Updated 2019 Volkswagen GTI

gtman

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I was considering a GTI before I bought my Civic but the Golf's interior felt cramped to me.
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RacingManiac

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Its smaller for sure, but the 10th gen is the size of an Accord not too long ago...
 

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amirza786

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New VW GTI gets 228 hp out of the box and performance pack brakes and limited slip are now standard on all trim levels. New Rabbit Edition offered to slot between S and SE trims. The brakes and limited slip make an S trim something I would start to consider.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2019-volkswagen-golf-gti-power-rabbit-edition
I don't like to put down other people's choices in cars, but as a former reformed VW enthusiast, I would never buy one again unless it's a "hobby car". They are fun cars to drive, and have a lot of advantages in performance over Honda and Toyota, but they are money pits and you will get very intimate with your mechanic if you own one. Ok, I'm done
 

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I don't like to put down other people's choices in cars, but as a former reformed VW enthusiast, I would never buy one again unless it's a "hobby car". They are fun cars to drive, and have a lot of advantages in performance over Honda and Toyota, but they are money pits and you will get very intimate with your mechanic if you own one. Ok, I'm done
Out of curiosity, what year and model was your VW?
 


amirza786

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Out of curiosity, what year and model was your VW?
I've owned several from the 1980's through the 90's. VW Dasher, VW Rabbit, Golf GTi. All had annoying problems, everything from excess oil consumption to burned out relays that would leave me stranded. The newer models are better, but still have issues where they are in the shop. I have a few co-workers that own them, so I still see the issues they have
 

RacingManiac

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My last 2 VWs are not really owned for that long of a period and both were replaced around 75k miles. Not really for any problem with the car aside from I was looking for an upgrade(MK6 GTI to MK7 GTI, then MK7 GTI to Type R). Neither car ever stranded me anywhere. MK6 had more niggling issues that were warranty parts and MK7 was basically trouble free aside from mostly issues cause by me. MK7 especially was used basically from the 2nd week I owned it as a DD/autoX car. Considering the usage(20+ events a year and most with 2 drivers per event) I have very little to complain about the car. It was pretty easy to work on, nothing really was falling apart aside from broken underbody plastic covers from cone strikes. Parts weren't really all that expensive. I'd buy another VW in the future as long as I can trim them the way I wanted. We'll see how the Type R holds up as its basically destined to do the same as the previous car did.
 

jred721

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I've owned several from the 1980's through the 90's. VW Dasher, VW Rabbit, Golf GTi. All had annoying problems, everything from excess oil consumption to burned out relays that would leave me stranded. The newer models are better, but still have issues where they are in the shop. I have a few co-workers that own them, so I still see the issues they have
Yeah I somehow figured they were older VW's, while i'm not saying VW is perfect (it's nowhere near), you can't really use 1980's and 90's VW's as an example of VW's reliability now. I often see people dismiss German cars these days because back 20 years ago they were terrible quality but you just can't do that anymore. I was a hugge JDM fanboy until I graduated college= who literally laughed at the thought of getting German cars, until I had a buddy of mine get a GTI when we graduated college, and I loved the thing. It was a 2014 GTI (which he still has) and its tuned to around 330 WHP with around 57K miles on the clock, he hasn't had a single issue besides a random limp mode due to one of his mods (which he fixed) and his a/c somehow not blowing properly due to an ecu issue (covered under warranty),because he took care of the thing. Even talking to co workers in my office who daily MK7's, it's pretty clear that VW has improved a lot. It's not like you don't see Hondas in the service bay :rolleyes:. My point is, the whole "reliability" thing wouldn't deter me from buying one because the gap between Hondas and other modern cars is closing and you can't really say Honda is the holy grail of reliability (unlike Toyota).
 

amirza786

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Yeah I somehow figured they were older VW's, while i'm not saying VW is perfect (it's nowhere near), you can't really use 1980's and 90's VW's as an example of VW's reliability now. I often see people dismiss German cars these days because back 20 years ago they were terrible quality but you just can't do that anymore. I was a hugge JDM fanboy until I graduated college= who literally laughed at the thought of getting German cars, until I had a buddy of mine get a GTI when we graduated college, and I loved the thing. It was a 2014 GTI (which he still has) and its tuned to around 330 WHP with around 57K miles on the clock, he hasn't had a single issue besides a random limp mode due to one of his mods (which he fixed) and his a/c somehow not blowing properly due to an ecu issue (covered under warranty),because he took care of the thing. Even talking to co workers in my office who daily MK7's, it's pretty clear that VW has improved a lot. It's not like you don't see Hondas in the service bay :rolleyes:. My point is, the whole "reliability" thing wouldn't deter me from buying one because the gap between Hondas and other modern cars is closing and you can't really say Honda is the holy grail of reliability (unlike Toyota).
I'm more of a Toyota guy (more than 20 years of trouble free ownership) and this is my first Honda, but I got you. It's true that German cars are more refined, but my experience with German car ownership has not been should I say, smooth. When I switched from VW to Toyota in the 90's, I never had another mechanical issue other than normal wear and tear. If you own and like VW's, I say more power to you. Hopefully my Honda will last as long as my Toyotas, only time will tell
 
