Topic: Test Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI

[Autos_Editor]

A sweet all-around ride that canmove your family and your soul - at the same time.
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[JohnnyMac]

Am I going crazy or did Tom try hard to make the GTI sound like a POS.  It appears that Tom owned a GTI in the past and the experience was not something he wants to relive.  I haven't read an article this hell bent on making a car sound bad in my life.  This is very different from every one of the GTI reviews I have read (which would be many as it's a popular topic).  I laugh that he thinks the interior is middle pack and then lists the Focus ST, Subaru WRX, and Honda Civic Si.  Which of those has a better interior Tom?  You're expectations for this GTI must have been crazy and have never driven the others listed as competitors.

In the end he had to admitt that it's a very good car and something that he found fun.  Just think that maybe Tom be left out of judging cars he's had a bad experience in the past with.

[Jaeger]

Surprised to hear of the middling interior quality.  And the useless middle rear seating position - which would be a deal-breaker for me.

[SKYMTL]

I gained a huge amount of respect for Autos.ca after reading this article.  After test driving the GTI, I didn't find a single review that fit my experience.  Every one sounded like it was written by a slobbering GTI fanboy or to simply appease the legions of very vocal folks who think the GTI is the best thing ever created by man.  My experience was very positive but there were some qualities about the car I found lacking, particularly when it came to interior finishing and VW's dreaded brake pedal feedback. 

This review however takes a critical approach (as all reviews SHOULD) but still highlights the GTI's massive strengths within its category.  Bravo Autos.ca! 

[redman]

" I found the power band highly addictive and I frequently found myself needing another hit."....Well put, I'd be in big trouble with my insurance company if I owned something really fun (i.e.911).
The more HP it would have the bigger my predicament.

As far as the interiors. I recall when VW lead the pack in quality interiors winning most of Ward's Auto interior designs. I also recall seeing the decline of their interiors in subsequent vehicles there after. It's frustrating to see a company gain accolades in a field, only to have a few bean counters throw it all away. If VW wants to maintain it's premium pricing in non-luxury brand vehicles it should justify that with good engineering and good materials in and out.

The first car I ever owned was a 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V BBS rims and Recaro seats. At the time little matched it. Even posted better times than the non turbo 944 0-60.

http://germancarsforsaleblog.com/1987-volkswagen-scirocco-16v-2/

Cheers to Giorgetto Giugiaro for his original 1974 design, which was way ahead of it's time.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgetto_Giugiaro#Automobiles
 http://www.italdesign.it/en/
 http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/1008_giorgetto_giugiaro_history/
...but then I digress.

Thanks for the insightful and straightforward writeup.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Am I going crazy or did Tom try hard to make the GTI sound like a POS.  It appears that Tom owned a GTI in the past and the experience was not something he wants to relive.  I haven't read an article this hell bent on making a car sound bad in my life.  This is very different from every one of the GTI reviews I have read (which would be many as it's a popular topic).  I laugh that he thinks the interior is middle pack and then lists the Focus ST, Subaru WRX, and Honda Civic Si.  Which of those has a better interior Tom?  You're expectations for this GTI must have been crazy and have never driven the others listed as competitors.

In the end he had to admitt that it's a very good car and something that he found fun.  Just think that maybe Tom be left out of judging cars he's had a bad experience in the past with.

I don't know it was quite as bad as you make it sound.  He mentioned all the great parts of the car:  comfy front seats, versatile cargo area, tractable manual transmission, linear powerband and addictive power, and stellar front-drive handling.

He justifiably called out the parts he thought were compromises, such as hard plastics, the uncomfortable middle seat, questionable ride and road noise, and extra poundage.

I certainly didn't get the impression that he was trying to knock on the GTI, he was just calling it as he saw it, and recognized that the GTI isn't perfect (nor is any other vehicle) and that there are compromises to be had when buying a hot hatch.  He was merely making those of us who are interested in buying one aware of those compromises.  Up to you to decide whether you could live with those compromises in order to access the rest of this great car.

What's more, the Focus ST, Civic SI and WRX ARE indeed competitors.  I know I would cross shop them.  They're hot versions of the compacts they're based on, same as the GTI, and they all fall in and around the same price (the Civic and Focus are a little cheaper).  I'm not sure if you've tried the Civic or the Focus, but both of those have pretty nice interiors!  And the WRX is a hoot to drive (more so than the GTI).

[tortoise]

He justifiably called out the parts he thought were compromises, such as ... extra poundage.

