GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: fredgroves on 04 March 2021, 11:12
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Grab yourself a cuppa (and a piece of cake, Mcvities Jamaican Ginger cake is my sponsor) , I do like to ramble on... :whistle:
After 7 years in Mk7/7.5 GTD's I'm now with a Mk8 GTI DSG.
The Mk7 Golf was a cracking car, best car I've ever had and no doubts at all. I went everywhere, threw everything at it and it performed nearly faultlessly.
Diesel is a thing of hate now, so before I end up driving a milkfloat I thought I'd have one last blast in a petrol car.
It kind of made sense, not only for the (false) oil burning hate but also my mileage seems like it will be far less. Covid has changed my work life a fair bit and it seems its not going back to where it was. So I can afford a bit of fun (well man maths says I can!)
Here are my thoughts on the first few days of my Mk8 GTI DSG, I've done several hundred miles already and am getting used to its positives and negatives.
Some of these things I will mention you might have heard about, some I don't think anyone has talked about yet anywhere...reviews...forums...
In general:
Looks - I love it. The Mk8 shape took a bit of getting used to. I feel confident about it now and the Moonstone colour is lovely, I've wanted a grey Golf for years since seeing a nagaro grey Audi many moons ago. Have had lots of admiring comments from colleagues and even random people at the petrol station.
This is my first GTI so maybe its nothing new but...it drives like mad! I had a little "spirited" drive the other night in sport mode... rev matching down shifts using flappy paddle manual, pops and bangs on a swift lift off, front diff awesome, handles incredibly - high speed direction changes are like its on rails. VDM really works. Maybe need to get some bigger paddles though, the OEM ones are not as big as they could be to be perfect. Think I might find manual gear shifts a lot of fun when I am feeling playful - it certainly was fun the other night.
However its quiet and refined in "comfort" (aka "drive" or "normal"), shifts up at just under 2000rpm. Drives like a normal car which is crazy when you see what it can do in lunatic mode.
I've not tried "eco" but based on my previous GTD's apart from disabling corner lighting and the air con (both annoying) it never seemed to return any serious fuel economy advantages. I probably will never even experiment with it.
Golf ball pattern mirror downlights (projected onto the floor both sides, unlike some other car's fancy puddle lights) and LED lit door handles. Coloured interior lighting nice, you can have whatever colour you want and even in the rear doors (unlike the MK7). Looks like Blackpool illuminations at night!
LED headlights, bright and adaptive main beam lighting great. Lights better than my Mk7.5 LED's definitely. Not just bright but a much broader spread of light. Just what you need in the gloom of the countryside. Watching the adaptive lighting dance around other road users is great. Haven't been flashed for blinding anyone yet.
Swoopy front indictors - now not only the rears like the Mk7.5!
Sorry you can't turn off light bar between the front headlights in the menus. Some hate it, I rather like it. Maybe VCDS can kill it if you try hard enough.
Seats are really comfy - better than the Mk7.5 for sure. Night and day better than the 128ti!!!
Progressive steering - one turn to full lock - nice! Easy to park!
Voice control - natural speach (you don't have to try and speak like a BBC news reader to make it understand you), can control nav, audio, climate (seems UK GTI's have 3 zone climate control as standard unlike in Germany - UK configurator wrong again that suggests you need to option that through winter pack 2).
Navigation gets place names pronounced properly. No more "take the M25 towards mmmmwwwfffad". Also I was able to ask it to navigate home and I spoke the address and it found it perfectly. The routes that it picks still suck though - my bone of contention with the Mk7 nav system. Waze is much better.
Gesture control - sort of works, lack of manual gearbox means its not as annoying as it was on my Mk7.5 - on that I turned it off. I'll leave it switched on but probably never use it!
Travel assist - really nice. This combines ACC with lane centring and GPS map data and traffic sign recognition. Basically it drives itself under most motorway type situations. You have to lightly grip the wheel but its pretty neat. Big step up on Mk7.5 ACC. (normal old skool ACC mode is also available still). You just have to watch out for odd road situations... its not actually magic. Fully autonomous driving is really not very far away now.
Haven't found lane assist to be a massive pain the bum and needing to turn it off at the start of every journey. Once you are used to the surprise of it grabbing the wheel you just counter it. Haven't also found start/stop to be intrusive either. Both are quick and easy to disable on startup if you want (control freaks/purists might want to I guess) - click the end of the left stalk, brings up assist system screen on the MIB, poke some options, done. Both reset to on every start though.
Blind spot warning lights are fantastic, really big, really noticeable, definitely a great feature.
The car comes with keyless entry and keyless start. You can disable keyless entry in the menus. Do it. Don't get your car stolen by some a-holes who think they are clever :angry:
Options:
Adelaide 19's - look lovely, they have Bridgestone S005 tyres fitted which so far seem to be a better tyre than the dreaded S001. I've not had a tramping at all, even in the cold wet today (I even tried to make it do it). Definitely feel "heavy" on the corners of the car though, because they are (12.5kg without tyres!)
DCC - soaks up the bumps for sure. At the super soft end it doesn't feel wallowly like the Mk7 DCC did in comfort. Seems VDM keeps it nice and flat at all times. Its virtually impossible to tweak the DCC level while moving though, I suggest you don't try because it needs so much concentration and accuracy on the touch screen. On the hardest setting its surprisingly not harsh either - especially given I've got 19's on. Nothing like the harshness of other OEM's GTI competitors and not even as harsh as the Mk7 DCC in sport. They've definitely done something quite magical with the suspension setup for the Mk8, it really is highly impressive - but I felt like that even on the non-DCC test drive I took.
HK audio - its pretty good. Much better than the BMW 1 series HK version and I'd not seen/heard the VW one until I picked my car up. The sound really flows around you (with surround turned up), it doesn't get overwhelmed when you crank it up to 11. Bass isn't earth shattering (even with the sub turned right up), but you know its there. Does seem to work better with some sorts of audio than others (eg my favourite Motorhead doesn't sound much improved), but it performs better than I expected and is definitely a positive upgrade option. My little blast of Damian Marley yesterday sounded lovely! However my audio setup for that didn't seem to be compromised when I switched back to Radio 4 (all speech). It definitely not some MaccyD's car park chav audio system - sorry to dissapoint if that was what you wanted.
HUD - again I'd not seen this on a VW, only a BMW. I like it quite a bit. Hardly look at the dash in most instances now. Slightly annoying in that some of the "traffic signs" it displays aren't actually signs on the road and you wonder if you have missed something (probably its picking them up from GPS/map data). I guess I'll get used to it eventually. Some of the speed limit map data isn't quite right - my road apparently is a 20mph zone.... not its not. Shame the HUD doesn't display the gear you are in or a rev graph/shift light. That would have been nice.
Rear camera has lines to show you manoveur direction. VW's pop out camera doesn't get covered in crud like some others. Camera has a good picture even in the dark. Still find I'm using mirrors to reverse though, but the camera gives me a bit of extra confidence on top of parking sensors. Not sure its really needed on a Golf, the car is dead easy to park without it.
Winter pack - not used it yet. Not been cold enough. Standard car has heated steering wheel, winter pack 1 which I have adds heated seats. Can't imagine it will be any better/worse than the Mk7.5.
And now the moaning section... you knew it was coming :laugh:
Missing door kick plates - no nice stainless steel plates on the bottom of the door frame. Its just plastic. Like a basic sh1tbox. Probably this minor thing is the worst cheapness thing I've spotted. I'm sure you can get some after market ones to stop your door sill from becoming scuffed to hell.
Doors shut with a clunk but need more positive effort to close properly. Fail to shut, try again, slam. Its not even cabin pressure, they just don't close easily. On the Mk7.5, one of my rear doors used to be like this, but never the fronts.
Annoying reflections in windscreen - there are several lines on the top of the dash surface, you can see these reflected in the windscreen. One is the hole where the HUD is. It looks like you are staring through a little tiny window around the HUD. I've never seen dash reflections like this on a windscreen before. Anyone with a Mk8 is going to hate me now I've pointed this out and now they too can see it...and cannot unsee it.
We Connect problems - Mother of God! Before I got my car, I had to sign up for a VW ID and give that to my dealer. I installed the app on my phone. The app never showed my car...until I uninstalled it and reinstalled it, then it did. After that I could see my car on the map, parked at the dealers. Great I thought! After getting home with the car I was showing my wife the feature on my phone.... but my car was still showing as being at the dealers. I spent an entire day trying to get it resolved, half of it on the phone to VW We Connect support. Had to delete my profile from the car and the VW web portal and re-add...which it wouldn't do at home because it didn't have a strong enough eSim mobile signal (and it didn't like my house wifi). I learnt all of the pitfalls finally fixed (I think!) so if anyone else is struggling, ask and I'll help you. Without it working properly the main functional drawback is that you don't get the traffic data or OTA map/software updates (only some software is OTA though).
