Hey guys,

Well I'm facing some tough decisions on making a call between the 2 cars... they're both so different but yet I admire each in their own way... you guys are still waiting for the Golf 6 so maybe your opinions are based around the Golf 5. As an ex owner I can tell you off the bat that there's a remarkable improvement in terms of interior quality, driving dynamics and engine sound.... much more entertaining than the 5... Things I like about the golf is the dsg, the interior and audio system plus all the comfort features with added practicality. Not as entertaining to drive as a Mini but not far behind I'd say...Things I dislike they're not as exclusive and do become a little everyday after some time...

On the JCW I like the individuality, the looks and just about everything else. Not the most practical car but I sort of feel that it will retain it's exclusivity over time and one can hold on to it for years as still feel passionate about the drive....

It's really a tough choice to make as my heart is with the JCW and my head's telling me GTI... damn why couldn't I just have enough money to buy both!

 

I think the practicality of the JCW is very understated. As long as you don't regularly carry more than two passengers, you have ample cargo room and the gas mileage is amazing for a car of its performance.

I have not driven the VI yet but was extremely underwhelmed with the V. Personally, the only way I would even consider the VW is if I had a family or I didn't want to work a clutch pedal.

 

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the GTI. I really thought of buying one myself before we bought the Clubbie.
That said, I think the DSG is a little overhyped. It is great to drive and I'm sure it is remarkable from a technology perspective but, in actual normal (even spirited) driving is it a great leap above the Mini auto is shift mode... I'm not so sure. Upshifts are, without a doubt, faster on the DSG. There is no thinking involved in planning for an upshift because it happens NOW and there is no leaving the power band (of course much of this comes from the crazy flat torque curve on the VW as opposed to the trans.) Downshifts, on the other hand, are ridiculously slow however (even more than on the Mini auto.) To the point of being real annoying.
I think it is very possible to adjust to the drive charactoristics of both cars without giving up much. If you are concerned about "practicality," have a look at the JCW Clubman. Many people have chimed in that it does not make that much difference from a practical standpoint but through owning one, I think it makes a world of difference.
Good luck on the choice... you realy can't go wrong either way (although the Mini is cooler of course )

 

I have owned a MKV GTI, a MKV R32 DSG, and now a JCW r56 and in my opinion the JCW is the best car i have ever owned (i also have an new M3) and look forward to FINALLY being happy with a car after one year of ownership. I have never liked a car longer then 6 months.

I am a manual fan, but if you like an auto then the DSG is hard to beat.

How hard do you drive your car? How much rear passenger room do you need? Do you want an auto gearbox?

The brakes on the JCW are worlds better then on the GTI/R32 when really working them. I had my R32 brakes catch fire the first time i pushed them at the tail of the dragon!

Goodluck!

 

The DSG is great, but I feel awfully disconnected driving it. I always find myself in the wrong gear when in manual mode.

The GTI has great potential and is excellent value even in stock form. If you're gonna mod your car a lot, I'd get the GTI. It'll be easier and cheaper to mod. Not to mention, much more potential than a JCW. If you're going to leave it stock, get the JCW.

I think you should just get both though, it seems like you only keep your cars for a year at most!

The stock R32 brake pads are kinda sucky (unless you like brake dust which puts MINI's stock pads to shame), better pads would make a world of difference!

 

Appreciate the feedback guys...

I'm a manual fan but since testing the dsg I feel it's a great option for city driving... maybe not the best for track days and hard driving but I'm not doing that so much anyways...

Only me and the missus so we don't really need the space but yes the practicality will become an issue maybe 3 years down the line.

thevelourfog yes mate I haven't kept my cars for that long recently but intend keeping my next purchase for a while as I don't want to loose too much $$$

The JCW' is top notch in terms of appeal and what attracts me to it most. The Gti is just a great all round package but nothing really stands out. I've not driven the Works yet and intend on doing so to make a fair comparison but obviously have compared my MCS to the 6. How much of a difference do you guys find between the MCS and JCW? Believe that a few things differ in terms of engine, gearbox, clutch, brakes etc but from behind the wheel what feels the most different?

