2020 AW (Mk6) Polo GTI+
Discussion
After an unfortunate brush with a Renault Clio and a Citroen C1 as a first and second car respectively, I decided that my first graduate job post-uni called for a new car to mark the occasion. Enter the 2020 Polo GTI+ in white. GTI+ spec gives the 18" Brescia alloys and the LCD instrument cluster (VW call it the Active Info Display) as well as the LED headlights. Just under a year old at the time of purchase, it was an Approved Used car with 4500 miles on the clock.
In nearly 4 weeks of ownership so far, I've taken it to c. 6000 miles in trips from Manchester to Norfolk and North Wales as well as daily commuting. She's been wonderful, and my initial impressions are that it takes anything I throw at it (in typical, unflappable, VW fashion). A Fiesta ST may be more fun (and manual), while a Mini Cooper S may be slightly more 'mad', but in terms of interior quality and all-round capability and usability, this one wins for me.
Future plans? As it's still under warranty with Volkswagen, I'll be more focused on subtle cosmetic mods and keeping it clean, well-detailed & serviced. I believe Brescia alloys have a habit of corroding fairly early so they'll be getting ceramic coated. Despite the quality of modern oils and modern engines, I still don't trust VW's long service intervals so she'll be getting a DIY oil change at 1/2 the service interval mileage. Once the warranty is up I will perhaps move to a Stage 1/Stage 2 tune as long as the car remains useable on the road.
Three slight gripes with the car;
1. the VERY audible 'mooing' noise from the rear brakes when reversing - VW are currently working on a fix I believe.
2. the DSG 'box can sometimes be a little slow to change down but I can sort that by switching into manual mode.
3. Bridgestone Turanza tyres (OE fit) are awful. Looking to change them ASAP to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
As my first hot hatch, this has really hit the spot. After 5 years of dreariness I'm over the moon.
More to come!
After collection from VW dealership;
Two more photos while I was out in South Yorkshire yesterday afternoon;
https://flic.kr/p/2kXZpbd
https://flic.kr/p/2kXRUun
In nearly 4 weeks of ownership so far, I've taken it to c. 6000 miles in trips from Manchester to Norfolk and North Wales as well as daily commuting. She's been wonderful, and my initial impressions are that it takes anything I throw at it (in typical, unflappable, VW fashion). A Fiesta ST may be more fun (and manual), while a Mini Cooper S may be slightly more 'mad', but in terms of interior quality and all-round capability and usability, this one wins for me.
Future plans? As it's still under warranty with Volkswagen, I'll be more focused on subtle cosmetic mods and keeping it clean, well-detailed & serviced. I believe Brescia alloys have a habit of corroding fairly early so they'll be getting ceramic coated. Despite the quality of modern oils and modern engines, I still don't trust VW's long service intervals so she'll be getting a DIY oil change at 1/2 the service interval mileage. Once the warranty is up I will perhaps move to a Stage 1/Stage 2 tune as long as the car remains useable on the road.
Three slight gripes with the car;
1. the VERY audible 'mooing' noise from the rear brakes when reversing - VW are currently working on a fix I believe.
2. the DSG 'box can sometimes be a little slow to change down but I can sort that by switching into manual mode.
3. Bridgestone Turanza tyres (OE fit) are awful. Looking to change them ASAP to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.
As my first hot hatch, this has really hit the spot. After 5 years of dreariness I'm over the moon.
More to come!
After collection from VW dealership;
Two more photos while I was out in South Yorkshire yesterday afternoon;
https://flic.kr/p/2kXZpbd
https://flic.kr/p/2kXRUun
Edited by HazzaCrawf on Tuesday 11th May 16:19
Edited by HazzaCrawf on Tuesday 11th May 16:20
Edited by HazzaCrawf on Tuesday 11th May 16:29
I used to have a Golf GTD and have driven a car couple of Polo courtesy cars.
Even with the 1.0 triple they are pretty decent and it’s surprising how refined and roomy they are.
I’d quite like to try one of these. I’d imagine they are a pretty good all rounder.
Looks good with the Brescias.
