Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

[Golf7]

I think most people would agree with that sentiment, or at least, one of the best in class.



I wouldn't so sure about that, because it depends on what one looks for in a hot hatch, since evaluating the driving experience involves more than just facts and figures. All-round user-friendliness and usability may make a great hot hatch to some, but to others who are more demanding about what the driving experience should entail, that isn't enough - but again, a purist wouldn't really be considering a Golf GTI anyway.

Completely agree, couldn't have put it better!

[Finance_Analyst]

I didn't need to replace the pads in my Mk V GTI at 65,000 when I traded it and I have done 58,000 now in the Mk 6. Probably lots of highway kms BUT I have to say what the hell were you doing to the brakes! It is not a car designed for a racetrack so I think it's a particularly silly thing to say the brakes are rubbish.
Arnold, I wasn't comparing the prices when on drive away specials. I didn't buy my car when it first came out. I'm still totally unconvinced about VW prices and think they will regret what they are doing. They forget that they don't have 4 rings on the bonnet.

I don't think 4 rings mean a lot. When Golf Rs were spec high, they came close to S3 and the Audi still could not sell.... Problem with Audi is that for the money, people prefer BMW or Benz rather than a tarted up VW. On the other hand, GTIs have way more heritage so there is a fan base that Audi can only dream of...

[WhiteJames]

A Manual Trans Golf 7 GTI with PP and passive dampers (with a view to upgrading to DG Sport Springs & Bilstein dampers) was a consideration. Bombed out on the M-Trans gearbox and dampers. With dealer delivery of 1-1.5K the standard Manual Trans GTI weighing in at 1313kgs looks appealing as an everyday proposition ... minus the 35kgs over the front axle compared to the PP - GTI. I imagine the PP GTI's extra 7kW of power is there to make up for the extra weight ... after all .. .the PP would not be slower than the std GTI. Does this mean that the M-Trans Golf 7 'R' will also have Adaptive Dampers as standard?
WJ

[Arnold]

Golf 7, please tell the VW mob that they have priced their cars way too high and that they must offer a manual PP GTI. If it's available in every other country then why not here!

That's right, and on second thought it is not right to ascribe any value to the larger rims just because 18" rims were a $1200 option on the Mark VI . . . it has been usual for rim sizes to increase with successive series across most if not all car manufacturers.

All available safety-related features should be standard! Many brands, such as Subaru, are putting them in at increasingly lower price points. Such systems are probably up their with ABS in terms of the safety impact (no pun intended) and should not lightly be omitted by any safety-conscious brand.

Car makers get not props for adding SatNav (which cost a lot and which I and many others have little need for) but collision avoidance systems are well regarded by journos, safety authorities, insurance companies and consumers but cannot be retro-fitted like a SatNav which is on most smartphones for $25 or on a separate unit for $200.

So, if VWA had thought this through they would have stunned the competition AND their fan base and announced a $39,990 GTI with no SatNav but Driver Assist standard.

I withdraw my earlier remark in which I said "I am certain that VWA has considered all relevant issues [when setting pricing]".

If they had they would have managed the inclusions to sneak in under $40k, which by ditching the exorbitant SatNav and putting in the Driver Assist they probably could have.

A great opportunity to quell its pricing critics and hit a psychologically superior, sub-$40k, price point seemingly lost by VWA. Never mind, I guess the dealers will pay for VWA's mistake and I will have Driver Assist and come to love and hate the SatNav!

[Golf7]

Golf 7, please tell the VW mob that they have priced their cars way too high and that they must offer a manual PP GTI. If it's available in every other country then why not here!

All of us journos already have, Karl just keeps saying that he is confident in the product selling well at that price. Well, what did we expect him to say??? We told them that we want a GTI to really stand up to the ST and the RS265 in the form of a cheaper PP Manual model. Time will tell, but the pricing is very steep indeed!

[Arnold]

All of us journos already have, Karl just keeps saying that he is confident in the product selling well at that price. Well, what did we expect him to say??? We told them that we want a GTI to really stand up to the ST and the RS265 in the form of a cheaper PP Manual model. Time will tell, but the pricing is very steep indeed!

