Golf GTI or GTD? Which one would you have?

[BertyFish]

Jeez jazy, I can say 100% it's an average, it's only the 140hp engine but still not bad I was thinking.

Edit- I see you have an ST3 makes sense it's got your back up

Edited by BertyFish on Friday 31st July 19:24

Edited by BertyFish on Friday 31st July 19:25

[AC43]

I'd say GTI all the way - GTD only if your doing interstallar miles or are forced to by a company car policy.

[andrewparker]

Modern diesel cars don't smell of anything... Most of you lot sound like you drove a diesel car 20 years ago and are basing all your opinions on that. Yes, I'd choose petrol over diesel for a performance car, but in my experience most current diesel cars are very refined, very easy to drive, and don't smell at all.

[Benzo26]

it just has to be a GTI, it is a cracking car. The GTD just feels like selling for second best IMHO.

[Fastdruid]

andrewparker said:

Modern diesel cars don't smell of anything... Most of you lot sound like you drove a diesel car 20 years ago and are basing all your opinions on that. Yes, I'd choose petrol over diesel for a performance car, but in my experience most current diesel cars are very refined, very easy to drive, and don't smell at all.

What nonsense. The 2014 Golf TDI I drove last year did. As did the 2014 Rav4 2.0D. If you can't smell them go see a doctor because you've lost your sense of smell.

[gregf40]

Fastdruid said:

What nonsense. The 2014 Golf TDI I drove last year did. As did the 2014 Rav4 2.0D. If you can't smell them go see a doctor because you've lost your sense of smell.

What part of it 'smells'?

My son has a GTD and I've spent a lot of time in recently and have not noticed any smells...inside or out.

Are you sniffing the exhaust pipe when the engine is on?

[Lagerlout]

No way would I have bought a GTD in the past, and had a GTI on order, but after waiting 7 months told them to shove it. Year or so later the Wife needed a car so ordered her a GTD didn't drive it assuming it would be dull. Couldn't have been more wrong, great sounding engine, it revs, and you average 45mpg. Great car. I just wish it had the tartan seats!

[Blakewater]

What about the hybrid GTE as a left field choice?

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/golf-gti-vii/confi...

[EricE]

Blakewater said:

What about the hybrid GTE as a left field choice?

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/golf-gti-vii/confi...

I like the idea of that car, wish they would offer it with the larger 230PS 2.0 TSI and AWD but it would likely weight more than a contemporary Cayenne in that configuration.


The current production Golf GTE weighs 1599 kg! (GTI/GTD: 1370 kg, R: 1472 kg)

[AC43]

gregf40 said:

What part of it 'smells'?

My son has a GTD and I've spent a lot of time in recently and have not noticed any smells...inside or out.

Are you sniffing the exhaust pipe when the engine is on?

If your regular commute were a 10 mile cycle across London you'd soon find out. Lest week a 58 plate VW Caddy pulled out on me and had to boot it when he realised he'd mis-judged it. I got a faceful, mouthful and lungful of acrid sooty smoke. I could still taste it a mile later. They are a bit stinky at times.

[andrewparker]

We're talking about modern diesel cars, not an old van.

I'll say it again, I've never once experienced any smell from my car. The DPF removes any soot from the exhaust gases, so much so that I've only cleaned the exhaust tips once in 16 months and they're still sparkling.

[darren f]

All that jazz said:

Yeah, nearly 80mpg from a 1.4 tonne car with 181hp. Seems legit.

I've seen mid 60s mpg from my GT Sport 170 (the old less efficient PD engine) after 'zero-ing' after a fill up and joining a 50mph limited stretch of motorway. So mid / high 70s on a newer CR GTD isn't inconceivable. I will grant you you that in the photo supplied, he has used a quarter of a tank+, so here is no way the 79mpg is an average across the tank full, it has been 'mpg zero-d' at some point after filling up. Or it a snapshot of the 'real time' mpg reading, we're just guessing really aren't we?

Anyways back on topic. We are looking to change the aforementioned GT Sport and (like it or loath it) the Golf is an option again, it is just good at what it does, unspectacular,, but good. We do 13-14k a year, so on the cusp of GTi or GTD decision and choice zone. Much of my miles is M-way drags down to London, for which the D engine is so suited.