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jred721

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I'm more of a Toyota guy (more than 20 years of trouble free ownership) and this is my first Honda, but I got you. It's true that German cars are more refined, but my experience with German car ownership has not been should I say, smooth. When I switched from VW to Toyota in the 90's, I never had another mechanical issue other than normal wear and tear. If you own and like VW's, I say more power to you. Hopefully my Honda will last as long as my Toyotas, only time will tell
Yeah man, and I love Hondas otherwise I wouldn't own one lol, i'm glad everyone has different tastes otherwise the car community would be boring as hell. I'm just interested to see how our Hondas hold up in the long run compared to other cars, that's gonna be interesting for sure.
 


amirza786

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Yeah man, and I love Hondas otherwise I wouldn't own one lol, i'm glad everyone has different tastes otherwise the car community would be boring as hell. I'm just interested to see how our Hondas hold up in the long run compared to other cars, that's gonna be interesting for sure.
Agreed, it would be boring if everyone drove only Toyota or Honda. I'm generally a car enthusiast, I'm facinated by the evolution of the gasoline engine in general. Engine wise I think Honda's will probably hold up, it's what's around the engine that may not
 

ablueSI

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Agreed, it would be boring if everyone drove only Toyota or Honda. I'm generally a car enthusiast, I'm facinated by the evolution of the gasoline engine in general. Engine wise I think Honda's will probably hold up, it's what's around the engine that may not
Ditto. And it's fun how tastes can change.

I grew up loving 90s/00s German sports sedans and coupes, once 2010 hit I became fascinated with Japanese cars because they finally seemed to have some of the technology/solidity/sportiness that German cars offered, except for they last - and are often built impeccably.
 

amirza786

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Ditto. And it's fun how tastes can change.

I grew up loving 90s/00s German sports sedans and coupes, once 2010 hit I became fascinated with Japanese cars because they finally seemed to have some of the technology/solidity/sportiness that German cars offered, except for they last - and are often built impeccably.
In general, Japanese cars, especially Toyota and Honda have always been built to last. To this day I still see 1980's and 90's era Toyotas and Hondas on the road. My first Toyota was a 1995 Corolla LE, this car stayed in the family until about 3 years ago when my nephew traded it in thru a special program for a Prius. It had over 200K on it, and was still running great (the body was starting to all apart). From that time on I owned nothing but Toyotas, and all my cars have been trouble free.I think German cars probably push the performance envelope a bit to much so the margin for error is very tight. One of my co-workers has a BMW M5, the engine tolerances are very tight and it takes some crazy viscosity oil, something like 10W60 and he cannot drive it until the oil is warmed up or the valves can be damaged.

Anyway for me it is about longevity, as I buy a car and drive it until it falls apart, and that is why I have pretty much stayed with Toyota for the last 25 years plus (this is my first Honda)
 

Aero2001

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One thing I'm not a huge fan of on the GTI is the fact that 2nd gear goes up to what, almost 80 mph in the manual version? I LIKE shifting! I don't want to stay in 2nd gear all the dang time.

Maybe someone who's driven one can comment on this?
Yes, the GTI has very tall gearing, which I noticed when I tested a Rabbit Edition (6MT) last week. With tall gearing and a slightly laggy turbo, it feels very different from my TSX, which (as all Hondaphiles know) has a quick-revving NA motor and very short gearing. The net result is that, despite its huge power, torque, and weight advantages, the GTI doesn't feel any stronger at lower speeds than my TSX. Past about 40 mph, however, the turbo torque takes over, and the GTI crushes my Acura. On the highway, turbos rule.

I've also driven the current Civic Si, and I basically agree with Car and Driver's comparison. The Si has better handling and a better shifter, but the GTI is more luxurious, with a better ride, nicer interior, and lower road noise. Plus, while not as razor sharp as the Civic Si, the GTI still has excellent handling. The GTI also has modern safety tech on all trims, which is a big advantage IMO.

As others have mentioned, the GTI is selling well below MSRP, so great deals are available. I'd be getting ready to pull the trigger on a Rabbit Edition in Cornflower Blue, but I'm irritated that it lacks satellite radio. WTF? No car in that price range should be without it, and I've become addicted to it after nine years in my TSX. Even our lower-trim 2016 Forester has it, not to mention the Kia Souls I've had as rentals. Sheesh.
 

d1zguy

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Yes, the GTI has very tall gearing, which I noticed when I tested a Rabbit Edition (6MT) last week. With tall gearing and a slightly laggy turbo, it feels very different from my TSX, which (as all Hondaphiles know) has a quick-revving NA motor and very short gearing. The net result is that, despite its huge power, torque, and weight advantages, the GTI doesn't feel any stronger at lower speeds than my TSX. Past about 40 mph, however, the turbo torque takes over, and the GTI crushes my Acura. On the highway, turbos rule.

I've also driven the current Civic Si, and I basically agree with Car and Driver's comparison. The Si has better handling and a better shifter, but the GTI is more luxurious, with a better ride, nicer interior, and lower road noise. Plus, while not as razor sharp as the Civic Si, the GTI still has excellent handling. The GTI also has modern safety tech on all trims, which is a big advantage IMO.

As others have mentioned, the GTI is selling well below MSRP, so great deals are available. I'd be getting ready to pull the trigger on a Rabbit Edition in Cornflower Blue, but I'm irritated that it lacks satellite radio. WTF? No car in that price range should be without it, and I've become addicted to it after nine years in my TSX. Even our lower-trim 2016 Forester has it, not to mention the Kia Souls I've had as rentals. Sheesh.
Should be opposite at least the consumer turbo cars are terrible at highway speeds due to die off at high rpm. NA for highway and turbo for city
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