For the last few months I've been contemplating switching over to a 2013 GTI 4 door for more room and DSG transmission so wife can drive. Love the Mini, but it's not very practible at this time in my life.

I know the VW is bland in looks compared to the Mini, but with some nice wheels they look pretty cool. I'm interested in thought from those that have driven or owned a MK6 GTI. I am NOT interested at all in opinions on the Countryman, as I do not like that vehicle.

Thanks

 

I extensively test drove (Overnight, without the salesman.) a 2009 GTI and a 2011 GTI.

Fantastic car, great handling, nice interior. I thought the bolsters on the seats were narrow (and I'm not a big guy.) and the steering felt very light, which I didn't like. I also wasn't impressed with the base stereo. All pretty minor points.

The big dealbreaker for me was body roll during aggressive cornering. I did back to back drives down the same twisties in my car and the GTI. 90 Degree turn in my car at 60KM/h = smooth, no drama. The GTI = insane body roll and fishtailing. I'm sure with an equivalent aftermarket suspension, tires, and so on, it would have been just as good. I just didn't want another project!

Overall I was a fan. If I needed the space, I'd get one over another MINI.

 

I know it's not going to handle like a Mini. I figured the steering would be lazier and I know there will be a LOT more body roll than my Mini with Swift springs!

Keep in mind this will be a daily driver and won't see the track, though it would see some spirited runs in the Smoky Mountains. If I got one, I probably would leave the suspension stock for comfort, maybe add a rear anti-roll bar and get some good summer tires.

 

Recently a friend of mine was in the market for a Newer used car and I was assisting him with his purchase, at first he wanted a mini because I had one, but he regularly carries 3 adults or more, so I highly advised against it. His search was lost until I convinced him to get a used MK5 GTi.

I have a MKIV and it was a great car, and I helped him test drive some MK5's and they were just very solid, very well put together cars overall. There are some visual things that I don't like, for example, the plaid seats. I know its a VW thing, but if it were my car, autobahn package or I won't own it. The steering did feel a little light and it does roll quite a bit, but that can easily be solved.

I will also note, he wanted lower and asked for my opinion on suspension. I had him purchase a brand new set of ST Coilovers and they were easily found on the web for less then $750 SHIPPED! We have yet to install, but apparently they don't go slammed low, but ride amazing, so I'll report back on that.

In my opinion, I would personally buy a MK6 if I came to that point in my life where I needed more room from my car (since I have the mini and a MKII MR2 turbo). I've grown to like VW's and with just a few mods, the GTI's can be very fun and nimble cars to drive.

I see the mods you have in your sig and I can say, my buddy's car came with an intake, front mount and ARP reflash and it is pretty quick, I like the power delivery very much.

 

I have had two Mini Coopers and my son wanted a Mini Cooper but decided on a 2010 VW GTI because the GTI was much less expensive.

The MkVI GTI is great especially for a daily driver. It does not handle as well as my GP but it rides much smoother. However, the GTI does handle well just not as good as the GP. My wife likes riding in the GTI much better than the Mini.

For your purpose it sounds like the GTI would be a great choice.

 

I owned a 2008 (MKV) GTI and am very familiar with the golf platform. The 2013 model will suit you just fine.

From the factory, the GTI will not handle as well as a Mini, even my Countryman S with non-sport suspension. However, the aftermarket for those cars is very popular and you can get just about any suspension setup you want.

In my case, on my MKV (which is similar, if not exactly like the MKVI chassis besides looks), I had H&R SuperSport springs, Bilstein Sport shocks, and an H&R rear sway bar. It handled great for a non-coilover setup.

Don't get me started about the power. My MKV had around 270hp and 320tq with pretty much just software and an aftermarket downpipe (APR Stage 2 software)

On the new TSI motors, as in the MKVI, just software (APR) will yield around 250hp and 300tq. Pretty stout for a smaller car.

I had the DSG transmission on my GTI. I can say it makes the car MUCH faster than a traditional manual transmission. It's literally like playing a video game, the shifts are that quick. It has launch control from the factory which is fun every once and a while. The only downside, which they probably have corrected in recent revisions, is that it was a little buggy, and in "D" auto mode, it always shifts early, probably for fuel consumption savings. That said, I wouldn't buy a VW unless it had a DSG. I loved it.

I sold my GTI because it was a 2 door model. I have a 2 year old, and I now have another child due in December. Getting a very big-for-his-age 2 year old out of the back of a 2 door GTI was a comedic challenge, and I don't even want to think about doing an infant seat again. I thought about a 4 door GTI, but wanted something different. The mod bug had bitten me hard on the GTI and to be honest, the car was too fast and got me in trouble way too much.

 

Geez, this post/thread has got me regretting not pulling the trigger on that GTI I was test driving! Honestly I passed on it because excessive body roll (compared to my coilover equipped Cooper.) and the light steering... However, I was "stuck" with a Mercedes C250 for three weeks recently while my car was in the shop, and I got used to the light steering and comparative body roll.

Considering the huge aftermarket, GTI is sounding pretty tempting, again. I'd prefer AWD/RWD, and the Golf R is out of my reach, I think.

Why can't I have ALL the toys?

 

If I ever get into a situation where I need something more "practical," a 4 door GTI will probably be the direction I take.

The Golf R is really nice, and one of the guys I talked to loves his, but yea, it's pricey for what it is. And then they made the R32's with DSG... still don't get that one.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to schedule a test drive next week. Will post back thoughts afterwards...

