Is the VW Golf GTI Autobahn the BEST way to BUY your HOT HATCH? 

I was never a car person but you are helping me learn a whole new world. You have opened my eyes to so many nice cars. I do like the looks of this one. Thanks, for a nice review.

The GTI is a great daily driver. Two of our members have them on our Channel. 🙌

Good review I'm watching from South Africa. Your walkthrough was really in depth. Driving was good, thanks for taking the turns while trying to stick to the speed limits and the road. Can we possibly get more outdoor shots on the next? I appreciate this review cause these are heavy consumer cars. Thanks for this one. I'm subscribing!!!

One of my favorite cars. So much fun to drive and so very practical.

almost bought this exact setup, but then i compared it to the monthly financed difference in price compared to the golf R, which was a clear choice. only thing i miss out on is the sunroof, fog lights, and park assist

His review of the 2019 rabbit Edition is what made me pick one up last month

I have a 2017 mk7 GTI autobahn w/ the performance package. I was floored when I took it out for a spin. It fits all my music gear, it’s reliable, it’s classy and most importantly...it’s FUN

Keep it up Joe! Love the quality content rolling out frequently!

I have an 18 GTI SE...from Lokey. Love, love ,love the GTI. The LSD is insane...glues the car to the road and I love how you can feel it pulling the car through the turns with increasing effort as your speed increases. It's as if no matter what, it's going to keep you stuck to that road.

One of the first cars I owned was a 1986 GTI 5 speed manual transmission. It came stock with Recaro seats, Pirelli tires, and looked great. It was a dealer demo car. I loved it. Great review!

Great channel! Made me laugh at 1:20 "the way you know its a GTI..." doesn't point at GTI badge but rather the red line :)

Honestly, you could never go wrong with a gti

You killin the game Raiti. You helped me make my decision on 2019 GTI and Highlander. I’m loving them both for different reasons.

great review with this and the civic Si, you are on a roll. The 2018 VW's have that great 6 year 72000 mile warranty that is transferable to the next owner, so that make Used VW's which usually like all cars lose about 20% of their worth after a year of driving a great deal if you can find a well cared for low mileage one. i also love reviewers that review used cars from time to time and tell the good and the bad. keep up the good work👍🏼

Love your content Raiti. Im in the market for a car and have watched probably 50 of your videos this week. Im narrowing it down to this or the type R, just not sure I’m a fan of the styling in the type R. Thanks again! 🙏🏼

I just bought a 2017 GTI Autobahn 6 speed. I LOVE it!

Looks like a fun drive. I would go 6-Speed Manual. I like the simplicity of the dashboard. Man this video makes me miss my old RSX Type-S. Half Zonks for the win!

Just got me a 2019 pure white autobahn 6 MT 2 weeks ago and I love it!!! Really was in the market for a FoRS but never could find one for a good deal around my area and ended up with the gti.

Love the Twinkies scale of center console volume.. please keep that up it's awesome lol

That is freakin hot man......love those wheels!!! Nice vid Joe!!

I love the GTI Autobahn. It's my favorite front-wheel-drive hatchback. But I have to wonder what the previous owner traded it in for; there aren't many other cars out there that are more fun to drive.

Picked up a 2017 Autobahn last month, and love it!

Hey Joe, do you have a Raiti's Rides shirt that has "Zonked" printed? love your reviews, by the way. 😊

i just bought the 2019 GTI in the SE trim and i love it! great video!

The GTI is a fun, fun car to drive. Loved driving the ‘11 with DSG I drove from 2011-2014. Wish they would last as long as the Toyota’s and Honda’s I’ve had.

I’d love to nab one of these as my next ride. Good deal for the features.

Great car and video review video neighbor!

You do good job , you're great .. Fantastic and marvelous .. Amazing drive , I feel it like i drive ..

This is still the best all-rounder in the segment imo.

The red has always been in the headlights for mk7 since 2014/15, You just need the lighting package. This is also the facelift aka mk7.5.

