Last week, my wife and I left the frozen lands of Illinois for warm and sunny California. While there, we decided to rent a fun car from Turo. The process of renting that car was baffling, we got stuck in the state for two days longer than planned, the flights sucked, and a bad Uber driver got us into a huge headache of a situation. In a trip where not a whole lot went right, this 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI and what we did with it made it all a huge blast. And now I’m looking for a hot hatch of my own.
If you’ve read my stories for long enough, you know that I have a soft spot for Volkswagens and the products of Volkswagen AG. Of my 21 cars, SUVs, buses, motorcycles, and trailers, five of my cars are Volkswagens. Add in my Audi TT and that’s six VAG products in the fleet. I’ve also tested a variety of Volkswagens in my professional career thus far. Yet, none of these vehicles have been Volkswagen’s famed Golf GTI. The vast majority of my personal Volkswagen fleet are diesels. And as far as performance goes, I’ve owned oddballs like the Touareg V10 TDI, the Phaeton, and the Passat W8. I’m sort of amazed that I’ve gone this long without so much touching a GTI.
Now, I’ll admit that this car wasn’t my first choice on Turo. In fact, it wasn’t even on my list of ideas. I fully expected to be writing about a Chevrolet Corvette today or perhaps about some spicy version of the Dodge Challenger. Originally, I really wanted to drive something with three wheels and no roof. But, our plans changed and thus, so did the cars available to us. And while I really wanted to drive my first Corvette, I am not disappointed with what we did get.
On Tuesday, Sheryl and I arrived in Ontario, California, where our adventure was set to begin. The GTI was not at the airport and could not be delivered there. Instead, we had to hop in an Uber to travel 17 minutes to a residence where the vehicle was parked. Riding in an Uber to pick up a rental car felt a little weird, but even with including the necessary Uber rides, the estimated total was about the same as renting a fun car from the airport.
The Car
When we arrived, the GTI was clean and ready to rock. Our steed for the next two nights and a little over two days was a 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE. This Golf is only one in a long line of sporty hatches that enthusiasts around the world have enjoyed for decades. Volkswagen says that since the first Golf’s launch in 1974, about 2.5 million examples have found their way into American homes. For years, you could get your Golf in a variety of flavors from two-door hatches and all of the way up to diesel-powered wagons if you so desired. And if you wanted your practical wagon fast, you could have gotten your Golf in GTI, R32, or R specifications. Over the years, the Golf has earned a reputation for being a practical car with multiple versions offering cheap (to slightly less cheap) speed.
The seventh-generation Golf graced American shores in 2015 and continued that tradition. You could get a Golf with two doors, four doors, as a wagon, as a lifted wagon, and even a van in Europe. Just as varied as the bodies were the powertrains, as you could get an MK7 with a gas or diesel engine paired to a DSG or manual transmission. Or, you could even go electric. And if you wanted some spice, the GTI and the R brought the power.
Opting for the SE trim level like the one we rented nets you a standard panoramic sunroof, a Fender audio system, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and leather seats. If you like your GTIs plaid, you have to go down one trim to the base S. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that makes 210 HP and 258 lb-ft torque. Additional power came from the Performance Package, which added larger brakes, red badging, VAQ differential, and 10 more horses in the stable. Our SE unit did not have this option.
This particular example had about 92,000 miles and a few mods. We were informed of the vehicle’s cold air intake, diverter valve spacer, and custom exhaust, but it was otherwise as it left the factory. Looking around the vehicle, I found an aftermarket front spoiler as well as some Plasti-Dip on the front badge. While I never asked about the spoiler, I found it to be a clever addition. While out in California, I noticed that there are a lot of driveways with steep inclines, and these inclines are just waiting to eat the bumpers of nice cars.
I see this spoiler as a sacrificial part that takes the hits so the bumper cover does not.
The GTI Strikes Fear Into Sheryl
Our adventure started when we slid into the GTI’s body-hugging buckets and Sheryl hit the start button, firing the GTI into life. She then moved the gear lever into Drive and punched the throttle. Sheryl’s used to driving my diesels and her Prius, so she expected a gradual take-off. Instead, the GTI jolted forward, threatening to spin its front tires as she steered her way out of the Turo Host’s neighborhood. I watched my wife’s face and her reaction was equal parts delight and terror. She didn’t even put the pedal down that far and the GTI responded with a rush of power. That, combined with the exhaust burble and the flat-bottom wheel, made us feel like the GTI was eager to stretch its legs.
