Since the GTI is the official car of oppo for 2019, I figured I should go look at one

"E90M3" (e90m3)
03/02/2019 at 13:42 • Filed to: unnecessary car shopping with E90M3

I was about to say I’ve never driven one of these before; however, there is a slight caveat to that. I have driven an Audi A3, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , which is based on the same platform as the the GTI. Since they’re not technically the same and I figured I should experience it on the side of the road I’m more comfortable with driving on.

Before we get to the test drive, we have to get the car started. When the salesman comes back with the key I get in the car, put the clutch in and put my foot on the brake and hit the start button. Nothing. Keep trying, still nothing. That’s when I notice nothing is work, not the map lights, nothing. Well, the salesman then goes to get a jump pack. Put that on the car and it fires right up.

As soon as I started driving, I started to have flashbacks to the A3. Now, this is not bad thing as after over 700 miles, I really liked the A3. So much so, I had my picture taken with it.

The clutch in the GTI was really light, in fact, I remember when I got back in my 328i after I got back to the US the clutch felt super heavy. Normally, I’m not a fan of really light clutches as it can be hard to find the bite point. I didn’t really find that to be the case, I felt like I was able to feel the bite point. Maybe it’s because I’ve been driving a manual car for the past 4.5 years or maybe it’s the car. I know last time I drove my friends Civic Si I didn’t really feel a bite point. Basically I said all of that to say that this would be more livable in traffic than either of my cars. Sitting in heavy traffic in either of my cars can be antagonizing, but this still had the feel with the lightness.

I also did find myself short shifting. I have a propensity to get to the highest gear possible as fast as I can. This isn’t really ever a problem in the M3 as the V8 has enough torque so I can be doing 45 in sixth and mash it and still make it move without having to change gear. There was a time that I probably should have left it in first for just an extra second or two, the engine started to bog down when I changed into second.

There is a short twisty roads near the dealers in Greenville, so that’s where I took the GTI. I didn’t really push it hard, I didn’t want to either crash it or scare the salesman. Steering felt communicative, not as much as in my BMWs with hydraulic steering. I will say it was a little strange to drive a car with a red line at only 6k. I did rev it out and it does pull hard, only thing I learned was that my V8 with an 8300 RPM red line has spoiled me. I would have to drive them back to back to really tell, but it felt slightly faster than my 328i.

I didn’t really poke about the interior, but it seemed to be well equipped. Believe it had Apple car play, as asinine as you might think this is, one reason I would get a newer car is to get car play. It also had heated seats, even if they weren’t full electric, but I think they were leather.

Would not have specced it like that, I would prefer the plaid cloth. Even if it is a well known thing, I still find the gear knob shaped like a golf ball to humorous.

I also quite like the color, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I would like it more if it was a darker green, but I’m happy that VW at least offers a green.

If I was serious about ditching the 3, this would be on my short list for sure. I like the fact that it’s manual and green; I don’t care if the DSG is “better” I don’t want one.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (29)

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 13:45

You were short shifting, it will go over 7k.

Nibby > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 13:45

if you ditch the 3 replace it with a camry XSE

E90M3 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/02/2019 at 13:46

Kinja'd!!!

Had to look at the dash again, it was my unfamiliarity with the way the red line works. I thought it was a hard red line at 6k.

E90M3 > Nibby
03/02/2019 at 13:47

Just checked my license, my name didn’t suddenly change to Nibby so I think I’m going to have to pass.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 13:48

It doesn’t really make much power over 6500, but it does go to like 7250. I don’t really know why it does, but for modern turbo 2.0, it revs quite high.

Svend > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 13:49

If the VW Golf GTi is the official car of OPPO for 2019.

What is mine?

Same platform, same gearbox, smaller engine, larger car.

It’s can’t be it’s nemesis because it’s not totally different.

E90M3 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/02/2019 at 13:52

That’s fair. I didn’t really want to bounce it off the red line on a test drive, I just saw red and assumed that was the end. T he N54/N55 have the same red line as the N52, which is right above 7k, so this isn’t out of the wheelhouse for modern turbo engines, even if most are out of steam before then.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 13:59

nooo dont dooo it!

didnt you see the post this morning

vw are eeeeeviiiiiil and you must never buy them coz they cause diseasels and kick puppies

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/02/2019 at 14:02

Most modern turbos rev very high. GM LTG is rated 7000 factory, but it’s actually good to 7500 without rebalance. Less thrown weight means higher RPMs. Getting V6 s and V8s up to 7k at scale is a very expensive thing.

