SI vs GTI Car and Driver

charleswrivers

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Just ask Ford owners what they think about DSG's. Due to a class-action lawsuit, owners of 2011-2016 Fiesta and Focus models equipped with the 6-speed Ford/Getrag PowerShift DSG are entitled to:

- Buyback of the vehicle or
- Up to $2,325 cash or
- Up to $4,650 towards a new vehicle

http://www.fordtransmissionsettlement.com/
They'd better hurry if they want to buy a Ford car... unless they want a Mustang. Or an F-150... though they just ceased production of those too because they can get parts to make them because one of the factories that make some of their dash parts got closed (burned down)? Poor Ford man... the one Big 3 American automaker that didn't 'need' a bailout (they did take $$$ however) who's now getting their teeth kicked in.

We'll see how all this pans out in another 5-10 years. Right now... they seem like they're listing lazily to the left (port).
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wopsi

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Oh man. It’s one thing to like a car the way it is and another hassle to risk having to take it into the shop due to reliability issues. I know every car manufacture has issues, but you would want one with less issues than the other. Not that it is scaring me not to buy a vw, as some owners had no problem with theirs, but it’s the risk you will have to take when owning one. I still love my si, but down the road, I may just get the type r over the golf gti/r.
 

serif

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I honestly wonder if (aside from the well-documented water pump and coil pack issues of generations past) VWs have a stigma of unreliability despite evidence to the contrary in recent years because people expect a car to just work without any maintenance. Hondas and Toyotas can seemingly run forever with missed oil changes and only occasional inspections, and the domestic brands had a reputation for bulletproof reliability because people would drive them into the ground with nary a peek at the dipstick. Meanwhile, (in my experience) pretty much all German cars require scheduled maintenance—performed on time—and then some. It takes care to keep a German car running, but Americans are mostly used to not caring about their car's maintenance at all. So when something happens due to carelessness, we're quick to blame the car.
 

zroger73

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I honestly wonder if (aside from the well-documented water pump and coil pack issues of generations past) VWs have a stigma of unreliability despite evidence to the contrary in recent years because people expect a car to just work without any maintenance. Hondas and Toyotas can seemingly run forever with missed oil changes and only occasional inspections, and the domestic brands had a reputation for bulletproof reliability because people would drive them into the ground with nary a peek at the dipstick. Meanwhile, (in my experience) pretty much all German cars require scheduled maintenance—performed on time—and then some. It takes care to keep a German car running, but Americans are mostly used to not caring about their car's maintenance at all. So when something happens due to carelessness, we're quick to blame the car.
If any modern vehicle can't make it without breaking down for at least 200,000 miles by following the minimum maintenance requirements specified in the owner's manual, then there is a design/quality problem.

Honda may not have the most exciting vehicles, but I've been spoiled by the undramatic ownership experience of the eight of them I've owned over the last 12 years. I honestly can't remember the last time I had an in-warranty or out-of-warranty repair on a Honda right off hand. The 2018 Accord I owned for 24 hours last week had problems, but that was the fault of mother nature and the shoddy repair.
 

serif

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If any modern vehicle can't make it without breaking down for at least 200,000 miles by following the minimum maintenance requirements specified in the owner's manual, then there is a design/quality problem.

Honda may not have the most exciting vehicles, but I've been spoiled by the undramatic ownership experience of the eight of them I've owned over the last 12 years. I honestly can't remember the last time I had an in-warranty or out-of-warranty repair on a Honda right off hand. The 2018 Accord I owned for 24 hours last week had problems, but that was the fault of mother nature and the shoddy repair.
My point is that I think people expect a car to last 200,000 miles without following the minimum maintenance requirements. Hondas can often last that way, but when a car doesn't, somehow it's the manufacturer's fault. Like the DSGs giving up the ghost after "only" 50 launch control starts without the requisite accelerated maintenance that comes with abuse like that.
 


kritz

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Saw the bill for takemorepills issues. The DSG replacement was 7K and the sunroof assembly was 3K.:eek: His car was tuned so maybe that had something to do with it.
 

grumpyguy6

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Saw the bill for takemorepills issues. The DSG replacement was 7K and the sunroof assembly was 3K.:eek: His car was tuned so maybe that had something to do with it.
So many things I want to say about this, and/or about the person. Gonna try and act my age for once and take the high ground.
*cough* he deserved it *cough*
*cough* consider it a-hole tax *cough*
 

Blindeye_03

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Just ask Ford owners what they think about DSG's. Due to a class-action lawsuit, owners of 2011-2016 Fiesta and Focus models equipped with the 6-speed Ford/Getrag PowerShift DSG are entitled to:

- Buyback of the vehicle or
- Up to $2,325 cash or
- Up to $4,650 towards a new vehicle

http://www.fordtransmissionsettlement.com/
I should have meant on VWs. Ive heard lots of bad stories about Fords DSGs when I had my two STs. Im not saying I dont believe you, I just didnt hear the same complaining.
 

kritz

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charleswrivers

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I remember him going on about how awesome his GTI was.

...and I agree, they seem to be a pretty solid car, much of the time, and plan to get one before I kick the bucket. They are somewhat of the hot hatch measuring stick.

Still... I wonder if he's going to come back and talk up his car after his GTI has pulled the carpet from under him with needed repairs.

...and yeah, he's not getting much love over on their forums. Apparently they eat their own. :thumbsup:
 
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Design

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As the saying goes... great when they run, nightmares when they don't.

To be fair, he went in hard and got baited pretty early. Had he not gone on a tangent, the more upstanding members would have probably helped a tad more.
 

wopsi

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If any modern vehicle can't make it without breaking down for at least 200,000 miles by following the minimum maintenance requirements specified in the owner's manual, then there is a design/quality problem.

Honda may not have the most exciting vehicles, but I've been spoiled by the undramatic ownership experience of the eight of them I've owned over the last 12 years. I honestly can't remember the last time I had an in-warranty or out-of-warranty repair on a Honda right off hand. The 2018 Accord I owned for 24 hours last week had problems, but that was the fault of mother nature and the shoddy repair.
Totally agree. Not every car falls in the category of “if you maintenance it well, should last you 200,000.”
 

squelchy451

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Civic Si wins out on handling, price, reliability. GTI wins on cargo space, reliability, and straight-line speed (at least in stock form). Jury is split on looks, as it will be between any two different cars.

All this argument over which is the better car is meaningless, because certain aspects matter differently from person to person. If you are willing to put down the money to get a better interior at the cost of handling and perceived reliability, the GTI is a better car for you. If you want the best in handling, the Civic Si is the better car for you.

Which is why nobody is considering the turbo Sentra here. It is inferior to the Si, GTI, and even the Elantra Sport on too many metrics upon which a car's worth is measured. Same with the Elantra Sport. It loses on handling to both Si and GTI, only equals the power of Si and loses to the GTI, and the interior is not noticeably better than the Si (minus leather seats).

This is why it's a bit of a tough decision for me. Do I want something that's more sedate but is not as fun/reliable/cheap, or go for the best handling FWD car under $30k.
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