Once we got out onto the main road, Sheryl opened up a little more. On a green light, she put the pedal down further, and the GTI responded by putting our heads into the headrests before chirping its front tires as it darted through the intersection. While not the most powerful vehicle ever piloted by Sheryl (that goes to a Ford E-350 with a 6.0-liter Power Stroke), this one struck fear into her.
The GTI didn’t just accelerate hard, it felt like that’s all it wanted to. If anything, this GTI challenged you to go faster. Sheryl took it easy for our two-hour drive to our hotel in Los Angeles. She told me “this is a fast car that I do not own” and that she didn’t want to put it into a wall. As a passenger, the GTI felt a touch rougher than my Jetta TDIs at home. This, I think, was due to the sporty buckets and low-profile tires. The GTI feels like it trades some front seat comfort for performance, something that I got to experience the next day behind the wheel.
We arrived at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel earlier than expected. There, I found myself as enamored with the GTI’s design as I was with the beauty of our hotel. I adore Volkswagen’s attention to detail. See this tailgate? On first inspection, you don’t see a way to open the hatch or where the reverse camera could possibly be. That’s because the Volkswagen badge is your handle to pop the hatch! And when you put this car into reverse, the rear camera pops up and sticks out of the badge. In a time when so many cars have sharp, jagged designs, the GTI is clean and perhaps even timeless.
My Tour Of Southern California
Wednesday was our mini honeymoon. With just a day to show Sheryl some cool sights around the southern portion of the state, I charted a course that would bring us to the Joshua Tree National Park. Along the way, we’d be able to go through areas like Pasadena and pass through Palm Springs. And with some luck, we might even be able to catch a glimpse of the Salton Sea before heading back.
Hopping into the driver seat was an experience in itself. The red-stitched leather bucket seat held me tight as I brushed my hands along the shape of the steering wheel. That seat is complemented by a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It too features leather stitching and its flat bottom is decorated with a glorious GTI badge. Some car interiors try to mimic the feeling of being in the cockpit of a fighter jet. That’s not the case here. The dash is angled toward the driver and its design looks like an evolution of the familiar dashboard that VW fans have seen for generations.
After I finished appreciating the interior, I hit the start button and the GTI roared into life. The hotel’s nine-story parking garage gave me my first taste of what was to come. Getting down each level required tight turns around the building’s inner structure and it took me almost no time to figure out that this hatch had sharp low-speed handling. The GTI rounded each corner with confidence, and between the corners, I giggled as the turbo spooled up before dumping pressure with that hiss some enthusiasts love to hear. For me, it was a bit silly, and I loved it.
Reaching street level, I pulled out into traffic with a steady foot on the accelerator. To my initial surprise, the GTI responded by skipping its tires as traction control tried to rein in the situation. From there, the little hatch scooted towards the highway with haste. Entering that highway, I discovered another one of the GTI’s strong suits: its passing power. My diesels are decent at passing. I can drop a gear, put the pedal down, and confidently pass whatever is in my way.
But this GTI? When you put the pedal down to pass, there’s just a brief moment of lag before it feels like you’re entering Warp. Before you know it, whatever you wanted to pass is back in your rearview mirror. Well, provided the car you’re trying to pass isn’t a dream car, then you’ll slow down…
After you complete the pass, the speedometer then continues to climb as you feel the GTI tugging on you like a large dog pulling on its leash. And for a brief moment, you want to see how far that speedometer could go before you remember that there are speed limits and you’re not in Mexico.
There were a lot of opportunities like this on southern California’s highways. I’ve driven on many of America’s most notorious highways. I rarely reach the speed limit when driving around Washington D.C. and if you want to get somewhere on time in Chicago, leave even earlier than you think. But Los Angeles still holds the crown to me for how miserable traffic is. Often, traffic would sit still for up to a whole minute before racing up to 50 mph just to do it all over again. Or, traffic would stop and go for miles and hours. While this traffic did give plenty of opportunities to try out the GTI’s effortless passing power, Sheryl and I also found it to be a good car for that traffic. It’s small, nimble, and you don’t get tired out through the constant dance of throttle and braking.
