So I went to the VW dealer this past sunday and I did it....first impresions:
1. The car is huge compared to the Mini
2. beautiful front but the back looks like a Scion
3. Very confortable, nice seats and plenty of space for the rear passangers

Now the test drive:.....What a drag that car is, very mushi and loose suspention, doesn't have the agility of the Mini, and changing lanes very quickly was a challenge and every time a did it the body will roll.
Take off speed was there during launching but there was a small turbo lag which it was quickly overcome, the shifting was very smooth compared to the JCW Mini S which is what I own, there was no turbo sound it was almost like the engine was not on, I guess I'm used to my JCW s.c screaming all the time on any gear.
Overall the Mini takes the cake all the time,mine, somehow seems faster and agile than the GTI plus the sound of the s.c whine must appreciated.
It was tough to do an WOT run because of traffic here in Miami. Trust me you're not missing anything....just my .02 cents

 

My dad, and others I know that auto-x VW's complain about this constantly...I guess it's even hard to fix with an aftermarket suspension setup.

 

The cornering capabilities at high speeds are terrible maybe with a supention upgrade?...anyway it was not the same like the Mini.

 

Where did you test drive it? South Motors VW or Deel VW?

I think the new Mark V GTI/Golf is a welcome improvement over the outgoing model but I am not a big fan of the "Corolla" looks and the disgusting attitude of VW service departments, specially in the Miami area.

 

This thread belongs in Off-Topic: Autos. :impatient

Just my $0.02.

 

x2

And FYI check out this thread:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2532909

The other side of the coin.

 

^^^ agreed, funny enough, the GTI is almost 500 ibs heavier but on the track only 0.6 sec slower than the JCW, ties up on 0-60 and beats JCW on 0-120. Comparing the JCW to GTI is a little unfair, b/c the real competitor should be the R32, which will own the JCW all over the board. My first impression was the same when i bought my GTI, a little top heavy, and changing lanes on the highway is not as fun as the Mini, because my Mini was so low, had a stiffer suspension set up (Koni Coilovers and H&R rear sway bar). That does not mean that the MCS has much better handling, trust me GTI is fine. But what i get when i am over 100mph+ (of course on the track right behind my house ), GTI shows how well balanced it is, smooth as silk, very comfortable, and very responsive. The GTI will never be an autoX car, was not intended to be that way, it is more refined, and the DSG, is priceless to have. The best thing is for $500.00 you get 50hp and 60ibs torque

My coilovers and sway bars are on the way so i will let y'all know how it will change the handling characteristics, hopefully next week.

I loved my MCS, and missing it sometimes, but FAST is better... [SIZE=4]

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ESSERMAN VW on bird Rd. 57 ave.

 

one thing i don't get is why they are saying that the mini is unreliable. isn't VW (VW Passat in particular) rated the most unreliable in the U.S.????

 

I can't stand that forum, they're all a bunch of hot heads when it comes to talking about cars and comparing...VW this VW that...unreliable my a$$...i've had 3 VW in my family and all had problems...my father drove around with a 2002 Passat and after 3 months of driving it, was already classified as a lemon. In 2000 my brother got the Golf and spent more time dealing with minor annoyances at the shop than driving it (honestly). Finally, the last one was my brothers second VW (don't ask why), a 2004.5 Jetta GLI 1.8T, after a year he started having problems with the turbo and its lags (lol)...besides that it was a hot ticket item for boosters (ppl who steal cars...love that term), your spending $34 000+ (cdn) for a car made in mexico...and in the end it gets stolen...caught everything on video and believe me it took no time to jack the car without any hesitation, it's one of the easiest to jack, according to sources at a VW dealer (lol).

Here's another thing, people should notice that they're comparing a new generation car (GTI) with an older generation car (Cooper S), how about if everyone waits until the new Cooper's come out (w/ turbo's) and we'll who the ****** is laughing, seriously. That also goes to those sh*theads at Road and Track (or whoever it was) for comparing 2 new Gen cars and a Cooper S JCW (1st Gen). Wait for the 2007, blow your minds! I'LL EAT YOU!...lol

That's right you shut your mouth young man....

 

I test drove the new GTI around my area in Montreal and it's fast! (lol...after all that i said b4...) BUT to me it's still a VW...it's still $32 000+ (cdn)...and i do expect to hear annoyances coming from the GTI within the next few months...MARK MY WORDS!.......mexico.......

 

BTW, the latest GTI is made in Germany.
Only Jetta are made in Mexico. and new Golf may be made in Brazil.

 

Very true and I thought exactly the same thing when I saw the article
New Gens vs. Old, Going-out Generation.. wow. great job..

 

Yea sorry i never meant to say that the Golf was made in Mexico...i was only saying it for the Jetta GLI...

 

so much language.... Slow down... I had an 05 MCS with all kinds of mods, and had to be in service every month for bunch of reasons. The new generation GTI is far superior than the old one. Just accept the fact that GTI is a nice vehicle, completely different than the MCS, and btw, your motor is made by Chrysler which makes Neons, and all other crap.... Have a little tolarence, and 07 will not eat nothing, unless they put a bigger motor than 1.6, which won't even happen in your dreams. Enough boy talk, both cars are wonderful, both have different personalities, and finally you are not acting different than those hard headed guys on VW forums, making a fool out of yourself.

 

I trust BMW's engineering.. (wtf eh? )

 

berky- im kinda in the same ball park as you. just sitback, relax, and
enjoy, kinda car...in my case, it is the G35C... fat, but quick and fun
to drive without breaking a sweat. it's nice to have such car to do
touring around town.

but the MCS is a car guy's "DRIVING" car. i don't care how slow it is,
it is still much more fun to drive.

 

I like the looks of the new GTI, front and rear, and I'm sure that I would love the power and ride. The problem is, most of the time you're looking at the interior, not the exterior. Compared with the MINI, the GTI's interior is seriously lacking in pizzaz. Even with the plaid. I know the Germans tend towards austere interiors -- I've had several VW's and a couple of Mercedes -- but it looks like they started with a blank slate, tabled the brainstorming session and never quite got back to it. Could they have at least painted that metal strip body color?

Judging by the second picture, that 2in panel out there at the bottom of the windshield looks like it would be pretty unnerving for a moderate to short driver, too.

 

dude, where is The Redneck Riviera? There must be a lot of Ergonomics Engineers there J/K

 

My Fast told me I like the interior of the MkV GTI much more.


did I say my fast?!

 

BTW, the lastest GTI ad are pretty cool, not only those on TV. They have a GTI DVD brochure that has a bunch of funny short movie in it.

 

But Fasts are uni-color and plastic, so of course they'll tell you to prefer the GTI interior.

 

It looks like a normal interior? I don't see how the interiors in our cars are any better. There's a crapload of shiny plastic.

That steering wheel on the GTi is cool, but it should be smaller with a flatter bottom. And why does it not have climate control? From the pictures it looks like it has a normal air conditioning system...

And another thing, why is it that if I want leather, I have to pay $3k+ for a package on the GTi... otherwise you have to keep the cloth and I don't know where I stand with the cloth yet...

 

Sounds like you drove a golf than a GTI.

 

My Fast said Golf isn't released yet.. I really like the Golf since they don't have either chorme or glossy black grille.