Discussion
I’ve driven both the Golf GTI and the M135i xdrive recently, thoughts in no particular order:
- BMW feels significantly quicker than the basic Golf GTI (haven’t driven the ClubSport)... the Golf never felt more than brisk, and even in Sport seemed to have an annoying dead spot at the top of the throttle travel which made it feel like it had a lot of turbo lag when driven gently (but was probably emissions-related).
- BMW ride on 18”/non-adaptive dampers is better than the Golf on 19”/non-adaptive, which never really settled on the (admittedly fairly rough) roads I drove them both on.
- Golf DSG gearbox is probably better than the torque converter in the BMW, but the changes are so good that you really don’t notice that they’ve happened and it feels a bit videogame-esque. BMW adds a little shove in the back upon each change when in Sport, which while presumably just for effect at least let’s you know it’s shifted (I drove a recent BMW, and noted that some people have said the shove has been toned down since the early press cars)
- BMW interior is much, much nicer than the Golf - the VW touchscreen has had much written and said about it already, though while it’s definitely not great I don’t think it would be a deal-breaker for me. The cabin of the BMW, however, feels like it belongs to a different class of car altogether.
- both seemed to have fake exhaust noise pumped into the car, which seems unnecessary when that noise is (in both cases) a fairly nondescript 4 cylinder drone
Hope that helps, I didn’t buy either in the end but you’ll enjoy whichever you go for; I would be keen to see what the GTI ClubSport is like if the monthlies look competitive...
- BMW feels significantly quicker than the basic Golf GTI (haven’t driven the ClubSport)... the Golf never felt more than brisk, and even in Sport seemed to have an annoying dead spot at the top of the throttle travel which made it feel like it had a lot of turbo lag when driven gently (but was probably emissions-related).
- BMW ride on 18”/non-adaptive dampers is better than the Golf on 19”/non-adaptive, which never really settled on the (admittedly fairly rough) roads I drove them both on.
- Golf DSG gearbox is probably better than the torque converter in the BMW, but the changes are so good that you really don’t notice that they’ve happened and it feels a bit videogame-esque. BMW adds a little shove in the back upon each change when in Sport, which while presumably just for effect at least let’s you know it’s shifted (I drove a recent BMW, and noted that some people have said the shove has been toned down since the early press cars)
- BMW interior is much, much nicer than the Golf - the VW touchscreen has had much written and said about it already, though while it’s definitely not great I don’t think it would be a deal-breaker for me. The cabin of the BMW, however, feels like it belongs to a different class of car altogether.
- both seemed to have fake exhaust noise pumped into the car, which seems unnecessary when that noise is (in both cases) a fairly nondescript 4 cylinder drone
Hope that helps, I didn’t buy either in the end but you’ll enjoy whichever you go for; I would be keen to see what the GTI ClubSport is like if the monthlies look competitive...
valiant said:
Anyone know what the lead time is for a mk8 gti at the moment?
Order now and your looking around January at the earliest, but that’s not guaranteed. Dealer will say whatever you want to hear to get you to sign, but that’s the lead time in real terms.Also you may/ may not be aware of price rises on 3rd August so you want your order place and processed by the dealer before then.
clarky92 said:
valiant said:
Anyone know what the lead time is for a mk8 gti at the moment?
Order now and your looking around January at the earliest, but that’s not guaranteed. Dealer will say whatever you want to hear to get you to sign, but that’s the lead time in real terms.Also you may/ may not be aware of price rises on 3rd August so you want your order place and processed by the dealer before then.
Had a go in one of these over the weekend.
I just don't get it . Maybe it's a car to live with rather than spend a day with, but my god the Mk8 GTI is a world of Dull. Particularly did not like the droning engine note. I've driven a previous generation Golf R and it was fine on the motorway but this new model is a backward step i think. No joy in revving the engine out at all.
And that touchscreen is beyond awful, demands a ridiculous amount of attention on a smooth road to change some options on the go.
Glad it wasn't my car!
I just don't get it . Maybe it's a car to live with rather than spend a day with, but my god the Mk8 GTI is a world of Dull. Particularly did not like the droning engine note. I've driven a previous generation Golf R and it was fine on the motorway but this new model is a backward step i think. No joy in revving the engine out at all.
And that touchscreen is beyond awful, demands a ridiculous amount of attention on a smooth road to change some options on the go.
Glad it wasn't my car!
scoey1001 said:
If you can't get out and test drive one then 'Volkswizard' on youtube has one and there are lots of videos on his channel which might help you decide.
I really like Andrews videos, but do bare in mind, he is VERY VAG Group (specifically VW product) biased.....Nonetheless, I'd expect in back-to-back drives, you'd be quite disappointed with the Golf - but that's more because your comparing apples with oranges. The natural "comparison" for the GTI is actually the 128ti, no? i.e 245bhp Vs 261bhp, both FWD. (I believe, even in this case, the BMW is a better drive).
If your looking at 135's, then surely you want to be looking at the Golf 8R instead? Or if GTi's are your thing, a GTi Clubsport would be a better starting point, albeit still FWD.....
Gooner11 said:
I’ve got a new R and absolutely love it. Feels a big step up from the 7.5. Don’t worry about the touch controls they feel great after a few weeks and buttons feel extremely dated. Try and get a drive in and R before you commit.
+1 We've got the Formentor and much the same review. The way it get's down the road when your pressing on is quite remarkable.....and that's with a heavier & bulkier body than the Golf......
I think the Clubsport is the sweet spot in the range, unless 4wd is a must
I currently drive a 7.5 GTI performance waiting for a MK8 Clubsport to arrive
Weirdly I didn’t like the 8 GTI on the test drive and would rather have my 7.5 instead
But the clubsport was a different level, just the handling alone sold it for me to change up
I currently drive a 7.5 GTI performance waiting for a MK8 Clubsport to arrive
Weirdly I didn’t like the 8 GTI on the test drive and would rather have my 7.5 instead
But the clubsport was a different level, just the handling alone sold it for me to change up
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