Carving California’s Roads
Eventually, we freed ourselves from the shackles of Los Angeles traffic and cruised towards our destination: Joshua Tree. As the city evaporated away we found ourselves surrounded by desert sands, mountains, and endless curves. The GTI continued to be a bright spot as it carved canyon roads with poise. Steering was tight, as was the suspension, and as I rounded each curve I was confident in the car’s abilities and my own. There have been few times that I’ve felt as connected to the vehicle as I did here. I rounded each corner with a mile-wide smile on my face as the GTI and I become one. Every once in a while, I reminded myself that this wasn’t some low-slung sports car like my Saturn Sky. No, this is a practical hatchback!
I should note that since this is someone’s car and not a tester, we never pushed it to its limits. We even made sure it didn’t go to redline. So the performance that I describe here? Yeah, that’s without thrashing the car like a total hooligan.
Eventually, I stopped having fun blasting through California’s curves to take us through Joshua Tree National Park.
In some parts of the park, the speed limit was high enough for some scenic carving action, but it was mostly a peaceful retreat to a place that Sheryl has always wanted to go. I highly recommend visiting Joshua Tree. At first glance, it just seems like a bunch of rocks, plants, and sand, but there’s a whole ecosystem here to observe and enjoy.
You’d think that deserts are desolate places without life, but look harder, there’s so much going on, here!
And if you aren’t so much into wildlife, there’s plenty of hiking, rock climbing, and stargazing to be had in Joshua Tree. Since Sheryl and I had just a day to enjoy everything, we spent just two hours here, essentially speedrunning the nearly 800,000-acre park.
A Few Downsides
At the end of our drive through Joshua Tree, we passed by the Salton Sea on the way through Palm Springs and back into Los Angeles. In total, we put about 400 miles on this car in one day, and a couple of things stood out to me as downsides. One major one for me was the driver seat. I’m a bigger person, and I sort of sat both in the seat and on top of it. The bolsters were definitely meant for a smaller person. They still did their job well, but 300 or so miles in and I started feeling some pain. That’s really to say that if you have a wide frame, a GTI is still a fun choice, but you might find yourself taking more frequent breaks on a road trip.
Another thing that bothered me was the road noise. Now, as I said before, this car wasn’t riding on the Continental tires that it came with from the factory. That alone could be a factor in that. However, the interior was easily pierced with the noises of the outside world and even wind noise was quite loud. This was weird because my Jetta SportWagen feels quieter than this was. Of course, this car had 92,000 miles, so perhaps there was some wear involved as well. Interior noise was a complaint from reviewers when these cars were new, so it seems to be what to expect.
And while we’re talking about the car’s mileage, I should note that this vehicle already has cracks in its driver seat. Both of my Jetta SportWagen TDIs have the same problem in the same location, but one of those has 230,000 miles and the other 355,000 miles. I’ve seen cracking seats in a number of Volkswagens from the early to mid-2010s and I wonder what’s going on there.
A Fantastic All-Rounder
But despite all of that, I continue to marvel at this hatch. After carving it through canyons and curves, I became convinced that the best part about a GTI is the handling. This GTI could accelerate to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. As Car And Driver wrote in 2015, that actually makes it a tad slower than some other GTIs. Heck, a Saturn Sky Red Line with an automatic transmission is nearly a second faster. But that’s not to say that the GTI is slow.
When Motor Trend tested the MK7, the publication found it faster in a straight line than a Ford Focus ST and a Mazdaspeed3, but just behind a Subaru WRX and a Ford Mustang with a V6. Motor Trend went on to note that it was even a match for a more expensive Mini Hardtop John Cooper Works GP.
There’s magic to the GTI that some cheap sporty cars don’t have, and it’s that the GTI is a fantastic all-rounder. This is a car that can comfortably seat four people (five in a pinch) plus a trunk full of gear, and do it in such a fun manner that you’ll be smiling every mile. It’s also a small car so it’s good for city dwellers and we even managed 25 mpg despite canyon carving and LA traffic.
Now that I’m at home and reflecting on the experience, it’s no wonder why Car and Driver’s testers had such statements like:
“If you spent less than $30,000 on a fun car and didn’t get a GTI, you screwed up.”
—Jared Gall“Buying anything more expensive is purely discretionary spending. This car is the sweet spot.”
—Eric Tingwall“It does everything well—enough power, great handling, comfortable, and fantastic fuel economy.”
—Jennifer Harrington
I can see why a Golf has made Car and Driver’s 10Best list 15 years in a row and why the MK7 was dubbed the North American Car of the Year in 2015. Our own Patrick George sings the praises of this wonderful auto.