I used to work at a VW Dealership. Those cars are a blast to drive. They are very quick.

Love this car. Nice job!!

I have been looking for one of these for awhile and after seeing your review I really want one. Did you change the DCC mode at all during your testing? I drive a lot of interstate highway miles and I’m wondering if the Comfort mode will have a noticeably better ride than Sport mode.

Great video! I owned a Mk 5 and a Mk 6. Now I drive a 2011 Audi Q5 and sometimes I miss my last GTI. Most fun to drive cars I ever owned.

Gunna be getting a 2019 GTI in a few days. I'm so excited.

I gotta test drive one of these bad boys to understand the whole hype behind it

love my 2018 GTI. truly tremendous daily driver.

Really good demo. This guy knows his stuff.

I really like how the infortainment unit in German vehicles is integrated into the dash unlike most Japanese manufactures (for the exception of Honda), theyt just prop it up on top of the dash as if it was an afterthought.

Great review Joe. The European GTi gets an electronic parking brake and VW's digital dash but is nowhere near as cheap to buy as the GTi sold in the US. The Euro GTi is also available with a Performance Pack from the factory which increases power to 245bhp and it also gets a limited slip diff which improved the handling even further. There is also a 300/310bhp 4wd version called the Golf R that sits above the GTi in the Golf range. These are excellent cars and very entertaining to drive.

Amazing car love the esthetics and overall quality and fit and finish and the performance as well. I would but a 2019 Golf GTI and a 2019 Golf R in White. Would love to see a 2019 Golf R in white and top trim. Thanks Joe for this review.

These cars are one of the best overall in its class I have a 2015 Golf TDI my daily driver

I have the same year and trim in white. Amazing car, and got a great deal on it!

Not sure what dynamic mode you were driving in, but the differential has a sport setting that actually helps pull the car into the apex through a turn on power.

My stock MK7 GTI did 102mph at 1/4 mile but now she runs 12s and possible 11s if track has good prep down and good tires will help a lot.. Stage 2 E85 FBO tuned by EQT

Great, GREAT reviewer! I saw another review of a GTI done from Reeves on Florida Ave in Tampa by this guy (right down from where I used to live, BTW), and the review was spot on and again, GREAT! I'm a GTI enthusiast... have been for years. This guy is making me want to trade the ol' 2016 Autobahn GTI in for a 2020 model. The Autobahn price is absurd as far as I'm concerned. But, you DO indeed get a lot of ride for the top-of-the-line GTI figure. One may ask why not spend a few more bucks for a Golf R? Maybe... but personally I don't think the R's are as sporty or as slick as the GTI. The Golf R is definitely a more reserved or luxury/conservative-looking on the exterior than the GTIs. The R's stock wheels are terrible-looking in comparison. But hey... that's just me... so whatever floats one's boat! Anyway, GREAt reviews, good friend. You make me excited about the GTI all over again! I hope some of these dealer peeps are paying you well. Maybe I'll pay you to do a review of my Autobahn so I can rub it in the faces of a couple of WRX friends of mine. They think the motoring sun rises and sets in their WRXes... I know better! :-P

My favorite gti is 2015 s or se trim very good value right now, and off course must be Manuel.

I bought a 2019 VW Golf Autobahn in February 2020, it was brand new, last of the 2019's, 6 speed manual, I absolutely love it.....I had it lowered a bit, just to get rid of the space between tire and wheel well, much like this one in this video...same color, I liked the GTI much better that the R.....which is too plain, would not buy a new car without a sunroof, it's beautiful, it's fast, I drive it in Sports mode, $43,000, but I kept my 2002 Golf GLS

Real nice hot hatch, Joe. Great presentation too. The only reason I didn't consider the VW line of cars is because all the trouble they were having with emissions. If I remember right, they were cheating to meet US standards, and got caught and have to pay a heavy fine. That usually means passing it on to the consumers with higher prices. I'm still thinking that Veloster 'N' is the way to go. Thanks for sharing that with us, keep em' comin'.

