Golf GTI (MK7), answer to every question?
Discussion
With a change of job earlier in the year and a loss of the company car I decided it was time to get a more interesting daily after years of fairly dull company cars.
The MK7 Fiesta ST is fun, fast and all the things the reports have said, but comfort is not one of them. The seat bolsters are simply too tight and the whole driving position is wrong – and I’m best described as lanky, so it’s not as a result of too many pies!
I’m struggling to think what to replace it with, whilst I have other cars for the fun stuff I still want something I can have some fun in on the daily 25 mile commute and other domestic stuff. Having had a MK7 Golf and done 90k in them I know that whilst a little dull they’re great at just being a car, so the question is, is the MK7 GTI the ‘perfect’ car? (preferably in manual performance pack spec).
I’d especially appreciate answers from those with experience of them, and those who’ve had a R too.
Cheers
The MK7 Fiesta ST is fun, fast and all the things the reports have said, but comfort is not one of them. The seat bolsters are simply too tight and the whole driving position is wrong – and I’m best described as lanky, so it’s not as a result of too many pies!
I’m struggling to think what to replace it with, whilst I have other cars for the fun stuff I still want something I can have some fun in on the daily 25 mile commute and other domestic stuff. Having had a MK7 Golf and done 90k in them I know that whilst a little dull they’re great at just being a car, so the question is, is the MK7 GTI the ‘perfect’ car? (preferably in manual performance pack spec).
I’d especially appreciate answers from those with experience of them, and those who’ve had a R too.
Cheers
My last Golf GTis were mk 2s back in the 80s I'm afraid and the last Golf I drove was a bog standard 1.6, hired to go and collect a Skoda Octavia Scout at the other end of the country. The Golf was a sweet drive, much better than the Scout I drove back home. Sickening. I think it was Clarkson who said that a Golf is all you need. I think he said " If you need a hatchback, get a golf, if you need more space get a golf estate, if you need performance, get a golf gti.
I'm looking for a car myself and a Golf is definitely on my shortlist
I'm looking for a car myself and a Golf is definitely on my shortlist
Whilst I haven't owned one, I have driven one. I agree that the Golf GTI is a great all-rounder, I have considered getting one on many occasions but now I've decided I'm done with leases I'm off to go get something a little more different. Although I am a big manual advocate (only my daily A4 is auto), I strangely found the DSG very fun, maybe it was just because it was something new to me.
In regards to the GTI vs R, I have driven both of these back to back and would always choose the GTI (even if it cost more than the R), I am in no doubts that the R was the 'better' car, it was much faster, it had far more grip, it was better spec, in every conceivable way it was 'better', yet it was no where near as fun as the GTI for me! The GTI was a hoot to drive that made you smile as you put it on the limit, the R however was too good and left me feeling cold, I couldn't put it at it's limit without being at speeds that are too fast for just having fun on country backroads.
In regards to the GTI vs R, I have driven both of these back to back and would always choose the GTI (even if it cost more than the R), I am in no doubts that the R was the 'better' car, it was much faster, it had far more grip, it was better spec, in every conceivable way it was 'better', yet it was no where near as fun as the GTI for me! The GTI was a hoot to drive that made you smile as you put it on the limit, the R however was too good and left me feeling cold, I couldn't put it at it's limit without being at speeds that are too fast for just having fun on country backroads.
acme said:
In some respects I'd agree, thing is I've realised for a daily I do need something more comfortable, more of an all rounder. I'm not sure the RS is that, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.
Try a Cup car if that's to stiff then go for a non Cup Car it's still a better steer than the Golf, I'd say test drive them & you may well find a Megane RS outside your house. 
If you have other cars for pure fun stuff then I can’t see how you can go wrong with the GTI as a daily. It’s good at pretty much everything and probably why it gets the dull label thrown around. For a daily commuter it’s more economical, more comfortable and has a nicer interior than the so called “drivers” hot hatch’s that get suggested. And it’s not as if you can’t have good fun in it even in DSG form - the chassis is pretty sweet in its own right.
I went for a test drive in a golf gti and a r Mark 7 and the gti, despite being “worse” on paper the gti felt the better car. But I didn’t buy one because it didn’t excite me as I thought it would and I didn’t want to wrap £30k up.
