stilover

Thinking of changing my everyday car to either the new GTI or GTD.

Anyone own one of these? And if so, did you pick the Adaptive Chassis control? Personally I'd like to not buy this, but can't find a demo without it on. I prefer a Sporty'ish car to be sporty from the off, not selecting buttons.

Anyone chosen, or driven a passive dampered GTI or GTD? What are your thoughts?

I considered a new A3 2.0TDI 184ps Quattro (I prefer all wheel drive), but this is only available with a Grandad Gearbox, so that is ruled out.

I also considered an Audi S3, but feel it's performance is too close to the R8, so would blunt the weekend specialness of the R8.

Not keep on BMW's, and hate the look of the 1 Series, so please don't suggest this car.

thenewgalaxy

Any Golf is a good choice in my view.

The GTD with a DSG box is an awesome everyday car. Good overtaking ability and amazing fuel economy.

The GTi best with a manual for me, loves being driven hard. Probably my choice out of the two, I personally find it difficult to drive something slow I have to have a certain level of performance to feel satisfied.

Got an R32 as a daily driver at present. Think the replacement will be a Golf R in a couple of years or so.

The S3 is a nice car but I think they are that bit too expensive for what they are. And as you say, as quick as a supercar unless you flex it.

max cook

another + for the R32, one of the best sounding cars i have ever driven!
Great with the AWD and dsg box

Matteeboy

New GTi is a very good car and looks great IMO.

And the silly bit I like about them - wheels that are REALLY easy to clean!

Kedlestone

iTrader: (9)

Drove a GTD for a week and must say I loved it. Full of torque and amazing fuel economy, would have one myself as a daily drive if they didn't hold there prices so well!

thenewgalaxy

Totally, here's mine. Not necessarily a sensible car in isolation but probably the most sensible car I've owned since I was a student and certainly more sensible than the Cosworth.



Yeah as I was saying on another thread a couple of days ago an R32 DSG 5dr with the leather interior and sat nav is a very nice place to be especially on a morning commute. Puts a grin on my face as it blips the throttle on down changes and I often get to rinse people in average cars on the short stretch of dual carriageway from the lights as it goes down to one lane

I went for it as I was able to get one at a good price and wanted something characterful, sporty and capable of carrying passengers in comfort.

But if I was less concerned about a bit of poke and the four-wheel drive, awesome noise these things make and wanted something more sensible (e.g. decent fuel economy) my money would go on a GTD with DSG.

Littleted

ive had this dillemma, everything points to the GTD but you know in the back of your mind it should be a proper golf and the GTi with perf pack

Company car wise bend over for the GTI, the GTD isnt that bad. That being said its only 45 quid cheaper than a 520D

What would you have

problem i have with a golf is 3 kids it doesn't work for me, apple banana in the boot and its full. Lovely cars though, needs the 19inchers though

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

S3 is awesome, the gbox in it is sublime.

tony de wonderful

I loved my old R32. I was close to buying a late one over the summer but put the money into my pension and bought an old Clio RS instead lol.

I'm a bit meh about Golfs in general though. New GTI/GTD are expensive and more than a tad boring.

thenewgalaxy

Wow some more R32 love, seem to be a bit of a marmite car. Having previously owned a 911 and only really missing the noise it made I am more than happy with the far more practical and just-as-quick-in-the-real-world performance R32. It won't do a standing quarter in 12 seconds and is a little heavy on fuel but what a nice place to be

I had an RS200 Clio as my daily before I sold it and eventually moved onto an R32. Performance-wise they're a world apart but that gap is closed down very heavily on a twisty road or a track heavy on bends.

How are you finding your Clio Tony? I have to say I was disappointed with the performance I used to get murdered by diesel saloons all the time on A roads and motorways and the bloody thing rattled like a skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin!