And now, Sheryl and I will join them. This is the car that has challenged Sheryl’s love for GM’s front-wheel-drive stormers and has me searching for a Volkswagen that isn’t a diesel. And now, with that delectable experience under my belt, I’m now seeking the power of a Golf R32 or Golf R. The Mk7 GTI is so much fun and offers so much bang for the buck that for the right one, I might consider selling some of my hooptie fleet!
There are few things more exciting than a canyon run in a GTI. VW really hit a home run with the MK7.
The one feature I wish more people would discuss, is the Fender audio system. It just sounds so good! They moved to Beats audio in (2018??). It just doesn’t compare.
Volkswagen is the German car maker and this company was established in 1946 with the people car project, which was initiated by German Labour Front in early 1930s.—–>> https://www.gari.pk/new-cars/volkswagen/
These are really good! Even on the dirt. I still remember codriving a friend’s at a rallycross event, and shoot. Even stock, even in the loose bits, they’re just fantastic.
I had owned a bunch of MK3 and MK4 VW cars, and thus when I got our MK7 6spd I realized every chime or “bong” was making me twitch. I had PTSD from prior VW repairs. I sold it after only 8 months of owning it. It wasn’t analog enough to enjoy driving it as a sports car, and not inspiring confidence as a daily with the always-dirty piano black interior and other issues like coolant that was low randomly, and who knows what else was heading my way repair-wise. It’s gone and I am relieved.
I know it’s not the common consensus. My tastes in cars are just a bit more odd I suppose.
As usual I read Mercedes article and I get fired up to go buy a GTI or Golf R.
Then I read the comment section about VW’s inability to manufacture reliable components. Maybe I’m not enough of a car enthusiast, but I don’t want to deal with that stuff for a daily driver. Weekend car, sure, let it eat coil packs.
The trick to VW is to buy the model after any major design change. Mark 7s are leaps and bounds more reliable then the 5s for example. My 2012 R was rock solid except for some weird stuff with the air vents, and that was at about 120,000 miles, and almost no money invested in it (aside from a clutch but that was expected)
GTI driving aside, I can’t help but mention that your trip planning was wonky. Landing in Ontario, then driving allllll the way to the hotel in downtown LA, then the next day driving alllllll the way past Ontario to Joshua Tree? Why not Ontario -> Palm Springs for hotel night 1, then day 2 Palm Springs -> Joshua Tree. I suppose that you had a reason to be at that specific hotel in DTLA, but that could have been night 2 only. Your trip would have been much easier that way.
Glad to see the Mk7 GTI get some love here! I have a 2017 in the Sport trim, which gets the performance pack but skips out on leather seats and the sunroof and some other luxuries. I’ve had it for about 3 years and it’s at 35k miles with no issues other than a handful of random rattles that seem to be pretty common. Changing to some more performance oriented tires than the stock ones really livened up the car and helped put the power down better. It really feels like a jack of all trades, I couldn’t ask for much more from a vehicle in the same price range. I’ve been contemplating a stage 1 tune, mine is currently stock.
The Mk7/7.5 GTI’s are the best $50k cars you could buy for $30k. Mercedes-Benz apparently delayed the W205 C Class by a year because it just couldn’t compete with the Mk7.
Every VW I have driven, including plenty of experience with a V6 2001.5 Passat, 2012 Passat TDI and 2021.5 VW Atlas, they all have an aggressive throttle tip in.
It’s amazing the people that come out of the woodwork who have and VWs with a billion problems and I’m always just like what? I’ve owned so many VW and none have ever been a catastrophic disaster. From MK2 Golfs and Jettas, 2 Mk3 Jettas and a Cabrio, MkV GTI and B6 Passat 4Motion VR6 wagon (absolute tank of a vehicle, had it until 278k miles). It’s always normal maintenance stuff with the rare occasional broken non maintenance part which seems to be the norm with any vehicle. They’d go years without a non maintenance repair. Maybe I have the best luck ever?
We had our MKV GTI for 6 years and I replaced the coil packs once with red top ones. I replaced the suspension with ST coilovers in which one front spring broke after a couple years due to moisture under the sleeve on the spring, not even a VW part there. Other than that it was a champ all the time. I did replace headlight bulb in it and I did not have to drop the bumper. I don’t know why that other guy said he had to drop the bumper in order to do that. Sadly the car was totalled in a flood with about 95k on the odometer.
After a short stint with a 2015 Audi A3 replacement for the GTI. We now have a 2016 Q3 Prestige Quattro and 2022 GLI Autobahn which so far have been excellent.
