I love the exterior and the drivetrain still appears to be very good. It's tragic they ruined the interior user experience with godforsaken touch sensitive controls. Hopefully they'll pull a Honda and add those controls back for the mid cycle refresh.
@@paulm6481 Even in a self-driving vehicle, this is a terrible user experience. If anything, a touch sensitive button is the worst of both worlds. Most cannot change their intended function (like capacitive touch screens), and you still don't get tactile feedback. It's disappointing huge manufacturers with insane R&D budgets think this is acceptable in a finished good, let alone one you still have to drive yourself.
So today I got a commemorative plaque from VW, for my purchase of a Pomelo Yellow Launch Edition in the mail! It has the car’s vin number, the date it was manufactured and the dealer name where I purchased it. It also has a very cool lithograph/ art! it came with a letter congratulating me for purchasing a launch edition GTI and explaining the car is approaching its 40 year anniversary
Been waiting anxiously for this review of the US spec GTI from Alex. As US owners of the GTI know well, the Euro spec version often has more available bells and whistles and more individual trims than Americans. (Of course, Europeans willingly pay much more for their GTIs than Americans.) As the owner of a 2018 MK7.5 (DSG) Autobahn version I've been trying to decide whether to opt for the MK8 GTI or avoid the feeling of replacing the family dog and hold onto my beloved current vehicle. So far, despite the bells and whistles of the MK8 and the slight improvement in power, I'm not convinced to make the change. However, I did have to do something to reduce my 17 y/o daughter's constant requests to borrow my GTI. So about a month ago I purchased a gorgeous 2012 VW CC R-Line with a manual transmission and only 44K miles on the clock. Now I can pester her to borrow it. For those who've never driven, much less owned, a GTI (or Golf R) its iconic status and owner loyalty may be something of a mystery. Its remarkable versatility is one factor. The 54 cubic ft of well designed rectangular cargo space behind the front row rivals that of some small SUVs. My GTI provides ample space for three humans and our large dog on extended drives. And its performance belies its claimed HP and torque figures. As Alex notes, its handling is remarkable for a FWD vehicle. Ideal for Sunday morning drives in the Washington Cascades. And while it's a parochial benefit that few others enjoy, the fact that it's 168" length means I enjoy a significant discount on Washington state ferries in the Puget Sound. An advantage that few other vehicles provide. The MK8 generation isn't perfect, of course. No vehicle is. the replacement of knobs with haptic feedback controls is already a widespread complaint. Personally, I'm no fan of the integrated and non-adjustable headrests in the front row. And I'm sorry to see the manual e-brake lever replaced with an electronic version. But none of those issues is a deal breaker. I'll likely hold onto my MK7.5 version and care for it like a first born but if I didn't already own it I'd be sorely tempted to purchase the MK8.
Dude, hang in to the 7.5. At the very least, wait for the 8.5 refresh to come. Maybe they will add some buttons. Plus, they are adding surcharges due to shortages.
@@GUITARTIME2024 The changes you note may come along. But it's important to remember that the North American market for the GTI and Golf R is a secondary consideration for VW. Whatever changes brings to a refreshed verion will depend on European tastes and sales rather than the those in the US. The basic Golf remains very popular in Europe and has disappeared completely in the US. The GTI Club Sport offers nearly 300 HP in Europe and won't be sold in the US. VW has apparently concluded (with good reason) that sales in the US market depends on their lineup of SUVs and that's where their emphasis is placed on this side of the Atlantic.
My biggest complaint about the 8 is those non adjustable head rests. Honestly hate them - both the lack of adjustability and the look. And also they make the rear passenger’s view out the front not exactly great.
Only on the autobahn trim is that yellow metallic paint available for extra cost. The top trim autobahn is a $40,000 subcompact car that is way too pricey for me. If I were to by the new GTI it would be the SE trim with a manual gearbox. Although car dealerships nowadays are price-gouging the hell out of the cars they sell so I’ll have to continue driving my fourteen year old Mazda MX-5.