E90M3 > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
03/02/2019 at 14:02

Yeah, and Mercedes and BMW used slave labor during WWII.

LongbowMkII > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 14:04

Ford did as well. Henry also got the highest civilian honor from Nazis. Hooray.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 14:05

ohmygaaaawd! better not buy any of those either then

ill just buy a mitsubishi... they’ve never done anything bad :p

LongbowMkII > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
03/02/2019 at 14:07

Most don’t rev high as there’s no need with the torque from the turbo.

VW Max > Svend
03/02/2019 at 14:11

Your car is just a long Golf then

Svend > VW Max
03/02/2019 at 14:18

A Golf-father!?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > LongbowMkII
03/02/2019 at 14:19

And the turbos are very small, and lose all of their efficiency above 6k.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > LongbowMkII
03/02/2019 at 14:20

No, they do need to rev high. I mean, really, how much boost do you think these things have? 14psi? HAHAHAHAHA HELL NO.

The LTG makes peak torque of 295ft/lbs at 3000RPM but doesn’t make peak power of 272HP until 5500RPM. Looks like this:

Kinja'd!!!

That’s the ATS version, which is detuned on the torque side for some insane reason. SIDI + boost gives it that flat torque, but it’s boosting all the way to 28 freaking pounds when it’s at 5500RPM. You need a TON of RPM to drive a turbo to 28psi.

Nibby > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 14:29

wow your loss

LongbowMkII > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
03/02/2019 at 14:38

And it redlines at 6k. I don’t think I’ve driven a 4cyl with a that low of a rev limit. Or any engine short of a big block, oh and the 90’s lt-1 apparently tops out at only 5800

FSI > Svend
03/02/2019 at 15:59

I drive the older four ring Golf. What’s that then;)?

Svend > FSI
03/02/2019 at 16:44

The more affluent brother to the Golf I guess because they are more expensive than VWs.

Ash78, voting early and often > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 17:18

LOL, basically my exact reply from this morning.

And Henry Ford was a MASSIVE racist and anti-Semite with friends in high places, but you hardly hear about any of that...

Ash78, voting early and often > LongbowMkII
03/02/2019 at 17:18

You beat me to the Henry Ford comment, well done. People need to learn. Evil is all around, often hiding in plain sight.

Ash78, voting early and often > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
03/02/2019 at 17:19

Mitsubishi has done ZERO things wrong. They’re like a beautiful Sunday morning in Hawaii!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Ash78, voting early and often
03/02/2019 at 17:23

heheheehhehehehehe :D

WilliamsSW > Ash78, voting early and often
03/02/2019 at 17:25

Go check out Ford’s dealings in Argentina. As bad as Germany but a lot more recent.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > E90M3
03/02/2019 at 17:39

I drove a Mk7 GTI that I rented on Turo about a month before I ended up buying my STi instead. I’m happy with my decision but I could also definitely see why people love the GTI. Both cars are very similar in some regards but then end up going in very different directions overall. The GTI is wayyyy more refined, gets better g as mileage, the interior is an actual interior, and being a hatch instead of a sedan gives it so many bonus points. But what really sold me on the STi is that it actually looks exciting and is faster and has more character. The Subaru felt like a cobbled together tin can in comparison to a refined German pseudo luxury car. But it pulled at my heart strings more and so practicality got thrown out the window. More importantly, VW has not proven to be any more reliable than Subaru anyways, especially since I would have been looking at older mk6. New for new, I’d probably get a Golf R over a new STi hands down. But if I could give up AWD I’d for sure be cross shopping GTI, Focus ST, and maybe a Mazdaspeed3. But I like my STi and I’d only get rid of it if I was spending thousands in maintaining it. So speed3 would only make that predicament worse haha. For now I’m happy as can be though.

duurtlang > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/02/2019 at 19:37

That VW redline is lower than in my 1996 2.0L turbo engine , and that’s a 2 valves per cylinder engine even . From a minivan.

Here’s a picture of the instruments . I parted that Lancia Zeta out, and swapped the engine into a 1987 Peugeot 205.

Kinja'd!!!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > duurtlang
03/02/2019 at 19:39

It’s 7250 with a modern turbo, it doesn’t need to rev that high. It makes peak torque at 1500 rpm.