. As people would optimise their car with OEM options. Skoda wagon looks a lot better than the upcoming golf 6 wagon too IMO.

[Sales @ Mentone Skoda]

It shows how little they know

It amazes me how these people make a living in this field of automotive journalism but make comparisons between apples and oranges. The RS was never intended to be a competitor for the GTi. we have always known it to be the competitor to the Jetta and soon to be Golf Estate.

To make this comparison just highlights how little they know about the Skoda product and almost feels as though it is designed to religate Skoda back to a lesser position. Reality is if they put it up against the other 'midsized' 147kw Jetta with a sports pack as it is intended, i would think the Skoda would knock it out of the park.

[BlackOctaviaRS]

It amazes me how these people make a living in this field of automotive journalism but make comparisons between apples and oranges. The RS was never intended to be a competitor for the GTi. we have always known it to be the competitor to the Jetta and soon to be Golf Estate.

To make this comparison just highlights how little they know about the Skoda product and almost feels as though it is designed to religate Skoda back to a lesser position. Reality is if they put it up against the other 'midsized' 147kw Jetta with a sports pack as it is intended, i would think the Skoda would knock it out of the park.

Seems to keeps happening with any review that's done. The only decent test I've seen was in Wheels mag early last year, where they compared the pre-f/l Octavia with the Mondeo, Mazda 6, and Accord Euro. These are the sort of cars they should be testing the Octavia against, not smaller cars like the golf.

I completely agree about these motoring journo's. They've got no idea how to properly compare cars.

[spellbound]

Interesting i had a mk4 gti and loved it , needed a wagon in 04 bought liberty 30r wagoon ,

Lease up iam going back to a mk5 gti , oops hatch too small , sir over here we have the RS , oh gti in drag , similar price , okay tons of space, done .

Really they are competitors , rs 9/10 of a gti , similar performance , price , Vag quality , space is the only real difference .

Only other car i considered was focus xr5 , but same story a bit small in back.

Skoda should consider a AWD rs wagon a real competitor to liberty gt wagon , hahaha R20 wagon in drag .

[gregozedobe]

I also test drove a Mk V Golf GT and GTI when shopping for a new car. I preferred the slightly more relaxed feel of the vRS, and the extra space and good looks of the wagon was more of a bonus, not the deciding factors.

The GTI was more fun when you were pushing it harder, but most of the time you simply can't push that hard due to traffic, road conditions and punishment if caught speeding. Drive them both on an old bit of narrow country road with potholes and repairs on repairs and the vRS comes out miles in front

Long trips are also more relaxing in an RS. They are such a good all-rounder it is a real pity more people haven't discovered them.

[spellbound]

So right about a narrow country road .

Should be compulsory for a RS salesman to take his client down a B road , that one drive will convince .

Funny my salesperson young female let me loose on my own , probably my age ,and told me the right road to try it on .

I do like your comment how relaxed it is , so true .

Golf still has the looks though , but we spend most of our time behind the wheel not visualising the outside , and like all VAG products it is a very well thought out dash with quality controls , most important for long time driver appeal .

[Antiplastix]

Just got my latest copy of the Top Gear Australia magazine, and in their long termers section, they've got a new Mk 6 GTI, which this month they compared to the RS wagon.

They reckon overall the GTI is a better car, as they reckon it handles slightly better, but then they didn't bother to mention the fact that the RS is actually a practical, useful car with a decent cargo area???

RS WAGON ???? No, its just the RS SEDAN they compare it to.

[backdoc]

How can you compare a hot hatch with a sedan? Those guys are idiots. Next thing we will see is a Porsche Carrera 911 4S against a Range Rover, "they both have advanced 4WD systems yet the Porsche seems unable to climb the same rocky inclines the good old Ranger can. You can't help but feel the Carrera is out of it's depths here in the Scottish Highlands."

Bloody geniuses those motoring journos are!

[mrgolf]

Honestly. Having owned a MkV GTI and now owning my RS, no one could convince me the RS is a better drive. It is more practical, but it does not perform as well, or as charismatically. The GTI is a brilliant car, and from all reports, the MkVI is even better, if not dramatically.

Anyone who gets upset by an article like this needs to understand that the RS simply will never be as good as the GTI. In making it a family car with sporting abilities, compromises had to be made. Fact is, it is longer and heavier that the GTI which will change some of its handling abilities. It is also more softly suspended. It does not drive as well at 7/10ths, or above, as the GTI. That does not make it a bad car. It is immensely capable, amazingly practical and built better, albeit with less quality plastics.

In my opinion, it has better front end grip than the GTI up until the suspension is tested by any imperfections in the road. Then it feels a lot less composed. Advantage of the RS is that the car rides better around town and when travelling and it has bulk cargo space.

As the guy from mentone said, they arent direct competitors anyway, so stress not. It also is not as good as a Cayman S, but that is more apples and oranges. Dont confuse the existence of a hatch with eligibility for 'hot hatch' status.

I only sold my GTI for my family. I dont regret it, but there is a hole in my car life where the GTI was which can never be filled by the RS. I can say, however, that I could not go back to the limited space of the GTI after having the luxury of the Skoda's immense boot. I do want another GTI in a few years time, but as a secondary car.

The fact that the article says they feel similar, recognising they are in the same ball park, is a very flattering statement that any RS owner should take some pride in. Second place to the GTI is not bad.

[Jake02]

Tbh this article really pissed me off. It went through all the performance details of the GTI and then compared the RS, which with it's heavier/bigger body, is of course going to be slower than a GTI. Especially when the Mk 6 is on the newer-gen platform. They didn't mention the fact that the RS has a MUCH bigger boot, more space, it's MUCH better value (you'd have to spend at least $50k to get an RS specification) and it's a Skoda, meaning it has better reliability.

But I SEVERELY doubt many people are gonna compare the GTI and RS in looking for a new car so meh

[Antiplastix]

Build a bridge, and feel smug in the knowledge you have a car that fits your needs better and you dont have anything to prove. If your happy who gives two hoots what some journo says.

[dazag]

I couldn't care less, I'm not even compelled to read the article, I'm happy with what I own and dont care what the next bloke is driving or what any journo has to say.
I can understand why they did the comparison considering they run the same engines I assume and some similar componentry, then why not compare them, I assume it's not a "which is a better sedan" or which is a better hatch comparison is it??