Test Drive

[h5djr]

Tomorrow (Friday) I am having a Golf VII for the day. I have an A3 2.0TDI DSG Sportback SE at the moment I'm interested to compare it with the new Golf. Unfortunately it will be a 1.6 TDI rather than a 2.0TDI but it will be a DSG and it will be an SE.

[h5djr]

Well I must say I was not impressed. As I said it was a 1.6TDI with a DSG, but without the steering wheel paddles which I use all the time on my A3. It was obviously well down on power and the suspension was not that great. Perhaps the 2.0TDI with the mult-link rear suspension will be better. I have asked to drive one of these when one becomes available.

Now I need to arrange for a day long test drive in a new version of the A3, but Sportbacks with DSG are few and far between at the moment.

[OldBoy22]

Oh dear, please don't let it put you off! I test drove the 2.0TDI GT DSG with paddles recently and was taken on a rather decent drive (fair bit of town stuff to start then onto dual cway and b roads). GT with the bigger diesel is a decent drive. Handles well (feels very agile for an oil burner) and has lots of grunt down low. Tad hard on the road as it was 18's but paddles performed nicely and bags of power in 4th. Im a DSG convert, will not be going back to a manual box for a while.
Planning on trading my current car (Passat CC TDI) in for the Mk7 in the next few months, decision is going to be between the GT TDI or GTD.

[h5djr]

I will drive the 2.0TDI DSG SE when they have one available but it will have to be good for me to choose it preference to the A3, even though the A3 will be more expensive by the time I've add my options.

[HHGTTG]

Well today, I only sat in the new A3 Sportback fitted with Alcantara seats and found the interior most disappointing and I don't know where to start, so won't. Suffice it to say it didn't have the same wow factor I felt when i sat in its' predecessor many years ago. On the other hand the interior of the new Golf felt a much nicer place to be in. However, I did like the Audi A1 and could see myself perhaps getting one of these although a test drive would be essential to make a judgemne ton the ride of this smaller car.

[dickt]

I tried the Audi A3 Sportback, and just did not like the cabin. My memory is of yards of boring plastic with a cheap Tom tom put on top, just over two massively oversized holes. (The air vents). I much prefer the interior of the Golf.

It takes all sorts!!

Some A3 models are sensibly priced, but speccing them up tp the Golf made them uncompetitive.

[maisbitt]

Oh dear, please don't let it put you off! I test drove the 2.0TDI GT DSG with paddles recently and was taken on a rather decent drive (fair bit of town stuff to start then onto dual cway and b roads). GT with the bigger diesel is a decent drive. Handles well (feels very agile for an oil burner) and has lots of grunt down low. Tad hard on the road as it was 18's but paddles performed nicely and bags of power in 4th. Im a DSG convert, will not be going back to a manual box for a while.
Planning on trading my current car (Passat CC TDI) in for the Mk7 in the next few months, decision is going to be between the GT TDI or GTD.

Oldboy: GTD all the way, especially if you change regularly - the superior guaranteed future value of the GTD (56%) makes it cheaper to run one of those via solutions than the GT (47%) for more car. You lose satnav, but gain a whole lot more in lieu - main highlights being Xenon headlights (VAG Halogens are like a pair of candles in comparison), 18" wheels, GTD styling and dual zone climate control. The wait is quite arduous though, I ordered mine 29th March and still don't have a confirmed build date - they've made sure that UK GTDs and GTIs are not scheduled for build until MY14 (starts 27th May 2013).

[OldBoy22]

maisbitt, you are talking to the converted! have been on the VW website as you say and was pleasantly surprised with how affordable the GTD is! Will be placing the order for one in July/August. At least the wait will give me a few more months payment off our current car and time convincing the wife that it makes sense for both of us haha!

Sat Nav would of been nice as standard but is not a must have anymore as they're cheap to buy and pretty much every phone has it now.

Congrats on your order, how did you spec it? I'm thinking Limestone Grey DSG....

[maisbitt]

Oldboy: Basic spec - 5 Door Tornado Red, manual, no extras (I don't think it needs any). I originally ordered Deep Black Pearl but it's a bugger to keep clean and seeing a Tornado Red GT convinced me to change - I think a lot of the front end GTD detailing will be lost on a black one, but there is something a bit mean looking/stealthy about an immaculately clean black one. Do you mean you'll be placing an order in July/Aug, or placing an order to get one in July/Aug? I'm still in the dark about when mine will come - VW UK don't seem to be telling the dealers much. They put off scheduling GTI/GTD orders for the UK until after MY2014 (BW22) is reached next week and my dealer is none the wiser after the order was formally accepted by VW UK on 30 March. Some people on other forums claim to have been verbally given a build date, but the variety in dates given make no sense when someone gets a build date 6 weeks later than someone else and ordered a month before them and no discernible optional extras differences. I don't think i'll see mine before mid July at the earliest now after being given the impression at time of ordering it would be with me a few weeks from now.

[h5djr]

Oldboy: GTD all the way, especially if you change regularly - the superior guaranteed future value of the GTD (56%) makes it cheaper to run one of those via solutions than the GT (47%) for more car. You lose satnav, but gain a whole lot more in lieu - main highlights being Xenon headlights (VAG Halogens are like a pair of candles in comparison), 18" wheels, GTD styling and dual zone climate control. The wait is quite arduous though, I ordered mine 29th March and still don't have a confirmed build date - they've made sure that UK GTDs and GTIs are not scheduled for build until MY14 (starts 27th May 2013).

Except that I don't want Sports suspension, Sports seats or rear tinted glass!

[OldBoy22]

Maisbitt, spec sounds good. I'm not going to be adding anything extra too it bar the paint and DSG box. Tornado Red looks great from the pics i have seen in press and on other forums. was tempted to go for black myself but inevitably it will just be a magnet for dirt, dust and water marks! I've seen the Limestone Grey in the flesh and it looks good.

Will be placing the order in July/August time so will be playing the waiting game too. would be very interested to hear your thought on the car once you have it. No reviews in the press as yet...