Front assist errors - These come and go, I've no real idea what is causing it or what the actual impact is of the error condition. Doesn't seem to impede anything but?? Maybe the error clear themselves and you don't get a message about it coming back?
Wireless android auto not yet available, wireless apple carplay is. Possibly coming with an update of the MIB software (1788) but who knows... hopefully it is just a software upgrade. Should be... From my BMW experience the other week, its not a good idea anyway. Wireless connection with wireless charging (which the Mk8 has) cooks your phone when running waze/google maps - I saw this on the BMW and the Golf won't be any different - its just heat from high use combined with heat from inductive charging and the flappy clip thing holding the phone down. Basically, not much use except for a short journey that you don't need charging for. Plug it in still is my suggestion.
AID is configruable but I can't help but feel like its not as good as the Mk7.5 one. It looks MUCH nicer (you can change the colours too) but in terms of the ease of delivering information, the different Mk7.5 views were superior I think. The Mk8 AID is still better than other manufacturers efforts that I have tried though, just not as good as the Mk7.5 in functionality.
There is however no nav map view in the AID (although software version 1788 might fix that but not seen that in the UK yet - in Germany they have it on new builds now). Its only not there because VW have disabled it... for some reason.
Steering wheel buttons - annoying, but not heated wheel button that I seemed to keep pressing on my test drive - seem to have managed not to press that accidentally now. Volume control fiddly/annoying, doesn't seem to always work, doesn't go up/down by holding my finger on the button, meaning you have to repeatedly stab at it.
Yes the sliders for heating and volume under the MIB unit are unlit and annoying to use. Super annoying. Press the climate (physical) button on the dash and get the settings up on the screen or use voice control. Voice control is pretty good for setting the temp actually. I'll probably never try to use the slider things ever again or at least not on the move.
USB C connections only - dealer gave cable for my phone, which was nice. Had to get USB stick (a USB C one - actually its a clever sandisk one that is USB A and C which means I can easily plug it into my computer which still only has USB A) for my music as there are no SD card slots. Not really a moan I guess, just a warning for others! The two USB ports on the front dash are enabled for data, there are two more on the rear centre thingy by the rear air vents, I think these are probably power only for passengers to charge their phones.
Media play back annoying - takes ages to go from the song list to what is playing screen, random time? No idea whats going on there.
Sat nav takes ages to start up when you get in the car, lots of please wait. I guess maybe I'm used to the Mk7 navpro which was super fast compared to the Mk7 basic nav. Maybe you won't notice the difference. While I am talking about that, like on the Mk7.5 navpro, the screen gets super plastered in visible finger prints, even if you haven't been eating a keebab before touching it. Get yourself a MF cloth to polish it at traffic lights.... something I used to do with the Mk7.5!
Android auto with HK the waze voice comes from HK centre dash speaker. Odd sounding, annoying. The BMW did the same.
There is no cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel and no overhead sunglasses container. The cup holders in the centre console (where the handbrake would be) doesn't have the retractable cover like the Mk7 and the cubby hole forward of the gearstick (now "chicken nugget") doesn't have a hatch cover.
So there you go...
It does have a lot of quite annoying things that are caused by VW design choices and releasing it too quickly but what I would say is that I am optimistic these will get sorted with further software upgrades. I am not really sure under what circumstances others are seeing problems - I know there was a big VW recall just before I got mine, maybe PDI got that sorted. My car was built end of August 2020.
The car itself is bloody brilliant and I don't regret choosing it at all.
And I stress to you all, don't be so scared about what you read on the internet that you discount having a Mk8 GTD/GTI/Clubby/R.
Time for me to get a cuppa after typing that lot!
Fred
(PS I hope you got this far down my post!)
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Great write up Fred.
Well balanced and informative... I'm sure there will be more to come!
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Straight to the points, thanks for the info. :smiley:
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Really great review Fred; really enjoyed reading it. Were you a motoring journalist in a former life? :grin:
IMHO Your review is much more matter of fact, informative and to the point than many of those ‘wishy-washy, say lots without saying anything’ YouTube reviews. Looking forward to further updates on life with your car over the coming months. :smiley:
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That was great. Just what potential owners want. See, a drag race wasn’t needed! :whistle:
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Cheers guys - I thought what was needed on here was a Mk7 owners opinion - we all know the Mk7 inside and out, what we wanted to know was how it compared to the old one and what some of the new things were. You can only get that from someone who has spent a lot of time in a Mk7, not from a reviewer who's last Golf experience was 30 mins 5 years ago.
I can also say it like it is - VW aren't going to ban me from reviewing any of their cars for being critical - remember this is how journalism works...
BTW, I normally write up evaluations of new industrial equipment... its similar but not the same but for work I have to be a bit more serious and less flippant, but you'd have been bored to death if I had written it up like I do normally :laugh:
I can show you my appraisal of some automated canning machines if you like... spoiler alert though, none of them have DSG or VDM :laugh:
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I’ll pass if that’s ok Fred. :grin:
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Thanks Fred - I enjoyed that.
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Thanks Fred, really enjoyed reading that. Just one question, how does the GTIs acceleration feel vs the 7.5 GTD? I think we were both in the same situation of being GTD owners, I’m expecting my GTI by the end of the month and can’t wait to see how different they feel “being pushed”. Cheers
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Thanks Fred, really enjoyed reading that. Just one question, how does the GTIs acceleration feel vs the 7.5 GTD? I think we were both in the same situation of being GTD owners, I’m expecting my GTI by the end of the month and can’t wait to see how different they feel “being pushed”. Cheers
Its pretty nuts with the gearbox in sport mode, let alone the throttle stepped up in sport mode... its not got the instant torque of the GTD but its definitely more exciting. In normal "drive" mode and moderate throttle application the GTI feels quite conservative, changing up through the box calmly at low revs. It doesn't seem to suffer from the old fashioned petrol engine issue of "nothing at the bottom, only at the top". That is apparently down to new injectors which are something like 50psi more than the old ones. Its not the only modern petrol engine like that though, the Mini F56 1.5l 3 cylinder we have here is like that too, almost oil burner like but with a surprise if you take it up the rev range. Ok, not a kick up the arse surprise like the GTI unleashes but a surprise none the less.
The Jeykll and Hyde nature of the car is quite strange really. Christ knows what a clubby or R drives like :evil:
I'd be interested in seeing what a Mk8 GTD could do though, I think a lot of the difference besides more power is in the new handling dynamics. I reckon a Mk8 GTD would still be an excellent car.
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One question I dont see asked or answered is, does the MK8 have the annoying fake speaker noise when in Sport mode?
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One question I dont see asked or answered is, does the MK8 have the annoying fake speaker noise when in Sport mode?
Yes it has a soundaktor.... everything has a similar technology.
Turn it (pretty much) off by using individual mode and setting everything to nuts mode except the noise... put that into eco.
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Excellent write-up Fred. My steaming hot coffee went cool enough for me to drink while reading that.
How are you doing mpg-wise compared to your GTD?
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Excellent write-up Fred. My steaming hot coffee went cool enough for me to drink while reading that.
How are you doing mpg-wise compared to your GTD?
I drank a whole pot of tea writing it!
Mpg not quite as good... Unlike the gtd it is possible to get shocking fuel economy.
Think its averaging high twenties so far.
Don't tell Mrs G...
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Nice write up Fred, thanks :smiley:
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I wonder if VW will add back lights to the slider controls in the mid year change? Does seem a bit of an over sight.
I know you can you voice control/ steering wheel controls. But If a passenger wants to change it then it could be annoying
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Passengers can use voice control too and it knows which seat its coming from... Multiple microphones.
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Really good to read your initial thoughts fredgroves, I’d been looking forward to this thread.
As SR says, it’s far more informative than the so called influencers to the layman who might actually be in the process of buying or considering doing so.
You forgot to mention how nice the steering wheel is to hold! :grin: A strange thing but it’s actually one of the things I like most about the car.
Although I only see the car in the dark most days I still find the plastic on parts of the door cards (such as the door grab handles) plus the centre console pretty low rent.
The windscreen reflections are less than those in the 1 Series.
What I do have though are annoying reflections in the driver’s side window. When looking dead ahead I keep seeing the white lines on the road reflected in the corner of my right eye which is distracting. Almost like a pulsating white light descending in line with the door mirror.
I’ve recently noticed the temporary disabled front system warning seems to come up at almost the same time each journey (circa four minutes) and there’s still no clue as to when the car has decided it’s all operating fine again.
