Topic: 2015 VW GTI - 6MT / 4 Door

[Hannibalsmith]

I use to be a bit of a VW fanboy. Back in high school and early University I went through three MKII Jettas. The most expensive one cost me $1800 but I customized - anything from big bumpers, 16V antennas, lip spoilers, yellow paint. You get the idea, especially if you're into VW.

So, the GTI was high on my list of cars to drive in my search for a sports car. Crosses off a lot of my criteria items: sits three in the back, manual, 200 hp engine, and the price is right.

The Car
- 2015 VW GTI, 6MT, 4 door, Black with Black leather interior

The Interior
- Big difference compared to the MKII models!
- Well laid out, clean and simple dash - perfect for a drivers car
- Nice flat bottomed steering wheel, leather, grips well
- Leather interior is nice, feels very luxurious (though not as luxurious as the BMW 335 / Audi S4, but there is a $ difference)
- Front seats are nicely bolstered and grip well on curvy roads
- Lots of room in the back
- Must say, the NAV screen was kind of small, if you're into that kind of stuff

The Exterior
- Subjective of course but the car has some nice GTI only details - integrated fog lights and red highlights (inside the cabin as well)
- Ok, and purely subjective as well, it does not exude a "mature car" kind of vibe - screams out "young"

The Drive
- Industrial back roads, long sweeps, no highway but the route was like a short race track so the GTI was exercised ~20 min
- Plenty of pull, especially past 3,000 rpm. If you drive it hard you certainly feel like you're getting to use all of the power. In contrast, the 335 and S4 felt like they needed a runway to top out (not a bad feeling!)
- Very minimal torque steer but it pulls rather than being pushed (definitely a different feel than the 335)
- Tight suspension and feels very well planted
- In summary, extremely fun to drive

Overall
I'll say it again, this is a fun car. All of the praises the car gets in articles were confirmed with this test drive. If you're in the market for a family 4 door for ~$35,000, you'll do yourself a disservice by not test driving the GTI.

Personal takeaways
Man, I really miss having a manual! Would I buy this car? In a heartbeat, but not at this stage of my life. I know I may get flamed for saying this, but the GTI is just not special enough for what I'm looking for. I feel that I made the right choice in ordering the BMW 335i, RWD, 6MT, M-Sport, in Estoril Blue.

Thanks

[2JDM]

Awesome!! The WRX and GTI are the top of my list for my next car.

How is the clutch travel? Is it still looooong? I think I asked you this for the S4.  I'm a short guy (5'5) so the long clutch travel for the previous gen kinda bothered me.

[Hannibalsmith]

Awesome!! The WRX and GTI are the top of my list for my next car.

How is the clutch travel? Is it still looooong? I think I asked you this for the S4.  I'm a short guy (5'5) so the long clutch travel for the previous gen kinda bothered me.

I didn't notice any issues with the clutch travel. I did notice the lack of manual in my life

[SaskSpecV]

I didn't notice any issues with the clutch travel. I did notice the lack of manual in my life

It's a good thing that will be remedied in 8 - 10 weeks, right? 

[Hannibalsmith]

I didn't notice any issues with the clutch travel. I did notice the lack of manual in my life

It's a good thing that will be remedied in 8 - 10 weeks, right? 

Yes! Its going to be a long summer...

[lebowski]

Great review, Hannibal, and thanks for sharing. Congrats on ordering such an awesomely spec'd 3-series - Estoril Blue is no doubt the fastest colour.

I certainly would've been worried about potential buyer's remorse, stepping into the GTI for a test drive. Then again, I'm sure the BMW is - as it should be - an order of magnitude better. Hope the wait for the 335i goes by quickly!

[quadzilla]

Great review.   Also enjoy your BMW when it comes.

[Julie]

Hannibal, I missed this earlier. I enjoyed reading your take.

I feel the same way. I love, love my GTI. But step out of a 335i M-Sport set up like yours, and you realize it doesn't have the same handling or feel... When I first starting driving my Mk6 after stepping out of the M3 and even the miata, I thought "Yeah, this is a "sporty car", not a focused sports car that can double as a daily." Of course, you pay either a monetary or practicality price for more focused cars.

And you drive it for a couple of weeks and you think, "Geezus, this is a fantastic "do it all" car for $35K!" Personally, I can't think of one I'd prefer more in that price range.

Thanks for your review.

[Hannibalsmith]

Hannibal, I missed this earlier. I enjoyed reading your take.

I feel the same way. I love, love my GTI. But step out of a 335i M-Sport set up like yours, and you realize it doesn't have the same handling or feel... When I first starting driving my Mk6 after stepping out of the M3 and even the miata, I thought "Yeah, this is a "sporty car", not a focused sports car that can double as a daily." Of course, you pay either a monetary or practicality price for more focused cars.

And you drive it for a couple of weeks and you think, "Geezus, this is a fantastic "do it all" car for $35K!" Personally, I can't think of one I'd prefer more in that price range.

Thanks for your review.

Thanks. The GTI is a great car. However, looking at the car spectrum, with a Toyota Camry on one end and a Porsche Cayman on the other, the GTI extends more from the Toyota in terms of sportiness (hot hatch fwd). In contrast the 335 msport is much closer to the Cayman on that spectrum.

I guess a GTI + Cayman would be a great combo. Actually a GTI + M3 would be a nice combo too