Who is this "Karl"?

[Ryan_R]

Wow, been hard to keep up with this thread today

Initial thoughts: price seems high but then compared to a new Mk6 with all those options it probably isn't. I'm guessing the R will be loaded with more options to justify a higher price but then the S3 suddenly looks like a better deal.. Surprised at no PP+manual combo but maybe they have the data to suggest that they've taken the most cost-effective route there. I'd only have gotten DSG anyway. Not interested in 19" wheels so not happy to see them included with the PP although there's a remote chance the right dealer could order a special one for you (like those handful of Tornado Red Golf R's) or of course swap them afterwards.

New GTI hasn't really been doing much for me to be honest, and for getting close to 50k, I'd honestly rather save up the extra 10 for the S3 right now. Just a shame that I don't have a garage to park it in

[couchmotorist]

price is up on VW website..48670 drive away for DSG..if I add sunroof and leather, it will be around 52-53 driveaway..I remember getting a quote for A250 few months earlier with command pack which came to 56k driveaway...this is very close..I expected a gap bit wider..Merc will get lot of GTI buyers I think!

Where was this on the website? I haven't seen any prices with on roads there....

[Golf7]

Where was this on the website? I haven't seen any prices with on roads there....

Yup the humble People's Car VW badge now mingles with the like of Mercedes et al... Price-wise that is...

[Golf7]

Wow, been hard to keep up with this thread today

Initial thoughts: price seems high but then compared to a new Mk6 with all those options it probably isn't. I'm guessing the R will be loaded with more options to justify a higher price but then the S3 suddenly looks like a better deal.. Surprised at no PP+manual combo but maybe they have the data to suggest that they've taken the most cost-effective route there. I'd only have gotten DSG anyway. Not interested in 19" wheels so not happy to see them included with the PP although there's a remote chance the right dealer could order a special one for you (like those handful of Tornado Red Golf R's) or of course swap them afterwards.

New GTI hasn't really been doing much for me to be honest, and for getting close to 50k, I'd honestly rather save up the extra 10 for the S3 right now. Just a shame that I don't have a garage to park it in

That's how I'd put the GTI a bit unremarkable, deja vu... Oh and Karl Gehling, head of PR.

[Marcotto]

Volkswagen never intended for the (modern) Golf GTI to be bought by purists or those after ultimate driving thrills, as opposed to the philosophy of RenaultSport and the Clio (previous model) & Megane.

From the Mk5 Golf GTI onwards, they were, and still are, a very good all-rounder. It's 90% good at everything it does, which is definitely not an easy feat for any manufacturer to achieve, and is more than what the general public will ever want or need from such a car to keep them satisfied - keeping in mind of course, that it's the general public that generate sales volumes, so you'll want to keep them happy for sure.

Driving purists or enthusiasts, in reality, only represent a tiny portion of the market.

Indeed we only represent tiny portion of the market but we also sell the brand very well. ( club meets, events, cruises, forums and everything else ) Since owning VW my whole family has converted to VW. Mum has MK6 90 Manual and Dad R36 wagon. If conversation comes up anywhere about cars/driving I am the first to sell the VW brand as a great car.

It ****'s me no end that the auto only option is on what I call the purist/enthusiast option of the golf, the PP option. It really doesn't make sense. Porsche have done the same. The new 911 range comes in auto as standard with manual as a no cost option. But the purist 911 the GT3 auto only. It truly should be the other way around.

Audi god bless them got it right. The new A3 range is auto only except the S3 which has a manual as a no cost option.

My point is I find it harder to sell the brand when they can't accommodate the people who sell it so well for them. They say that the DSG has an 80% uptake on the GTI, that's still a considerable market in the manual option, when the % of GTI's sold in the golf range is a quarter of all sales.

I consider myself a enthusiast and I like the manual option. I don't hate DSG i think it's wonderful, but i believe it sells to the wanna be race driver on 0-100 times in the brochure. In other words if you have a argument over the Auto VS Manual option and the auto driver states it's faster to 100, they have a small penis.

Anyways.

