2023 VW GTI Autobahn Manual 6-Speed Review - Dead Man Walking 

"6ft 1 legs-and-torso proportionate" - Ryan's trademark line weirdly sounds like a dating profile detail for a particular audience.

I don't understand all those wimps out there who avoid manual transmissions allegedly because of traffic. I have driven manuals almost exclusively most of my driving history. I am now 75 and would never consider anything other than a manual. Before I retired, my commute consisted of 12 miles of heavy stop and go traffic on crowded interstates in a major metropolitan area. It was no big deal to drop it into a gear that could negotiate the greatest ranges of speeds with minimal shifting. I avoid overselling manuals because I believe they are a viable theft deterrent due to all of the younger inept drivers with a propensity to steal cars.

Thanks for the GTI review! I ended up getting a Forester Wilderness in part due to your reviews of that vehicle, but my GF got a manual GTI a few months before I did that. And her car is hella fun to drive. No doubt about it. It's true that there's something to be desired about the controls/lack of analog buttons but we eventually got used to it. The car is just pure joy. Hate short highway on ramps or two lane country roads with slow drivers? It's not a problem anymore with the GTI. It also doesn't get the best gas mileage, but it's not horrible either for a sporty vehicle. It definitely falls into the category of practical hot hatch.

For my personal use, I've found the very base model with DSG suits me best. On mine I've put 30k miles fun filled and trouble free. Two kids with car seats, still plenty of space. I was looking for Civic SI but lack of auto, no hatch option, and crazy mark ups made me choose GTI, and I'm glad it did.

Enjoyed the review! I have a 2019 GTI SE with a manual transmission and I love it so much. Can't see myself getting rid of it, especially now that the manual is going away.

I am a 2008 GTI Owner and I love my car. Stick is the way to go, we have a GLI and GTI both stick and I can't imagine having any other car. To say I love my car is an understatement, I wish I could keep it forever :) Considering a new one that is why I am watching your video.

I really wish tech would take a backseat to the driving experience. There isn't anything about all these screens that make driving any better, and as someone with ADD I actually find many of these infotainment systems distracting and make it MORE difficult to actually focus on driving safety.

they need to add physical buttons and replace the glossy black interior trim, its a deal breaker

I'm thinking hard about a 2024 GTI S with that 380 package. Getting the base model with the adaptive suspension and a manual transmission seems like a bargain.

Great review! Just put my name on a 24-380 S. Same color with a lot of the same options. Want to feel like a kid again.

On changing the colors, there is a menu that you can use a slider to pick any color on the spectrum. I change the color every week currently rocking a dark purple.

Had a mk7 gti with a stage 1 APR tune. One of the best cars I've ever owned.

The screens are too much for me. If it had analog tach and speedo i'd like it more. Also, 40k for a GTI...OOF.

Very cleanly done and truly informative. Unlike some reviewers, they speak as if they are better than the engineers and architects and have a sense of entitlement just because, cmon, you are just reviewing a product, you didnt create one.

I would love to see this on your off road test track

The haptic is fine after a little while. Welcome to the future.

Nice review. Just bought a 2024 GTI SE 380. I'm digging it so far! Infotainment system is a challenge but I'm getting used to it. That aside, it's a blast to drive.

consider the rev match a bonus master class in this film!

GTI’s are such a great bang for the buck vehicle.

I recently test drove a manual GTI. I wanted to love it but aside from hating the interior redesign, I found the gearing to be waaay too long to be fun. I ended up with a Jetta GLI DSG for a daily driver.

The only analog this about this car is the manual. Electronic parking brake, touch buttons, everything is in the screen. I own an FRS because of the fact it’s such an analog sports car

Good info! Would be helpful someday to compare the R to the GTI. Also, how about an R with other than rubber band tires so one can drive off road?

ive been looking at something like this for my next car. my jeep sucks so bad on gas. want something fun to drive everyday, get good mileage, reliable, and not that expensive. these are definitely on my list. that and the mazda3 turbo. civic doesnt have lumbar support which i need so thats probably out.

My 1st 5 speed was a 1982 Honda Accord Hatchback. And I LOVED that car. IF I were to cross shop for something in this market, with my $ I have today, I would aim right at the Civic Type R. Actual seating comfort would have to be considered, as I hear they are not idealistic for us older fellows. This thing looks like it would probably fit the seat of the pants experience better than anything in this class.

love your sports car philosophy. didn't expect it from off-road car specialist) looks like car has long gear ratios between 1st and 2nd, same as it was on 7gen gti.

The thing is that this is a drivers car made for car enthusiasts that I my self wouldn’t use the autopilot because I bought it to drive it. I have a model Y for that.

1:07 7 speed dual clutch transmission. Guess you didn’t notice.

I m in love with your channel m love the offroadings . Feels as if I m doing those.

4:52 Joy Division, New Dawn Fades. Great track!