The wheel arch areas have almost zero sound insulation you’ll notice the first time you drive over some loose chippings at low speed. No wonder Golfs suffer a lot of tyre roar.
The AID displays GPS provided warning triangles even when approaching unsigned sharp bends in the road.
The speed limit and warning sign icons are tiny which means someone becoming a bit long sighted such as me can’t see the icon at all well.
HUD probably displays it much clearer(?). I don’t miss the HUD after having it in the BMW as the AID is really nice to look at, but if I was driving on unfamiliar roads quite often I think the HUD would be a massive boon.
Just like the M135i, depending on which AID dial selection you select there is no current gear selected number when in normal D mode which niggles me. In S or manual the number appears.
Incidentally, despite having no DCC I’m increasingly impressed with the ride quality of the Clubsport considering the car came on 18’s and is now running hefty 19’s.
Like yourself Fred, Audi Nardo really appealed to me and Moonstone is a very attractive and easy to maintain shade of grey. It would definitely be my pick of the palette for a daily driver.
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Great write up Fred, looking forward to the next review.
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Grab yourself a cuppa (and a piece of cake, Mcvities Jamaican Ginger cake is my sponsor) , I do like to ramble on... :whistle:
Wireless android auto not yet available, wireless apple carplay is. Possibly coming with an update of the MIB software (1788) but who knows...
There is however no nav map view in the AID (although software version 1788 might fix that but not seen that in the UK yet - in Germany they have it on new builds now). Its only not there because VW have disabled it... for some reason.
There is no cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel and no overhead sunglasses container. The cup holders in the centre console (where the handbrake would be) doesn't have the retractable cover like the Mk7 and the cubby hole forward of the gearstick (now "chicken nugget") doesn't have a hatch cover.
thanks for your very informative and entertaining writeup. i thorughly enjoyed it over my lunch time at work. :smiley:
I cant believe they even cheap out on sunglass container :sad:
A very disappointed that the cup holder can no longer be covered as i like my car tidy although this option is available in Chinese version of Golf showing VW priority market. :angry:
it has been established in Germany that GTI build before week 48 with part NO 5H0035816B for the 1668, 1664 or 1666 can not be upgraded to part NO 5H0035820D with 1788 as they have different part number possibly different manufacturer.
People who have had their head unit in the Golf with 1666 exchange due to repeat problems this year from VW only received the 1668 installed but Android Auto still didn't work although they report a smoother and faster unit
(https://i.postimg.cc/L6JD3wBW/Screenshot-2021-03-05-at-11-01-10.png) (https://postimages.org/)
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^ :shocked:
Think i may just wait a year :embarrassed:
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Really good to read your initial thoughts fredgroves, I’d been looking forward to this thread.
As SR says, it’s far more informative than the so called influencers to the layman who might actually be in the process of buying or considering doing so.
Cheers Exonian - owning a car and trying to review a demo one is entirely different.
I'm sure my opinion changed now vs my test drive earlier this year. I simply have had more time to consider everything at length.
The steering wheel is nice to hold, but that is something most reviewers don't seem to like. Weird sorts they are.
On the reflections, I think the Mk8 windscreen is more angled than the Mk7.5 one. Reducing aero drag.... that is the cause of the reflections I think.
The strobing white lines out of the side window I've not seen. Its going to be something to do with your seating position I guess vs mine. Of course if you drive faster they will blur more :whistle:
On the AID, I too am long sighted now, much of what pops up on the AID I cannot read! The big speedo/rev counter (I use the one big dial view) I can read, the rest not so much.... I can read the HUD though. Worth it just for that!
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thanks for your very informative and entertaining writeup. i thorughly enjoyed it over my lunch time at work. :smiley:
I cant believe they even cheap out on sunglass container :sad:
A very disappointed that the cup holder can no longer be covered as i like my car tidy although this option is available in Chinese version of Golf showing VW priority market. :angry:
Thanks BJ.... yes some things are a little cheaper than they should have been. Its not really a deal breaker to me TBH and I guess they thought the same thing.
If that part is available on the Chinese model.... sounds like a perfect target for a sensible Mk8 owner mod. We'll have to look for the part number and see about doing a "how to" article. Think that would be popular!
it has been established in Germany that GTI build before week 48 with part NO 5H0035816B for the 1668, 1664 or 1666 can not be upgraded to part NO 5H0035820D with 1788 as they have different part number possibly different manufacturer.
People who have had their head unit in the Golf with 1666 exchange due to repeat problems this year from VW only received the 1668 installed but Android Auto still didn't work although they report a smoother and faster unit
This is very interesting.
Where do you find those part numbers?
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Actually, I can see where its shown - its under the system information.
5H0035816B is what I think all of us have in the UK.
I wonder if 5H0035820D is the "nav pro" hardware version? Although it won't look any different, the screens are the same.
If this is the case, then maybe this explains it.
I don't think anyone on here has NavPro - mainly because VW can't explain exactly what you get extra if you pay £1600.... I've been stung by that before, not about to gamble again.
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Aha!
Discovery Media 5H0035820D control unit with version 1788. There is also new Discovery Pro 5H0035816D build from week 48. Before there was only one model 5H0035816B that was either Media or Pro based on the software settings VW installed
Great :-/
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If that part is available on the Chinese model.... sounds like a perfect target for a sensible Mk8 owner mod. We'll have to look for the part number and see about doing a "how to" article. Think that would be popular!
Where do you find those part numbers?
Unfortunately the cup cover slider can’t be retrofitted because the middle console is molded differently people have already looked into it in Germany
The problem is installation because the complete console including the cup holder etc. has to be replaced. There is no space for the slider in the "European Golf".
The parts number are from users that have uploaded the pictures of there Software on motor-talk.de
https://www.motor-talk.de/forum/software-1666-oder-hoeher-erfahrungen-t6988358.html
If you use google Chrom everything will be translated to English
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Aha!
Discovery Media 5H0035820D control unit with version 1788. There is also new Discovery Pro 5H0035816D build from week 48. Before there was only one model 5H0035816B that was either Media or Pro based on the software settings VW installed
Great :-/
There are several people without Discovery Pro with the new system since week 48 in Germany.
The same unit with 1788 5H0035820D is installed.
The main different with Pro and non Pro in Germany is that you can display map on both screen at the same time and Discovery Pro user get 3 years live update install of one for people without the Discovery Pro
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Great write-up, Fred.
I will sit down later and add my own 10p worth to the things you've spoken about. I am just about to drop my Clubsport off for a new car prep & ceramic coating, so will be a bit bored for the next couple of days... :undecided:
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Thanks for taking the time to write Fred
The overall impression I get is that the mk8 is a different- and better- car than the mk7 ( I’m referring mainly to the driving).
Good to know. If I’m ever foolish enough to sell mine, there’s a better and newer alternative
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BJ,
Yes, I thought adding the sliding cover would mean replacing the entire transmission tunnel piece... no doubt that part would be very expensive, plus of course for the UK it might not work for a right hand drive car....
Oh well!
On the difference between Discovery Nav and Pro, in the UK we get 3 years of "guide and inform" included - but UK GTI's are sold with loads of "options" fitted to the base model. In Germany they sell a very basic car and you have to pay for loads of things we get (eg IQ lighting, 3 zone air conditioning, parking sensors etc etc). Its not "free" but VW UK sell all of their GTI's (and GTE/GTD/R) with a high specification and always have.
So you see why I wonder what you get for £1600 if you order Pro.... and nobody actually knows yet. I had Pro on both of my Mk7 GTD's and basically felt ripped off both times to some degree! We unfortunately need someone to order it to find out what the difference is!
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Great write-up, Fred.
I will sit down later and add my own 10p worth to the things you've spoken about. I am just about to drop my Clubsport off for a new car prep & ceramic coating, so will be a bit bored for the next couple of days... :undecided:
Yes, please do! Interested to see if you agree or disagree with the things I said.
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Thanks for taking the time to write Fred
The overall impression I get is that the mk8 is a different- and better- car than the mk7 ( I’m referring mainly to the driving).
Good to know. If I’m ever foolish enough to sell mine, there’s a better and newer alternative
Cheers!
Yes, I'd say it was.
If they can just sort out the problems.... although to be fair, I only seem to suffer from the "front assist is AWOL" error, which may or may not be anything serious or abnormal.
BTW, I've just come back from some A and B road gentle driving and my MPG is up to 35. That's not too bad. I guess my next motorway trip on cruise should be maybe pushing towards 40, which considering what else its capable of doing is pretty damn impressive. Its no oil burner though :grin:
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What fuel are you using Fred? Standard unleaded or something more exotic?
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What fuel are you using Fred? Standard unleaded or something more exotic?
Me? Pay for premium fuel? :laugh:
I'm using standard 95.