I'm not sure that's fair.  The GTI is 200 lbs lighter than the Focus St and the WRX. 

Granted  it's a little less than 200lbs heavier than the Civic, but it has a lot more power.

[JohnnyMac]

Am I going crazy or did Tom try hard to make the GTI sound like a POS.  It appears that Tom owned a GTI in the past and the experience was not something he wants to relive.  I haven't read an article this hell bent on making a car sound bad in my life.  This is very different from every one of the GTI reviews I have read (which would be many as it's a popular topic).  I laugh that he thinks the interior is middle pack and then lists the Focus ST, Subaru WRX, and Honda Civic Si.  Which of those has a better interior Tom?  You're expectations for this GTI must have been crazy and have never driven the others listed as competitors.

In the end he had to admitt that it's a very good car and something that he found fun.  Just think that maybe Tom be left out of judging cars he's had a bad experience in the past with.

I don't know it was quite as bad as you make it sound.  He mentioned all the great parts of the car:  comfy front seats, versatile cargo area, tractable manual transmission, linear powerband and addictive power, and stellar front-drive handling.

He justifiably called out the parts he thought were compromises, such as hard plastics, the uncomfortable middle seat, questionable ride and road noise, and extra poundage.

I certainly didn't get the impression that he was trying to knock on the GTI, he was just calling it as he saw it, and recognized that the GTI isn't perfect (nor is any other vehicle) and that there are compromises to be had when buying a hot hatch.  He was merely making those of us who are interested in buying one aware of those compromises.  Up to you to decide whether you could live with those compromises in order to access the rest of this great car.

What's more, the Focus ST, Civic SI and WRX ARE indeed competitors.  I know I would cross shop them.  They're hot versions of the compacts they're based on, same as the GTI, and they all fall in and around the same price (the Civic and Focus are a little cheaper).  I'm not sure if you've tried the Civic or the Focus, but both of those have pretty nice interiors!  And the WRX is a hoot to drive (more so than the GTI).

I found he tried to find a negative thing about every aspect of the vehicle, and highlight it, while at the same time downgrading the positives.  I wasn't saying that the Civic SI, Focus ST, or WRX were wrong for him to quote as competitors.  What I was trying to point out is that most people with eyes and hands can see and feel that the VW interior is at the top of the list and not mid pack.  I respect a writer who isn't afraid to criticize something they encountered when test driving a car but my impression was that he was seeking out places where he could be critical.  If he drove said competitors he would know the interior is better than how he made it sound, the road noise is better than he would have you believe, and the back seat space is as good if not better than competitors.  But that's not what he did, instead I am led to believe that he's comparing this to something much more expensive (BMW, Audi, Merc, etc), in which case he's looking at the vehicle in the wrong way.

[Jaeger]

Seemed like a fair and balanced review to me.  No hating, no fanboy gushing, positives and negatives pointed out.  This is the kind of review I want to read.

[EV-Light]

As expected, the heated plaid fabric seats are firm, beautifully supportive and comfortable. The smallish 5.8-inch touchscreen (surrounded by hard buttons for the main functions) controls media, phone and navigation

I am wondering if he has ever used Subaru's infotainment system 

WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) was very high when it came to the car’s practicality and interior. She felt the engine was too loud and she wished for a more gentle ride.

[whaddaiknow]

I found he tried to find a negative thing about every aspect of the vehicle, and highlight it, while at the same time downgrading the positives.  I wasn't saying that the Civic SI, Focus ST, or WRX were wrong for him to quote as competitors.  What I was trying to point out is that most people with eyes and hands can see and feel that the VW interior is at the top of the list and not mid pack.  I respect a writer who isn't afraid to criticize something they encountered when test driving a car but my impression was that he was seeking out places where he could be critical.  If he drove said competitors he would know the interior is better than how he made it sound, the road noise is better than he would have you believe, and the back seat space is as good if not better than competitors.  But that's not what he did, instead I am led to believe that he's comparing this to something much more expensive (BMW, Audi, Merc, etc), in which case he's looking at the vehicle in the wrong way.

I too found the review rather critical of the new GTI. If anything, the GTI is the hot hatch wearing a tie rather than a T-shirt compared to the competition. I found the interior quite premium when I checked it out, the start button location didn't annoy me (unlike the author). Therefore, I was quite surprised the noise in the GTI, no less, was singled out. I thought a hot hatch, by definition, is supposed to make "noise".
And every review I've read so far mentions the DSG is quicker than the manual.