While it's true the model he's testing is right at 40K, a base GTI is just as fast and can be had for under 35K if you're willing to give up some tech.

Great review! Heel and toeing just doesn't work in my 2007 Legacy with that bloody drive by wire throttle pedal, too much lag..

Stick shift in stop and go really isn't a big deal. Driving on the 401 (busiest highway in the world) with my old Mazda 3 was never an issue. You get used to inching along with nothing but your left foot. It's almost time for my midlife crisis, I think. Might be time to find a nice little stick shift before they disappear.

I lived with manual cars most of my 35 years of driving in NYC Metro area traffic, and commuting into and around Manhattan, as well. I've had an automatic (BMW) for six years now, and while it's nice not to use a clutch, I still only have ever relied on the paddle shifters or the gear selector to keep me in proper gear in tight traffic. I would never trust the computer to downshift properly for me mostly, because it never does. That being said, other than the wear on your one leg using a clutch in traffic, I still find it just as fatiguing to baby the paddle shifters in tight traffic as it is to simply select your own gear in a manual. You still have to baby the brake pedal because torque braking the car runs the risk of the person behind you getting too close because they don't see the brake lights, so you still have to tap the brakes just to warn the driver behind you. Believe me, I've been rear ended enough in my manual cars because people only perceive a car stopping based mainly on their brake lights and not rate of speed. So, the more I thought about it, the way I use my transmission on my car, getting a manual would be no more fatiguing than baby(ing) an automatic's paddle shifters. But it does have to be a good transmission with great response, that BMW, just happens to offer. Anyone who just puts it into Drive and literally lets the car do the rest, is probably not someone who has driven a manual for very long, doesn't drive a manual well, or simply doesn't enjoy using a manual at all because if you were, you'd be using the paddle shifters all the time, every time, and never any other way. Like I said, I never just keep my car in Drive, and forget it. I always use some sort of manual control.

The drive modes don’t stick when you turn off/turn back on. Says it does but it defaults to comfort mode. You have to click away from sport then back to activate it

Where I live (Canada) you have to wait a year to have one with the option you want

Are you guys going to release the Chevy Colorado ZR2 video you shot the day before the 4Runner Pro video?

Great review🎉 on a great car. Thanks you.

Great review!

21:00 american highways too straight to detect steering input 😆

I need you to compare this with a VW R and a GR Corolla

Good review--thanks!

Had a base 2012 gti 4 door. Loved it for so many reasons but goddamn it was a pos once it got to around 80000km mileage. Carbon buildup, misfires, check engine lights, slipping clutch…. Oof. Traded it in for a wrx which was problem l free for the three years I owned it. GTI was fun car but probably better as a lease then a buy IMO.

Nice review of the Autobahn edition. The heated rear seats are a nice luxury but one I wouldn't use. I wonder how much weight that adds? Overall it's really nice except for the infotainment and lack of buttons which I think they plan on fixing? If so, I might be interested before ICE goes away. ☹☹

Hey VW hope you watch/read this. Get rid of the haptic BS and bring back buttons. Also bring back the manual ebrake. Ebrake is useless if your battery dies. As a safety device that's not a smart design. I've been driving Golf's for over 13 years, and would not consider a new R or GTI due to the poor design elements mentioned above. I'd be looking at the used market for a Golf R.

I have a Subi which of course comes with adaptive cruise and lane centering. I use the adaptive cruise tons, but never the lane centering. I don’t like the car picking where I’m going to be in a lane, corner, etc. I know the driver can override the lane centering but if I’m going to do that why use it in the first place. So the lane centering nagging wouldn’t be and issue for me. That said, being a Subaru guy, I would pick the WRX over the GTI anyway. The performance is basically a wash between the two and living where I live I need (well, prefer anyway) the AWD in the Subi.

No offroad test? 😢

I almost bought this car today but I'm very worried about 6th gear being way too low for comfortable and efficient highway driving (75mph-ish). Am I crazy?

SE Trim is the sweet spot for this car. You get cloth seats which are better than hard leather on the Top Trim and you get the Sun Roof. Adaptive suspension is totally unnecessary. Must get the Harmon Kardon Stereo though, which sounds amazing. Even though the base and 40th anniversary trims get volume knobs I'd skip it because of the smaller display screen, base radio and no sun roof. Haptic controls are not that bad and the car's interior looks very premium on SE and Autobahn. The only thing I like the Autobahn trim is the wheels.

Every time you accelerated hard a number of different pop ups (speed warning, something about ESC(?) and more) kept blocking the entire top half of the tachometer - literally the only gauge I need to see if I'm driving spiritedly keeps getting blocked! I would have pushed this thing into the river. All the available unused space on that screen and they choose to have the pop-ups cover a necessary item.

I love my Mk7.5 with its proper buttons and manual handbrake. Hopefully the Mk8.5 improves the infotainment and interface as that is what ruins the Mk8 experience.

