Oppo, thoughts on a MK7.5 Golf GTI?

"Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)" (roadsterzach)
06/18/2019 at 17:38 • Filed to: None

So, due to a various mixture of health/financial/b ank stupidity reasons, we’re looking to trade in our ND on a newer car. While the Civic Si and Corolla Hatch are top of the list, I’ve thought about looking at the GTI as well. Looking for a 2015-2017, as we’d prefer the two door over the four door. It seems like there is a decent amount of GTI owners on here, so I’d appreciate the feedback.

Doesn’t help that Volkswagen changed every trim and what it includes each year between 2015-2018, which is beyond frustrating in trying to find something that has what we want without too many extras.

My main concern though is reliability in general, major issues to look out for, etc. Also a big concern is just daily driving fun - as even in mild traffic the ND tends to have a entertaining and lively personality that keeps the better half happy while commuting to work - hoping the GTI would have that same feeling.

DISCUSSION (32)

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 18:05

Spare yourself the endless dealership trips and headaches.

Just get the Civic Si or Sport.

Sincerely,

a VW owner and former brand enthusiast

412GTI > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 18:06

I’ve had my GTI coming up on three years in September. It’s has a great mix of driving refinement and hot hatch fun. I find the low rpm torque shove quite enjoyable coming from an older Civic Si.

Now is it as entertaining/enjoyable as a ND? I’m going to have to say no. The GTI is very good because it offers a nice balance of refinement and fun that other competitors don’t offer. However, sometimes that means some regular drives are very, well, regular. I don’t get in and grin every time I drive my car unless I’m really getting on the power or chucking it into a corner. It’s a compromise I liked as a daily, but might be different coming from a roadster. Also, my experience is with a DSG transmission. The manual might be more fun, but I only driven a few on test drives.

Reliability is a mixed bag. The MK7 generally doesn’t have a whole bunch of issues, but can have some. Oppo’s Jordan’s was a lemon for example. The new VW warranty (7 yrs, 72k) does help with that. I haven’t had a single problem yet but I’m only at 18k.

Hope that helps and other GTI owners can chime in :D

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 18:10

I have 45k miles on my 2016 Autobahn PP with DSG GTI . I have written detailed thoughts before . The thoughts all still are valid, although the sunroof squeak has gone away (I never let the dealer do the sunroof TSB fix , which seems to have been a good choice).

It can be a simple commuter if I want it to be, but still enjoyable . Then , in my case, I periodically bump the DSG to sport mode, put the suspension on the Sport setting and carve a few corners , pass a few people, and it’s great fun .

Fuel economy for the life of the car is just above 29 MPG including seriously lead-footed autocross and high-revving Tail of the Dragon excursions.

I’m still quite happy with my purchase, and despite my wandering eye I’m expecting to keep it for quite a while.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 18:26

Laguna Seca! I am going there next Friday. I am so excite!!!

Theres absolutely no way a Civic or Corolla could begin to replace the joy of a Miata. But a GTI is definitely fun enough to at least keep the fun idea alive. I wouldnt want a GTI completely stock, but with some mods I would surely love it. It still wouldnt replace a Miata but given the alternatives, I guess it will do. Alternatively, Idk how any of that is “newer” than an ND. Even if its a launch edition with 100k on it, thats still a “new” car to me. I’d say just keep the ND unless a back seat is so necessary that an occasional rental to fill the need wouldnt work.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 19:01

Just make sure you have a good dealer.

-Former Mk7.5 owner.

Regulus > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 19:03

One thing to keep in mind is the 6 year/72,000 mi warranty is only for 2018+ model year GTIs . The older models have a 3 year/36,000 mi warranty .

P5guy now GTIguy > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 19:05

Currently have a 7.5 I love mine. No major issues but I'm at like 8k miles. I waited for an 18 to get the 6yr 72K warranty specifically. I think the GTI and Miata are decently comparable, I would have bought an ND if I didn't need to have a backseat.

OmerCarrothers333 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
06/18/2019 at 20:17

or a good independent shop.

keep an eye (or ear) on the timing chain.

-current Mk6 owner

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > OmerCarrothers333
06/18/2019 at 20:49

A 7.5 is under warranty likely. I found a good indy, but that didn’t help with warranty repairs.

Funktheduck > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 21:09

Have you considered a mazda3? Not as powerful as a GTI but has character. I’ve got 180k miles on my 2015 and I’ve only replaced a front wheel bearing and the clutch master cylinder. Rest has been routine.