No matter how technically advanced the Double clutch gearbox may be, any such gearbox denies the driver one vital ingredient of the driving experience..... skill. Yes, it may be slower on a track as a result, but the pure pleasure you get from a perfectly executed heel-and-toe downchange is worth more to a devoted driver than the clinical execution of the same by a computer.
Don't dumb down these sportscars in the pursuit of a better Nordschleife time. Keep them as the ultimate expression of the interaction between man and machine.


End rant.

Marcotto

[dsuhiti]

Haha, they are dreaming with these prices...FULL STOP! No amount of VW fanboy damage control can change that.

[alebonau]

well was wondering how the gti's would land. and this isnt supposed to be a "I told you so" because I didnt know myself, just hedged my bets on the merc a250. but now am very glad I did.

I would have wanted the PP. its a bit silly you have to wait till next year for one. the "alcantra" sorry is jacky tartan gone to "tacky" ! who's going to get that, like the last tartan it just forces people to pay extra for leather. if they were trying to do a two tone seats like the a250 then vw has missed the mark massively.

and why the 19" wheels ? thats not really going to do much for the ride quality as a daily drive.

dont get the pricing either, theyve had heaps of time to work on that. I know I paid as much for my mk6 gti as I did to change over to my a250, and sure vw would probably say theyre packing more gear in their car for the money. but paying as much for a vw golf as a merc just doesnt seem to make a lot of sense !

I guess with price people could still do what I did with my mk6 where buy when the demand drops off where buying off the floor then grants some decent discounting on other hand there is a good chance now this will all just make the golf R and incredible bargain. but then given what vw have done for the mk7 gti a good chance they'll screw things up on the golf r as well.

but all that aside good to see these new models. the golf gti heritage needs to continue. And though price is screwed and styling whise etc its all a bit same old same old. theyre still good cars and there'll still be a lot of mass appeal for them I reckon

[Difinity]

As a keen manual driver (and one with a little exposure to racing and rally) I am coming to love my DSG.
Yes, in light traffic and on the highway, it drives like a manual, but in heavy traffic or pushing on a bit, I find it drives better in manual mode with the paddles. Every now and then, I'll set it to manual with the lever, and use that, but I simply cannot change up in a low gear quickly enough to match the engine.
The most effective part is the fuel economy - so I guess I've chosen to get used to it.
Do I miss the clutch? Occasionally, when I'd otherwise slip the clutch rather than lift off or brake in traffic. Guess not so much bad habits now though...


Difinity

[Brycem]

well was wondering how the gti's would land. and this isnt supposed to be a "I told you so" because I didnt know myself, just hedged my bets on the merc a250. but now am very glad I did.

I would have wanted the PP. its a bit silly you have to wait till next year for one. the "alcantra" sorry is jacky tartan gone to "tacky" ! who's going to get that, like the last tartan it just forces people to pay extra for leather. if they were trying to do a two tone seats like the a250 then vw has missed the mark massively.

and why the 19" wheels ? thats not really going to do much for the ride quality as a daily drive.

dont get the pricing either, theyve had heaps of time to work on that. I know I paid as much for my mk6 gti as I did to change over to my a250, and sure vw would probably say theyre packing more gear in their car for the money. but paying as much for a vw golf as a merc just doesnt seem to make a lot of sense !

I guess with price people could still do what I did with my mk6 where buy when the demand drops off where buying off the floor then grants some decent discounting on other hand there is a good chance now this will all just make the golf R and incredible bargain. but then given what vw have done for the mk7 gti a good chance they'll screw things up on the golf r as well.

but all that aside good to see these new models. the golf gti heritage needs to continue. And though price is screwed and styling whise etc its all a bit same old same old. theyre still good cars and there'll still be a lot of mass appeal for them I reckon

Bit smug. The A Class might have the interior bling but that's not for everyone and certainly not for the traditional VW buyer. Have a read of some foreign press and you will find that Mercedes have a lot of catching up to do in this segment. Particularly in the areas of ride comfort and gearboxes. Wheels magazine preferred the mk6 Gti in many respects when tested against your car. By all accounts the Mk7 moves the game on again.

In my view Mercedes should stick to the luxo barges and AMGs. The GTI has heritage.