 

Having owned GTIs for the past three cars and going from an 08 to the 2011 MCS and back to an 09 GTI after a year with the MINI, I still like the GTIs much better. The MINI did handle better but it rode like a buck board, terrible ride quality for something so expensive. Yes the GTI does rides better but doesn't handle as well, it was not built to compete with the MINI in its category. For a comfortable ride, great handling daily driver its hard to beat the GTI. There is no wonder why all the car mags are reviewing the GTI against the Focus ST and other hot hatches and still the GTI comes out on top. It may not be the fastest or the best handling but its the whole package that makes it the best hot hatch.

 

It's a great all-around car that really does not give up much to the the MCS. You end up with even more space than in the clubman and a still tidy package and similar pricing/options. It may not be as fun or quirky as the MINI, but its practical and still track worthy. I'm considering one as well. I'd like to look at the GLI as well, but the leatherette (don't know how VW makes it so plastic-like) is killing me and the revised EPA mileage has it down quite a bit to the lighter GTI. I'm sure the new GTI will only increase that gap until the GLI gets the new engine.

 

Get the GTI!! I regret selling my beloved MK6 GTI :(

One of my favorite cars ever. VW's are great, their reliability is leap years ahead of what it was 10 years ago. Way more practical. I had a MKV Rabbit too, and on the GTI decided to go with DSG caused I got tired of rowing gears in traffic with the rabbit. It has it qwerks and you definitely need to adjust and learn to drive it. Cant drive it like a stick or a auto, its gonna be driven with the understanding that its a DSG and what it's trying to do. Every 40k requires a DSG service which is pretty pricey. You're looking at $300-$500 service depending on the dealer if youre not DIY inclined.

Otherwise, fit and finish is leap years ahead of the Mini. Also what you get is unbelivable for the price and value compared to Mini. The best way to put it is, my 24k GTI felt like a 40k car and my 35k Mini feels like a 20k car. I own a JCW and am very dissapointed in its seats, ergonomics, steering wheel (had to immediately upgrade to the alcantara one) and it rattles more than the GTI did (which is known for its rattles too). I'm not even going to get into the potential issues my JCW is facing after reading all these timing chain issues, etc. Yes, the brakes and handling are superb, but thats about it lol.The MK6 came with the revised TSI engine which have been way more reliable and burn less oil than the old MKV which has FSI the engine. Also less carbon build up (still there, but not as bad).

If you can afford holding off another 12months the MK7 GTI should be here in Fall 2013 coming as a 2014 model and has been redesigned (google it)

Anyways here's my GTI (she'll be missed )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/absoluteczech/5851478760/http://www.flickr.com/photos/absoluteczech/5851478760/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/absoluteczech/, on Flickr

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Actually, according to this new C&D article, they've decided to introduce it as a 2015 model in mid to late 2014!

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

This is kinda what I had in mind:





Probably would start with those VMR 710 wheels, a H&R rear bar, Stage 1 tune and AWE cat back until the warranty runs out, then possibly K04....

 

MINI won in my case, partially because of the GTI's additional mass. Feels almost ponderous compared to the MINI. OTOH, there is the VW adult interior....

 

Took a 40 min test drive in a 2012 GTI DSG yesterday, on local roads, highway and even one of my favorite nearby twisties. Here are my thoughts:

The GTI is a very confident and sporty DD. It has a lot more room inside than the Mini, but you can really feel that additional mass in the turns. It does ride much better than the Mini, even on 18" wheels, very refined! Despite the roll and additional weight in turns, it still manages to corner quite well. I was impressed with it's ability to travel on the twisty road a very brisk rate.

As to the powertrain, it's very smooth and seems to have readily available power at nearly all rpms. Turbo lag is minimal, didn't even notice it most of the time. It certainly felt more powerful than it's 200hp rating!

As to the DSG, the shifts are incredibly fast. In D mode, the car upshifts far to quickly making the car feel sluggish. In M mode, using the paddle shifters on the straight sections and the shifter during turns, much better managed shifts points, but it feels almost like a video game. S mode was a bit too frantic. The most irritating thing for me, and just unacceptable, was the massive lag when moving from a stop. There is severe hesitation. Request more throttle to get the car moving and then you have too much, tires spinning and people gawking at you. Not sure why it does that, but I've never experienced that in a manual or automatic car; a little unnerving.

On the interior, you can't fault the design for the most part. It's much more ergonomic than the Mini. But it's also much more bland. In fact it's not interesting at all. Great fit and finish. Lots of room. Did not care for the fabric used on the cloth seats at all. It's not the plaid design that bothers me, it's the feel of the material. It's itchy to bare skin and feels a bit cheap. The problem is that to get the nice leather, you have to purchase the top of the line Autobahn edition. The cost difference would not allow mods for quite some time.

In summation, the biggest detractor for me was the DSG lag from a stop and the seat fabric. Also, the car simply was not as much fun to drive as the Mini. It lacked soul. It looks good, but not special. The Mini has become such a big part of my identity. I can't see the GTI doing the same. Again, I think overall, it's probably a better car (DSG notwithstanding), it just didn't do it for me enough to make me sell my car. Now, if something horrific were to happen to my car, I would probably seriously reconsider! But for now I think I'll just keep the Mini. It's paid off. I'll probably get the hood repainted and get some new wheels. Maybe even a big valve head.

 

You could always do the VAG conversion to your R53...