GTI wheels

[BBP]

My wife is mad.

She wants a GTI but can't cope with the standard suspension, even on 17" alloys (she drives a lot over pretty ordinary Sydney roads).

So, two questions for the collective wisdom of the forum:

1. Does the softest setting on the ACC make much difference? It would need to be noticeably softer than the standard suspension setting on non-ACC GTIs.

2. Do 16" alloys fit on the GTI, that is, do they fit over the calipers?

Your assistance is appreciated.

[team_v]

Just get a 118TSI with comfort settings.

The GTI suspension is stiff even with the ACC as it is built to be used.

[AdamD]

1. Does the softest setting on the ACC make much difference? It would need to be noticeably softer than the standard suspension setting on non-ACC GTIs.

2. Do 16" alloys fit on the GTI, that is, do they fit over the calipers?

It's my understanding that the ACC's most significant advantage over stock is to make the ride more supple over road irregularities. I've not tried it on the GTI so I can't comment personally for that car; on the Passat CC, the difference between comfort and sport is marked. I would suggest you and your wife seek out a demo with ACC and 17s before you commit to a purchase (GTI or otherwise) - it'll be worth your time.

And AFAIK, the 17s are a tight fit over the brake calipers at the front; don't think you'd manage to fit 16s.

[Super]

1. Does the softest setting on the ACC make much difference? It would need to be noticeably softer than the standard suspension setting on non-ACC GTIs.

From what I could tell from a test drive of a GTI with ACC, on Comfort mode the car is noticeably softer relative to Normal mode.. but in the grand scheme of things is still fairly stiff. But then the GTI isn't exactly a lightweight, so the stiffer suspension makes it feel more solid.

On Comfort, the suspension does seem to smooth out the bumps a little better, and you definitely notice it when going over speed humps. In Nomal mode, it seems like there's a more direct relationship between wheel movement and the chassis.

[cme2c]

Just get a 118TSI with comfort settings.

The GTI suspension is stiff even with the ACC as it is built to be used.

+1.

My mad wife loves her 118TSI and the car is very comfortable and still handles very well. It has standard wheels, tyres (Pirellis)and suspension. We took it to the NSW south coast and up to the southern highlands over Easter and it didn't put a wheel wrong, even over steep, windy roads.

My car is stiffer than a MKVI GTI and she complains that lane markers feel like speedhumps.

If you need more power, tuners can liberate around 150 kW+ from that little 1.4.

[STV4SYT]

My wife is mad.

She wants a GTI but can't cope with the standard suspension, even on 17" alloys (she drives a lot over pretty ordinary Sydney roads).

So, two questions for the collective wisdom of the forum:

1. Does the softest setting on the ACC make much difference? It would need to be noticeably softer than the standard suspension setting on non-ACC GTIs.

2. Do 16" alloys fit on the GTI, that is, do they fit over the calipers?

Your assistance is appreciated.

What about a Tiguan 147?


Same engine as MkV GTI but with the offraod suspension....

[docjames]

+2 - a 118tsi will do everything she wants. If she persists with the GTI then as you suggest, she is mad.

[Corey_R]

What about a Tiguan 147?


Same engine as MkV GTI but with the offraod suspension....

Actually, something I learnt from Sharkie is that even the Tiguan 125 is the same engine as the MKV GTI, it's just detuned via a different ECU. So you can save some money, get the Tiguan 125, put the APR Stage I ECU update on it, and you'll have 189kw/402NM !

[markwid]

I would say, keep the GTI on 17" but choose what type of tyres to put on with bias on comfort over performance.

For example, in my experience, Bridgestones are great performance tyres but not that comfortable. Michelin or Continental seems to be more comfortable in comparison.

[noone]

If comfort is a bigger priority than performance, I'd be thinking about the 118TSI.