Milky > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 21:44

:( ... even the photo you picked has the miata in front.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/18/2019 at 23:14

Posting so can elaborate more tomorrow.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > OmerCarrothers333
06/18/2019 at 23:59

Yes. My ‘ 13 just died of timing chain itis. At 88k. I signed it over to quad cities VW. Car shopping begins tomorrow!!

Kc1980 > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 02:56

My mk 7 is the best car i have owned thus far. Yes a G ti is a german car, and will require maintenance like all german cars do. With that said, its pound for pound the best car in the world.

No other car offers its blend of performance, economy, refinement, interior quality, and practicality for the money..... . NONE! Not to mention the clean conservative styling that always ages well, and is never out of place in any situation(looking at you civic...yuck) . Everyone generally loves and respects the gti for what it is, and for not pretending to be what its not. Its an icon of the automotive industry, i constantly got compliments and questions and smiles with both Gti’s i have owned.

Coming from a mk 6 gti i tried to find a car that embodied all those attributes better than a gti, and just couldn’t....so i ended up with another GTI. There are zero automotive outlets that dont constantly sing its praises and thats for a reason. Its great fun to drive, and i look forward to getting in every time. Blast around some curvy roads, slive through traffic like a scalple, then go homdepot and transport all kinds of shit in the generous cargo area of the hatch(with seats down especially).

Candy red is the best color for the mk7 in my opinion...and definitely a 2 door. It just pops far more than the other colors, and ads a splash o f fun to the mix. Yes thats what i have....i am biased. Dsg for the transmission is better than the stick in my opinion. Faster, multiple modes, still fun to shift, better in traffic.

Done.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Funktheduck
06/19/2019 at 08:25

As one who owns both a 2014 Mazda3 2.5L and a 2016 GTI, the Mazda is quite good, but it isn’t as fun as the GTI, for sure.

Justino6969 > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 09:27

I have a 2018 GTI SE DSG w/ leather , and would be happy to answer any questions you have.

I only have 13k miles on it, but they have all been great. I got it in white and was OTD at $28k. Can’t speak of reliability yet, but the long warranty does help. Though I had a 2001 Jetta 1.8T that I took to 230k miles and never had a single mechanical issue (several electrical, though they never impacted drive ability), so maybe I’m just lucky .

First, the shift speed of the DSG still amazes me sometimes. Even in automatic mode, it shifts quickly and smoothly, and always feels like it’s in the right gear. I wouldn’t change a thing about the gearbox.

The ride is relatively smooth, but of course the suspension is on the sport side, so it’s no Cadillac, but great compared to my truck.

The interior is well thought out, everything seems to be in the right place. I’m on the heavier side, but the bolsters in the seat are still great placement and firmness wise.

It’s got great low-end torque, more then enough for any city driving. Definitely gets out of it’s own way, and is in the sweet-spot for a daily power-wise, in my opinion.

Three things I don’t like: The auto-start stop is annoying. You can turn it off with a button by the shifter, but it resets every time you turn off the vehicle. So, I bought an OBDeleven ($80) , and it let me disable it, so that’s great. The ODBeleven also let me change a few other things that are nice, such as disable the passenger seatbelt alarm for when the dog is sitting there, disable the settings screen lock-out when moving so that I can change audio settings (like bass level) while driving, and change the center cluster screen to a different background (there are a few pre-set ones), and disable the Soundaktor (the fake engine noise thing). Speaking of engine noise, it has a nice bass-y tone when under load at low rpms that sounds quite nice, especially with the windows down. That combined with the DSG ‘farts’ under WOT, is perfect. Second thing I don’t like, the stock brakes stop the car wonderfully (SE trim comes with Golf R brakes), but the front pads make way too much dust. The front wheels are almost always dirty, which is annoying. Third, the tires are too low-profile. 225/45-18 are too small. This winter was horrible with potholes, and I had to replace 2 tires due to sidewall bubbles after hitting big holes . Discount tires lets you buy their replacement certs even on a new car, so I onl y paid $20 each replacement plus $80 initially to buy the certs, so not bad, but still annoying.

Besides that, it’s a great all-around car. I highly recommend it. Tame when you want it to be, fast when you want it to be, fun when you want it to be. It can cruise down the highway getting great fuel economy (~25 miles to work, and a couple morning ago I averaged 39 mpg), or it can pull some serious g’s around the corners and throw you back in your seat upon exit .