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Great write up Fred and looking forward to the next.
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Aha! Solved this one:
Media play back annoying - takes ages to go from the song list to what is playing screen, random time? No idea whats going on there
Use gesture control to wave at it, swaps over to the "now playing" screen.
It finally did a sort of OTA update too today - I have a new version of the in-car user manual, probably correcting a spelling on page 219 - more likely updating some legal disclaimer I'll bet :sad:
It seems to flatly refuse to do updates near my house though and also doesn't seem to like my house wifi - despite my phone being able to connect to the house from in the car no problem at all.
Connecting the car to my phone's mobile hotspot also doesn't seem to make it want to update it.
Oh and there is also the weird thing others have talked about - the phone won't connect to bluetooth if you have shut the door before starting the car up. That's just bizarre.
I can see that ultimately I'm going to end up shouting at a dealer to get the MIB unit swapped out for the improved version...
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Grab yourself a cuppa (and a piece of cake, Mcvities Jamaican Ginger cake is my sponsor) , I do like to ramble on... :whistle:
Oooh, I love a bit of Jamaica Ginger Cake myself. Got none, though and now I really want some.
I will start by saying that I have never had a Golf, or a VW, A DSG, or a brand-new car, so things I say might seem commonplace or obvious to some who have. I have spent the last 4-5 years driving a 56 plate Astra SRi 3-door and, aside from a Civic 1.5 V-Tec have always had Vauxhalls, right the way back to my first ever car - an F-reg (that's 80s for all you younguns) Mk. 2 Cavalier 1.3... :evil:
So, yeah, stepping up to the Clubsport is a big one for me. I have had it since Tuesday and I have around 500 miles on it so far. Mostly taking it easy with some spritely moments here and there - I don't think I have taken it over 5,000 revs yet but have had some flappy-paddle fun whilst doing the 'national speed limit' with Google Maps set to 'avoid motorways'... :whistle:
In general:
Looks - I love it. The Mk8 shape took a bit of getting used to. Have had lots of admiring comments from colleagues and even random people at the petrol station.
Couldn't agree more. I think it's a much nicer car to look at than the 7.5. Not that the 7.5 looks bad, as it is the car that really gave me the appetite for a GTI a few months ago, but I just feel that it makes the predecessor look a little dated when side-by-side. The back quarter angle is down-right car porn, in my opinion - especially with the Clubsport spoiler. I too have had lots of comments from randomers. From admiring teenagers and petrol station staff, to a chap working on the door at Sainsbury's who pulled his phone out to grab a pic and I even got a thumbs up from a guy in a Lambo while I was filling up. Also, all the kids at work reckon it's "Well sick", so that must be good. :cool:
...it drives like mad! I had a little "spirited" drive the other night in sport mode... rev matching down shifts using flappy paddle manual, pops and bangs on a swift lift off, front diff awesome, handles incredibly - high speed direction changes are like its on rails. Maybe need to get some bigger paddles though, the OEM ones are not as big as they could be to be perfect. Think I might find manual gear shifts a lot of fun when I am feeling playful - it certainly was fun the other night.
Absolutely. During my own aforementioned jaunts, I can't count the number of times I let out some kind of 'hoot' noise as I exited a bend realising that I had just taken it 15-20mph faster than I ever have before and thinking 'how is that even possible in a car that's a similar size and weight to my Astra?'. Lack of understeer and the overall balance of the car is massively apparent to me. One corner I dived into a little bit fast and although I was expecting the front wheels to struggle, instead, the car slapped my wrist with a little back-end shimmy before pulling back onto it's rails. Yet another 'hoot' noise moment.
Bigger paddles would definitely be nice. Even with the short lock-to-lock range, I am finding it's easy to lose my up-shift paddle when exiting a 90 degree or more corner....but that could be down to me not being used to that style of driving yet and my old driving instructor in the back of my mind, telling me to not cross my arms too much.
However its quiet and refined in "comfort". Drives like a normal car which is crazy when you see what it can do in lunatic mode.
Lunatic mode is right on the money. I honestly wouldn't want more than the 300HP the Clubsport has. VW really seems to have hit a sweet spot there. Even though I haven't really floored it, at times where I have given it a bit of a squirt from almost a standing start, you really feel the battle going on between grip and power, with grip always just about having the upper-hand....but only just. I haven't felt any wheelspin at all yet, even when pulling out quickly at a roundabout.
There's part of me that feels that Comfort is a little too comfortable. A couple of times I have pulled out at a junction or roundabout from a slow roll - 10MPH or so - and felt that, even with a sharp stab of the pedal, it didn't respond as quickly as I had anticipated and caused the person I pulled out in front of to have to switch their right foot position, at least. Again, that may be me just not being used to DSG but, for me, an ideal world would have a mode between where Comfort and Sport currently are that gives a sharper response of the downshift on acceleration but will then settle down to 1,500 revs again when you ease back off to 30-40mph. Don't take that as me saying that it's either all or nothing....that's not what I am saying....but I just feel that there's room in the middle for something.
I've not tried "eco" ... I probably will never even experiment with it.
I tried a little experiment cruising on the motorway at 65 for 10 minutes or so in Comfort whilst watching the consumption and then switched to Eco and did the same. There was no noticeable difference between the two. Comfort mode still enables coasting. I then tried to compare the two modes whilst pootling around a town centre but that went out of the window when I saw an oncoming bridge and switched back to sport to hear some more exhaust note and some pops and crackles instead. :grin:
I did have a strange issue whereby I switched back to Comfort from Eco and then swiped down from the top to disable Stop/Start again and it would not allow me to do so. Tried switching to Sport and it was the same. The button would briefly turn red as I pressed but would then go back to normal. Turning the engine off and back on again got rid of the issue, but this was a little weird.
Golf ball pattern mirror downlights and LED lit door handles. Coloured interior lighting nice. Looks like Blackpool illuminations at night!
I have to say I really love the interior lighting as well as the puddle lights. I have the interior mostly set to red because....well, GTI....but I also quite like the ability to have it change, depending on the driving mode selected - white for Comfort and then switch to Sport and it goes red. Again, another feature that the kids at work think is "Well sick".
LED headlights, bright and adaptive main beam lighting great. Not just bright but a much broader spread of light. Watching the adaptive lighting dance around other road users is great. Haven't been flashed for blinding anyone yet.
Absolutely. These lights are one of the stand-out features for me. I leave mine on all the time once it gets dark and I also haven't been flashed yet. They'll switch to dipped in lit areas but as soon as you pass that last streetlight back into the darkness, they 'swoosh' back on and, as Fred said, seeing them dance around other cars is very impressive indeed.
Swoopy front indictors
I'm not really a fan of these in general. Maybe I am just a bit old school and feel they look a bit pretentious but meh, it's a minor niggle and I don't have to look at them, so whatever.
The light bar between the front headlights. Some hate it, I rather like it.
I like it too. I thought it was a little strange when I first saw it in pictures but I quite like it now. For me, noticing its reflection on the car in front of me whilst pulling up at lights is a little reminder that I driving a damn nice car now, rather than an average one, and it gives me a little happy feeling inside.
Seats are really comfy
Agreed. I spent around 10 hours straight in mine the other day - only stopping a couple of times to grab a bottle of water or jib to the toilet - and it was only the last hour or so where I felt myself having to adjust my ass, as it was getting a bit numb.
Progressive steering - one turn to full lock - nice! Easy to park!
Yep, nice. I have found myself clunking into max lock once or twice whilst reversing into a space using my palm on the wheel, as I am used to going further, but I will get used to it.
Voice control, can control nav, audio, climate (seems UK GTI's have 3 zone climate control as standard).
Yep, also got 3-zone climate control in mine as well. Haven't used voice control for navigation more than just trying it out once or twice, as I am using Android Auto but, from what I have seen, it works ok, although it seems you have to be more specific with addresses than you do with Google Maps. Voice control seems decent and, as Fred said, responds to commands fairly well, even with my Manc accent. I had a weird issue that I mentioned in another thread where my volume sliders would not increase volume and I had to use voice control to do it (now resolved, so must have been something I did, I think), and it worked fine. Hitting the button and saying "I'm cold" bumps the CC up a few degrees and vice-versa by saying "I'm hot". It works well. I noticed that there's an option in the settings for a 'Wake-up Word' and it is switched on, but I have no idea what the word is. Any idea, Fred? :huh:
Gesture control
Can't say I have noticed this. I will have to have another look in the settings.
Travel assist - really nice. This combines ACC with lane centring and GPS map data and traffic sign recognition.
Haven't found lane assist to be a massive pain the bum and needing to turn it off at the start of every journey. Once you are used to the surprise of it grabbing the wheel you just counter it. Haven't also found start/stop to be intrusive either.
The ACC is great, though I found myself having to reduce the distance that it detects the vehicle in front, pretty much down to the minimum. I am no tail-gate by any stretch, but the default setting was very much overly safety-conscious.
Having spoken to a girl at work who has a regular Mk. 8 Golf, the Lane Assist was something that I was concerned about before picking up the car. I am a bit of a control freak and want to be able to take a good line through the bends on an open road, but I also can't be bothered spending a few minutes turning all sorts of things off at the beginning of a journey, either. She used the same word - "Grabbing" - when describing it but after experiencing it, I feel that it's more of a gentle reminder than a grab, in most cases. The only time I have felt it to be a little intrusive is when passing parked cars on my left where I have to cross the centre line.
Start/Stop gets turned off right away.
Blind spot warning lights are fantastic.
Yep, really good. They do occasionally go nuts and start flashing when someone is passing you and I think to myself "Why?" but I guess it's better than the alternative. Or maybe it's just that folks are drifting a little because they are busy looking at my car... :whistle: :cool:
Keyless entry and keyless start. You can disable keyless entry in the menus. Do it.
Yep. Between disabling this and using a DiskLok, I sleep better at night. Keyless Start still works, even with Keyless Entry switched off.
Options
No options on my Clubsport. I know many don't like the 18s but I really don't mind them as I am not a fan of black wheels and parts of my daily drive would likely be a little harsh on anything bigger, so all-in-all, I am fine with them.
Ideally, I would have liked to have had DCC and also HK Sound but I didn't feel that the wait time was doable for me. That said, I can't say that the regular sound system is bad, nor do I feel that the ride means that DCC is something I desperately need, so it's all good.
And now the moaning section... you knew it was coming :laugh:
Missing door kick plates - no nice stainless steel plates on the bottom of the door frame.
Yes, I am now on the look-out for some. Even my old 56 plate Astra has them!
Doors shut with a clunk but need more positive effort to close properly.
Not really had an issue here, although I am used to the huge doors of the 3-door Astra, so maybe that's a factor.
Annoying reflections in windscreen - Anyone with a Mk8 is going to hate me now I've pointed this out.
I haven't noticed this, either. It may just be a seating position thing. I am 6' 3" and have the height adjustment all the way down, for what it's worth. That said, this may have just gone under my radar and I am now going to notice it because of you, Fred! :grin:
We Connect problems - Mother of God!
This wasn't mentioned at all by my dealer. To be honest, other than not being 'A Guest', I have no idea what it's all about. I noticed it in the menus and set up a VW ID (kinda stupid to have a feature with the same name as one of the cars, in my opinion, as it makes it difficult to look up info online) via the website but whenever I try to log in in the car, it simply sits there saying "Please Wait" with the circle going round and not much else, so I am still just a guest. :sad:
Front assist errors
I get these too. As Exonian said, Mine pop up a few minutes into every drive. I don't know what is actually going on but also don't feel like something that I need isn't functioning. Hopefully this gets ironed out in time.
Wireless android auto not yet available....[snip]....Plug it in still is my suggestion.
This is a little annoying, though, if I can get myself a USB-C to USB-C cable that's only a couple of inches long, it may not be quite as bad. Right now I have to tuck my cable under the flap and it just looks daft. It's also annoying if I have to pick up my phone whilst parked, as I then have to either unplug - turning off my music and nav - or pull the cable from under the flap then having to stuff it all back in again. I need wireless functionality ASAP.
AID is configruable but I can't help but feel like its not as good as the Mk7.5 one.
I can't comment on how it compares to anything else but I like it. It's very configurable for what I need. I have the GTI style centre display with Drive Mode / Gear on the left and MPG on the right.
Steering wheel buttons - annoying. Volume control fiddly/annoying.
I honestly don't mind them and I can't say I have had any accidental presses yet. With regards to the volume / skip track sliders, to skip track, you have to slide across the entire length rather than just from the middle outwards and then you get the haptic feedback as you reach the end and the track will skip. Volume is slightly more finicky to get just right but sliding definitely works better than pressing the end down but takes a little getting used to.
Sliders for temperature. Super annoying. Voice control is pretty good for setting the temp actually.
Yes, at least whilst moving, they are not great during daytime and completely redundant at night. I would go as far as to say they're terrible. Aside from being unlit, they're also in the spot where you instinctively rest your left thumb to give extra stability when poking at the screen with your index finger, when on the move, so I often found myself changing temperature when using the screen. I agree that changing temperature via voice is the way to go.
USB C connections only - dealer gave cable for my phone, which was nice.
Didn't receive a cable with mine but I already had one, so not an issue.
Media play back annoying
Sat nav takes ages to start up when you get in the car, lots of please wait.
Using Android Auto, which seems fine. Plug it in as soon as I get in the car and by the time I have started the engine, put my seatbelt on and switched into Drive, it's on and ready for commands.
There is no cubby hole to the right of the steering wheel and no overhead sunglasses container. The cup holders in the centre console (where the handbrake would be) doesn't have the retractable cover.
Not having the cubby isn't an issue for me. A dedicated place to store sunglasses would have been nice but I can pop them into the door pocket which has a nice liner, so no bother. The cup-holder not having a cover doesn't bother me and the trick button that makes it grip your cup/bottle is pretty cool.
I am really not sure what the intention was with the little, oddly shaped storage spot next to the 'chicken nugget' :grin: but it's a perfect spot to put my vape pen (one year smoke-free this month, after 23 years - woot!) and not have it rattle around. The touch-sensitive reading lights are also quite a nice feature, I feel. Also, I am not sure if it's outside temperature dependent but having the heated steering wheel come on at full, every time I start the car bugs me a little. It would be nice if it remembered the last setting.
All-in-all, I love the car. Have VW skimped a bit considering the price? Sure, in some areas. Would I say that it feels a let-down considering the price? No, not really. The up-sides definitely outweigh the niggles. Those headlights sure as hell make up for having no sunglasses storage and the stupid temp sliders by themselves. Ultimately, at the end of the day, it's a GTI and it's all about the drive experience....and it has oodles of that. I would like to have a go in a non-Clubsport, just to compare, but I am sure that the non-Clubsport owners have just as big a smile on their face as I do.
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Hey Vw is the wake up word, and you can set the heated wheel to remember your settings....to do it you have to do the opposite of what men do and read the manual :laugh:
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What fuel are you using Fred? Standard unleaded or something more exotic?
Me? Pay for premium fuel? :laugh:
I'm using standard 95.
seems a bit pointless buying a performance car and using standard petrol Fred.
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Great read there Brocky. Just finished it. Mind you, I started at 9am. :whistle:
Love it when people share their thoughts as an owner. Keep them coming!
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Hey Vw is the wake up word
I wondered about if you could change it, then wondered what I might change it to.
Then thought I'm not even going to see if its possible :whistle:
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What fuel are you using Fred? Standard unleaded or something more exotic?
Me? Pay for premium fuel? :laugh:
I'm using standard 95.
seems a bit pointless buying a performance car and using standard petrol Fred.
I can't see the point of using higher octane than it needs, particularly not for 99% of my driving being nothing more than accelerating down the on ramp for the motorway...
Just burning money and when you are from Yorkshire that's a hanging offence! :laugh:
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Hey Vw is the wake up word
I wondered about if you could change it, then wondered what I might change it to.
Then thought I'm not even going to see if its possible :whistle:
Hey “hms weasel”
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Brocky,
Great post!
I'll let you into a ACC secret.... you definitely need it set to minimum distance because if you don't everyone imagines that is a space they can pull into. When they pull into it, your car drops back.... repeat...repeat...
Even on closest setting its not too close in my opinion as a road warrior.
Did you try the Travel Assist? That's really neat!
I forgot to mention the touch sensitive overhead lights - those are ace! No more trying to work out which button turns the lights on!
I hear you on "comfort" is a bit relaxed and "sport" is a bit mad. I wonder whether individual mode with engine set to sport but the gearbox set to comfort might do it - that would improve throttle response but stick with the early upshifts. I'll have a play with that.
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What fuel are you using Fred? Standard unleaded or something more exotic?
Me? Pay for premium fuel? :laugh:
I'm using standard 95.
seems a bit pointless buying a performance car and using standard petrol Fred.
I can't see the point of using higher octane than it needs, particularly not for 99% of my driving being nothing more than accelerating down the on ramp for the motorway...
Just burning money and when you are from Yorkshire that's a hanging offence! :laugh:
your driving is probably why you need something like vpower. The additional cleaning additives will help in the long run. I know it goes against the grain but worth considering 👍
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Maybe if I was planning on keeping it, but I'm not. Well, not beyond three years.
I suspect three years on a whole pile of things will have changed...
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Brocky,
Great post!
I'll let you into a ACC secret.... you definitely need it set to minimum distance because if you don't everyone imagines that is a space they can pull into. When they pull into it, your car drops back.... repeat...repeat...
Even on closest setting its not too close in my opinion as a road warrior.
Did you try the Travel Assist? That's really neat!
I forgot to mention the touch sensitive overhead lights - those are ace! No more trying to work out which button turns the lights on!
I hear you on "comfort" is a bit relaxed and "sport" is a bit mad. I wonder whether individual mode with engine set to sport but the gearbox set to comfort might do it - that would improve throttle response but stick with the early upshifts. I'll have a play with that.
Cheers, Fred. You did most of the analysis, though. I just added to it.
Yeah, I had the same train of thought with the ACC and other drivers. I didn't try the lowest setting, just the one before, which I found ok. I will try it and see how it is.
Didn't try Travel Assist. What is it? Isn't that the thing that pings up an error after a few minutes into every drive? I can't have a look, as mine is with the detailer until Tuesday morning.
Hey Vw is the wake up word, and you can set the heated wheel to remember your settings....to do it you have to do the opposite of what men do and read the manual :laugh:
Cheers, Dave. I'm sure I tried that, as it's the obvious thing. I will try again. It was definitely checked on in the settings. Maybe it didn't work because I had Android Auto running as well...?
I will look it up when I am using that book thing to see what the score is with the heated wheel settings and also the mirror dip on reverse. :grin:
I use Premium juice. Even used it in my Astra SRi which wasn't exactly a performance car....but it used to only just scrape by in emissions tests and I was told it would help a little. No idea if it did or not but I got another two MOTs out of it. I figure it makes sense to use it in the Clubsport but I am not sure which to use. BP & Shell seem to be the go-to brands. I see more people talking about using V-Power over Ultimate but there's a BP on my commute and so that makes sense. I reckon I will just stick with BP for convenience sake. There can't be that much difference, can there...?
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Brocky,
Travel assist... Read my description from earlier. I suspect you have actually used it lol.
On the fuel, a clubby needs 98, a gti doesn't.
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Ah, ok. I have used the ACC, but not using the standard navigation, which I'm guessing needs to also be active for the whole Travel Assist thing to work? Maybe I'll give it a go but I'm not sure it'll make me switch from using Google Maps.
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Nah you don't need nav active. It just uses the map data and GPS position.
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So I'm currently out enjoying the car on my day off, after picking it up from having a new car prep and I've had a moment of clarity....which could also be referred to as a complete 'duh!' moment for me.
I worked out that each mode actually has two modes. In comfort, if you 'flick the bean' (I'm trademarking that) towards you, the D on the AID turns to an S with the current selected gear but still with Comfort underneath and the gearbox wakes up. Flick it again and it goes back to relaxed D mode. Use the 'Mode' button to switch to Sport and you've got Sport D and then Sport S (Already trademarked by Fred as 'Lunatic Mode').
So it is possible to have it in Sport Mode but with sensible gear shifts.
Now I'm going to try out the whole Travel Assist thing and hope that I'm not calling my insurance company later... :huh:
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Is that right?
Yesterday I was playing with trying to get sport engine (its just a throttle map) but with the 2k rpm "comfort" gear changes.
It didn't seem to want to do that at all. Once the "engine" was in sport, the gearbox only offered me S.
If you are trying travel assist.... make sure you are fully alert and ready to grab control (any braking turns it off) until you are certain of how it functions!!! Its pretty good, but not infalliable!
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Yesterday I was playing with trying to get sport engine (its just a throttle map) but with the 2k rpm "comfort" gear changes.
It didn't seem to want to do that at all. Once the "engine" was in sport, the gearbox only offered me S.
I think that is what Thomas discovered in his review.
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Yeah its a bit of a pain, but not unfixable... pedal box time methinks.
It definitely does need something in between "comfort" (aka "normal") and "sport" (aka "lunatic") and probably just a sharper throttle with normal gear box mode is it. I am fairly sure you could do this with a Mk7 couldn't you?
Its not even that comfort doesn't have its place, I'm not saying its utterly useless like it, its just that after you find just about everything on the car you can tweak to the nth degree, this one thing feels a bit missing.
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Have you given it a try in Sport D, Fred. I feel that's perfect for me.
I just tried Travel Assist. Not sure I like it. Is it supposed to switch lanes to overtake? I had it set to 70mph and it slotted up behind a wagon doing 55. I waited to see if it would do anything when the second lane was free but it didn't. Not before I felt the need to do it myself, at least.
Also, my wake up word definitely isn't working, despite being checked on in the settings. :sad:
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Have you given it a try in Sport D, Fred. I feel that's perfect for me.
Explain again how you get that?
I just tried Travel Assist. Not sure I like it. Is it supposed to switch lanes to overtake? I had it set to 70mph and it slotted up behind a wagon doing 55. I waited to see if it would do anything when the second lane was free but it didn't. Not before I felt the need to do it myself, at least.
No, it doesn't switch lanes :) That might be fun, but not yet.
Did you feel it steering for you? Did you come to any roundabouts or tight corners?
Also, my wake up word definitely isn't working, despite being checked on in the settings. :sad:
Remember, its the car's wake up word not your safe word :laugh:
It definitely listens for Volkswagen.... when I was cursing them the other day to my son, it butted in :grin:
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Is it not about time for a Mk 8 Roll Call thread given that quite a few people seem to have one now? Or maybe New Arrivals/Gallery? :whistle:
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So I'm currently out enjoying the car on my day off, after picking it up from having a new car prep and I've had a moment of clarity....which could also be referred to as a complete 'duh!' moment for me.
I worked out that each mode actually has two modes. In comfort, if you 'flick the bean' (I'm trademarking that) towards you, the D on the AID turns to an S with the current selected gear but still with Comfort underneath and the gearbox wakes up. Flick it again and it goes back to relaxed D mode. Use the 'Mode' button to switch to Sport and you've got Sport D and then Sport S (Already trademarked by Fred as 'Lunatic Mode').
So it is possible to have it in Sport Mode but with sensible gear shifts.
Now I'm going to try out the whole Travel Assist thing and hope that I'm not calling my insurance company later... :huh:
I drive everyday to work in economy because I actually tested a feel the fuel benefit but if I want to get that power just flick through stick to S and it feels like a completely different car even more so driving in economy and I like that feeling, I only every use sport mode when I'm on a nice country road because I find that's when it comes alive more so going into manual triggers dropping down a gear and then powering up out of a corner, that's where you feel the fun 😊
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Eco mode turns down the aircon, disables cornering lighting, sets the ACC to slow acceleration (which I'd argue is quite dangerous) and deadens the throttle response even more.
What sort of extra economy are you getting for doing that?
If you are frequently flicking to S and then hoofing it, you probably are burning up whatever you've saved too...
I remain unconvinced...
I'm sure for VW it takes ~1g of CO2 off of the official figures (which is worth a lot to them) but for you and I?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of low pollution and better pound note savings, but maybe not to that degree!
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Is it not about time for a Mk 8 Roll Call thread given that quite a few people seem to have one now? Or maybe New Arrivals/Gallery? :whistle:
A good idea to see all the new beasties :smiley:
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mk8 gallery section added :)
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?board=138.0
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mk8 gallery section added :)
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?board=138.0
Can we have a “salty ol’ sea dog” section for us more down at heel members?
(https://i.postimg.cc/zvcFVFym/B2688-FE4-B7-A6-45-AB-A494-C9-EA18-CA3593.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hQVdYx8M)
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mk8 gallery section added :)
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?board=138.0
Can we have a “salty sea dog” section for us more down a heel members?
(https://i.postimg.cc/zvcFVFym/B2688-FE4-B7-A6-45-AB-A494-C9-EA18-CA3593.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hQVdYx8M)
Now I understand why you swap cars every 3 months. Bodywork won’t last a year down there!
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Call that filthy?! I've washed mine and had it look worse afterwards :laugh:
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Now I understand why you swap cars every 3 months. Bodywork won’t last a year down there!
I find it cuts five minutes off my commute if I wade across the mouth of the estuary.
I never actually sell my cars, I just occasionally misjudge the tide times and they sink! :whistle:
(A few close encounters with gritting lorries going in opposing directions)
Call that filthy?! I've washed mine and had it look worse afterwards :laugh:
:grin: :grin:
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I find it cuts five minutes off my commute if I wade across the mouth of the estuary.
That reminded me of this.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkL3l4bT5OU
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Eco mode turns down the aircon, disables cornering lighting, sets the ACC to slow acceleration (which I'd argue is quite dangerous) and deadens the throttle response even more.
What sort of extra economy are you getting for doing that?
If you are frequently flicking to S and then hoofing it, you probably are burning up whatever you've saved too...
I remain unconvinced...
I'm sure for VW it takes ~1g of CO2 off of the official figures (which is worth a lot to them) but for you and I?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of low pollution and better pound note savings, but maybe not to that degree!
My fuel between economy and comfort are different measuring over the last two weeks commuting to work I'm defo getting better MPG somehow, the only time I flick that switch is if anyone is slowing me down on that motorway or junction but mostly the last bit of my journey on a country road which is where I think it comes to life. I just love powering out of a corner in a GTI and front wheel drive feel and it holds and makes it more fun. My friend has just got a R and it's quite lethal but defo think this GTI was built as a all rounder. I was more so just saying that from economy flicking to sport feels like your in two different cars
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Two more things I've been meaning to mention that I've noticed...
One, the window controls on the drivers door are further forward than on the mk7.5. I keep trying to open the rear windows :grin:
Two, the indicator stalk seems more mechanical than the old one. Additionally the green turn lights on the dash are obscured by the steering wheel. It might just be my seat position but... On top of this the indicators don't self cancel so easily. Combine the two and I end up with driving down the road indicating. That's not great.
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The indicator stalk does seem a bit different now you mention it.
Probably each unit is 3 cents cheaper than the outgoing mk7 item.
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Two more things I've been meaning to mention that I've noticed...
One, the window controls on the drivers door are further forward than on the mk7.5. I keep trying to open the rear windows :grin:
Me too. The switch for rears is exactly where my fronts were in my Astra. Hopefully muscle-memory will adjust itself soon.
Additionally the green turn lights on the dash are obscured by the steering wheel. It might just be my seat position but...
For me too but it's only the left that's obscured. Wait....have I developed a 'gangsta-lean'? :cool: :grin: Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
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Additionally the green turn lights on the dash are obscured by the steering wheel. It might just be my seat position but...
For me too but it's only the left that's obscured. Wait....have I developed a 'gangsta-lean'? :cool: :grin: Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
Not necessarily a design oversight - height of the driver, how the driver has their seat and the steering wheel adjusted will all be factors in whether or not certain parts of the instrumentation display are obscured. The ‘ideal’ steering wheel position for me in my last car meant the rim of the wheel obscured the top of the speedo. I adjusted the wheel to be slightly higher which cured the issue, and soon got used to the new steering wheel position.
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I can't remember where the turn indicators were on the mk7.5, but on the mk8 they are at extremes on the left and right of the aid. Separate lights. To be able to see them i think I'd need to be nearer to the steering wheel...and that's not a good idea with an airbag equipped wheel.
I think the problem might be caused by the performance golfs having a thicker steering wheel than a normal one?
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See what I mean.... about the indicators
Mk8:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfEw2iP8sAA (look at around 7:20)
Mk7.5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YasOJyXC0V4 (look at around 1:10)
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See what I mean.... about the indicators
Mk8:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfEw2iP8sAA (look at around 7:20)
Mk7.5:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YasOJyXC0V4 (look at around 1:10)
Ah, I see where you’re coming from - the position of flashing green indicator turn symbol on the mk8 AID is now outboard of the dials whereas on the mk7.5 it was inboard.
They’re in a similar position on the AID in my Polo GTI+ as they are in the mk8 - I’ll need to consciously check to see how visible they are. As you’ve said, the thicker rim of the mk8’s steering wheel might be the issue; the steering wheel in my car is the same style as the one in the mk7.5 with the thinner rim, so that might be why I’ve not noticed this issue in my car.
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I had another look today and its actually my hands that obscure it... At ten to two my hands cover it. I can see it when I am turning but after that... Not so much.
I don't think there is much I can do about that either. I've thought about seat height and steering wheel height short of effectively having the setup so I'm holding the wheel "easy rider" ape hanger style, i don't think i can fix it :cry:
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....Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
Completely off topic, but have you seen the Peugeot 308's i-cockpit dash? Many hours of careful analysis and design has resulted in the steering wheel upper rim perfectly obscuring all the instruments! Alternatively, if you want to actually see the instruments, the steering wheel must be positioned ridiculously low in your lap. Utter lunacy.
But anyway, as you were....
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....Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
Completely off topic, but have you seen the Peugeot 308's i-cockpit dash? Many hours of careful analysis and design has resulted in the steering wheel upper rim perfectly obscuring all the instruments! Alternatively, if you want to actually see the instruments, the steering wheel must be positioned ridiculously low in your lap. Utter lunacy.
But anyway, as you were....
I had a 308 rental car in France a few years ago and noted that it felt well built, did incredible fuel economy (my maths had it easily in the 70s mpg), you couldn't see out of it down either side and yes, the steering wheel was so small it obscured almost all the instruments!
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....Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
Completely off topic, but have you seen the Peugeot 308's i-cockpit dash? Many hours of careful analysis and design has resulted in the steering wheel upper rim perfectly obscuring all the instruments! Alternatively, if you want to actually see the instruments, the steering wheel must be positioned ridiculously low in your lap. Utter lunacy.
But anyway, as you were....
I haven't. Wouldn't touch a French car with a 10-foot baguette!
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Hey Vw is the wake up word, and you can set the heated wheel to remember your settings....to do it you have to do the opposite of what men do and read the manual :laugh:
Dave. I just read back over this thread and realised that you are the reason I was unable to communicate with the car. You told me it was "Hey VW" and so I tried that and "Hey Volkswagen" over and over to no avail.
It's "Hello Volkswagen" and "Hey" doesn't work. :grin:
Although, despite not being able to pick up on that, it randomly activated when I was talking about what I was thinking of having from the take-away the other night.
Still not looked up the heated steering wheel thing....but I did figure out how to have the passenger mirror dip on reverse, all by myself! :smiley:
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It was meant to say hello vw(which works for me).predictive text lol
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So having setup speed limit warnings the other day, I noticed yesterday they weren't working.
This morning I got round to looking at the setup and it had unchecked the warnings magically.
Nice :angry:
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....Does the GTI have a smaller wheel than the rest of the range and it wasn't taken into account during the dash design phase, maybe?
Completely off topic, but have you seen the Peugeot 308's i-cockpit dash? Many hours of careful analysis and design has resulted in the steering wheel upper rim perfectly obscuring all the instruments! Alternatively, if you want to actually see the instruments, the steering wheel must be positioned ridiculously low in your lap. Utter lunacy.
But anyway, as you were....
I haven't. Wouldn't touch a French car with a 10-foot baguette!
Why is that? Bad experience with one?
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French cars.... I've had a few... they are "quirky" and one of the consistent things with them are the wild array of different versions of parts fitted to them.
Whereas a million VW's will all have the same say clutch for a whole MY, you might find identical models of a Peugeot will have had half a dozen different clutch assemblies for the same MY.
They also tend to make some very poor design choices with other things that can mean what looks like a simple job becoming a major strip down and rebuild.
They don't tend to think about these sorts of things...
You can also see that with Renault's effect on Nissan. Nissan used to be super reliable sensible cars, since Renault partnered with them a Nissan can be absolute hell on earth.
The other thing is they really seem to relish avant garde design. Quite often things are really quite "out there" with them. German design is usually very much more conservative. I guess that's just a national trait though.
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What’s the H&K like?
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What’s the H&K like?
Its pretty good.... with one exception - there are no instructions. Literally none. VW refuse to provide any and HK say they don't have any for a subsystem licenced by VW. Because of that I'm unsure if I am getting actual peak audio.
Its a bit weird, you have a graphic equalizer (think its 6 sliders plus sub) and then these 4 "mood" buttons, which do change the output, but how isn't clear. You definitely don't have the usual EQ preset buttons where each toggles the EQ settings. The one set of EQ is across all 4 "moods". On top of that, you have a setting for "surround" that goes from "stereo" to "surround". It definitely has an effect, quite what I don't really understand. I don't really understand it much, which is annoying.
The sound is pretty good though, clear, no distortions at high volumes. The bass is present but not skull crushing.
I can't decide if the "surround" sound is a good thing or not though. Sometimes it seems to add to the music, other times it seems to make it worse. Would be nicer if the thing had those EQ buttons so you could define some profiles for yourself.
For example, my default setup sounds great for The Prodigy, not so great for Motorhead.
Would I order it again, maybe....the standard VW system doesn't sound terrible to be honest.
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I’m debating wether to add it to my order. Looking at the output from the standard system it seem like it’s only 80w which is quite low compared to the H&K
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I’m debating wether to add it to my order. Looking at the output from the standard system it seem like it’s only 80w which is quite low compared to the H&K
On paper it is.... the normal system has 7 speakers though... and HK is what, 700 quid?
