Stiff competition for the Mk7 Golf GTI - Second Edition

[alebonau]

think some great posts from clip and tunes that capture well what the a250 is all about. answering your question kaktusdigital its a quick car and feels very sure footed. in traction it felt a step ahead than the gti. perhaps guys its the added refinement of the a250 makes it feel a tad slower. I dont know I didnt get that feeling of slowness as such. but it isnt as "raw" as gti and with traction doesnt scramble around way gti can at times. different people will interpret this stuff differently am sure. keep in mind my thoughts really based on a limited drive. ownership probably bring more thoughts I suspect

[kaktusdigital]

we look forward to the ownership rundown shouldn't be too long now hey?

unfortunately only in Mandarin, and no subtitles at this point.
A250 VS MK6 GTI
頂尖鋼砲對決 A250 vs GTI - YouTube

[alebonau]

we look forward to the ownership rundown shouldn't be too long now hey?

~

oh its killing me ! that damn lease company ! just waiting for them to ring to say...your car will be ready to pick up on.....

~

unfortunately only in Mandarin, and no subtitles at this point.
A250 VS MK6 GTI
é*‚尖鋼ç*²å°æ±º A250 vs GTI - YouTube

thanks for that link. watched it....for the visuals anyone know what the guy had to say ?

[TuNeS]

oh its killing me ! that damn lease company ! just waiting for them to ring to say...your car will be ready to pick up on.....

My "Contract for the purchase of a new vehicle" lists the delivery date as 12 July. It's a long wait..........

[DoggieHowser]

Stiff competition for the Mk7 Golf GTI - Second Edition

I have some very rudimentary understanding but here goes. Don't shoot the bad translator.

Here goes:

==============
This is the first time we are reviewing two cars together.

The first car is the Mercedes Benz A250 which is highly anticipated. I have driven the A250 in the past, in (some European country) so this time we are bringing its biggest rival the GTI even though there is a big price difference between them. We should be comparing the 7th gen but it is not in Taiwan yet. The price difference is 50k (I assume Taiwan dollar)

As you can see from the specs, these two cars are very similar. I'm sure many will ask why the price changes so much with just a change in the logo. We will try to explain why there is this disparity today.

Some description about the styling on the grille which I'm not quite sure how to translate. He talks about the red swoosh which is common across all colors. He mentions the red halo lighting on the HID which also stands in contrast to the regular A series and gives a more aggressive character.

The lines are the same as other A class with a few differences: the sunroof as an optional extra, the 18" rims from AMG and the underpinnings are completely different which have been tuned by AMG.

The rear lights are all LED including signal lights (side note from me: some Mercs have led tail lights but regular bulbs for signal indicators)

Like the front, there's a red accent in the rear bumper to mark this as the A250 Sport

Styling is a matter of personal preference. Some will prefer the GTI. Some might find the A more modern.

The first area of comparison is storage capacity. Neither have electric tail gate. Both open to about the same height but differ in how tall the opening is from the ground. The A boot is taller and will require more effort to lift heavy luggage.

In terms of space, the A class is clearly smaller.

Both cars have a 60 40 rear seat split but the A has a flatter boot when reclined vs the GTI (personal side note - I believe the 7th gen GTI fixes that) but it is a small difference.

Even though these cars are meant to be sporty cars, it is inevitable that we would need to ferry family members in the back.

The A class has better rear seat comfort by a big margin. And also build quality (?) even without factoring the leather.

But it is also deficient in a few areas. No rear air vents. No centre arm rest. The legroom is worse. By a few fingers width vs the GTI.

First thing you notice when you pop open the bonnet is the lack of support hydraulics like with the GTI. The engine has the same capacity as the GTI and is similar except for a few areas which I will share later.

He goes on to talk about the specs (0-60 top speed, power torque etc)

The 7 speed DSG on the A is smoother and not as aggressive as the 6 speed on the GTI but in terms of acceleration they are similar.

The safety specs are similar on both cars. The Merc doesn't lose out to the GTI. Traction control etc are standard. The only thing is that the Merc doesn't have launch control. However, I don't recommend using the launch control as it may damage the gear box.

