Back from Road Tests, my opinions

Just got back after test driving a GTI PKG1 Manual and DSG. Steering really did lack feel compared to WRX/CivicSi (friend cars I am comparing against). It was a wet day and I had a hard time getting a feel for the car. Brakes were much softer and reacted to quickly to little movements from what I'm used to. Throttle was the same as brakes, a little too twitchy, like a TL. Didn't like the pedal layout as well, the spacing between the brakes and gas was nice, but the breaks were too close and the gas was to far away, I like them at the same distance. I had to push my feet pretty far forward for the gas while I had to bend my knees to use the breaks, weird. 5'6", maybe it's a factor.

Ride quality was a good compromise between sporty/comfy for me, I like it much more then the WRX/Si. Not used to FWD yet, so I can't say much about handling because of the lack of experience, but it sure felt different even to the Si. Blind spot visibility was pretty bad, but hopefully they'll have side mirrors that can help with that like the A3.

The interior fit and finish was much nicer then the WRX/Si and felt more comforable for me as well. The cloth seats were comfortable for the 20 minute drives and the lumbar support was very nice. Road noise was comparable to both other cars, I was really hoping it was going to be a lot quieter being much heavier and all.

Overall it was nice, but I still can't decide which car to get. They all have their compromises. But the DSG is a definite keeper, I really like it because it would be perfect in my daily rush hour commutes. If only the GTI was available as an AWD for me to try, I'd get that over the WRX.

I still have till summer till I absolutely have to get a car, so till then I can go crazy trying to decide what to buy. The first new car purchase sure is hard, need something to last me until I can afford an M3 (10-20 years? )

- current car: 93 525 with 200k mi. starting to get lots of problems, but it did last me most of the way through college!

Do you get a lot of snow where you are in Oregon? If not, I wouldn't worry too much about AWD -- I rode with a friend once in his FWD Passat with bona fide snow tires in a heavy snowstorm, we were fine.

OTOH, if you want AWD for the performance factor, can't help you there...

Thanks for the honest review. Alot of the reveiws I read on the VW enthusiast sites are so blindly pro-VW/pro-Golf that its hard to sense what's accurate and whats not. Of course most of them are also coming from other VW cars so they're not exactly unbiased but you're coming from another brand altogether so that makes for a good comparison. I agree on the DSG its simply the best alternative to 6speed available especially for commutes with traffic! Did you check out the Fifth Gear video where they showed how smooth and quick the DSG shifted? Pretty damn cool!

Good luck on your decision and let us know which way u go.

Good writeup. Anyone else have reviews to share? I havent had a chance to test drive personally yet :frown:

Nice writeup. how does the car handle in the snow?? since it snows quite frequently here in Canada. we have a 06 WRX and i really like the driving power and handling on that thing ( but the interior is very poor imo, for how much she paid for it anyway), how does the GTI feel compare to the WRX in terms of power??

they dont have GTI here available for testdrive at another month

AJChenMPH said:

Do you get a lot of snow where you are in Oregon? If not, I wouldn't worry too much about AWD -- I rode with a friend once in his FWD Passat with bona fide snow tires in a heavy snowstorm, we were fine.

OTOH, if you want AWD for the performance factor, can't help you there...

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Im actually just replying because you are from OR :thumbsup:
im from LO- Tigard area.

I have the same feeling on the FWD because i have mostly driven Audi AWD as well as Subaru. It doesnt snow a whole lot in town but it rains ALL THE TIME.
the Mt. is only an 1 hr 1/2 away so the AWD is real nice to not need studs.

GTi Fanatic said:

Im actually just replying because you are from OR :thumbsup:

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Who, me? Or thp? :smile:

AJChenMPH said:

Who, me? Or thp? :smile:

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sry for the confusion THP is from OR (cool) and i was quoting you for the awd v. fwd.

Just tried some other cars.
S40.... that was a total bore, the ride was harsh and the engine just didn't feel right.
A3.... Not bad at all, I think of it as a plush GTI, a little better for everyday driving to and from work, yet still fun.
IS250... Much more fun then I though it would be. Took the AWD version for a spin on twisties for a good 30 minutes and it was a great ride. Had to rev it up a little more then I would have liked, the powerband just isn't as nice as the GTI.
93.... Much to my suprise the Saab was also a great blast to drive. The exterior and interior may be 10 years old in design but the overall drive was very nice. Good response in cornering and the turbo has a good push.

So now I'm stuck with a huge problem. Do I want a sporty/luxury car like the GTI. Or do I want something more luxury/sporty like the A3/IS250. I've totally dropped the WRX and CivicSI off the list. But the IS250 is starting to rub off on me much more then I thought. Now you all may go total price difference, but not by too much.

A 4 dr. Pkg 2 GTI with DSG is going to be coming in at about 28k MSRP.
A comparible IS250 will be 32K with RWD and basic premium pkg.

I'm going to have to drive the GTI a few more times to see how easy it is to live with on bumpy roads and everyday driving... or if I've become to old and need something a little more plush like the IS250.
:iono:

If you're willing to break your checking account with a Saab or Lexus, get one then. I wouldn't really classify the GTI as a Sport Luxury, just a Sport High-End.