2020 Golf GTI Performance
Discussion
I love a hot hatch. To-date, I’ve owned (amongst other non-hatch backs):
Citroen AX GT
Honda Civic 1.8 VTI
SEAT Leon 1.8T Cupra
Audi A3 1.8T Sport
R53 MINI Cooper S
Mk3 Ford Focus ST
amongst those I’ve also owned a couple of cooking model Golfs - mk5 GT with the NA 2.0 FSI and a mk7 1.4 TSI. So, when an itch began to emerge for another hot hatch, it was difficult to look past the mk7.5 GTI Performance in run-out spec and a handful of options:
- Atlantic Blue
- 19" Brescia Alloys
- Discover Pro
- DSG
Here is the car on collection day:
At collection, i was pleasantly suprised that the car hadn't been covered in swirl marks or left with any marring or holograms during prep. The paint also felt very smooth, so I decided to just put a layer of sealent on for now.
I used Fusso Coat Soft99 Dark Wax which should give a few months protection. More than enough time for me to find a spare weekend to really get the paintwork at its best.
I also treated the fabric interior with GTechniq Smart Fabric to stop the kids sticky fingers from wrecking it:
Here's how the car looked afterwards:
I don't really have any plans to modify the car. To me, it's basically perfect as-is. The exhaust has a good sound, and it has all the cosmetic and functional features I want in a car.
Despite saying that, I have found myself looking at TCR back boxes and RacingLine induction kits...
Citroen AX GT
Honda Civic 1.8 VTI
SEAT Leon 1.8T Cupra
Audi A3 1.8T Sport
R53 MINI Cooper S
Mk3 Ford Focus ST
amongst those I’ve also owned a couple of cooking model Golfs - mk5 GT with the NA 2.0 FSI and a mk7 1.4 TSI. So, when an itch began to emerge for another hot hatch, it was difficult to look past the mk7.5 GTI Performance in run-out spec and a handful of options:
- Atlantic Blue
- 19" Brescia Alloys
- Discover Pro
- DSG
Here is the car on collection day:
At collection, i was pleasantly suprised that the car hadn't been covered in swirl marks or left with any marring or holograms during prep. The paint also felt very smooth, so I decided to just put a layer of sealent on for now.
I used Fusso Coat Soft99 Dark Wax which should give a few months protection. More than enough time for me to find a spare weekend to really get the paintwork at its best.
I also treated the fabric interior with GTechniq Smart Fabric to stop the kids sticky fingers from wrecking it:
Here's how the car looked afterwards:
I don't really have any plans to modify the car. To me, it's basically perfect as-is. The exhaust has a good sound, and it has all the cosmetic and functional features I want in a car.
Despite saying that, I have found myself looking at TCR back boxes and RacingLine induction kits...
chillbill said:
How'd you compare it to the MK3 Focus ST? Esp. in terms of driving.
Not easy to give a direct comparison as the Golf is automatic and the Focus was manual. The focus was a mk3.5 so it had the revised suspension etc. to address some of the handling issues of the earlier cars. This pesky lockdown has limited my driving in the Golf so not fully formed an opinion. I’d say that the Golf is a bit more civilised than the Focus was, probably a fraction more comfortable/composed on the fairly ropey B roads in my area. Straight-line performance seems much of a muchness.
Where the Golf is night and day compared to the Focus is the interior. The Recaros in the Focus were very supportive but not what I’d call comfortable. The Golf’s seats are the perfect combination of comfort and bolstering. The technology and general ergonomics of the Golf are also vastly superior, that’s not surprising as it is simply a more expensive car.
I did like my Focus though and still miss it:
Two slightly annoying things about the Discover Pro system in the Golf:
1) The car does not have an in-built mobile data connection. The BMW 1-series it replaced had this, so no idea why VAG can't do it. They can easily recoup the extra cost from the subscription to the data services in the same way BMW does.
2) The car does not have a SIM card slot built in. This is even more ridiculous than the first point as our Skoda Kodiaq, which uses the exact same nav unit (but called Columbus and is included in the base spec and not a £1,500 option!) at least has a SIM slot in glove box next to the DVD drive and SD slots.
The only really useful feature of having a data connection is that it allows real-time traffic information to be added to the navigation system. The standard RDS traffic information is hopeless. Now, there's two ways of getting a connection, either tether to your phone or create a permanent WiFi hotspot within the car. Using my iPhone is a pain as it's not possible to allow the car to automatically connect, the connection has to be made manually each time you get in. So, I went for the latter.
This involved buying a 'Wingle' and installing a data only SIM card. This creates a permanent data connection (mobile signal permitting) and is neatly stowed in the spare wheel well, powered from the adjacent 12V socket.
I'm using an EE data SIM which provide 200 mb of free data per month. Plenty to provide the traffic updates.
1) The car does not have an in-built mobile data connection. The BMW 1-series it replaced had this, so no idea why VAG can't do it. They can easily recoup the extra cost from the subscription to the data services in the same way BMW does.
2) The car does not have a SIM card slot built in. This is even more ridiculous than the first point as our Skoda Kodiaq, which uses the exact same nav unit (but called Columbus and is included in the base spec and not a £1,500 option!) at least has a SIM slot in glove box next to the DVD drive and SD slots.