The color LCD display is a bit disappointing. It is not the same one we saw in Slovenia. It is smaller and not as full featured and doesn't have reverse camera. Air conditioner is only single zone(?) (translator note: this may not apply to Aus specs)

The steering mounted gear control lends a less sporty feel to the A and may be disappointing to those who want a sportier feel. For women drivers, or those who aren't into cars, this may be a source of confusion. You may be concerned about accidentally tripping the controls when you drive but there are some safety protocols in place. (? Could be wrong here)

The steering wheel is similar to other a class with trip computer controls on the left and audio controls on the right. The A250 adds red stitching.

The front seats do not have adjustable headrests but both have electric seats with memory. The GTI loses out here. The 5th gen had it but not the 6th (must be Taiwan specs).

The GTI seat however is more supportive? Than the Merc.

In terms of pricing, even though the Merc is pricier, the equipment(?) and the comfort (in the way the noise and harshness of the road is insulated from the cabin) helps explain the difference. If the Merc scores 100 in NVH, the GTI scores only 60.

He said that the other factor for the price difference is how the engine performs. The A feels like a stage 1 modded GTI of a 240ps output.

The GTI here is modded to 300ps. If the GTI scores 100 for performance, the Merc scores 90.

On the track, the modded GTI would probably do 59s on the test track. The A250 did it in 1 minute flat. That shows a lot of potential if you perform some handling mods.

While the practicality loses out a little to the GTI, the interior feels a lot better built. This would account for the higher price tag and might be reasonable for some.

While not a consideration for spirited drivers, another factor would be fuel consumption. On the highway, the GTI would need to be above 2000rpm to achieve 100km/h when cruising.

As you can see on the video, the 7 speed DCT on the Merc allows it to maintain low revs (<2000rpm) even at 100km/h and would result in very low fuel consumption.

[TuNeS]

Just the read the wheels article. They rated the 4 hot hatches as follows:

A250 Sport - 8
Astra OPC - 9
Megane - 9.5
Golf GTI - 8.5

It's a good read and talks about the pro's and con's of all the cars. They seem to compare the A250 and the GTI with eachother and the Megane with the OPC which makes sense and just use the lap times/sprint times of all 4 cars to tie it into one article. The Opel and the Renault are aimed more at the pure performance side and the younger demographic while the GTI and A250 are more refined and better all rounders, but not as brutally quick.

The article is definitly written with a slant on pure performance as the Megane wins the shootout and I think it is the least desirable car (IMO). And well, the Astra is still an 'Astra'. They also mark the Benz down on cost, however they tested the base spec GTI which doesnt come with all extras to compare apples vs apples.

Again, you cant go wrong with any of these cars. Just need to choose which features interest you the most. For everyday use, the GTI and Benz are heads and shoulders above the others (again, IMO).

Be interested to see what others think of the article.

[pologti18t]

They also mark the Benz down on cost, however they tested the base spec GTI which doesnt come with all extras to compare apples vs apples.
.

Apples with apples? Does having or not having a sunroof make that much of a difference to how it drives? Neither the OPC or RS265 even have an option of a sunroof!

VW should be applauded for bringing in a car that isn't burdened by loads of unnecessary and expensive equipment. Sunroofs, HIDs are an expensive irrelevance for most people.

[alebonau]

the golf gti will always be hard to beat for bang for buck. especialy in stripped bare form. neither the astra opc or megane are even consideration for me. thanks though tunes for hte wheels run down and doggie for the transalation of the youtube review

[TuNeS]

Apples with apples? Does having or not having a sunroof make that much of a difference to how it drives? Neither the OPC or RS265 even have an option of a sunroof!

VW should be applauded for bringing in a car that isn't burdened by loads of unnecessary and expensive equipment. Sunroofs, HIDs are an expensive irrelevance for most people.

Sunroof is just one thing and I agree it makes no difference to how the car drives. My point is that if you put all the features on the GTI that come standard on the A250, they are priced very similar.

I also do see the point you're making, however why would you not buy a WRX for 40k that outperforms the German's in pure performance...........Because people do actually appreciate build quality and the luxury comforts that are on the VW/Merc. 2 of my colleagues just bought runout MK6 GTI's and neither were under 50k.

Both the VW and Merc are aimed at slightly different market segments and they cross over in the middle. I just think the article is heavily weighted on track performance when that is something the minority do for 1% of owning a vehicle. Benz and Astra aside as they are new, there are loads of GTIs on the road compared to Meganes and they scored them 8.5 / 9.5.

