Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

[ctan]

I've been highly recommended Marty at FHRX. My GTI will be going straight to him once it arrives.

At this stage it will either get a Focal iBus 2.1 and my Rainbow Germaniums or something a bit beefier amp wise and a 8 or 10" sub

I too wish there was a Dynaudio option, but after searching for second hand Mk6's (plenty), then searching using the same parameters and the keyword "Dynaudio", i'd get about 5% of the results. And out of those cars, half of them didn't actually have Dynaudio upgrades, the owners were just ticking random boxes because they thought the sound system sounded good. You see why VW didn't bring it here. Very few people actually bought it. I tried to buy an Eos back in 09 with Dynaudio, couldn't find anything.

Matt, Thank you for that. I presume you are referring to Fhrx Studios Pty Ltd at Carringbah NSW. Please do post your experience with them when you get it installed.

Nice research too on Dynaudio's on MK6's. Hopefully that will add a bit more resale value to my when time to sell.

[Tobes_WIR35]

Do any of the current crop of 150kW+ FWD Turbo hatches get their power down in the wet. I'm particularly referring to pulling out of junctions with lock on.

That's probably the only time I need AWD but it's always the time I want it.

Fair point. In the wet my 400+Nm GTI will spin the wheels in fourth gear at 100kmh with the right road surface. 1st, 2nd and 3rd will light up at the hint of throttle in the wet. Not saying it's not fun though

[Diesel_vert]

Nice research too on Dynaudio's on MK6's. Hopefully that will add a bit more resale value to my when time to sell.

Generally, most options depreciate extremely quickly and don't really add that much to the car's resale value, if at all.

Some options, such as ABS, airbags, air-conditioning or an automatic transmission can make a difference, but a lot of these options are now standard on many cars anyway.

[Finance_Analyst]

I wonder if a bunch of potential GTI owners would consider the Audi 1.8T Quattro A3 for that reason...

No because Audis are overpriced for what they are- plus the A3 is not made in Germany (Hungry I believe) like the GTI. If I really want a prestige badge, I'd go Mercedes A250 - at least there is no cheap imitation like the Audi.

[Finance_Analyst]

Do any of the current crop of 150kW+ FWD Turbo hatches get their power down in the wet. I'm particularly referring to pulling out of junctions with lock on.

That's probably the only time I need AWD but it's always the time I want it.

For road safety, drive slower in the rain - why would you want to put power down in any car? You risk an accident not only to you but innocent motorists.

[Alex31]

For road safety, drive slower in the rain - why would you want to put power down in any car? You risk an accident not only to you but innocent motorists.

Well why don't we all drive a 56kw Nissan micra then?

[Finance_Analyst]

Well why don't we all drive a 56kw Nissan micra then?

Not the point mate. It's d-heads in fast cars who think that they are Schumacher in the rain that cause accidents, not realising that common sense in the wet will prevent accidents. AWD may be safer, but it is better to prevent an accident in the first place by slowing down. Not to mention if you cause damage/ hurt to an innocent party because of some dumbass ego. That translates to a very low IQ level to anyone who wants to perform wet weather heroics - you really deserve to lose your licence or have your fast car defected.

[nat225]

Do any of the current crop of 150kW+ FWD Turbo hatches get their power down in the wet. I'm particularly referring to pulling out of junctions with lock on.

That's probably the only time I need AWD but it's always the time I want it.

It is the same thing as powerful RWD cars. With no common sense, some end up sideways onto a pole.. or a tree.. or another car... or etc


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[Tobes_WIR35]

On occasion AWD would be handy. The combination of FWD, oodles of low RPM torque, and relatively stiff suspension makes it somtimes difficult to get up steep driveways or driveways with a high kerb entry, or taking off from a stop on steep intersections, without some minor loss of traction (in the wet - but even when driving sensibly). It's not that big of a deal, but it is embarrassing when you spin the wheels accidentally - makes you look like a d*ck...

