Is a GTI PP good enough?

[whichonetoget]

Currently considering upgrade options for my daily. Looking at something more mod friendly and better on fuel compared to my R36.

Is a GTI PP good enough for a fun, fast daily or should I pony up a bit more for an R/S3?

I assume that the MK7 platform cars are a huge step up in feel compared to the MK5/6? The MK5/6s that I had did feel very similar to each other.

Also, when did the GTI/Rs get Carplay/MIB2, was it MY16?

[hardy_bm]

Having driven both the PP is totally acceptable until you drive an R. [emoji43]

[tigger73]

Get an Ed40. It’s a more engaging drive than the R. You do gain traction with AWD but it does come at the cost of weight. So you then have to add power to overcome the added weight penalty. Really the R only starts to come properly alive at stage 2.


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[Lucas_R]

Depending on your budget, the Mk7 GTI PP is a fun car and very modify-able - I just bought myself one a few months ago.

Wasn't really all that interested in the regular GTI, as the PP has the electronic diff, bigger brakes and other goodies like the xenon headlights and LED taillights as standard.

Yes the R or S3 is faster, but its heavier and feels more dull (I used to own a Mk6 R and have driven several Mk7 R's). For daily street driving there is zero advantage of the R or S3 over a GTI in my opinion. The only real advantage of the R or S3 over a GTI is wet weather grip or traction from a standstill (eg traffic light grand prix).

The diff in the GTI PP is very good and gives the car very high levels of grip both in a straight line and out of corners. The GTI also feels more nimble and is more fun to drive.

If your budget allows for an GTI Edition 40 then that would be the ultimate.

Real world fuel consumption is about 8.5L per 100km for me in my GTI PP.

[Dutch77]

What tigger and Lucas have said.

My ED40 is vastly more interesting than some of the other VAG I have owned.

There's a good 'un for sale right now.

[prn31]

I have an R36 and a GTI PP and love them both. The Golf is significantly more economical than the R36, averaging 7-8 litres/100km compared to the R36 at 11 litres/100km, which is still impressive for such a big powerful car. The Golf is my wife’s runabout and is unmodified and very easy to live with. The ride is a bit brittle on the 19s and they are very expensive to replace with quality rubber.

[tigger73]

What tigger and Lucas have said.

My ED40 is vastly more interesting than some of the other VAG I have owned.

There's a good 'un for sale right now.

I wasn’t going to mention the low km Ed40 example currently for sale in Adelaide but now that you have...

If you can’t afford the new sticker pack TCR then the Ed40 is the next “ultimate” GTI.

GTI is more fuel efficient than R as you don’t have the 100kg weight penalty and AWD drag.


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[Sharkie]

I'm going to go the exact opposite to everyone ....

I will never buy myself a 2WD car new EVER again. So its an R (or similar/better) for me personally every time in the future. The traction advantages of the R extend well beyond what any GTI (even modded) is capable of ....

I will keep on buying anything that attracts me in 2WD to play with as a project (for a variety of purposes), but in order to go really really fast in a straight line and around and out of corners, only AWD will do.

I'm getting tired of throwing lots of money at suspension work to try and make a 2WD (FWD and RWD) put power effectively to the ground .... the physics just don't stack up. All of the Euros have now gone AWD for their top performance models for good reason.

[prn31]

What Sharkie says is correct about the GTI Performance. You do get axle tramp on hard standing starts in the wet, something my Integra Type R, which had a Torsen LSD never did. In that respect the AWD of the R36 and Golf R does spoil you…

Btw, the MIB2 was introduced on the MY16 range of Golfs.

[Ozsko]

Having driven both the PP is totally acceptable until you drive an R. [emoji43]

Driven both very hard and the PP is good enough and the R only shines when it is very slippery. Anyone who can drive a PP beyond its limits on a public road and get it back without hitting anything is either extremely lucky or very talented. In a straight line the R is quicker but who cares about that.

[gregozedobe]

Driven both very hard and the PP is good enough and the R only shines when it is very slippery. In a straight line the R is quicker but who cares about that.

Me ? You gotta take your fun where and when you can get it ....

Also when turning out at a T intersection on a wet day with traffic around it is nice to know my R will just grip and go, without worrying about carefully modulating the accelerator to avoid FWD wheelspin.

[Sharkie]

... and the R only shines when it is very slippery.

Actually that is not my experience at all. At anything more than a Stg 1 on a GTI, a vigorous application of the throttle ALWAYS overwhelms the grip available at the front wheels, even on dry roads. If it happened only on the track or strip you could live with it (albeit unhappily) but it happens on the road all the time. The reasons you would need to apply a bit of heavy throttle could be many, including exiting a round-about, starting quickly at the lights (without actually racing), trying to take a gap at low speeds that need quick acceleration .... etc etc etc. With the R you have grip ALL the time and not only is it safer and more comforting but also faster

So to go back to OP, if your budget stretches to a R buy it instead, and if it doesn't, the GTI PP is still a lot better than anything else FWD out there except a Honda Civic Type R.

[Ozsko]

The right foot controls the wheel spin or at least mine does.

[Sharkie]

The right foot controls the wheel spin or at least mine does.

Yup, and then you go slower .... don't have that problem with AWD.

[tigger73]

Yup, and then you go slower .... don't have that problem with AWD.

Which is why some people say the GTI is a more engaging drive as it’s not just mashing your right foot to the firewall. Also why purists prefer manuals as the joy of getting the gear change right yourself.

I understand both schools of thought. AWD is definitely quicker in the wet. On a roll in the dry it’s line-ball. GTI is lighter and you do notice the extra weight in the R.

Axle tramp is a pain in the ass and any honest GTI owner will agree so you really are into feathering the throttle out of corners especially until your wheels are straight. Tuned this is worse of course.


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