Same with several VWs. I have had a 2015 Passat, 2015 Jetta, 2012 R, 2016 GTI, and now a 2018 R and no major issues.
09 DSG owner here, the last of the Mk5s and the first year of the TSI. I’m also a big VW fan (this is my 4th one). I bought it from an older, larger gentlemen “who just had hip surgery” in October of last year with 88K on it. I now know it sat for good long time while the guy recovered from surgery. It had a check engine light on it when I test drove it, so I whipped out my code reader…PCV valve. No problem. A week later at the gas station, I noticed it puking oil from the under the transmission. I did not want to tackle this myself, so off the shop it was. Rear main seal, which is a drop-transmission job, not a transmission out job. While they were in there, I had them replace the DSG filter (which VW recommends every 40K). The mechanic said the filter had disintegrated, which they had never seen before.
So, I’ve spend almost as much as I paid for it (I got for a good price, honestly), and some of those repairs are for trim. This era of VW was just awful at producing durable interiors. My ’14 Beetle’s interior held up great for 170K before I sold it. Two door panels, a new front seat cover and pad (the seat heater element had toasted the old pad), and a few small trim items that were just driving me crazy. The early DSGs have their problems, but I’ve only noticed slight slipping in wet/snowy conditions. Otherwise, the owner’s manual says to drive it like a stick shift, and to not let it creep forward in stop and go traffic. Easy enough.
HOWEVER, this is my first real “performance” car, and I’m done with econoboxes. I don’t drive to its limits, but I have a long daily highway commute, and I LOVE being able to pass when I need to and handle corners without the tires shrieking for mercy (yes there are windy bits on Interstate 40 here in Tennessee). The ride can be a bit stiff, but its tolerable, and the seats feel great for my 5’9″ frame. Also, the Mk5s were the last GTI to NOT have the Soundaktor thing, where it pumps in fake engine sounds through the stereo speakers. Why, just why? I can hear the engine just fine when I want to with my right foot.
I love driving it, and having four doors is great for picking up my son at school, and the hatch holds a good bit of stuff. It truly is the best of both worlds. I’ve also heard about the Mk 7.5s fixing many of that gen’s issues, so that’s next on my list. So far I’ve gotten nearly 20k trouble free miles, with only a recent ignition coil and spark plug job. Been a champ otherwise, hitting near 30mpg.
I had an ’09 Jetta GLI (same drivetrain as the mkV GTI). I absolutely loved that car. Great performance, handling, comfort, etc. It truly is a sweet spot. I have a WRX now which is technically faster. What I found interesting is that while the WRX has more HP than the GLI, they had the same torque, and it seemed to come in at lower rpm. The GLI was a joy to drive and felt way more premium. Just a nice car to be in. I only sold it because I moved out of the country.
I would love a WRX, but the fuel economy is significantly worse than the GTI, even in the new 2023 version. I assume it’s due to the weight penalty of the all wheel drive system.
You must be in East Tennessee to get the windy bits on I40
Mercedes, come test drive my 18 gsw sportwagon 4mo s before you get a gti. It is the perfect all arounder.
I have a ’19 GSW 4mo s (DSG). It is a pretty perfect car.
BTW, I’m still pissed they stopped selling the Golf Sportwagen in the US and disappointed we never got the GTI Variant or R Variant in the US.
You and me both. I am going to start hoarding them once they are sub 2k cars. The 6 speed 4mo cars are truly holy grails.
Mercedes if you are looking to purchase a hot hatch Golf, do consider the Mk 7.5 R. I owned and recently sold a 2018 Golf R with the DSG dual clutch trans. Wanted a manual trans but supply when the ’18 came available had me opt for the DSG. The 7.5 addressed the issues with the previous generations. I had absolutely no dependability problems with mine over 4+ years and 40,000 miles.Awesome car once you correct the factory standard faults. 292 hp / 280 tq stock, certainly quick enough but the stock tune had niggling driveability issues such as excessive clutch slip from a stop, and what felt like hesitation and / or surge on part throttle acceleration. All that resolved with a stage 1 APR tune, or whoever you prefer. At 370 hp and 363 tq with greatly improved driveability, and an improvement in fuel mileage, the difference was dramatic.