You’ve reviewed a lot of the Honda civic models lately. How would you compare the SI vs the base GTI?

I love this car! I love Hot Hatches!!!

14.4 in the 1/4? Ok you just helped me make a choice if I need to upgrade the turbo or not. I need more boost for the 12 second class

I purchased the Rabbit Edition and my baby is so sweet! But I had to purchase new tires and what a difference it makes! Michelin summer tires!

Raiti’s Rides: I’m going to have to Zonk you on one thing in this review. You stated that the 2018 GTI has a six-speed DSG transmission. That is incorrect. The 2018+ models have a seven-speed DSG transmission. Otherwise, great review! 👍

Being an owner of a 2017 GTI, I have many opinions regarding the Autobahn version. For me it, getting or not getting the Autobahn model depends on many factors. 1. Is the buyer going to mod the car? If so, the Autobahn isn’t the best choice as it’s very expensive. If the buyer is going to put suspension, brakes, wheels, tune, exhaust, etc. on it, it’s best to get the base model GTI and use the savings there to apply that $$ to mods. In the end you can make a better handling and faster GTI for less $$ than the Autobahn. 2. If the buyer isn’t going to mod, the Autobahn provides the best options for the GTI. It is the GTI’s best version, but it is expensive. If $$ isn’t an issue, get the Autobahn. 3. If the buyer is planning to resale the GTI in the future, Autobahn holds its value better, but still not as good considering the price increase over the other GTI models when buying new. So buying the Autobahn for resale value isn’t the best decision. To me, the Autobahn version is a waste because I mod my cars. But even if I didn’t, I still wouldn’t spend close to $40k for a GTI.

When I was looking for a new car, it was either a GTI or WRX. I went with WRX because I've never had an AWD. My only complaint is the stock tune aand choppy acceleration. Trying to save for an accessport.

I love the GTI! I wish it would stop raining so I could keep my car clean😂! It looks nice in black! Especially since it’s nice and shiny! I love my night blue metallic! How is the DSG?

Needs better tires. It looks like a fun car. I like how everything is straightforward in the cabin. I've never thought about owning a VW, but this has me thinking.

I'm gonna zonk you for zonking the orientation of the rear armrest cup holders. If they're side-by-side, then you're elbow is going to go right into the cup holder when you try to rest it on there... a problem I have with a Chevy Malibu I'm often a backseat passenger in.

I owned a MKV GTI and it had a unique grill where most of it was glossy black with red trim regardless of the body color. When they got rid of that design the GTI, Golf, and R versions all started to look the same imo

Classic good looks.

I usually don't buy base, My current vehicle is step up from base, upgraded seats, stereo, helps resale

Love my 2007 gti

Nice reiti's

Hey dude, keep up the good work. May I ask your opinion? So awhile back VW said the mk8 gti will have 250 horsepower. do you think with the arrival of the veloster N with better performance that VW will up that power? I'd love to see s competition between hot hatches like we see the horse power wars between chevy, ford and dodge

practicality aside, would you prefer this Mk7 GTI or Miata RF?

Almost purchased one of these but ended up with a Fiesta St VW would not move on their pricing. Got St for 19k brand new. I will probably end up with one of these later down the road.

I've heard horror stories from some Volkswagen owners but other people love them to death. I'm a Honda guy & never let me down 95 Integra GSR & 19 Civic Si

Significant reliability issues is something that should be pointed out. If you're planning to keep this 100k you need to do research on fuel injectors in this car.

Change tires on this car and it's night and day the difference love mine

Review a modded one. Maybe Stage 2?