I had the Bridgestones and as you have found they are awful. Swapped to PS4 which are a massive improvement.
Even with the 1.0 triple they are pretty decent and it’s surprising how refined and roomy they are.
I’d quite like to try one of these. I’d imagine they are a pretty good all rounder.
Looks good with the Brescias.
I had the Bridgestones and as you have found they are awful. Swapped to PS4 which are a massive improvement.
scoey1001 said:
Good choice. I imagine it's plenty quick enough at the moment but a remap will make it into a new beast. Apparently R tech are the go to for VW tuning.
Absolutely - the EA888 engine is very tunable and can handle quite a lot of power I presume, being Golf R derived?R-Tech are indeed on my list - thanks! I’ve also considered AwesomeGTI up near me in the North West as I’ve heard they’re also very good
I’m new to the VW/Audi scene so I’m just finding my feet with all this
Alfa Pete said:
I used to have a Golf GTD and have driven a car couple of Polo courtesy cars.
Even with the 1.0 triple they are pretty decent and it’s surprising how refined and roomy they are.
I’d quite like to try one of these. I’d imagine they are a pretty good all rounder.
Looks good with the Brescias.
I had the Bridgestones and as you have found they are awful. Swapped to PS4 which are a massive improvement.
Thanks PeteEven with the 1.0 triple they are pretty decent and it’s surprising how refined and roomy they are.
I’d quite like to try one of these. I’d imagine they are a pretty good all rounder.
Looks good with the Brescias.
I had the Bridgestones and as you have found they are awful. Swapped to PS4 which are a massive improvement.
I’m very impressed with just how capable it is in 95% of situations- for now it’s as much power as I need. Interior is a great place to be as it’s refined and comfortable even on a long journey. Can only imagine a Golf (GTI or otherwise) would be even better still.
Have to agree about the 1.0 3 pot - having been a passenger in a few VAG cars with the 1.0 TFSI engine, those engines are surprisingly powerful
Another downvote for the Bridgestones! Cant see why they were fitted to a performance car as they don’t strike me as a performance tyre. Awful in the wet
Best thing you can do is offload the Bridgestone's for some Michelin's as soon as you can, the difference is night and day. I have no idea why the came from the factory on that rubber, especially as a top of the line hot hatch. Definitely the best improvement you can do for the car. Here's my GTi+ in red; the plus package is definitely worth it.
chazza114 said:
Best thing you can do is offload the Bridgestone's for some Michelin's as soon as you can, the difference is night and day. I have no idea why the came from the factory on that rubber, especially as a top of the line hot hatch. Definitely the best improvement you can do for the car. Here's my GTi+ in red; the plus package is definitely worth it.
The red is definitely a gorgeous colour in the GTI+. Any mods on it or is it standard?With regard swapping to Michelins - did you go for the 225/40/18 size as opposed to the 215/40/18 that the car came with? Michelin’s in the 225 size are significantly cheaper but I just wondered how well they fit
We have a GTI+ in the family which was new in September 20, it's a great little car which prompted another family member to buy a black one. They're surprisingly quick but have to agree the Bridgestones are poor. You don't see many about, Crewe VW supplied ours, Brescias, Rear Camera and Black Pack.
So this weekend, the GTI+ was treated to a basic wash - nothing too intensive as I’ll be giving it a full wheels-off detail when this nasty weather f
ks off! The aim was just to remove nearly 2000 miles worth of Cheshire, South Yorkshire, Norwich and Wales that had plastered themselves all over the side!
Quick shot of before vs after on the passenger door.
Also had a few feathers and blood to remove from the bonnet following an impact from a Kamikaze bird (not sure on species - a large one anyway!).
I was given this LifeShine car care kit by the dealer. It’s good enough, although it comes with a sponge which I thought was a strange addition to what is supposed to be a ‘detailing’ kit. It was free so I can’t complain.
There were a lot of baked-on tar spots and bugs all over the paint which I was reticent to remove with the wash mitt, so I’ll wait until I can get hold of some Tar and Bug remover. Also need to grab a pressure washer and some snow foam.
Wheels were cleaned with Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner, and tyres were dressed with Tyre Dressing.