The AWD of the R was great, even though a Haldex system is not the ultimate it still does a remarkable job combined with the VW EDS braking system. The drivetrain letdown for me was the wheels and tires. 235 / 35 / 19’s don’t cut it in the northeast due to road conditions. I blew 2 tires and rims in the first 6 months of ownership due to potholes. Some suggested I drive around them; unfortunately NJ does not illuminate their potholes at night so that was not an option. Since you are located at a northern latitude I would recommend changing to 235 / 45 / 17’s as I did and never after had an issue with tire or rim.
The R is an awesome car and will give you everything described in your article, as well as provide a base from which you can grow the car into what you want it to be to suit your requirements. I don’t know what to tell you about damping the noise though, as what you experienced in the GTI is also true of the R in my experience. Nonetheless, you won’t regret owning an R. I grew out of mine for need of additional cargo capacity, and so made what I feel is a logical upgrade and purchased an Audi S5 Sportback, so I haven’t lost the power or the handling of the R. Best of luck in finding your hot hatch!
I bent three wheels, blew couple of tires – I’m with you. I went to 18s and I do wonder whether 17s might have been the right choice. Have had good luck on the same roads so far, though.
I’ve been happily driving Golfs since 1978, too bad most Americans have missed out on such enjoyable motoring!
I got a 2023 GTI a few months ago. Big note for potential buyers of the new Mark 8: if you’re scared by the reviews griping about capacitive sliders and no dials ruining the ownerships experience of the Mark 8, note that was corrected for the 2023’s. The 2023’s have two combo button/dials which address much of the oddness that dogged the reviews of the debut year for the Mark 8s. The steering wheel’s buttons are still capacitive and a lot of stuff is still touchscreen operated, but that’s most cars these days, and as of 2023 you don’t have to blind swipe the dash to do basic stuff like adjust the volume.
They’re doing away with all the godforsaken capacitive touch stuff and there will apparently be a new infotainment system as well. Not sure what model year it’ll take effect…I’d personally wait for that update.
What trim do you have? I remember reviews mentioning the Mk8 S still has the button/dials like you mention, while the SE and Autobahn are all touch-sensitive. The build feature on VW’s site shows dials for the S and no dials on the SE, so it may have changed and VW just hasn’t correctly updated the site (the VW Media site is still a Mk7.5 for the GTI so they’re not exactly on top of updating everything), but I didn’t think they were really changing on the other models yet.
God that would be bonkers! When I picked up mine I immediately thought, oh cool the crap feature is fixed. What if they only broke it in the first place for the upmarket trims? Why on earth? Maybe the bigger screen crowds out the buttons? So yeah to answer your question mine is the basic S with a stick. Thanks for the info, I would have never guessed the borking would only be on the better ones.
The base trim has always been the way to buy a GTI. In the high 20s/low 30s it’s an amazing car. But once you spec it to 35-40 range that’s when you’re in entry level luxury car territory as well as more performance territory (CTR, GRC, Ns, etc).
You’re welcome! The S seems to be the way to go on the Mk8 for sure.
It does seem like the bigger screens = fewer buttons for a lot of models like you said, that was the case with Honda ~5 years ago, when they were the main character of button-free infotainment systems (before also walking it back and adding some buttons).
Somewhere somewhen, Jason Cammisa chuckles, “Hooked another Golf buyer.”
The kind of person who would rent put their personal car to strangers is so far away from me that we may not register as the same species on a dna test.
Wait until you lose your job, then you will better understand them.
I don’t think that’s what’s happening here very often. Looking at the cars near me – Teslas, Porsches, and Mercedes, not so many Toyotas, and the reviews of the owners who are renting them this looks a lot more like AirBnB to me. The vast majority of these cars seem to be business investments, not renting out the spare bedroom for a little extra cash.
I don’t know man.. I’d rent my sausage before I let some rando drive my car…
Especially a car meant for spirited driving. On top of that, who knows how much more it will cost you in depreciation, tires, brakes, door dings, etc.
Is that where a lot of Truro rentals come from? If so it’s depressing as f@&k.
Try a E-golf from 2018 onwards with the slightly bigger range
Better late than never! I have had two GTi- an ’85 Mk2 that I drove for more than 15 years then a ’13 Mk6 that I have had for 9 years now. Both are just excellent cars, especially if you are big & tall as there is tons of front seat room unlike many other cars.
Curious what kind of mileage you’re at?
I’d really like to hold on to my mk7 for a long time.
Stories like this just remind me how sad I am that we don’t get the Polo and Up! in ANY flavor much less GTI here 🙁
Agreed, I had a chance to try a Lupo GTI. It’s 100% fun.
A few more years and they’ll be US-legal age.
Polos are the best 🙂
I may be biased, I’ve owned six cars, and five of them have been Polos.
2018 SE 6MT owner here – for 2018 only, leather was made optional on the SE, so you could get the plaid seats with the moonroof, which is how mine is – I haven’t looked up build numbers, but it is my “Corvette owner proclaiming their car is a 1 of xxx”-style fact. The performance package was made standard on the 2018 SE too, although the performance package didn’t bring the red badges that it had the years prior (but then in 2019 did add them).
On seat comfort – I’m not a big person but have some qualms too, more for longer trips. My last 4 cars were midsize sedans with 8-way power seats, so there was some adjustment going to a smaller car. It could be the thigh support, since it’s just height adjustment without angle (even the full power seat on leather models is just 6-way, I think). It could be front seat space in general – I’m not a tall person, 5′ 11″ on a good day, but my right knee rests against the center console and both knees are a bit close to the steering column for my liking. It seems like the seating position is more comfortable ‘stretched out’ but the seating position makes more sense ‘upright’ if that makes sense. And lumbar support could use a bit more adjustment.
Other nitpicks – lighting. With the Mk7, VW went the cheap route of a combo stop-turn signal, rather than separate brake and turn signals like they still kept on every other past Golf gen (even if it was red, like Mk5 I think was). It’s a little better for 7.5s as they went to LED tails, but still a combo light.
Then the interior lighting – I have to think they cost cut some of this along the way, because otherwise I don’t know that anyone that designed the car tried to use it at night. Why is there a light behind the interior door pulls, but no backlights for the overhead console? For the interior light switches?? And no light for the compartment forward of the shifter below the HVAC controls?
Quality wise it’s been fine, I’d say I appropriately braced myself for VW ownership so far and also with the 6 yr/72k mi warranty. However, I’ve long had creaks from the front suspension, and a scrapey sound from the right rear wheel. Two dealers have said they can’t find anything, and on the former issue one added it’s flex from the otherwise stiff chassis. Not sure I buy any of that, it sounds like it has 100k miles more on it. That may be what pushes me to decide to move on as the end of the warranty period approaches. That and some reports on the clutches being soft (usually more WRT if people tune them, which I haven’t).
But still no regrets getting it. I always wanted a GTI, it’s almost exactly how I would equip a car if I could tick individual option boxes, still as fun to drive as the day I got it, I still turn around and look at it every time I park it and I get complimented on the color (see username) what feels like weekly.
On the mk5s you could easily mod the taillights to get amber turn signals – but yes, it was still a pain that you had to do so in the first place.
I am one year in on a MK5 GTI I bought off of cars and bids. It was owned by a VW tech and he did a stage one tune and repaired some of the known issues. I love it, but I don’t know that I will own another VW. Things just fail that shouldn’t. To wit:
– Coil packs. It eats them, and they usually fail when you’re mid-pass
– headlights. need to change the bulb? Drop the bumper. Annually.
– ignition. this can fail with the key in/on. What a fun thing to have to replace.
– cooling system – the flange connecting the coolant pipes to the block is *plastic*. That was my next ‘project’, but now I have to fix that cursed ignition first.
I forget about all of these things when it is working. It’s 90% of the experience of my 996. But cheese and rice I wish it wouldn’t break so often.
I had a Mk6 for 10 months. It ate the crankshaft position sensor 3 times. Traded it in on a Si.
Mk5 & 6 GTIs are definitely not Mk7 GTIs when talking about reliability.
I own a 2017 GTI Sport (it has no sunroof, but it has the ‘Performance Pack’ LS diff & bigger brakes). It’s now at about 80k miles, 70k of them with Stage2 ECU tune, and about 40k miles of very hard track miles. I had to upgrade the clutch when I tuned it, but at about 320HP at the wheels with close to 30psi of boost it is faster around a track than a Golf R and I had zero problems with it.
There are plenty of guys with Mk7 GTI & Golf Rs (at various levels of ‘modded’) who track their cars, and they can take incredible levels of abuse compared to something like Subarus, Corvettes or BMWs I see limping off the track every time I go to an event. The only cars I see around me that can match the Mk7’s reliability on a track are Porsches and to some extent Miatas (if kept mostly stock).