Let me know if you have any questions!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 09:57

I have a 2016 SE 6MT with the Performance Package and the plaid cloth seats. I have almost zero complaints about it. The Fender audio system is fantastic. The GTI is compliant and comfortable when you get stuck commuting or have to travel long stretches on the highway.

When you want to have fun it is also an absolute blast to drive hard. I’ve had mine on track at Mid Ohio and I was astounded how poised and composed it was with only summer tires being different from stock. I do have a few other mods, but none would affect handling on track.

I do wish for more feeling around town though. Driving safely at city speeds is a bit numb, as the car’s limits are much higher. My previous DD was an SVT Focus, which was lithe and lively and truly sublime to drive even around town. So I think an upgraded rear sway bar is in my future to try and improve corner rotation at lower speeds and make the car a bit more willing to turn around town.

I only have 25k miles on mine, but haven’t had much in the way of issues. The build quality of the US cars built in Mexico is perhaps suspect. I’ve had excessive interior moisture in mine since day 1, at time getting so bad that I have ice on the inside of my windows when the outside temps drop low enough. VW seems to think that is ‘normal.’ I never had the time to find a competent dealer to have it resolved. They did do something regarding a recall on the sunroof in my car at the seems to have helped a bit.

I’d be happy to answer anything else you have questions about.

milkywhitemk6 > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 10:00

Im a big vw fan, but my th oughts have changed recently. I have a 16 golf r with 31k miles and my headunit stopped working. Vw won’t fix and a new unit is $1000. I’d gladly put in aftermarket, but that would mean no dcc adjustment.

Im told on the phone from vw corporate the fix is free. I’ve waited two weeks and all I get is a call and I owe $400.

Ive owned 7 vws in the past 10 years.

I think I’ll try Mazda or subauru next.

DanTheMan > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 11:03

So, you can basically take anything prior to the mk7 as being almost irrelevant information. The mk7 is entirely different and had a new development team compared to the mk6. Part of the goal with the mk7 was to take certain required parts and fit them to the tcr race car class, and at its heart you have the dsg and the engine as standard parts that are shared.

I have a “stage 2" tuned gti that I bought used (autobahn + performance pack + dcc) with 14k miles on it, and it now has better brake pads, fluids, wheels, tires, springs, top mounts, and a track alignment. For the last 16k miles, approximately 2500 miles have been on track, at the limit. I mostly run at the same pace as corvettes, mustang gt, and similar v8 cars. No miata can really keep up with me on a fast track, but on a tight one they do have a chance. The point: I beat on it on track pretty hard, and it’s still running.

If you get a dsg (good for traffic and actually fun on track only if tuned), the tune is almost mandatory for any high performance driving. If you get the manual, and you tune the engine, you’ll replace the clutch immediately. Disabling traction control entirely also requires getting a little obd11 (yes eleven) dongle, or the vagcom, but it also allows you to turn up the diff pressure to the clubsport s setting, and it grabs like a whole new animal.

It’s a good car, and fairly reliable from what I’ve seen and done with it. It needs an alignment and some decent tires right out of the gate, but as soon as you have those two components it’s low turbo threshold (compared to the golf r, wrx, sti, and similar) and the diff basically kill all understeer inherent to fwd or awd vehicles. The interior is definitely superior to anything else in the category as well.

My biggest frustrations with it so far have been a loose spot weld by the sunroof (sunroof issues happen everywhere), and my need to make my toolbox more German. You need a variety of torx, triple square, Allen, and crows foot wrenches and bits in metric sizes that are often difficult to find to work on the car successfully. The dsg auto kick up and down “feature” when you’re in manual shift mode is frustrating, but a tune disables that. Dsg service interval is 40k miles, as is the diff (but most dealers don’t recognize the diff service in America for some reason, so you have to specify you want it), oil interval is 10k, and everything else is pretty standard. Like all German cars, proper maintenance is key, including cleaning your vehicle and lubing the rubber (like the door seals).

I’ve had numerous performance vehicles, and I could have afforded a cayman, but I chose the gti for practicality and CHEAP consumables for track use. It has served my needs very well so far, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything currently, even an ND.

Last minute edit: go for the 2017 sport version for best bang for buck! You get the fun plaid seats, heated seats, android auto/acp, performance brakes, performance diff, more unique wheels, better headlights, slightly better performance numbers, and it came in a very pretty dark blue color. The dcc is a pita i f you want to move to new dampeners or a coilover suspension, so I'd skip it unless the car will stay 100% stock.