I own the exact model Joe reviews here. I also owned the last MK6 model (2013) built in Germany on the older platform. Put nearly 80K miles on the 2013 model, 40K of those miles with a Stage I APR tune. It was a great car and never gave me a single problem in over five years. The MK7.5 built in Mexico on the MQB platform is better. Purchased it fully loaded last year for $32,043 plus tax, title, and license in the Seattle area. Considering the $30K asking price for a used GTI Joe cites, that makes the depreciation almost negligible. Some additional thoughts. () True engine performance. VW is famous (or infamous) for underrating the HP and torque of their vehicles. They measure power at the wheels rather than the more common measurement at the crank and still underestimate the engine's performance. Why? Most observers believe it's because insurance rates and taxes on cars in Europe are based in part on HP/Torque figures. Considering that Europeans willingly pay well over $50,000 (at exchange rates) for an Autobahn trim GTI, every bit of savings in cost of ownership is appreciated. A stock US spec GTI is closer to 250 HP and 270 ft lbs of torque compared to rivals. () ECU Tuning. A Stage I ECU tune from APR and upgraded intake runs less than $1000. The effect is to raise the HP and Torque figures close to 300. Contrary to popular misconceptions, a Stage I tune does NOT invalidate a warranty claim unless an issue can be shown to directly result from the tune, itself. And if you're still worried APR provides a backup warranty that covers the vehicle for a few hundred bucks. There are, however, some factors to consider. Tire life and fuel economy will be reduced if one takes advantage of the additional power. And if the vehicle has a manual transmission periodic replacement or a significant upgrade in the clutch are called for. (Not true of the DSG.) After tuning my 2013 GTI with a DSG I found that my fuel economy dropped about 2-3 mpg's (26 to 23) and my tires needed replacement after about 40K miles. Considering the power boost it was well worth it. () GTI versus other "hot hatches." The GTI is neither as quick nor as fast as some rivals available in North America. The Civic Type R is an obvious alternative. But for those of us who prefer not to drive a full size version of a Hot Wheels toy, it's just too embarrassing to own. It's a tribute to Honda's engineering. Its overall looks appear to have been designed to appeal to 10 year old and internet fanboys. The Veloster N is an impressive track toy and if one can be had at anything close to its MSRP it's a serious competitor. (From my experience that's a forlorn hope.) But there's no comparison in terms of the quality of the interior appointments and the versatility of the vehicles. The Veloster looks and feels like an economy car inside. Not even close to the feel of the GTI nor the visibility from the driver's seat. The GTI provides 54 cubic ft of overall cargo space compared to the Veloster's slightly more than 40. And even more importantly, the GTI cargo space is shaped like a large box; the Veloster has a much smaller hatch opening and less usable space inside. Finally, the Veloster has three doors; the GTI has four. Kudos to the Veloster for providing at least some access for more than two passengers but it still falls short of the GTI. Mr Biermann and his colleagues deserve credit for delivering a near track ready vehicle straight from the showroom. Unfortunately their i30N with similar performance credentials and far more versatility isn't available in North America. Then there's the Golf R. An awesome vehicle. In stock form its power and performance far surpasses a GTI. But (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) discounts from MSRP are virtually non-existent and "market adjustment" stickers are common. When I shopped last year the best price I found for an "R" was $10,000 more than I paid for a top trim GTI. Furthermore, its curb weight is about 250 lbs more than a GTI. That's like carrying an NFL linebacker in the back seat of the "R". The "R's" power advantage in stock form makes up for that and at less than 3400 lbs the "R" is still comparatively light but the GTI feels undeniably more nimble. The R's 4Motion AWD is an excellent feature in some situations but it's a reactive system and isn't engaged unless wheel slip is detected. In most situations it's a FWD vehicle. The "R" doesn't offer a sunroof. That may be unimportant or even an advantage for some but here in the Pacific Northwest getting some light into the Golf's dark cabin on overcast days is a real plus. For some the "R" is well worth the premium price. Not for me. () Random Thoughts. Living in Florida I'm guessing that Joe has more use for transporting Twinkies than skis but the pass through in the rear seat is able to accommodate the latter on a trip to the mountains. Furthermore, in a vehicle only 14' long, it earns a discount on Washington State's ferry fares. Not an insignificant benefit if you live on an island in the Puget Sound as I do. I know that's a personal benefit that few others will experience. But it does suggest how remarkably versatile the GTI is. Joe doesn't say how many miles are on the 2018 GTI's tires he's reviewing but the wheel hop and issues of putting down power could be eliminated with new and better tires. I'd recommend Michelin Pilot Sports. They make a significant difference in overall handling. And perhaps because I'm accustomed to the GTI and have driven FWD vehicles for years I don't notice torque steer at all. The GTI's electronic LSD (standard on the Autobahn in 2018 and on all GTI's in 2019) eliminates the issue. Don't like the small plastic shift paddles on the DSG GTI? A few bucks replaces them with excellent aftermarket large, metal paddles. And a feature almost never mentioned in reviews is the fact that the center console is ratcheted, making it possible to raise the front edge to a comfortable height for almost anyone's elbow. Much ignored and much appreciated. Waiting to see what VW offers on the forthcoming MK8 is an option but I doubt we'll see that model until the end of 2020 and perhaps later. It will be more expensive and unless the 2020 election results in a change in administrations or someone is able to teach the current occupant of the White House the basics of fifth grade economics, the MK8 may be much more expensive or not available.

Will anyone please speak on the GTI's reliability over time? I've heard it's avg at best and somewhat costly to maintain. Thank you for any useful comments out there

Looks like a fun car but I never was much of a VW fan. Nice review Joe. Have a nice weekend. 😎👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸

Wasn't this a 7 speed DSG not 6 speed?

Those stock all seasons are not helping .. first thing I did was get high-performance summer Tires

Yes

It is a great car! I had a pure white ‘15 GTI Autobahn. Tinted windows. Black vinyl roof wrap to complete the look. Always preferred the original LED headlights on the MK7 vs the slight refresh on your example. But then again I would have loved those LED taillights. I let my GTI go on a trade. I’m sure that it’s a sale that I’ll eventually regret someday. Maybe. But. Nevertheless it was and still is a great car. If you want every car in the world... but you can only afford to buy one... then buy a GTI. As always. Fantastic review!

Golf is the best

Just bought a new 2019 GTI S for $26k. Unbelievably fun and comfortable ride. I have a huge smile on my face whenever I get in it. Tons of room in the back with the seats done - can fit practically anything in there. I challenge anyone to find a better ride for $26k.

Still the best it my dream car

If you plan to enter aftermarket, get a GTI fully loaded with LSD and performance package enough to start off with.

I hate how the autos "fart". The clutch in the manual cars is weak. Otherwise it has a pretty nice interior and is fun to drive. I test drove both r and gti and i still prefer my 18 wrx.

I have a feeling that you must like GTIs. You've done couple of them already. But I don't mind one bit keep doing GTIs. Maybe if you could find some older generation GTIs would be awesome too! Thanks

Room for 4 Twinkies I'm sold

Have you ever gotten a ticket during a review?

👍GTI👍💯video💯👍

The GTI doesn't have the badass rubber side door sills, one on each side of the GTI like lightning streak design wise, in order to function as rubber door bumpers and as side sills that add down force. Aesthetics? Maybe... but I still believe that those rubber side door sills do really have functionality other than adding aesthetics as well.

Maybe a focus st review??

Yes it is, that’s why I bought one in a manual

More fun than anything +15k

I want to zonk the dealer for throwing Raiti in a DSG, 6mt is the way to go!

Joe pretty sure it has an LSD, could you notice the difference?

Skip the Autobahn and get the new Rabbit trim or a used 17 sport.

I should have gotten this instead of my Wrangler.

6 speed DSG???

I prefer the 2 door model

Always liked the GTI design and drivebility... But can't overlook reliability. They are just not! Best way to know you are buying an unreliable vehicle is to look at depreciation. WRX and Si are simply more value for your dollar.

The gti is what the honda fit COULD HAVE BEEN if honda had more guts and understood their fan base

Volkswagen for life.