 

If you dont buy a Jcw get a megane r 226 or a clio cup

 

If i were you, I'd forget about the GTI and JCW and get a Megane 250!

The JCW is fantastic, but worth the extra cash? I guess it is if you want a nice all around package and you'd spend money upgrading the motor or brakes. I would have bought one if it was out when i got my car. The JCW feels much smoother, revs faster, sounds amazing and maybe it was just the beater tester I was driving, but the clutch also felt a bit heavier, which I like. I actually prefer the normal S brake feel over the JCW, but the JCW's brakes are pretty powerful.

 

I have both an MKV GLI with a DSG and a JCW. The cars are so distinctly different when driving them, worlds apart. My ex-hubby has a MKV GTI with a 6sp and I've driven it a few times as well. He said if he had to choose after driving my JCW, he'd still rather have the GTI with the 6 sp as the VW is much more refined as far as the engine goes. I have to agree, the 2.0 FSI is much smoother than the JCW engine. The GTI also has more room inside, that goes for storage as well as passenger. The base price of the GTI is much cheaper. The stock GTI is faster too. So there are a lot of reasons to buy the GTI. BUT when it comes to the fun factor, the JCW beats it hands down. The JCW is more unique, I've been to several Vdub events and the GTI can be rather generic looking. At the mini events, it's mostly the same body style but every single car is different, can't get that at VW. The JCW leaves you feeling more connected with the car, I'm sure it's the size of the car, the sound of the grumbling exhaust note from the rear, and the engine noise (turbo whine is much louder on JCW than GTI, but not in a bad way). As for the DSG, it is the most intuitive auto I've ever driven. I'm not a fan of automatics, especially the MINI automatic. We have an 09 MCS auto, I hate that transmission, it's not smooth at all compared to the DSG. The GTI is the proclaimed hot hatch, but the JCW is the sexiest hatch. So some random thoughts on the two, GTI if you are looking for practicality and a bargain, but the JCW if you are looking for fun and the "I can't wait to drive that car again feeling!!"

 

I love Girls that drive a manual transmission car

 

The GLI is the only automatic I've ever owned! Bought it because the other half can't drive a stick and I don't always want to have to drive when we travel. Otherwise it would be a 6 speed also. I think it's a control issue, I want to control when my car shifts!! LOL

 

Maybe you need a new better half . I love a woman with enough confidence to take control.

 

Excellent replies already. I'll jump in too tho as I had the same question when I was buying. If you're looking for "handling and fuel efficiency" the Mini tips the scale. The GTI ended up being too heavy and not fuel efficient enough for me to choose it, as I already had three vehicles that ranged from 14.5 - 16.5mpg, and I didn't want a car that was only marginally better than that. And given how many sub-300 horse horse cars that are getting 0-60 times in well under 6 seconds now'days due to efficiency gains from advances in transmission technology, I didn't think it was fast enough relative to those.

The caveat with this too is I already had a C43 [that I put a E55 engine into and crazy near race suspension] and wasn't planning on selling that. The GTI in question is very close to what the C43 was in stock form. So it didn't make sense to me to go back to that as I'd updated that to a C55 and made it handle insanely well.

The guy that did the engine swap for me was trying to sell me on the GTI, as he was saying that its direct inject engine is insanely strong, and there's a company out of Canada that sells a dual turbo kit for it that will make that car scream. ...but I wasn't interested in mod'ing my next car the way I did the C43. If you are, that may be a good reason to gofor the GTI.

The Mini's on-road feel is very planted while still being a light car, great handling out of the box, and great on fuel. If those weren't important to me the GTI would have been a contender.

edit: as noted in a post below, I just realized I was discussing a R32 & its engine, which is not the engine used in the car being considered in the OP. Please Pardon.

 

My experienced fuel econ in the GLI on avg is 29 MPG for daily driving, and on HWY 33 MGP. My Thule bike rack drags it down about 3 MPG. So far with the JCW I'm avg 35 for daily but I only have 2200 miles on it so I'm expecting with breakin' for that to get better! My next better half is going to be my car, more reliable and they don't talk back or disagree with me!! LOL When I do replace the GLI I'm going to get a TDI Jetta Sport wagon...sweeet.

