New GTI Test Drive

[S66MJETDI]

I took out a MK7 Golf Gti 5 door in white with the optional ACC pack.

I have to say before I took it out I was very excited as my last drive in a GTI was back in 2008 when I sold my MK5 GTI, having owned all but a MK1.

However after the test drive I've been left less than impressed

Some will clearly disagree with me but here's why:

1. The car is so capable that unless you are driving well in excess of the speed limit it's really quite dull.

2. The standard cloth seats left me feeling unsupported, the side bolsters on the base seem to be fairly soft foam without any framework.

3. What were VW thinking when they produced that steering wheel, it's thin and has the cheapest feel of any wheel I've used in years. The "leather" feels like really crap smooth thin vinyl.

4. I couldn't detect any noticeable difference in the suspension settings so that £800 option seems pointless.

5. When I did drive it to it's potential having reset the fuel computer it returned 15 mpg.

So with all that in mind it rather seems to me that VW have lost much of what the old GTI's were about, the car seemed to be driving me, there was no hint of any skill being required even in the twists the machine sticks to the road with very little argument at well past licence losing pace.

It has been said that I need to consider what I want because clearly the GTI is a well sorted ( the dealer ). What I want is a exciting powerful car that needs to be driven to get some pleasure and excitement from - not a car that feels as composed and boring as a Vauxhall Corsa trundling along at 30 when I'm approaching 3 figures in a bend.

Sorry VW I think you have gone to far.

[mcmaddy]

maybe something was wrong with car because I got 40mpg out of the one I drove and I wasn't hanging about and you could tell the difference straight away with the adaptive chassis control not only in the steering but also the ride quality.

[maisbitt]

S66: I think you were expecting the GTI to be a bit of a hooligan on the roads. It is very refined, even at the higher speeds - that's what progress in refinement and safety buys you. When VW can make a car that refined in a Golf GTI, they aren't going to build a car that'll cut you in half if you make one mistake when driving it. Did you get out in it on your own (without the salesman tagging along)? I would guess that most salesmen won't let you fling it around to the point that you get 15mpg for the short journey. My local dealerships won't even let me exceed the speed limit by more than 5mph before telling me to slow down.

For me, the scariest/most thrilling cars to drive are those that feel like they'll fall to bits when you put your foot down, they start shaking like a dog s****ing razorblades above 80mph - something the GTI is never going to do. There haven't been Golf GTI thrills like that since the MK3 (because it was flimsier than the MK2).

On a very smooth road you won't see much variance in the ACC settings, for me that system (as on my current Scirocco) is all about driving in Sport except when you hit a poor road surface and you knock it into Comfort to lessen the blows each bump in the road provides.

I think a high end Renault Clio is what you need.

[zollaf]

go buy a mk1 gti. for the price of a mk7 you should get a well sorted one and quite a bit of change and a proper gti.

[S66MJETDI]

Zollaf, it's funny you should say that as a MK1 is on the shopping list as a project car, my garage has a space begging - have decided that I shall continue in my A4 for at least another year now and see if anything else comes on the market that tempts me.

[Pommyboi]

Reading the opening post made me think you might like driving this, the Toyota GT86: http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyo...2-GT86-landing

Obviously there may be many reasons why it is not suitable for you but I remember reading a few reviews stating how much fun the car is even at low speeds, I think they made the same point on Top Gear when they tested the car.

[Gerryf]

Interesting GTI video :