Agree with what you say about the GTD but it is a generally brilliant car in every other way. The new GTi has definitely got a very grown up feel but if I'd get an "R" if I wanted one of the newer model Golfs.

tony de wonderful

I'm enjoying the phase 1. It's good cheap fun and I like the way you can chuck it about a bit, the rawness, etc., yes it isn't that fast but it feels much faster than a bigger car with the same performance. I can't justify spending thousands on a 'nice' car because I need to buy a house.

stilover

Well, had a test drive of a Passive Dampered GTI with Performance pack yesterday.

Must say, I was veru impressed with it's performance. Can see where EVO Magazine were coming from saying it perform's far better than it's 230bhp would suggest.

Was raining on the test drive, and although traction in 1st & 2nd were a bit of an issue at full bore acceleration, overall grip levels were very impressive. No Torque steer was felt, and accelerating off round-abouts, you could feel the front diff working. As the test car had the performance pack, it comes with upgraded brakes. Was impressed with both feel and retardation. Strong enough brakes for most situations. had planty of bite when approching corners or round-abouts, with enough is reserve when needing to push down that little further.

Build quality was as you'd expect. Test car had full leather (wich I was going to avoid) but it looked soo nice, I might have to think again on that. Though it is ver costly.

mpg wise? well, on the test I got about 22mpg. Obviously that was a very spirited drive. Didn't get chance to do a decent motorway run at 80mph to see what I would be getting on a normal long drive. Though I can't imagine you'd see anything over 30mpg.

Can only imaging how brutal and sports car humbling performance the new `R` version will be, especially with AWD to give traction. As a one car only, I think it would be one of the best cars around.

Getting a test drive of the GTD in a couple weeks, so I'll see how it compares. mpg wise, I'll assume 27mopg average on the GTI, and 40-45mpg on the GTD.

tony de wonderful

If only the VR6 was still available I might have looked at a used one in a couple of years. I4 turbos don't excite me too much. I test drove a 2011 Scirocco TSI 2.0 recently, it had leather seats; a really nice car and was tempted, but sounded rubbish, and a bit boring to be honest, plus the VW salesman was a persistant PITA so ****ed him off lol.

tony de wonderful

The R32 isn't that fast but does have a very fat torque curve with that staggered 6.

R200 is 0-60 in 6.7 secs on paper I think, and the R32? low 6's? I'm not sure actually, but does have more traction in the wet I suppose and that torque curve means the power is more accesible.

Straight line speed was what underwhelmed me a little with the R32, it's a heavy car too, but having said that I do wish I hadn't sold it.

hodgy0_2

Really, I am not sure i would buy a car without full leather, (novelty cars like, classic fords/minis, lotus Elise's etc excepted)

thenewgalaxy

Yeah they're lovely cars, they are not mentally quick but they are significantly faster than the average car and overtaking is easy.

One of these will be my next daily driver I think, if it is not the outgoing "R". Bought a lot of cars recently so will stick with my R32 for the next 18-24 months. If I become sensible then I guess I'll go for the A3 Quattro with the biggest diesel going.

You'll drive one and probably end up getting one. Awesome with DSG.

It's a great demonstration of how real world performance doesn't always match up with paper figures.

My Clio Cup used to be eaten alive by tossers in Mondeo Diesels and things like VXRs, STs etc.

The figures I got off some German magazine for the R32 suggest 0-62mph in 5.9s against the Evo time in the 200 Cup of 6.6s.

However 30-70 times are similarly different, the R32 being 5.6s and the Clio is 6.3 seconds.

But the Clio lacks torque, you have to be right on it to get any performance whereas the R32 has as you suggest a much more favourable band. If the R32 was 100Kg lighter it would be quite a rapid car but it is too heavy. I hated overtaking in the Clio as it seemed to lack the punch needed.

The latest GTi or the outgoing "R" are quicker and definitely sharper cars than an R32 but they lack the awesome soundtrack. Sometimes having a car is not about being on it all the time and clipping apexes, it's often about being somewhere "nice".