Golf GTI - Mid Life Crisis car of choice

[gerhard]

Someone whose name begins with M and ends in ischa has pointed the finger at us mature types who are choosing the GTI as the chariot.

Why is this so? Here are some of my reasons for choosing the Golf GTI.

1) I'm a petrolhead from the time I was 12.
2) I spent 10 years or so racing Karts with my son, loved it.
3) I love the bush, so wanted a Touareg V6TDI to replace the Jackaroo. It was just too much money, especially after the market dived last year And not able to be fitted with a snorkel which is essential for where I go, and just too damn nice to scratch.
4) Having sat in the VWs they had wormed their way into my psyche
5) My wife only drives automatics, so I was thinking of changing her car but Polo auto not very appealing.
6) She really liked the Polo GTI (me too) but alas, no auto.
7) We both liked the Golf GTI, and it has DSG, so ideal for her and a blast for me
8. I figured the GT TDI would be ideal, test drove it, but not overwhelmed with slow suburban driveability.
9) Drove the GTI at the suggestion of the young dealer passenger when I mumbled about the TDI - he said all my concerns would be addressed by that vehicle.
10) He was right

I am hopeful for a Friday delivery now, after giving the dealer a razz yesterday. Have now had daily phone calls

So now I won't have a Touareg, but I will still have my 4WD to bash the bush, and the GTI for my daily driver, which can be a docile suburban hack or a magnificent highway screamer, and not embarassed at the occasional track days either.

[evorobin]

7) We both liked the Golf GTI, and it has DSG, so ideal for her

You said it chief

[savory]

What dealer Gerhard?

[Preen59]

Someone whose name begins with M and ends in ischa has pointed the finger at us mature types who are choosing the GTI as the chariot.

Haha! Good one 'ischa!

[brad]

In my family (Italian emigrants from early 1900s) a mischa is part of the female anatomy. Cracked me up when my sis-in-law started calling herself Mischa...... but I digress.

I don't think a GTI is a midlife crisis car - that role is reserved for SS Commodes & XR6 Foulcans.

GTI is what you buy when you don't need the room of a big Aussie sedan, want a bit of luxury plus some mumbo and also after some build quality.

I mean, you could probably buy a top of the range Aurion and achieve all that but what "enthusiast" wants an Aurion (may as well find Dr Kevorkian straight away)?

[Mischa]

tomorrow i will use pictures to re-enforce my point

[Golf Houso]

tomorrow i will use pictures to re-enforce my point

Its your area Mischa and the consumption culture there thats behind it. I have yet to see anyone over 40 own or drive a MK5 in my area or in SW Sydney in general.

But yes your right, I see at least 5 every time I drive up the pacific hwy.

[dangerous_daveo]

You know whats funny. My best mate who never really noticed VWs until I started looking in to buying one. He made the comment all the GTI he see's old people are driving them! We couldnt work it out! I guess I have now... When you can't afford to have a proper mid life crisis and buy a porsche, you go for the cheaper cousin... ;-p

(runs hides)

[gregozedobe]

Naah, the Golf GTI is seen as the 'goldilocks' car (mid life crisis or not), not too expensive, not too cheap, not too (scary) fast, not to slow, not too big, not too small, not too harsh a ride, not too sloppy handling, not too heavy, not too thirsty etc etc. JUST RIGHT

[gtimk5]

I too offence to the midlife crisis comment yesterday.
I have been driving golfs since 1977 and owned my first proper GTI 10 years ago. I have had over 30 golfs over the years and I dont see why having a Mk5 GTI now makes it a midlife crisis car. It is by far the best Golf I have owned, by far.
now let me enjoy it!!!!
Andrew

[Greg Roles]

Man up you guys!

The golf is a flippin' hairdressers car if there was ever one. I wave at GTI's and the like all day, but the are usually piloted by chicks! But by GOD I love my little car!! Care less what others think.

I have had several "mid life" crisis' ( cricii? ) thus far, and am planning several more. In fact I was told by the former "Mrs Cog" that the 1985 Starion Turbo I bought way back was "it" for my crisis car. There wasn't going to be another one apparently.

New girl and several hot cars later and it's ALL good.

[jb747]

The HSV GTS, then the MR2, and then the R32 were my crisis cars. Who says you can only have one.

[gerhard]

It occurred to me the other day that probably the most notable performance car I had driven was the XU-1 belonging to a mate that I helped out when he was racing his FJ at Symmons Plains many years ago.

That thing was a bit of a ball-tearer, and of course it won Bathurst a few times so was no slouch. Drank a fair bit when pushing on, but nobody cared much back then

So I wondered how it compared to the GTI in terms of specifications, focussing on weight, power, and torque.

XU-1 - 141.7KW @5600. 270NM @4000, 1100Kg.
GTI - 147Kw @5100. 280NM @ 1800, 1360Kg.

These figures reveal why us older people NEED a GTI - simply to keep abreast of what we have known in the past

Price wise I can't find the new price of the XU-1, but the lower GTR was $3125 new. So the XU-1 was probably aligned to today's R32.

The GTI is truly a bargain, especially if you add a flash ........

[Greg Roles]

Wouldn't mind having a nice mint XU-1 sitting in my garage these days!

[evorobin]

Shouldn't laugh but went to a volks enthusiasts meet and the lovely granny sat next to me said she bought the DSG GTI because Richard Hammond reviewed it on Top Gear and she really *liked* him....

Drove past an old dear in a GTI the other day complete with blue rinse. DSG gearbox is ruining the brand imo