[alebonau]

Just the read the wheels article. They rated the 4 hot hatches as follows:

A250 Sport - 8
Astra OPC - 9
Megane - 9.5
Golf GTI - 8.5

It's a good read and talks about the pro's and con's of all the cars. They seem to compare the A250 and the GTI with eachother and the Megane with the OPC which makes sense and just use the lap times/sprint times of all 4 cars to tie it into one article. The Opel and the Renault are aimed more at the pure performance side and the younger demographic while the GTI and A250 are more refined and better all rounders, but not as brutally quick.

The article is definitly written with a slant on pure performance as the Megane wins the shootout and I think it is the least desirable car (IMO). And well, the Astra is still an 'Astra'. They also mark the Benz down on cost, however they tested the base spec GTI which doesnt come with all extras to compare apples vs apples.

Again, you cant go wrong with any of these cars. Just need to choose which features interest you the most. For everyday use, the GTI and Benz are heads and shoulders above the others (again, IMO).

Be interested to see what others think of the article.

grabbed the mag on the way home. so will read in the evening after dinner

[alebonau]

finished reading the article. definitely performance orientated comparison that one. but they do highlight other aspects. ie they actually say the gti is a stiffer ride than the a250 ! the megane seems the worst for comfort and opc a bit more compliant. handling wise the merc is very well commended saying

"The benz changes direction sweetly and hunkers down nicely in the bends" "its not highly strung, nor does it demand close attentionevery moment, or suprise those who dont pay it enough respect. This is the hot hatchyou could safely buy for your son or daughter. It rides bumps without getting upset or loosing its way, although it does follow undulations a little too faithfully. It has body control to get through corners without excessive lean, yet is pliant enough to not be skittish over rough surfaces" - I must say the sure footedness self assured nature of the merc to me was a real standout.

interiors the merc is commended well, the golf easiest to interact with but is also described as "Bland" the megane as "cheapest" they are quite complimentary of the opcs interior but is a bit overladen with buttons it seems.

the OPC is huge in the power stakes it seems but appears suffers badly with turbo lag and be overtaken by a bus if get stuck under 4000 rpm !

I like the conclusion -

"As for the undercard bout, 10 years ago I never imagined I'd enjoy driving an A class. But I really enjoyed the A250 sport. Somebody in stuttgart did their homework, because it nails the hot hatch fundamentals . Its less malleable at its limits than the golf, but still packages good, fun driving in a nimble chasis.

This is a front drive mercedes-benz you will want to drive. Fast. And it lays some impressive foundations for the 260kw, all wheel drive A45 AMG to build on. The A250 is a worthy hot hatch, but its not quite the equal of the golf gti. Especially not at $10k more."

and thats the thing I'll say again if want bang for buck grab the golf gti. but if spending more loading up options the a250 a great alternative. am sure some will buy one of the others for their own reasons ie the more hard edged handling or out right straight line performance. or even because a couple of them are coupes or some other aspect.

ps amazing they never threw the ford focus in this lot

[pologti18t]

Sunroof is just one thing and I agree it makes no difference to how the car drives. My point is that if you put all the features on the GTI that come standard on the A250, they are priced very similar.

We will have to wait and see what the MK7 GTI brings as standard equipment.

Currently 47K will get you leather, dsg and sunroof drive away.

[TuNeS]

At the end of the day, we (consumer) are spoiled for choice! I remember when I first got my license, there was the 100kw Corolla and umm......well that was it really. The Golf's never really arrived in Australia in mass till the MK4/MK5 and it wasnt until the late 90's when the SSS pulsar and the SP20 started to arrive, but they are tame by today's standards!

Now there are heaps to choose from and they are bloody fast in comparison.

[kaktusdigital]

We will have to wait and see what the MK7 GTI brings as standard equipment.

Currently 47K will get you leather, dsg and sunroof drive away.

I'd be happy to go the MK7 if that pricing is obtainable on day 1. can't wait 6-12 months to negotiate.
somehow I think we're probably looking at low 50's instead.

[alebonau]

agree tunes. when I first got my license was an old SSS datsun I got hehe. but yeah first new car I finally bought was a peugeot 306 lovely thing vs golf in 1994 had nothing of any interest was dull boring thing back then so not an option. mazda astina, sss pulsar and honda civic were then the gun things to go for. agree a lot of really good Fast options these days !