I would totally buy into the criticism if it was compared to Audi's A6

[Sir Osis of Liver]

When I looked at the previous GTI with SearHardBurger back to back with the Focus ST, both of us preferred the Focus, but there wasn't much in it. It depended more of whether a person liked the styling of one more than the other. Performance wise, the ST had a more urgent top end, handling seemed to be about a wash. The ST seats fit me perfectly, but SHB found them confining.

When I looked at the Golf a few weeks ago, I went back and forth between my XV's and the Golf's interior, and really I couldn't point to anything in the Golf that stood out as being better than in the XV. It was nice, and I came away from the Golf with a very positive opinion and I may end up getting one, but it was hardly the discount Audi that some people seem to think it is.

[EV-Light]

When I looked at the previous GTI with SearHardBurger back to back with the Focus ST, both of us preferred the Focus, but there wasn't much in it. It depended more of whether a person liked the styling of one more than the other. Performance wise, the ST had a more urgent top end, handling seemed to be about a wash. The ST seats fit me perfectly, but SHB found them confining.

When I looked at the Golf a few weeks ago, I went back and forth between my XV's and the Golf's interior, and really I couldn't point to anything in the Golf that stood out as being better than in the XV. It was nice, and I came away from the Golf with a very positive opinion and I may end up getting one, but it was hardly the discount Audi that some people seem to think it is.

what???

[Sir Osis of Liver]

LOL. Differences in the quality of the photographs and post processing aside, the only big difference is the application of piano black, which is apparently classy in German cars, but hopelessly tacky in American or Asian brands.

I was also looking at the base Golf, not a near $40k GTI.

[HeliDriver]

Yeah, seemed like a fair and well balanced review to me, too.

I sat in a new GTI for the first time yesterday and am surprised to say that I was a little bit disappointed. The whole shape and layout of the dash is fantastic, and an improvement over the last car, but it's really a shame they went crazy with the shiny black plastic. It's everywhere, it's too flashy, and yes, it's maybe even a little bit tacky. 

[JohnnyMac]

LOL. Differences in the quality of the photographs and post processing aside, the only big difference is the application of piano black, which is apparently classy in German cars, but hopelessly tacky in American or Asian brands.

I was also looking at the base Golf, not a near $40k GTI.

Plus that picture of the VW I believe is actually the Golf R (blue needles) and the screen might be the larger euro version.  I'm not saying that the Subaru's interiors are bad or that the GTI is up to Audi standards, all I was trying to point out was compared to the competition it is at or near the top (this is obviously subjective as some people prefer a more busy interior as opposed to German's simplier classic designs).

[JohnnyMac]

Yeah, seemed like a fair and well balanced review to me, too.

I sat in a new GTI for the first time yesterday and am surprised to say that I was a little bit disappointed. The whole shape and layout of the dash is fantastic, and an improvement over the last car, but it's really a shame they went crazy with the shiny black plastic. It's everywhere, it's too flashy, and yes, it's maybe even a little bit tacky. 

I prefer the shiny black plastic over the simulated woods out there or the fake brushed metals.

[Oldsguy]

The review did seem to have a tone to it, whether negativity or lack of enthusiasm is hard to say. It was quite unlike the usual cheerleading that accompanies most reviews of newly introduced cars (except on this site for GM products of course). Reading some his past reviews he is generally pretty balanced and not the usual rah-rah type that is far too prevalent.

[HeliDriver]

Yeah, seemed like a fair and well balanced review to me, too.

I sat in a new GTI for the first time yesterday and am surprised to say that I was a little bit disappointed. The whole shape and layout of the dash is fantastic, and an improvement over the last car, but it's really a shame they went crazy with the shiny black plastic. It's everywhere, it's too flashy, and yes, it's maybe even a little bit tacky. 

I prefer the shiny black plastic over the simulated woods out there or the face brushed metals.

Yeah, plastic wood is bad. But I like face brushed metal if it's real (same for wood).

I even like the piano black trim in my 2010 GTI. But the thing is, on the old car VW just used a few pieces as accent trim here and there, they didn't surround the whole instrument cluster and center stack with it.

[Oldsguy]

Yeah, plastic wood is bad. But I like face brushed metal if it's real (same for wood).

I even like the piano black trim in my 2010 GTI. But the thing is, on the old car VW just used a few pieces as accent trim here and there, they didn't surround the whole instrument cluster and center stack with it.

Piano black - when it is just shiny black plastic instead of real lacquered wood - just screams cheap to me. It is a trend I hope gets discouraged quickly.