 

I can tune that Tdi to about 220-240 whp for you.did i mention i am mute ?

 

I'm going to make mental note of that!! I haven't chipped the GLI as it is still under warranty but I will soon.

 

I'm glad you posted this. It made me realize my error. I "saw" GTI but my mind was thinking it was the R32 & its engine that was being discussed here, but I see now that I was in error.

 

My R32 gets about 15 mpg city with A/C and mild driving... Should have gotten a normal GTI

 

My ex-hubby's GTI w/ 6sp gets about the same fuel econ as my GLI w/DSG, might be 1-2 mpg less at best. I think the Jetta has a slipperier shape so less drag therefore slightly better fuel econ.

 

Just saw this and wanted to say, that in my experience, a stock factory JCW is faster then a stock GTI and is more inline with a GTI with APR software or similar software. And when it comes to driving the twisties HARD, the JCW will pull away unless the GTI put some money into handling goodies.

I pretty much only drive with the VW/Audi crowd as that is where i got my start with spirited drives with the vwvortex group (mostly the mkiv r32 guys and gals) and there are plenty of MKV GTIs there.

But yes, the gti is far cheaper then a JCW and is very much larger on the inside, especially for storage. The JCW has WAAAAY more personality though. And the JCW brakes are to die for.

Both are good cars for the money. And if VW of America brings over that new R they just released the info on, then that would be a winner in my book. 270hp AWD with the turbo 2.0. Especially because now the Haldex system is smart and activates the AWD before you need it, instead of being reactionary like the older Haldex setups. I always disliked that about my MKV R32.

 

Hi guys quick update on my final decision and I ended up buying an Audi S3... 2 weeks ago. 2008 Ibis white with titanium coloured RS4 alloys, sunroof and the uber cool racing bucket seats... smart, sporty and classy.

Some feedback- Was keen to explore the JCW option BUT my dealer never came back to me to arrange for the "test" drive. I wanted to ensure that the differences between my S and Works were worth the extra $$$. So that basically cost MINI an opportunity to make a sale.

It then became a 2 horse race between the S3 and new Golf 6 GTI. I was lucky enough to drive both cars on the same day and it became clear to me that the Audi offered more than the Golf. I'm a big GTi fan as well but the Audi just felt better planted on road... quattro's great and feels very secure in contrast to the fwd Gti's scrambling for grip under pressure... Anyways I'm content with my choice and even though I miss my R56 I feel it was a good exchange. Happy Times!

 

Nice choice. Though I would have test drove the mini, just so there was no regrets later on.

Wow though 35k Euros? That is an expensive hatch. Still wish we got them here stateside. You plan on modding it?

 

Thanks bud, yes I'm hoping to get my name on a pre list special the REVO agents are running next week. Won't be doing any hardware (I think) as the car standard is pretty awesome but software is a MUST. REVO offers a "select plus" option allowing you to switch between maps if for instance you need to take your car in for a service... helps with avoiding any issues with dealerships vs software mods.

Not sure why the MINI guys never got back to me but Oh well it's water under the bridge now....

 

Hello,

I don't own either, but in recent issue of I think EVO or CAR (the british car magazines) I saw a comparison test GTI Mk VI vs. Scirocco 2.0TFSI. The conclusion was that though mechanics appear to be similar, the feel that you get from these two, especially when engaged in spirited driving is strikingly different.

Anyways, what does this have to do with your dilemma, you may ask? The two cars we driven and evaluated by the complete staff of the magazine and after the conclusions of the test, each one wrote a paragraph of how GTI Mk VI compares to their personal rides. These guys owned a variety of stuff from Focus RS to Evo IX to a guy who had a JCW factory car (hatchback). Needless to say, there wasn't a single person (if I remember correctly) who said anything bad about GTI, but there also wasn't a single person who said they would trade their ride for a GTI. The JCW owner was especially dismissive of such an option stating something along lines of how driving dynamics and fun aspect of the car character in JCW are untouchable in this price range.

Hope this helps.

 

My ex ride....
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my new wheels....

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