Cross shopping wise, i came close to a current Hyundai Veloster N with the dual clutch auto but recently landed on the current mk7.5 GTI in DSG form. I like that i has 4 doors and a hatch and the interior looked and felt more premium too. Also VW has a larger aftermarket, I would have also considered a CIVIC SI but they still only come in manual and Honda still uses CVT for the auto trans. I agree with you the Kona probably is the GTI's closest competitor right now, it will be interesting to see the next gen Hyundai Elantra N. I am glad VW is still making and selling the GTI and Golf R, while i would like to see more knobs and buttons at least they are still making smaller cars for us here in the US. Great review btw i really like the content!!
I'll take the new Civic hatchback instead or even the Kona. I went through the whole VW fan boy stage -- never again. We had a Jetta, Golf, GTI and Audi A3. Fun to drive and the interiors were nice. Poor quality and expensive maintenance.
Honestly with the interior controls, VW has lost me. i was very much considering a GTI next year but VW has sold me on Hyundai now with a Veloster N just because the interior is almost unlivable. Those touch buttons are dangerous i've driven with them once in a rental car, never again.
I hate lane-centering software and foward collision warning systems. The lane-centering software always pulls your vehicle back to center when a numbnut in oncoming traffic drifts into your lane (which creates a life-endangering situation). And VW's forward collision warning systems have been known to brake... when nothing was in front of the car (again, life-threatening if someone is behind you, as they aren't expecting a car to randomly brake for no reason). If Volkswagen doesn't allow the owner to permanently switch those systems off, then the car is a road hazard and should not be allowed for sale.
Capacitive touch pads behind piano black plastic. Yeah… that’s going to keep working well over time. Switches and buttons. Give us switches and buttons.
As an electronics hobbyist, I'd say the capacitive buttons will probably last longer. They're solid state and can't wear out. However, gloss black will definitely look worse over time, and the interface is certainly worse.
@@faeinthebay cold fingers don’t register well on capacitive surfaces. Not every press will register. You can’t feel where you’re at on the control surface, so you have to take your eyes off the road and look at the wheel. There’s mechanical reliability and functional reliability. Cars are just a stupid place to implement capacitive control surfaces because of all the input errors and distractions they will cause. I don’t want to hunt for the correct pad to tap repeatedly until it registers. Honda learned their lesson with the infamous capacitive slider that… NEVER WORKED CORRECTLY. I also don’t want to say “Mercedes, lower the volume.” Everything else listens in passively to my conversations. I don’t want my car to be another one. I want a button. I want a knob to turn. I want a f*cking handbrake lever. I’m not alone. I’ve never had a button fail on a car steering wheel control that was treated normally. The only reason VW used capacitive control surfaces is because they’re less expensive to produce than the tried and true analog control panels. Driver interface is where you spend money, not cheap out on it.
@@buttsexandbananapeels I completely agree. I hate capacitive buttons and love my 2010s Hyundai for having all hard buttons. I believe all cars should have hard buttons for common functions. But as far as durability goes, capacitive wins for being solid state. Of course, hard buttons can be engineered to be durable enough to outlive a million-mile car.
@@faeinthebay Agreed. I have buttons in all my cars and have never had an issue unless I spilled coffee on them. One is a 2010 Toyota with 300k miles. They’re all solid state: it’s an on/off switch connected to a CanBUS system. Just one relies on electrical conduction through skin instead of pressure, which is tactile and easily modulated by, you know… humans. Capacitive touch is cheaper than physical buttons. That’s the only reason VW used them.
the only problem I have with this generation of the gti is the digital ac controls I prefer manual buttons but the GTI is a solid car fun to drive and good fuel economy
I was really hesitant to trade me 7.5 for the 8 because I’m an older gal who’s scared if technology But after 2 days, I’m perfectly comfortable and really love the interface The minimalist dash is 🥰
I was in the market for a mk8 GTI or Golf R. I was within days of putting a deposit on a Golf R. After the reviews, I can't deal with the touch controls. I ended up snagging a Mk7 GTI Autobahn in manual form, slapped on a JB4 tune and it's a blast. The interior is wonderful for a compact sedan. It's my first VW and first GTI, no regrets.
@Tony P. .. Smart move/buy. .. Volkswagen screwed up the Mk8 Golf/GTI interior so bad,,, its been panned before the cars market launch. .. Christ,, our moderator Alex did his best to shy away from discussing the doppy dashboard controls, etc. .. Brother did VWAG miscue on the dashbaord controls... Make my MK8 Golf an Audi S3 sedan....