Body was washed with Bodywork Shampoo and dried with a microfibre drying towel.
Plastics and rubber on the exterior were dressed with the Vinyl and Rubber care - so window trims, honeycomb trims in the bumpers etc
Glass was buffed to a shine with Autoglym Fast Glass
Along with some bugs still plastering the front bumper, I left the exhaust tips for now as it will need a bit more attention than I had the time to do.
Finally, I noticed there was a stone chip in one of the 18” Brescia wheels on the rear:
While I don’t think it’s worth paying £80-90 to repair a minor stone chip at this stage, I do want to get the alloy (s) ceramic coated to protect them for as long as possible.
ks off! The aim was just to remove nearly 2000 miles worth of Cheshire, South Yorkshire, Norwich and Wales that had plastered themselves all over the side! Quick shot of before vs after on the passenger door.
Also had a few feathers and blood to remove from the bonnet following an impact from a Kamikaze bird (not sure on species - a large one anyway!).
I was given this LifeShine car care kit by the dealer. It’s good enough, although it comes with a sponge which I thought was a strange addition to what is supposed to be a ‘detailing’ kit. It was free so I can’t complain.
There were a lot of baked-on tar spots and bugs all over the paint which I was reticent to remove with the wash mitt, so I’ll wait until I can get hold of some Tar and Bug remover. Also need to grab a pressure washer and some snow foam.
Wheels were cleaned with Autoglym Custom Wheel Cleaner, and tyres were dressed with Tyre Dressing.
Body was washed with Bodywork Shampoo and dried with a microfibre drying towel.
Plastics and rubber on the exterior were dressed with the Vinyl and Rubber care - so window trims, honeycomb trims in the bumpers etc
Glass was buffed to a shine with Autoglym Fast Glass
Along with some bugs still plastering the front bumper, I left the exhaust tips for now as it will need a bit more attention than I had the time to do.
Finally, I noticed there was a stone chip in one of the 18” Brescia wheels on the rear:
While I don’t think it’s worth paying £80-90 to repair a minor stone chip at this stage, I do want to get the alloy (s) ceramic coated to protect them for as long as possible.
Edited by HazzaCrawf on Monday 17th May 12:08
Being an ex-demo, the dealer had left a rear dashcam and the wires for a front dashcam in place...
VW wanted £350 to install a front and rear dashcam, both 1080p 30fps - a total rip-off considering most of the hard work was already done.
£250 and 30 minutes to get the positioning right, and I had a 4K front dashcam with motion detection, wired into the rear dashcam. Nextbase 622DW...
VW wanted £350 to install a front and rear dashcam, both 1080p 30fps - a total rip-off considering most of the hard work was already done.
£250 and 30 minutes to get the positioning right, and I had a 4K front dashcam with motion detection, wired into the rear dashcam. Nextbase 622DW...
Update: 3000 miles down in my ownership, as of yesterday. Total mileage now c. 7500. Bought a few, mildly gimmick-y, accessories:
Oil change was also performed with Quantum 5W-30 and OEM oil filter and (plastic!) drain plug. Inspection service due at VW in November 2021 so this serves as an interim oil change. I also switched from 508 00 (0W-20) to 504 00 spec (5W-30) as the 504 00 can only be better in the long run.
Some bonnet struts were also installed as I much prefer gas struts to hold the bonnet vs a normal bonnet prop.
Car is filthy and in need of a good wash and vacuum but it's been a busy couple of weeks. The most exterior care I've been able to do is using AG bird dropping wipes to remove the acidic st from the paint.
Oil change was also performed with Quantum 5W-30 and OEM oil filter and (plastic!) drain plug. Inspection service due at VW in November 2021 so this serves as an interim oil change. I also switched from 508 00 (0W-20) to 504 00 spec (5W-30) as the 504 00 can only be better in the long run.
Some bonnet struts were also installed as I much prefer gas struts to hold the bonnet vs a normal bonnet prop.
Car is filthy and in need of a good wash and vacuum but it's been a busy couple of weeks. The most exterior care I've been able to do is using AG bird dropping wipes to remove the acidic s
t from the paint.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff