Which VW GTI?

[Jader1973]

I’m looking for a car for my son. Plan is he’ll learn in it and then it will become his (although he doesn’t know that). Small hatches are a bit of a niche segment in Australia so the choice is a bit limited and we’ve ruled out everything except VW for various reasons.

Honda = CVT
Ford = no, just no.
Peugeot / Citroen = really low volume so hard to find.
Hyundai = don’t like them
Kia = don’t like them
Vauxhall = Holden = dead
Toyota = I just can’t
Mazda = the 3 is a car for women.

He wants to learn in an auto, so DCT for VW.

I’d have to get rid of one of my V8 toys so a GTI is an obvious choice

I checked insurance and with me as a named driver and him covered as a learner the annual cost is:
2020 Polo 85 TSI 3cyl 1 litre = $760
2019 Polo GTI = $820
2018 Golf GTI = $900

So it isn’t worth getting the 3 cylinder Polo given the tiny saving.

Obviously those jump when he passes his test but they are still not bad (about $2k a year for the Golf).

Polo would be newer / lower km (under 100k), Golf would be between 100 and 150k km.

So, the question is, Polo or Golf, and is there anything specific to look for?

I’m leaning towards a Golf (because it seems a bit more grown up) but I’m not sure of the differences between the 7 and the 7.5.

Polo has the (weird) advantage of a manual handbrake, which is a requirement if you want to use the car for the driving test (although he could use an instructor’s car, so no real issue).

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Its Just Adz]

If you're going Golf, I'd start by checking out this buying guide that PH did:

Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk7 | PH Used Buying Guide - PistonHeads UK https://share.google/YU8U2OUDvqS2SJ4GP

I have a 2016 Golf GTI, so MK7.
Common faults to check are water pump / thermostat leaking water. It seems to be a crap design so it's a case of it will need replacing at some point.
Drainpipe in bootlid perished over time
Rear bumper seals will probably need resealing, boot floor gets wet.

They are really brilliant cars. I hope you find a good one.

[Maxym]

Mk 7 is peak Golf GTI IMO. I had one for seven years and, apart from needing new discs at 2 years and 20,000 miles (go figure…) nothing required apart from routine servicing. Very well rounded car and a great drive.

[the-photographer]

Jader1973 said:

I m leaning towards a Golf (because it seems a bit more grown up) but I m not sure of the differences between the 7 and the 7.5.

MK 7.5 facelift Europe models

230 PS 6-speed DSG or 245 PS 7-speed DSG
Minor front end update with LED lights
Interior update with digital dash and new nav units

[Jader1973]

Thanks for the replies. I’ll have a look at that buyer’s guide.

I did a bit more checking and it looks like the Australian 7.5 came as the 6 speed with LED lights and a normal cluster, and a year later the 7 speed arrived with the digital cluster.

So basically it’s a choice between a 7, or a 7.5 which is basically a 7 with LEDs and some extra driver assist stuff.

Australia also got a GTI Original which is a 3 door. I thought they’d stopped 3 door GTIs decades ago!

[CSR Performance]

Mk7 / 7.5 as said above is peak Golf. Fantastic allround with very little not to like.

The 7.5 does look better and the bigger infotainment screen is nice. That said (certainly here in the UK) there are plenty of folks who can upgrade the smaller units on the 7. You can fit adults in the back too which is a lot more difficult in the Polo.

[aceofspades1]

I also find the MK7/7.5 to be the best Golf GTI.

Personally, I dislike the Mk8 design and interior and find the Mk6 to be lacking in the handling aspect where the Mk7 was a big improvement.

[Its Just Adz]

Jader1973 said:

Thanks for the replies. I ll have a look at that buyer s guide.

I did a bit more checking and it looks like the Australian 7.5 came as the 6 speed with LED lights and a normal cluster, and a year later the 7 speed arrived with the digital cluster.

So basically it s a choice between a 7, or a 7.5 which is basically a 7 with LEDs and some extra driver assist stuff.

Australia also got a GTI Original which is a 3 door. I thought they d stopped 3 door GTIs decades ago!

3 door manual is the one to have!

[Bearings]

ReDriven are based in Australia so this might be helpful?

Video review:
https://youtu.be/uWlJroGaFS0?si=1Fduq5YIedUudOAD

https://redriven.com/reviews/volkswagen/golf/used-...

I quite like the no-BS approach. They do overviews of older cars so it's interesting to see how some older models are faring up.

Edited by Bearings on Friday 20th February 13:31