We tried a new GTD, a nice to sit and a pleasant drive, but you feel sooo detached from any driving experience (even more so than the old GT Sport), I'm thinking we ought to go back to try a GTi but would it really be much different? Even it it is, I'd then have to get over the huge psychological barrier of giving up 48-50 mpg motoring, in terms of performance v economy, the GTD is quite impressive. Aaaaargh, decisions, decisions!

Edited by darren f on Saturday 1st August 09:18

[Lagerlout]

If you didn't push it, it will feel like a comfy barge-like thing. But they reward when you really give it to them around a country lane for example, I'm always amazed by ours. It's a very complete car.

[anonymous-user]

andrewparker said:

We're talking about modern diesel cars, not an old van.

I'll say it again, I've never once experienced any smell from my car. The DPF removes any soot from the exhaust gases, so much so that I've only cleaned the exhaust tips once in 16 months and they're still sparkling.

As already said, try coming into London for a day. They stink. Good job they'll be banned soon.

[andrewparker]

St John Smythe said:

andrewparker said:

We're talking about modern diesel cars, not an old van.

I'll say it again, I've never once experienced any smell from my car. The DPF removes any soot from the exhaust gases, so much so that I've only cleaned the exhaust tips once in 16 months and they're still sparkling.

As already said, try coming into London for a day. They stink. Good job they'll be banned soon.

Yeah, I'll try saying it again, an old diesel car will stink, a modern DPF'd car won't. Why is that so hard to understand?

[andrewparker]

St John Smythe said:

Good job they'll be banned soon.

By the way, I think you're incredibly naive if you think that will actually happen!

[AC43]

andrewparker said:

We're talking about modern diesel cars, not an old van.

I'll say it again, I've never once experienced any smell from my car. The DPF removes any soot from the exhaust gases, so much so that I've only cleaned the exhaust tips once in 16 months and they're still sparkling.

I think we just have to agree to disagree. I had nearly new Merc E Class 250 CDI on loan for a few weeks last year. It stank when I fired it up. If I left the front door of the house open and there was a north wind it would make the house stink too.

I don't have that problem with either of my petrols.

Anyway, maybe yours is better, which is of course a good thing.

EDIT; perhaps the reason that the Merc chucked out the soot when I fired it up it that I was using in stop start London traffic, something for which it is patently not designed.

Edited by AC43 on Saturday 1st August 10:43

[All that jazz]

andrewparker said:

St John Smythe said:

Good job they'll be banned soon.

By the way, I think you're incredibly naive if you think that will actually happen!

£12.50 per day to enter London ULEZ from 2020 with <Euro 6 engine. It's on TFL site. Given how quick they banned Euro 4 trucks from the LEZ I wouldn't be at all surprised if they bring the ULEZ dates forward to satisfy the tree-huggers.

[andrewparker]

darren f said:

We tried a new GTD, a nice to sit and a pleasant drive, but you feel sooo detached from any driving experience...

To be honest, I've tried half a dozen MQB platform cars and they're all like that until you drive them hard, at which point they really come alive.

[andrewparker]

AC43 said:

andrewparker said:

We're talking about modern diesel cars, not an old van.

I'll say it again, I've never once experienced any smell from my car. The DPF removes any soot from the exhaust gases, so much so that I've only cleaned the exhaust tips once in 16 months and they're still sparkling.

I think we just have to agree to disagree. I had nearly new Merc E Class 250 CDI on loan for a few weeks last year. It stank when I fired it up. If I left the front door of the house open and there was a north wind it would make the house stink too.

I don't have that problem with either of my petrols.

Anyway, maybe yours is better, which is of course a good thing.

EDIT; perhaps the reason that the Merc chucked out the soot when I fired it up it that I was using in stop start London traffic, something for which it is patently not designed.

Edited by AC43 on Saturday 1st August 10:43

Yeah, you might be right. A close friend has an E250 CDI Coupe and likewise, I've never thought it smelled.

I don't want to come across all defensive of diesel cars, this is actually the first I've had and I'll be choosing a petrol hot hatch next, purely because I think they make a more enjoyable performance car. I just feel that some of the criticism levelled at them is unjustified. I tried one and happen to think the GTD is a very complete car (possibly more so than the GTIs I have owned).