If the interior HVAC and steering control buttons were fixed, this would be a great car as a base model. $30k and change gets you the base, and you get a front LSD, LED lights, and a heated steering wheel, on top of all the normal GTI creature comforts, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats, backup camera, etc. But having the LSD now on the base model, I don’t see any reason to get any other higher trims. The 40th is actually a great deal, considering what it gets, and the aftermarket forged wheels, for $33k and change.

I'm not sure, I think the base model GTI has volume and temperature dials.

Those k-mart inspired tablets are absolute deal killer for me. 40k for this kind of interior is atravesty.

Have you driven the golf r?

Does the manual have launch control?

I saved & saved to buy a new GTI or Golf r but stealerships are still marking these up & the terrible interior controls made it easy decision to preorder an Elantra N.

How's the road noise?

They also have crappy actuators in the fuel door. Had to have mine replaced at 17,000 miles at a cost of almost $400

Great review, I drive the 2017 GTI Autobahn manual. Ryan, do you know if mine has the adaptive suspension or something akin to it?

How does one go about getting those cloth seats in the Autobahn trim level?

The Harmon Kardon sounded decent, but no where near as good as the Fender System in the MK7's. I spent $1400 and had my local audio store install a 10" Audison powered sub in my 2024 R. Problem solved.

Sadly the six-speed is not imported into Australia

Until they make a better entertainment system on the newer VDubs I’ll be keeping my mk7 Golf R

I’d rather have my 2019 se with the manual any day.

The screen, the speedometer... that all digital is a big no no for me. Such a turn off 😢

Electronic hysteria and styling aside, when the manual goes so shall my interest in any new VW

MK7.5 the winner 🏅

The buttons are great, love them, learn to deal with them.

The 7.5 generation was the best GTI

Capacitive controls in a car suck like a Miele. Get a used Mk 7 Golf R and thank me later. The EyeSight on the Subaru (2021 Outback) does similar nagging over steering wheel when my hands are on it.

Does GTI have option for 4WD/AWD?

Take this to chicken road!

Hate the fake buttons

Welp. I have to buy a 2024 because it is THE LAST YEAR of the MT GTI. WTF VW

NIce but nearly $40K for a GTI is just too much.

This design is almost HALF A CENTURY OLD.

Must get automatic in this. Its so much faster than a manual

"it's all about the driving and not the tech experience".......right. So don't worry about being distracted taking your eyes off the road while you fiddle with the ludicrous user interface trying to adjust fan speed, volume, seat heating etc etc etc. LOL what an ergonomic disaster

The old GTi or Rabbit (80s, 90s) were nice to drive. I don't know about the new ones. But this one simply look stupid up front.

You know nothing . Even profesional car racers never use cars with the clutch anymore . For the past of at least 15 years there is no wonders how good are Mercedes 9G-TRONIC dual clutch transmissions . DSG vs manual transmissions : With its computer-controlled gear changes, DSGs are considerably quicker than even the quickest manual driver. With shifts taking a mere 8 milliseconds, they offer superfast, smooth gearshifts that human hand-eye coordination simply cannot match. So your clutch GTI is way slower from 0 - 60 , than 7 speed GTI .

Shorten the content!!

The multiple comments you made about the sliders and other non-knobs is what keeps me away from this car and any others like it. Just because they can do those doesn't mean they should for ANY Car - I'm fortunate to have a Focus ST for fun and it still has all the selections but with physical buttons and knobs; for commuting I have a Chevy Bolt that I actually love to drive but the digital interface is something that AlWays frustrates - so I could/would never buy this VW (or most of the newer Audi's - just awful). The VW group has lost this customer - sad.

Why americans say Volkswagen GTI ? Its a Golf GTI did Volkswagen USA just remove the word Golf in the name of this model ?

It was not completely redesigned in 2022. In fact, it is, basically, an Mk7 with updated headlights and instrument panel. I don't mind the exterior changes, but the instrument panel is atrocious. So far, Mk7 or even Mk7.5 is a better car.

It becomes heavier and heavier with its generation, FAIL! My rabbit GTI back in the 80's weight about 1900 lbs. This GTI at about 3100lbs is way too heavy.

Ripoff price. This car isn't worth a single dollar over $30k.

VW gave up on this car. They no longer a two-door coupe, nor do they offer a convertible. They only offer a boring four door hard hard top in bland colors. Better off getting a Mini Cooper. They have them in two-door, four-door, convertible and SUV - with a great selection of colors. You can also get them in 3 or 4 cylinders or if you want more power and even better handling they have the JCW (John Cooper Works). You can also get it in auto or manual and the optional leather seating in the Mini is beautiful. If you are cross shopping...give Mini a look.

KONA N will kick any GTI's ass... mk8, mk7.5, mk-all-of-them.

The Golf is not the original hot hatch.

Eh. Does nothing for me. Just a small wagon with a high price tag.