Instead i bought a very low miles unmolested mark 5 from a fellow PH member. Spent a few grand bringing it back to a near new condition, stuck in CarPlay etc. And I love it. For less than £9k I have a fun, iconic car that does everything. The dsg / turbo is very different to my other cars but as a daily it is perfect and it looks great.
Instead i bought a very low miles unmolested mark 5 from a fellow PH member. Spent a few grand bringing it back to a near new condition, stuck in CarPlay etc. And I love it. For less than £9k I have a fun, iconic car that does everything. The dsg / turbo is very different to my other cars but as a daily it is perfect and it looks great.
I was killed no of thinking along similar lines to you when I opted out of my company car scheme; on paper the Golf looked perfect; looks good, cabin looks lovely with the digital dash, decent interior space etc. The R and the TCR were both an option.
However when I drove them and looked at them in more detail, they left me cold; I just didn’t want either. Which was odd, because I’ve driven a colleague’s GTE loads and love it. I ended up buying a 140 which is a bit compromised in terms of interior space, no lovely digital dash etc but I love it.
However when I drove them and looked at them in more detail, they left me cold; I just didn’t want either. Which was odd, because I’ve driven a colleague’s GTE loads and love it. I ended up buying a 140 which is a bit compromised in terms of interior space, no lovely digital dash etc but I love it.
One leftfield option that I revisited recently is the (for a few clients) MK2 Astra VXR & found it very comfortable (the suspension is around GTI firm) the seats are fantastic & it's still fun, it will do everything with ease when you're not on it, the dash isn't as nice but it's not the same money either.
I'm on my 3rd currently. It's such a good car and very polished all round. It can do everything. It's fast, comfortable, practical, good on fuel and it's also a nice "thing" if you know what I mean.
For pure out and out fun, there are better cars out there. I don't go out on a Sunday for a drive for the sheer hell of it for example. But a GTI just does the daily stuff so well whilst making those daily miles feel "special" in a good way too.
For pure out and out fun, there are better cars out there. I don't go out on a Sunday for a drive for the sheer hell of it for example. But a GTI just does the daily stuff so well whilst making those daily miles feel "special" in a good way too.
NAS said:
I'm on my 3rd currently. It's such a good car and very polished all round. It can do everything. It's fast, comfortable, practical, good on fuel and it's also a nice "thing" if you know what I mean.
For pure out and out fun, there are better cars out there. I don't go out on a Sunday for a drive for the sheer hell of it for example. But a GTI just does the daily stuff so well whilst making those daily miles feel "special" in a good way too.
Cheers for all the replies fellas.For pure out and out fun, there are better cars out there. I don't go out on a Sunday for a drive for the sheer hell of it for example. But a GTI just does the daily stuff so well whilst making those daily miles feel "special" in a good way too.
This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for.
My slight concern is whether I'll find it too dull - one of the reasons I bought the FST was that seeing the nice stuff wrapped up in the garage is a little frustrating when you're hoping into the daily, even on a grotty day. With some good roads on my doorstep it's a crime not to be able to enjoy even when dong domestic chores if the space and safety allows.
Having owned a MK6 for a few years this thread seems to back up my thinking that I can't see beyond moving to the MK7 next rather than looking elsewhere.
A mechanic at my preferred independent reckoned the MK7 being a good move on from the MK6.
Just good at being
- a solid comfy car/nice place to be
- fast when you want
- not in your face
- reasonable thirst
A mechanic at my preferred independent reckoned the MK7 being a good move on from the MK6.
Just good at being
- a solid comfy car/nice place to be
- fast when you want
- not in your face
- reasonable thirst
I had a Mk7 R for 2 years. Commuted 30 miles in it each way every day. It definitely is a fantastic do everything car but it's never a car that I found particularly fun or exciting beyond the occasional full bore acceleration run (novelty of that wore off in the first month). It was a car that I never wanted to drive just for the sake of it and I think if I'd had an other car that did the fun stuff at the time I'd have resented paying the premium to fuel a car that only every commuted in traffic.
I test drove a new Megane RS with the cup package. Felt more exciting and connected than the golf but it would have got on my tits on a daily basis. I also felt I probably wouldn't ever drive it just for the sake of it.
I test drove a new Megane RS with the cup package. Felt more exciting and connected than the golf but it would have got on my tits on a daily basis. I also felt I probably wouldn't ever drive it just for the sake of it.
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