This perfectly encapsulates why I sold my E39 M5 and got a 2016 GTI SE w/PP. I’ve probably had the GTI longer than any other car I’ve owned. It’s still just so fun to drive, especially with the manual. It’s too bad yours didn’t have the Performance Package, that differential and the adjustable dampers make a huge difference. You can really feel the differential sending power to the outside wheel on corners. Perhaps the extra road noise was the because the soundaktor was engaged. It pumps in fake engine noise through the fire wall. It can be fun but also wears on you after a while.
Because of the pandemic, I barely put any miles on my GTI in two years and now its paid off, so I’m planning on keeping it awhile, doing an ecu flash to get the HP almost to R’s level, and then I’ll save up for a Miata.
Great review, Mercedes. Thanks.
Glad you liked your GTI experience. I owned a MK7.5 S DSG for a few years and definitely enjoyed it…although mine had some serious issues. It misfired and shut down half the cylinders 4 or 5 times while accelerating, which put me in harm’s way more than once because I was trying to pass and lost half my power mid pull. Two different dealerships told me they couldn’t find the problem and that I should just keep driving and hope it doesn’t happen again…which I was not happy with.
I also had issues with the cruise control. It would randomly bug out and remain unavailable until I restarted the car…and a few times this happened on the highway where I couldn’t stop for a while, so I just had to live without it. More of an inconvenience than a huge problem, but I rely on cruise control a lot on road trips to keep my lead foot managed. I also had issues with a lot of the factory consumables running out way earlier than expected. I had to put new wipers on the car 3 or 4 months after buying it and the stock tires were absolute garbage.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a really fun car to drive and the package is crazy practical. But the issues mine had eventually got to me, and I personally found that the driving experience is really only fun for the first couple of months. VW has really strict parameters programmed into the car. It auto up shifts in manual mode, traction control cannot be fully defeated, and I found that the car was extremely unpleasant at the limit. It’s really meant to be driven at 60-80% as a fun daily, which is fine for probably 90% of the people who buy them but it left me wanting more…thus how I wound up in an N.
Honestly skip the Golf R. I drove the MK7 R on the same day I test drove my GTI and didn’t think it was worth the extra money. It offers better numbers but the driving experience is more clinical than emotional (how very German). I found that the GTI was more of a handful, in a good way. I’d personally rather have a tire burning rascal that’s a little less fast than a pure numbers car. All in all I do really like the GTI as an institution, I just didn’t have the time or patience to deal with the gremlins that come with VW ownership.
But you’re the queen of weird VWs and are a million times more mechanically savvy than I am…so I think a secondhand MK6 or 7 would be a great fit for your collection. I know it sounds sacrilegious but I’d recommend going DSG over the stick. The manual isn’t a great feeling transmission and the DSG punches above its weight. I’ve driven much more expensive sporty automatics that couldn’t touch it.
I think the GTI is a far better value than the R. But the R is something special, at least to me, and I’d never go back. There’s something delightful about how, just as the mostly front wheel drive layout starts pushing, the rear wheels start earning their pay and digging in to unload the fronts a bit and balance everything out. One review described the car as having “infinite grip,” and while that’s obviously an exaggeration, in street driving I know exactly what they mean. I agree that there’s not much feel in the steering wheel, but my eyes and stomach tell me every time how very small steering inputs are making very small corrections to my line. For a daily, I love it to death.
And it would be very much tempting fate to mention that, after 100 miles in a Mk7, my sole problem has been a cracked expansion tank, which lost coolant pressure and set off an awful alarm. So I absolutely will not mention that. Also, the cabin temperature is a little weird, as car is usually a little hotter or colder from the waist up than it is from the waist down, regardless of efforts to balance that out. That’s it, that’s the list.
If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. – Ferris B.
That is 100,000 miles, of course. EDIT BUTTON
They are definitely something special. I am on my second R (first was a 2012 with over 100,000 miles before I bought it) I replaced the spark plugs and coils and a new clutch in three years, and now have a 2018 w/pp. My wife also had a 2016 GTI SE that we traded in for the 2018 R. Cost is also interesting because the R will also hold its value and will sell for a premium.
The R will absolutely take off and leave anything near its price range that has twice the cylinders. I have lost traction once by hammering it while making a left turn. Spun all 4 wheels until I let of the gas.
As far as which is better the GTI or the R it depends on what you are going for. The R is tops for the money for pure acceleration and handling, the GTI is a great slow-fast car
The Salton Sea just smells so bad. I would be down there for work but in a Chrysler Voyager rental for the comfort, cargo room, and nearly 300 hp which was hilariously fun in that thing. As someone who is tall and bigger, I appreciate seats that give me that room.