I've only had one occasion so far where I've had to take evasive action in the wet (someone went through a red light and nearly took me out). The car did a brilliant job and it actually surprised the hell out of me (In the split second that it happened I was certain we were going to crash). I don't know how much benefit AWD would really provide in those situations - it's the ABS and ESP that does most of the work.

[gtifred]

No because Audis are overpriced for what they are- plus the A3 is not made in Germany (Hungry I believe) like the GTI. If I really want a prestige badge, I'd go Mercedes A250 - at least there is no cheap imitation like the Audi.

I think only the A3 sedan is made in Hungary (e.g. Audi A3 Sedan to double A3 sales |Â*CarAdvice says that the A3 sedan is cheaper to produce than the sportback for this reason at least).

I test drove the A3 1.8T Quattro as an option to replace my current MK5 GTI over the MK7 as I think the new GTI throttle response is not up to much below about 2K unlike the MKV plus I like AWD as a past Subaru owner. In my opinion the interior is loads better too. Of course I'd prefer the European price gap between the two cars rather than the Aussie one. I don't care about the badge on the front (in fact would be a bit embarrassed to be seen in a "prestige" car).

The A3 Quattro has smaller dead spots in the rev range/gears than the new GTI but they are still present where they are not noticeable in the MKV. The stock suspension is softer than I'd prefer. It's a nice car but not as good a drive as the MK5 GTI. It's definitely on my shortlist though I will also test drive the BMW M135i next week to compare - more expensive (and more ugly) but potentially a great driving experience at all revs thanks to peak torque from near idle.

[Lima]

Here's my review of the GTI:

AUSmotive.com » Drive Thru: Volkswagen Mk7 Golf GTI

There’s a liveliness to the chassis that is down to more than the car shedding a few kilos. The car moves around under heavy braking and the rear end is light and frisky at times. Normally you might consider these traits to be unfavourable but not once did I feel uncomfortable. In fact, it just urged me to push more. It’s a great experience when there’s a real willingness from both car and driver to hunt the next apex. And while enjoying this new flirty handling behaviour I was eager to nail it through corner after corner.

[Bigboboz]

AWD may be safer, but it is better to prevent an accident in the first place by slowing down.

This is true but it's still not an argument against AWD, d-heads can still do stupid things in the dry and will likely be going even faster when things go wrong.

[Tobes_WIR35]

This is true but it's still not an argument against AWD, d-heads can still do stupid things in the dry and will likely be going even faster when things go wrong.

Yep, but in one way this makes AWD less-safe for those people. Those amateurs get lulled into a false sense of security because they buy a WRX or whatever and get used to the grip it has. Problem is, they push it too far and when they come unstuck, they come unstuck very badly indeed.

[Paul_R]

Jesus did I open a can of worms!
Just to be clear, I was referring to the ability to pull out of junctions into traffic when the road is wet without spinning the front wheels because the car has too much torque. I wasn't talking about speeding in the wet, merely getting up to speed.
I remember a very hairy episode trying to get a Falcon XT hire car onto the Hume (110 kph zone) up one of those ridiculously short slip roads when it was wet. In the R it would have been drama free and much safer!
I'm fully aware that AWD is of no advantage over 2WD if you are trying to stop in the wet or corner off throttle hence speed needs to be adjusted to the conditions accordingly.

[WhiteJames]

Nice write Liam re: ausmotive.com GTI review. Similar views to mine after my short 20 min test drive. How does the new Golf 7 GTI compare to your Audi S3 on those same Canberra roadways?

One thing often not talked about re: AWD of the Golf R and lesser Golf's such as GTI, GTD and 103TDI is that the lesser Golf's run softer suspension tune, that seem to articulate better in wet conditions around bends ... the lesser Golf's roll and pitch more, at times providing added grip in wet conditions and also being more forgivable from grip to slip. Stiffer suspension tune of the Golf R and extra weight can cause the Golf R to start sliding earlier in wet conditions. Something to think about as it's not all about fast acceleration in wet conditions.

WJ