The only really useful feature of having a data connection is that it allows real-time traffic information to be added to the navigation system. The standard RDS traffic information is hopeless. Now, there's two ways of getting a connection, either tether to your phone or create a permanent WiFi hotspot within the car. Using my iPhone is a pain as it's not possible to allow the car to automatically connect, the connection has to be made manually each time you get in. So, I went for the latter.
This involved buying a 'Wingle' and installing a data only SIM card. This creates a permanent data connection (mobile signal permitting) and is neatly stowed in the spare wheel well, powered from the adjacent 12V socket.
I'm using an EE data SIM which provide 200 mb of free data per month. Plenty to provide the traffic updates.
Lovely car
Local VW dealer has some special offers on GTI TCR cars in stock, but of course, they're closed at the moment!
They seem to be fully optioned, although on 18" wheels for €37.5k
Anyway, interesting about the nav differences of VW vs Skoda. Our family wagon is a vRS of 2017 vintage, and I used Waze via CarPlay instead of the car's own nav. I haven't looked at adding z data SIM in the glovebox for wifi at all!
Local VW dealer has some special offers on GTI TCR cars in stock, but of course, they're closed at the moment!
They seem to be fully optioned, although on 18" wheels for €37.5k
Anyway, interesting about the nav differences of VW vs Skoda. Our family wagon is a vRS of 2017 vintage, and I used Waze via CarPlay instead of the car's own nav. I haven't looked at adding z data SIM in the glovebox for wifi at all!
Working from home and nowhere to go has given me plenty of time to keep the Golf clean. However, as much as I love a gleaming finish, it's a bit of a chore so I decided to stump up for a full ceramic coating.
The car had a wash, decontamination, single-stage machine polish and then GTechniq Crystal Serum Light was applied and topped off with Gtechniq EXO. The base coat should give 5 years of protection and the top coat will probably need renewal every 12 - 18 months. I'm very happy with the results, should make washing a much quicker process from now on and no need to wax or polish!
The car had a wash, decontamination, single-stage machine polish and then GTechniq Crystal Serum Light was applied and topped off with Gtechniq EXO. The base coat should give 5 years of protection and the top coat will probably need renewal every 12 - 18 months. I'm very happy with the results, should make washing a much quicker process from now on and no need to wax or polish!
I was given a stock DSG GTi as a loaner whilst our GTD was at the dealership.
My experience was possibly slightly unpopular.
As a direct comparison I really didn’t think the DSG suited the GTi at all. It looks for too high a gear ALL the time unless it’s in manual mode. For an engine that needs revving it wasn’t in keeping with a GTi imo. Desperately needed a manual box!
Engine was ok- needed revving to give it’s best, but wasn’t the sweetest.
Maybe better with an engine & DSG remap but the stock offering left me a bit underwhelmed.
A GTD that doesn’t need its neck wringing is so much better suited to the DSG box IMO.
Great choice of colour & wheels. Same as ours. Just a pity VW have ruined our paintwork when machine polishing it. Now subject of a VWUK complaint.
My experience was possibly slightly unpopular.
As a direct comparison I really didn’t think the DSG suited the GTi at all. It looks for too high a gear ALL the time unless it’s in manual mode. For an engine that needs revving it wasn’t in keeping with a GTi imo. Desperately needed a manual box!
Engine was ok- needed revving to give it’s best, but wasn’t the sweetest.
Maybe better with an engine & DSG remap but the stock offering left me a bit underwhelmed.
A GTD that doesn’t need its neck wringing is so much better suited to the DSG box IMO.
Great choice of colour & wheels. Same as ours. Just a pity VW have ruined our paintwork when machine polishing it. Now subject of a VWUK complaint.
I quite like the DSG. In Sport mode it'll rev past 6k under WOT and is reasonably willing to hang on to a lower gear through corners.
At least the manual option is there, but I seldom feel the need to use it.
Any downsides to its function at the extremes are more than outweighed by the seemless function when cruising, particularly in variable speed traffic when combined with the ACC. That level of autonomy is just right for me in tedious 'normal' driving.
Now I rather resent having to change gear manually in our other car.
At least the manual option is there, but I seldom feel the need to use it.
Any downsides to its function at the extremes are more than outweighed by the seemless function when cruising, particularly in variable speed traffic when combined with the ACC. That level of autonomy is just right for me in tedious 'normal' driving.
Now I rather resent having to change gear manually in our other car.
tallpaul26 said:
I quite like the DSG. In Sport mode it'll rev past 6k under WOT and is reasonably willing to hang on to a lower gear through corners.
At least the manual option is there, but I seldom feel the need to use it.
Any downsides to its function at the extremes are more than outweighed by the seemless function when cruising, particularly in variable speed traffic when combined with the ACC. That level of autonomy is just right for me in tedious 'normal' driving.
Now I rather resent having to change gear manually in our other car.
That’s kinda my point though. At least the manual option is there, but I seldom feel the need to use it.
Any downsides to its function at the extremes are more than outweighed by the seemless function when cruising, particularly in variable speed traffic when combined with the ACC. That level of autonomy is just right for me in tedious 'normal' driving.
Now I rather resent having to change gear manually in our other car.
The Golf GTi has gone a bit too grown up for me
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