For me, I wouldn't really mind it. I'm literally getting it for the boost performance. I do agree tho that MK7.5 does look better overall, but the Mk8 look grew on me and I'm pretty sure infotainment will just come as well for me.
@@michaelschneider- Yes, Alex has been moving away from making actual criticisms of such things, and it hurts his credibility, almost every other reviewer has stated that the touch buttons are just not practical and suitable for an automobile in critical locations, ESPECIALLY the climate control.
So without even ever sitting in one or touching the controls you decided that the $30k+ purchase wasn’t for you? Oh hey look! That choir is singing “Bullshit!”
I'd disagree. The Mazda3 is not nearly as sporty. It's fast in a straight line but won't handle nearly as well thanks to the torsion beam suspension (and now, lack of an LSD). The Mazda3 is meant to be a semi-luxurious commuter car that can also carve a canyon if asked. The new GTI is a born canyon carver and daily driver that can do light track duty if asked, and isn't as luxurious.
@@faeinthebay I disagree a little: I grew up on torsion beam hatches and learned to drive the ever-living sh!t out of them. A well-tuned sway bar on a torsion axel allows them to off-throttle rotate at a mere suggestion. While the GTI is more composed, with similar amounts of money spent on minor upgrades to bring the Mazda 3’s “price” in-line with the autobahn GTI’s MSRP, I’d wager the 3 would be the better car at anything less than 10/10ths driving.
I have always loved VW but their reliability has always been suspect (and rattles). I have owned three. I am absolutely sure it drives great and gives you great smiles per mile. My prior experience with VW however makes me give it a hard pass.
Agreed. I absolutely loved my MK5 GTI bought it new and drive it to 150,000 miles. In the last few years it really started having problems and breaking down on a regular basis. I got sick of spending my commutes in the passenger seat of a tow truck and parted ways with it. I went out and bought myself a Toyota Camry which has been great for everyday driving however I seriously miss being able to drive a more spirited car. Luckily I’m in a position to afford a new GTI in addition to my Camry. I most likely will have this as a weekend car and keep the miles very low whilst using my Camry for everyday driving!
Hmm I think VW has gotten better. I have a 2015 and I think the build quality is great and there aren’t rally any creaks or rattles. But after 190 I had to spend money to fix the AC, replace coolant system, and had an oil leak which was costly .
Its been in the states forever. When my brother and I were in the Navy we got sent to Orlando for Nuclear power school. We bought our very first car there a 1985 VW GTI. Brand new in the summer of 1986.
I bought the Autobahn after a single test drive. It was a no brainer for me. I love this car. It's absolutely fantastic. Night drives in this car with some good 80's drive music is the best thing.
Let’s all appreciate that for $30k you can get the GTI or you can get the (chortle) “Integra” with a Honda CR-V engine that’s like 2 seconds slower to 60. Can’t wait for the marketing spin.
Why do you need a power hatch on a Golf? It opens to forehead height and weighs 2 pounds. Get your wife a gym membership and some grim determination to suffer the indignities of moving her arms.
@@buttsexandbananapeels And how many times a year do you move the passenger seat? Silly excuses to not get a car, but there must be more, don't ya think.
It's a shame that people don't like these type of vehicles anymore. As a a 1.8T Golf owner, this is on my list when I'm ready to buy in a year or two. It's this our a 2021 GTI...
Thank you for not dwelling on the touch controls like other reviewers. Everyone knows they aren't ideal, but you would think it renders the car undrivable based on other reviews.
What's with all these first drives? When will full reviews come? Way too many of these meaningless first drives lately. I keep on waiting for some official scores but you keep on doing first drive after first drive, after first drive.
Alex, I will give VW some credit for keeping the GTI boxy and much more space-efficient than its lift back competitors. I will give them much more credit for bringing the performance variants of the Golf to this market even though the regular Golf was discontinued. We wish 'no more boring cars' Toyota had done the same with the GR Yaris.
Really like my 10 yo GTI and am hoping it will take me all the way to the other side of this supply chain drought. But I'm thinking it will be hard to not go for the GLI this time around. A detuned package, yes, but much more usable as a family car for about 7k or so less of a price tag.
