Anyone drive a 2015 VW GTI?

[Thai]

Look at the new mustang! The 2015s are fantastic! Learning how to drive stick on one.

Not a bad idea!! Those Mustangs just look so aggressive nowadays...best looking cars for the money IMHO! My only concern is the RWD with high-perf tires in snow and low clearance.

 

[MtnT4R]

Whereabouts are you in the high country? I think the Front Range crowding has an unfortunate ripple effect, and as people get fed up with the crowds they seek less crowded locales. That in turn begins to crowd the previously less crowded place, and the cycle continues. However, at least in terms of suburban sprawl, there is luckily a nice geological barrier to subdivision development called the Rockies. There are just some places they can't build homes, try as they might.

I definitely agree with you about the rats in a cage. That's really how it feels sometimes. When I go seek solitude in the mountains, and I find it, I feel very recharged when I come back down. I'm starting to think that feeling of recharge should just be how every day is, and that it's how every day used to be.

I'm up in Vail, been here longer than most. It used to be a real town but the obscene amount of money put an end to that as soon as it could. We aren't really insulated from the crowding problem on the front range because everything around here is strung out along I-70. Thankfully the two lane interstate isn't likely to be dramatically improved anytime soon, and we are totally surrounded by National Forest so the town cant expand any further. but we have definitely seen an increase in idiots who come up here to recreate. Dont get me wrong, I've met a lot of great people who do the weekend warrior thing, but our mountain rescue goes out on average twice a week to extract people who get in way over their heads. As cool as our environment is, its still an incredibly unforgiving place to go into unprepared. This isnt a playground with foam pits and fuzzy animals, but people treat it that way.

 

[Boats&Hoes]

You are aware that the RS Focus has torque vectoring AWD, electromagnetic suspension and 345 horsepower right? ...right?

Quite aware. I would wager quite a bit more than most.

Perhaps you misunderstood what I wrote, or maybe it was misleading. However, my reference to the Focus RS was directed towards the interior. Are you aware that the interior of the RS will be very similar, if not the same, to the Focus ST? Nothing to rave about, lots of plastic, and if you are taller than 6ft good luck trying to wear a helmet. Lets not forget it's 40k and the GTI is not.

BTW...345hp, ok cool its fast! There will be another hot hatch in about a year or two. Electromagnetic suspension is just the name of their electronic suspension. Mind you, with only two settings. Porsche has PASM, Mercedes has Dampmatic, should I go on? European manufacturers have been doing this for years.

 

[Boats&Hoes]

Uh oh, I sense a Focus RS vs GTI war coming on. Please, let's not turn this thread into that! I like both of the cars, and I think there's room in the market for both of them. Ultimately it comes down to personal preferences at some point.

I really appreciate the insight, boats! It sounds like you might work for VW? I'm not saying that would change my opinion of what you said, but just curious. What you said about the DSG does echo what I've heard, so that's why it's the more appealing one for me considering the issues I might have with nerve pain and driving a manual in stop and go traffic.

What do you think tuning the DSG would do for me? Also, I've heard there's a maintenance routine for the DSG that is pretty pricey. Do you know more about this?

The MPG is appealing as hell too because that increase over my 4Runner really does make it more worthwhile to drive as a daily, whereas a few MPG more like the Focus, is a bit harder to justify. I have a weird 97 4runner that gets an average of 19MPG, but sometimes gets 22 if I'm just cruising highways. I haven't even adjusted for the slight mileage difference because of my a little larger than stock tires too. Weird, right? I'm not complaining, it just makes the interest in a smaller sporty commuter a bit harder.

Cheers!

Hello! Sorry for the late reply.
I do not work for VW, but actually for a German suspension manufacturer which I believe you have some experience with ...I'm passionate about cars and sometimes I can sound a little biased. Sorry if did :/

There is a routine maintenance for the DSG. The MK7 GTI should have this done every 30k or less. Which would run you anywhere from $400 - $700. Although I know some who do it themselves...In regard to the tuning. I meant ECU tuning and the bolt-on's that come with increasing horsepower on the GTI. The manual unfortunately cannot handle that much of an increase before it starts to slip. The DSG on the other hand has comfortably proven to go over 400hp+ safely. So if you were to tune, the DSG should have no issue handling the power you give it.

And ya, this is certainly not a RS vs GTI debate. I'm fully informed on the RS and I understand that it will be a benchmark model. But if you could spend almost half of what an RS costs for a GTI that performs very well....well shiiiiiiit.

 

[atalarico]

Hello! Sorry for the late reply.
I do not work for VW, but actually for a German suspension manufacturer which I believe you have some experience with ...I'm passionate about cars and sometimes I can sound a little biased. Sorry if did :/

There is a routine maintenance for the DSG. The MK7 GTI should have this done every 30k or less. Which would run you anywhere from $400 - $700. Although I know some who do it themselves...In regard to the tuning. I meant ECU tuning and the bolt-on's that come with increasing horsepower on the GTI. The manual unfortunately cannot handle that much of an increase before it starts to slip. The DSG on the other hand has comfortably proven to go over 400hp+ safely. So if you were to tune, the DSG should have no issue handling the power you give it.

And ya, this is certainly not a RS vs GTI debate. I'm fully informed on the RS and I understand that it will be a benchmark model. But if you could spend almost half of what an RS costs for a GTI that performs very well....well shiiiiiiit.

Wow, it must be a shocking company to work for! (ohhhh the puns I can think of)

The DSG maintenance doesn't sound that bad at all then. It seems like there's a solid DIY community around VWs, so I'm hoping that will be as amazing as a resource as this place has been.

Interesting note on the tuning since all you ever hear is that "manual is real and anything else is inferior". I'm still a novice when it comes to "fast" cars and all of the modding that goes into that. I find it all very interesting, but I doubt I'll heavily modify this thing. I think the HP and driver manners will be such a night and day difference between my 4runner, I'll just be happy to redline it once a week and get that "I'm going fast" grin. I have been watching all the videos I can find of the DSG (including the farting ones). There aren't that many for 2015, but I'm just avoiding the test drive until I can *actually* afford it because I know I'll just want it right then and there.

However, my reference to the Focus RS was directed towards the interior. Are you aware that the interior of the RS will be very similar, if not the same, to the Focus ST? Nothing to rave about, lots of plastic, and if you are taller than 6ft good luck trying to wear a helmet. Lets not forget it's 40k and the GTI is not.

Yeah, I have to play my age card here (31) and say that if this were 7 years ago I'd be all over the Focus RS and be really OK with the less comfort oriented interior in favor of the performance.

However, I really need more comfort these days. Don't get me wrong, I hate it, but it is what it is. I really want something that is a more comfortable ride than my 4runner, which is also why I've been considering nastier things like a Lexus IS or under $20k used BMW.

I know VWs aren't exactly known for being super plush, and my 2000 Golf wasn't "super" comfortable. It was definitely more comfortable than the other domestic cars I had up to the point, and more comfortable than the Mustang my mom leased for a few years around 2010. Most of this comes down to ergonomics though, and I will pass on the GTI if the cockpit just doesn't fit me well.

This has been awesome insight, all. I really do appreciate it. I know it's not asking a lot to talk about cars with car guys, but you know...

 

[AKmoney]

I agree with BlackWorksInc. Money has to come from somewhere to pay for legal fees...it certainly won't come out of executive pockets! I do fear future VW cars quality control.

VW is Too Big To Fail. The money to bail them out, if necessary, will come from the German taxpayer. The company employs over 500,000 people. As it is, the German state of Lower Saxony is already one of the company's largest shareholders.

The US taxpayer bailed out GM. No reason to think the Germans wouldn't do the same.

I wouldn't have a problem buying a gas-powered VW. Leasing would be better as it takes out the risk of crappy resale value or longer term reliability. There are some nice deals on them right now. New GTI: 36mo/36K lease with $0 drive-off for $369/mo isn't so bad.

I mentioned this earlier but I don't think anyone picked up on it: I would seriously investigate a 2016 Chevy Volt for a commuter, especially if OP lives in Colorado, a state that offers a substantial tax rebate on EV/PHEV cars like the Volt.

 

[atalarico]

VW is Too Big To Fail. The money to bail them out, if necessary, will come from the German taxpayer. The company employs over 500,000 people. As it is, the German state of Lower Saxony is already one of the company's largest shareholders.



The US taxpayer bailed out GM. No reason to think the Germans wouldn't do the same.



I wouldn't have a problem buying a gas-powered VW. Leasing would be better as it takes out the risk of crappy resale value or longer term reliability. There are some nice deals on them right now. New GTI: 36mo/36K lease with $0 drive-off for $369/mo isn't so bad.



I mentioned this earlier but I don't think anyone picked up on it: I would seriously investigate a 2016 Chevy Volt for a commuter, especially if OP lives in Colorado, a state that offers a substantial tax rebate on EV/PHEV cars like the Volt.

Good points. Social democratic government would (rightly) have way less of a problem with a public bail out.

I saw your comment about the volt and I'd be commuting to and from Boulder which has charging stations and the works. However, I want something really fun to drive. So the fun electric that fits that bill would be a Tesla, but it's out of my price range.

 

[atalarico]

Somehow I've been blissfully ignorant that there is such a thing as a Golf R. Crap, that sure did mess up the plan. Har har.

 

[atalarico]

Whew, what an adventure it's been trying to buy a new or used car from a dealer!

I finally narrowed down my search for either a 2016 Golf R or a 2011 or newer BMW 335i Xdrive. Financing is tricky with my credit score (even with an impeccable over 800 co-signer who makes 2.5x as much money as I do), so it really might come down to what makes more sense financially.

I've never owned a new car, and I hear that feeling you get when you drive your first new car is quite nice. There's just something about paying $20k more for a new VW Golf (if I can even source one) when I could get a lower mileage used BMW that's faster and and just as fun, but quite a bit more comfortable long-term and about half of the car payment. I could mod it sooner too and not worry as much about voiding the warranty.

Yes, I know, I'd get an extended warranty on the BMW because of reliability issues, and I've already been on some BMW forums learning as much of the in's and out's of ownership and maintenance as I can. And yes, I know, the fact that I'm even considering that BMW badge makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little because of all of the image stuff, but damn the ones I've test-driven are fun as hell! I've had to deal with people judging me based on my appearance my whole life, so I'm kind of used it by this point, and I like leading by example.

Anyone here own either of these or have first-hand experiences to convey?

 

[AKmoney]

The very fact that you said you have credit score issues requiring you to have a co-signer leads me to believe you shouldn't be buying a new car that costs the better part of $40K.

 

[atalarico]

The very fact that you said you have credit score issues requiring you to have a co-signer leads me to believe you shouldn't be buying a new car that costs the better part of $40K.

I don't recall asking for unsolicited financial advice, but I'll entertain it. There aren't any more negatives being reported against me since it was an issue that I've since resolved. My credit is in the process of rebuilding, but it's a long process to do safely and correctly. Meanwhile, my income is more than well suited to affording a car in this price range, and I just learned today that I no longer need a co-signer since I have can make over a $15k down-payment.

So...anyway, back to my actual question, anyone have experience with either of these cars and want to weigh in?

 

[4Running Daily]

No Focus RS? Will blow that Golf R out of the water.

Buying a used BMW is exactly what it sounds like, an awful idea. xDrive is known to have issues, it's also a pretty terrible AWD system too compared to Audi or Subaru. Turbos go out on the standard 335's as well. On top of the known issues, there are the rest of the BMW issues that come along with the brand.

Any reason you want a 2016 Golf R? A 2014 or 2015 Golf R is still an MK7 Golf R. I haven't read up on Golf R's in a long time, so maybe there are some upgrades I'm unaware of.

I understand the desire to buy a new car, and there are certain situations where certain cars should only be purchased new. A BMW for example should never be bought used. VW's aren't the best either, but a 2014+ is still new enough for a VW to have too many issues.

Also a 2016 Subaru STI can be had under $40k pretty easily.

 

[atalarico]

No Focus RS? Will blow that Golf R out of the water.

Buying a used BMW is exactly what it sounds like, an awful idea. xDrive is known to have issues, it's also a pretty terrible AWD system to compared to Audi or Subaru. Turbos go out on the standard 335's as well. On top of the known issues, there are the rest of the BMW issues.

Any reason you want a 2016 Golf R? A 2014 or 2015 Golf R is still an MK7 Golf R. I haven't read up on Golf R's in a long time, so maybe there are some upgrades I'm unaware of.

I understand the desire to buy a new car, and there are certain situation where certain cars should only be purchased new. A BMW for example should never be bought used. VW's aren't the best either, but a 2014+ is still new enough for a VW to have too many issues.

Thanks for the insight. Unfortunately due to some nerve issues (thanks, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome!) I can't drive a manual without nerve pain. Also, the interior of the Focus RS is way less comfortable than the R, and the R isn't super flashy like the STI, RS, etc.

Interesting note on the BMW's. I would of course be getting an extended warranty if I went that route. Would that alleviate the risk in your opinion? I have definitely noticed how quickly they depreciate, and I hear their reliability isn't the best, but I'm not getting something to be reliable. The bar is set pretty high for reliability with my 97 4Runner, but I'm also not trying to get into anything as notoriously unreliable as a Land Rover or whatever.

My reasons for these two have been thought through to death (the original post in this thread goes back many months), so it's really these two. I think with the more competitive APR's I got tonight, I'm leaning more toward traveling to get an R.

 

[4Running Daily]

Thanks for the insight. Unfortunately due to some nerve issues (thanks, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome!) I can't drive a manual without nerve pain. Also, the interior of the Focus RS is way less comfortable than the R, and the R isn't super flashy like the STI, RS, etc.

Interesting note on the BMW's. I would of course be getting an extended warranty if I went that route. Would that alleviate the risk in your opinion? I have definitely noticed how quickly they depreciate, and I hear their reliability isn't the best, but I'm not getting something to be reliable. The bar is set pretty high for reliability with my 97 4Runner, but I'm also not trying to get into anything as notoriously unreliable as a Land Rover or whatever.

My reasons for these two have been thought through to death (the original post in this thread goes back many months), so it's really these two. I think with the more competitive APR's I got tonight, I'm leaning more toward traveling to get an R.

Right, totally forgot about the manual issue. An extended warranty is a great option for a BMW, however, it's still annoying. You always feel like you're dropping your car off at the dealer and getting courtesy cars, which are fun to beat on.

I vote go for the R! You'll love it every time you get in it!

 

[BrianSD_42]

Probably relevant to this thread

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/off-topic/212451-i-quit-my-job-today.html

I've spent the past 12 years working for Volkswagen and Audi in dealerships servicing, maintaining, diagnosing, repairing, and modifying vehicles

 

[AKmoney]

I don't recall asking for unsolicited financial advice, but I'll entertain it. There aren't any more negatives being reported against me since it was an issue that I've since resolved. My credit is in the process of rebuilding, but it's a long process to do safely and correctly. Meanwhile, my income is more than well suited to affording a car in this price range, and I just learned today that I no longer need a co-signer since I have can make over a $15k down-payment.

So...anyway, back to my actual question, anyone have experience with either of these cars and want to weigh in?

Sorry if I came across a little harsh on that one... I'd had a couple glasses of Friday evening wine..

Relevant to your inquiry: I owned a 2007 335i (E90) since new and drove it for nearly eight years. Here's the deal: it was the best car I've ever owned.

Pics of it before I sold it: https://goo.gl/photos/CXsjhfgExAZPVopX9

The car simply had no weaknesses. It drove, steered and handled brilliantly. Incredible performance without the harshness; exactly how BMW built their brand before they lost the recipe with the newer F30 models. The interior was classy and very high quality. It was also great on road trips. The turbos laughed off high altitude thin air like nothing.

My car, being an early production unit, had the wastegates go out. This happened way back during the warranty coverage period. The turbos were replaced and I put 60K+ miles on it with zero problems after the fact. And although a lot of people had problems with the high pressure fuel pumps, mine never went out. BMW did the recall and fixed it. These days it's a non-issue. I also had one fuel injector go out; the car ran fine but it did suffer hard starts until this was fixed.

Things that will definitely get you with the E90: The water pump WILL die, there's no escaping it. It's a ~$1K fix. Gaskets will fail and it'll leak oil, especially around the oil filter housing. You'll also get carbon deposits on the intake valves due to direct injection. Most indy shops can media blast the valves clean for you for about $600; figure on doing this every ~40K miles. If you don't get any maintenance history, figure on doing an immediate brake fluid flush and spark plug change.

Here's the thing: The car you see pictured in the link above, at 92K miles, was appraised by Carmax for $8,800. I sold it for $12K. There was nothing wrong with it when I did. It was garaged all its life and had all maintenance records. The guy who bought it off me stole it from me. I still miss it.

The point is this: a new Golf R, while being a pretty awesome car I must admit, is not as good of a car as my old E90 was. It'll depreciate massively in the first couple years. A good, quality E90, however, has already passed the steepest part of the depreciation curve. I say go that route. Skip the extra weight and complexity of the AWD/xi versions and get yourself a set of winter wheels/tires if that's important to you.

 

[RPS99SHO]

I haven't read through the thread, so not sure if it's been derailed beyond repair, but my other toy is a 2015 GTI.

 

[T4R2014]

My experience with two GTI's (2009 and 2013) has been so awful that I don't I ever want another Mexican-made VW again. Annoying, because I'm pretty sure that aside from the R, they are all made in Mexico.

 

[4Running Daily]

My experience with two GTI's (2009 and 2013) has been so awful that I don't I ever want another Mexican-made VW again. Annoying, because I'm pretty sure that aside from the R, they are all made in Mexico.

My 2010 GTI blew a turbo at 45k miles.

 

[T4R2014]

My 2010 GTI blew a turbo at 45k miles.

Never blew a turbo. It wasn't driven too hard unless I was driving. Otherwise, both cars suffered from smelly ass air conditioning which they claimed was normal despite me showing them the smell-free 19 year old original a/c in my faded Evergreen Pearl 1996 4Runner. The 2009 would randomly cut off on the highway. The dealer dumbasses claimed they fixed it five times. The 2013 was an improvement since it would stay running while at highway speeds, but would randomly refuse to start. I lost track of how many times I had to call VW roadside assistance. They also burned oil excessively. You could see blue smoke behind you when mashing the pedal from a stop. The T5 Volvo that we've been hammering for a decade does not burn that much oil. Original turbo too.

A blast to drive, but an enormous shitbox.