Future ND Owner > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 11:21

Check out the Focus ST as well. Same size as the GTI, less maintenance , less money, slightly less refined . I’ve been happy with my 20 14 ST3.

TrickJos > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 12:28

I have a 2017, 4 door, manual, S. I bought it used in October 2018 with 16,000 miles . It is super practical and it actually makes me look forward to my commute.

Driving this car is a blast. The chassis is eager to change direction the engine delivers a nice punch. It makes working through city traffic easy and merging onto the highway effortless.

The practicality of the car has exceeded what I expected. I have a small trailer and assumed I would need to get a hitch on the car quickly, but I really haven’t needed it . So far I have hauled home a new grill (in the box), top soil , fertilizer, and assorted plants. My wife is a nanny for twin toddlers and she sometimes borrows the GTI when she takes them to the library or the park. Two car seats fit just fine.

Kinja'd!!!

Based on the research I did before purchasing, the MkVII seems to be more reliable than previous generations . I’ve heard of sunroof squeaks and leaks, but I believe there are fixes for both. I avoided the sunroof on purpose so I wouldn’t have to worry about it. I do worry about the backup camera mechanism. The VW badge flips up and out pops the camera. It i s kinda quirky and fun, but I have a feeling its going to cost me some money to fix down the road.

I’m now at about 23,000 miles and everything seems brand new still. No rattles, squeaks, or signs of wear. The interior quality is miles ahead of any other non-luxury car I have been in recently.

The only option my car doesn’t have that I wish it did is the lighting package. The standard headlights are just okay.

The one thing that annoys me about the car is filling it with oil. You can’t just sit a funnel in the hole like any other car. There is some sort of baffle that prevents the funnel from sitting in the hole. I do all my own maintenance and this is a huge pain in the butt.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 13:19

What are the features you absolutely need? and want?

Funktheduck > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
06/19/2019 at 13:44

I’m sure. Power and size difference. GTI is shorter, or at least looks that way when one parked next to me yesterday. I’m fine with my 2.0 until I drive a more powerful car and realize what I’m missing.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > MiniGTI - now with XJ6
06/19/2019 at 13:49

that’s barely 6 years old ... wtf

KingAndrew > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/19/2019 at 15:08

I’ve got a 2017 GTI sport and in my opinion it’s the pack with the best options. It comes with an LSD, the brakes from the R, stiffer sway bars, a few extra horsepower, the classic pattern cloth seats and a manual. It doesn’t have any of the self driving features like blind spot warnings or parking sensors, but I’m my experience you don’t miss them, the backup camera’s great and visibility is too. No sun roof or premium audio, which would be nice though. The car drives great, and since I put summer tires there isn’t a backroad that phases it, it’s a blast! Just know that the next year’s models incorporate some of these performance upgrades as standard and have an updated infotainment and a slight refresh, but of course cost more. If you go with a GTI I’d be surprised if you are disappointed!

OmerCarrothers333 > MiniGTI - now with XJ6
06/19/2019 at 19:10

I don’t know why you wouldn’t just have the timing chain and the tensioners fixed, versus getting a whole new car?

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > OmerCarrothers333
06/19/2019 at 19:12

When you get to the fifth multi-thousand dollar repair on a car that new one tends to question the wisdom of keeping it.

OmerCarrothers333 > MiniGTI - now with XJ6
06/19/2019 at 21:37

fair point.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Funktheduck
06/19/2019 at 22:08

Wow glad to hear they’re still doing such good work. My 2006 Mazda3 made it to about 120k with nothing but oil brakes and tires. Would have kept it but that first gen rust started.

sfseals > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
06/20/2019 at 07:53

2 door GTIs were phased out early in the 2017 model year, and they were already rare by 2016, as they were order- only in S and SE trim starting that year . ( The Autobahn top trim has never been offered as such) . So most of the MK7 2 doors you will find will be 201 5 base models.

If you can find one in 2 door guise , which again won’t be easy, I do recommend a 2016 or newer model , as there was a major revamp to the infotainment system which rolled out a larger 6.5 high resolution display, and carplay/android auto. You also get a back up camera standard.

Good luck!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
07/08/2019 at 14:58

+1 on the Si. VW alumni here, although they're better than they used to be.

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Z (ND + Cancer Fighter)
12/31/2019 at 22:44

Hey man. Haven't heard from you in a while. Hope all is well, happy new year. We all miss you here :(