I've never been a fan of the GTI but this one and the new R is really really cool. Wow. Looks so much better than the competition, both inside and out. Different league - super clean and modern. I'd swing the R tho, that torque vectoring rear diff is sick. It's more expensive but what I'd "cross shop" - would hold its value a lot too.
Yet again, the GTI outdoes the Golf R in the exterior looks department. I'll never understand why the top of the Golf ladder, the Golf R, is always so understated in looks. The GTI is always more aggressive looking. Not saying the Golf R needs ridiculous Civic Type R or STI wings or anything, but it is too understated for the performance it offers.
Nice review. Grudgingly ordered an R this week. My wife's current WRX needs to be replaced and since nobody else offers a fast AWD Manual Hatch (all non negotiable for her) here we are.
@@Redshift42 I have the GTI, which I adore. But I’m still a tiny jealous even though the R is more car than I need or want. I’m older and really just don’t drive that much anymore. Congratulations 🎉🎊🍾🎈
A step backwards for the GTI. Mk 7.5 GTI is better than this touch capacitive everything MK 8. Front looks super frumpy. Interior is so cheap and shows cutting everywhere. No interest in the Mk 8 GTI
The only thing I don’t like about the last gen GTI is the location of the infotainment screen: makes using phone-based navigation a little distracting if it can’t clearly pronounce the name of a street.
I’ve always preferred the more grown up Golf/GTI over the Civic Hatch. And this new generation further solidified that. The Civic Hatch is down right ungainly compared to the tidy GTI and Corolla Hatch.
@@shinybaldy In my experience, when you live with a car longer than a 1 day test drive, you get used to it, and things that initially seem “difficult” becomes second nature.
This is an excellent car a bit small for American roads but very nice nevertheless. Interior relative to Japanese offerings is head and shoulders above.
Great Review! I used to have an Mk 7 manual and it was absolutely awesome to drive! I regret returning it to the dealer after the lease end! I am upgrading to the new 2023 BMW 330e! I hope I made a good choice!
Please review an SE trim! All the reviewers drive the Autobahn but I would like to know your thoughts on living with the SE as a daily driver value proposition, and are the adaptive suspension, adaptive steering, heads up display and auto high beams as the main differences between the SE and Autobahn worth it?
Finally VW has imported a Golf FROM Germany. Car looks great, but I agree the touch sensitive buttons may be a key factor in me passing this generation by. Unfortunately because of the SUV obsession the U.S. market has. This could be the last generation GTI/R to come to America.
Maybe the last gen ICE hot hatches because future VWs will be electric and likely built in North America. They should be building and selling the ID.3 in North America now. Instead we get the Taos.
@@FashionExclusivism no it’s made in Germany. They have stated that clearly for the 2022 GTI coming to the U.S & it’s supposed to be feeling amazing to the buyers so far
@@devn3813 I take it this “degree” you speak of is in a field of study unrelated to English. You about to get a degree is not ironic, unless it is in maths of some sort… which I doubt, or you’d specify that. In this specific and improbable case, it would be ironic. I’m guessing you’re a business administration student. You’ll do well: “business” is full of linearly unthinking people using words they don’t know the meaning of.
@@buttsexandbananapeels you’re going into detail saying I’m illiterate by saying that you correlating a heads up display to be in relation with a car breaking down. What does that have to do with my education or anything to do with the car breaking down?
Very nice review. Just one comment: anyone who really knows how to drive a manual transmission will undoubtedly get better mileage than with the DSG. ICEs are most efficient at somewhat close to full throttle and low RPMs*. It is exceedingly difficult, annoying, and at times impossible to manually shift a DSG to switch to a higher gear at low RPMs under hard acceleration. So, don't be fooled by that, if you like driving a manual and don't care about the quick shifting of the DSG (it is truly amazing, especially in VW cars with steering wheel shifters). (*) you should not drive like that all the time without revving high occasionally or quit a lot, if you want a clean and long-lasting engine ...
Am I understanding this correctly: ICEs are most efficient when bogged down? That is the scenario of close to full throttle and sustained low RPMs. There has to be some sort of breakdown in communication happening here because what I think you’re saying doesn’t make much sense… or else CVTs would be tuned to keep RPMs as low as possible instead of at the max efficiency range of their power bands (at and around the intersection of torque and horsepower).
Mk8 is not a bad car by any means. It just isnt better than the Mk7.5 is any way other then the engine. Exterior looks are not bad but again not better than the mk7.5. Interior is no doubt worse with lack of any buttons or knobs. The only thing thats a nice upgrade is the GTI finally gets a virtual cockpit and as a mk7.5 R owner, its a very nice touch.
@@BIGGIEBAG-XL exactly lol everyone seems like a bunch of scared over exaggerating pansies about the touch screen which all owners are saying is not bad to use at all.. Time will show this MK8 to be a fantastic upgrade over these initial whiner worries..
As someone who’s looking at getting one of these, is the infotainment enough to put you off getting one? And did the capacitive touch steering wheel cause any issues (accidentally pressing buttons when turning etc.)?
How big of a hurry are you in? The Integra/Civic Si, and the Corolla GR might tickle your fancy if you don’t mind sitting on your wallet for a stretch. In exchange you get reliability.
Hey Alex! I was under the impression that we would be getting the wireless car charger in the states. I didn’t see it in your video. Have you heard anything on that? Thank you.
They do. It's called the ID.3. Built to be electric from the ground up. Superior to putting an electric power plant in car designed for ICE. Too bad not sold in North America.
In spite of EPA tests claiming otherwise, as a sensible driver and 60 years experience using manual transmissions in sports cars, pony cars, economy cars, sedans, trucks, busses, tractors, my MPG in a manual is always going to be better than any automatic. It is something called neutral, reading the road, the traffic, the stop lights, etc. The things an automatic doesn't know about and can't adjust for. I'd love to challenge Alex to a MPG test with a GTI, mine with manual, his with the DSG. And as far as 0-60: big deal. The speed in the manual is just fine.
@@rizzlerazzleuno4733 well, more to the point, Sport Mode on an automatic (at least from VAG) will hold revs and suck fuel, whereas a manual in sport mode is as efficient as the driver wants it to be.
Jason Camisa and Hagerty just did a review on this. He concluded the BRZ/GT86 is much more fun and can go harder on the track, but the GTI is much more usable as a daily thanks to the backseats and cargo capacity. So you can cross shop them if you don't need a practical daily, but a lot of buyers probably need that practicality.
@@michellevesque2130 don't forget the BRZ is also badged as they Toyota GR86. I'd assume that like the Supra, they ensured it meets their quality standards. And I don't recall the old FR-S/BRZ/86 having reliability issues.
@@faeinthebay One of my sons had a BRZ and now has a '19 STI and I've been able to witness a few years of Time Attack events...Also I'm a service advisor in a shop where we repair any brand of cars. Even if the BRZ is part Toyota it doesn't make it bulletproof....Toyota products are very reliable for a normal use but track days are a different story. Suspension and brakes will suffer a lot and wear faster. And concerning the BRZ / FRS many amongst the ones that have been improved in the grip department ( improved suspension and sticky tires ) have blown their engines because of oil starvation ! You have to be aware of how to maintain these cars if you want them to last.
@@michellevesque2130 he’s not the only one that thinks Subaru’s are less to maintain: so does Consumer Reports. Toyota helped iron out a lot of the engineering glitches on Subaru’s motors, which were really issues of cost cutting. The GTI is a rolling example of cost cutting, from the 1990’s Chevy Cavalier plastics to the capacitive touch pads all over the interior. Any motor you race will be expensive to maintain, but the Subaru drives the correct wheels and doesn’t have all the problems that come with a turbo bolted to a direct injection motor. Worst case, you need to pull the motor for repair. The BRZ is much easier to get at in this scenario: you drop the subframe after disconnecting the driveshaft. I’d pick the boxer any day over the very sensibly-styled jar of rolling sauerkraut.
as a prior GTI owner 2016 and 2021 MK7's, I am not a fan of this new style. The front with those honeycomb lights-EW. The rear looks like a Tiguan-bleh. And that interior-VW's electric gremlins will have a field day. I'm sure it still drives like a hoot but the total package for me just isn't there anymore.