My previous 2 Mk7's never had uprated stereo gear, they were not terrible by a long old way. Not like other marques where the basic unit can really suck.
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The standard system in my GTD 7.5 was fine. This is why I’m thinking I should save the £625. 😕 but then I don’t know what the standard system in the 8 is like compared to the 7.5
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When I test drove the basic Mk8 GTI, the sound quality was pretty much the same as my Mk7.5 GTD.
If you are happy with that, I'd not pay for HK...
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So regarding speaker setup in the front only, is it just like a 6inch in the front door and a tweeter on the A pillar.
I guess its the same number of speakers if standard or using HK....
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The sound quality in the standard set up is actually ok. I’m no audiophile mind you, but would any audiophile be happy with any car set up that didn’t involve ££££?
The HK will be a lot better though going from my experiences with Dynaudio in the mk7.5. I’d happily pay the extra and generally I’m pretty stingy on spec upgrades.
Bass is so easily lost in a boomy hot hatch cabin even with the horrid sound actuator on minimum setting, so that sub is a godsend on those days when traffic is light, passengers are absent and you can lose yourself in some music. Or great for when you’re showing off to your mates. Only I don’t have any mates. :cry:
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So regarding speaker setup in the front only, is it just like a 6inch in the front door and a tweeter on the A pillar.
I guess its the same number of speakers if standard or using HK....
I think there are 6 speakers on the standard setup, 10 for the HK.... whether thats different mounting points or just that some locations have dual cones...
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Done 45 miles in my 32 year old french car today.
I turn the key, the engine fires up.
No problems with the user interface in this😂😂
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Done 45 miles in my 32 year old french car today.
I turn the key, the engine fires up.
No problems with the user interface in this😂😂
Best car I've ever owned was French. 180k miles in 11 years on petrol engine with no problems - original clutch, original exhaust, 32k miles out of tyres.
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Done 45 miles in my 32 year old french car today.
I turn the key, the engine fires up.
No problems with the user interface in this😂😂
Best car I've ever owned was French. 180k miles in 11 years on petrol engine with no problems - original clutch, original exhaust, 32k miles out of tyres.
2CV per chance?
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Fred
Just a quick note on all your posts, very informative and giving a great picture of Mk 8 GTI ownership.
I hope your sanity is still intacted as it does sound quite a battle with some of the log in procedures, not to mention error code bingo.
It is fascinating that the driving dynamics seem to be great but software is in its infancy.
I was looking at the various bits of info that VW had put out this week at their AGM and seems on electric vehicles there is a plan for new versions of software over next few years (I suppose like Apple with yearly iOS)
Do you think once you get to 1788 update that your glitches are mostly solved?
It seems really strange to me that VW seem to be so reticent to update vehicles where errors and glitches have a known solution and that you have to drag them through the list to finally get a resolution.
I would have thought they would be straight down on any problem to stop a possible growing feeling...oh don’t get a Golf it doesn’t work properly and the screen throws loads of errors at you.
However I have been an owner and reader of forums to know that the attitude is normally, “move along now nothing to see here” and when it really does go wrong then they act
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I find it slightly odd.
I will say though that yesterday I had the most amazing drive out of it. Absolutely incredible. After tootling around for ages I decide to go attack some corners. It's fantastic and I really must do that more.
Does it have some annoying things, sure. Are vw a pain about dealing with it? Yes but no different to say bmw (of which I'm a bit familiar with now) is about the same software type issues.
We live in an increasing digital world, car makers as always are slow to the uptake (i think it was best part of twenty years before I had a CD player in a car despite having new cars every three years!)
It's unfortunate but trust me, the mk8 in its performance guises really is a great car to drive.
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Done 45 miles in my 32 year old french car today.
I turn the key, the engine fires up.
No problems with the user interface in this😂😂
Best car I've ever owned was French. 180k miles in 11 years on petrol engine with no problems - original clutch, original exhaust, 32k miles out of tyres.
2CV per chance?
Ha ha, no it was a sporty(ish) Clio. Did drive a friends 2CV a bit though, many years ago - interesting gear shift and handbrake IIRC :laugh: :laugh:
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Thank you for your account. I found it very useful as a person who has just purchased his first GTi.
I have DCC but I have found that the ultra-comfort setting (top left hand of the options in 'individual' mode) creates a very noisy level of tyre noise. I was surprised at this. On country roads, it really is incredibly noisy, so much so that it is difficult to concentrate and decide whether this setting helps to glid over bumps better than 'comfort' or not. Whether the extreme comfort setting is a smoother ride is almost irrelevant: the noise puts you off the setting. That means the choice is back to standard comfort or sport.
Have you found this? I should emphasise though, that I am not technically minded at all and come to this from an ordinary car without DCC. And not a GTi!
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I find it slightly odd.
I will say though that yesterday I had the most amazing drive out of it. Absolutely incredible. After tootling around for ages I decide to go attack some corners. It's fantastic and I really must do that more.
Does it have some annoying things, sure. Are vw a pain about dealing with it? Yes but no different to say bmw (of which I'm a bit familiar with now) is about the same software type issues.
We live in an increasing digital world, car makers as always are slow to the uptake (i think it was best part of twenty years before I had a CD player in a car despite having new cars every three years!)
It's unfortunate but trust me, the mk8 in its performance guises really is a great car to drive.
Fred to add on from this I find I can't approach a corner without powering 😂. It's bloody too addictive. I'm in constant sport mode through individual with engine sound on eco to hear the standard engine noise more than the fake through the speaker.
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Thank you for your account. I found it very useful as a person who has just purchased his first GTi.
I have DCC but I have found that the ultra-comfort setting (top left hand of the options in 'individual' mode) creates a very noisy level of tyre noise. I was surprised at this. On country roads, it really is incredibly noisy, so much so that it is difficult to concentrate and decide whether this setting helps to glid over bumps better than 'comfort' or not. Whether the extreme comfort setting is a smoother ride is almost irrelevant: the noise puts you off the setting. That means the choice is back to standard comfort or sport.
Have you found this? I should emphasise though, that I am not technically minded at all and come to this from an ordinary car without DCC. And not a GTi!
Hi Gambo.
No I can't say I've noticed the tyre noise increase in ultra comfort.... I will try it later.
I'm currently running on dead centre on my DCC setup in Individual Profile - I've also got engine sound set to Eco to kill the fake engine noise.
Which wheels and tyres do you have? I have 19's with Bridgestone S005's. Tyre noise is usually tyre brand differences, I can't say I've ever noticed a suspension setting making a difference.
What you DO get with a Mk7 or a Mk8 golf is a LOT of noise from the rear. You can hear it even more if you fold the seats down. Maybe when the suspension is set super soft there is even more suspension noise from the rear? Not tyre noise.
I've got to go out later, I will experiment for you.
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I should emphasise though, that I am not technically minded at all and come to this from an ordinary car without DCC. And not a GTi!
Did you buy the right car for you?
The mk8 is full of tech, even though you don’t have to use much of it, similar to a smartphone you do need to develop a basic understanding of the UI. I’d imagine some features are infuriating if you don’t like tech. Those bloody steering wheel pads for a start...
Anyway, the Golf is badly soundproofed in the wheel arches. You’ll notice this the first time you go over a freshly gritted road. Plus if it has Bridgestone tyres they are quite noisy.
The suspension springs are quite firm on a GTI so no matter what your dampers are set to the springs will dictate the ride and handling. Unless you’re a continual fiddler who will adjust for each different road section surface you will need to find a damper setting that best controls the spring oscillations without inducing either car sickness at one end of the scale or sciatica at the other. Funnily enough the non adaptive dampers do this quite well :whistle:
Too much choice can literally be too much sometimes. I’ve had the indigestion to prove it many a time when exiting a buffet restaurant.
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On my Mk7 with DCC I used "normal" most of the time - like 99.9% of the time.... then sport rarely and "comfort" for driving across ploughed fields....
Mostly I was just driving, sometimes I visit an event in a field :cool:
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Gambo, I tested it out tonight, over about thirty miles.
Driving roads that look like the Ho Chi Minh trail after American bombing raids... I tried dcc on various settings and couldn't detect any noticeable noise difference.
I even tried folding down the rear seats to maximise any noise.
On super soft it is bouncy though, have never tried it that soft before. Soaks the bumps up for sure. Might need seasick pills to go with it though lol.
Can you describe the noise you are hearing?
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Interesting thoughts from Fred and his use of the DCC which to me raises the question “is it worth getting DCC on the mk8.” I appreciate it gives you the “Ring” mode but apart from that ........????
I’ve drive the clubsport with passive dampers and the ride was nicely firm so I’d appreciate anyone’s thoughts on the option. Ta
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My first mk8 drive was a demonstrator with eighteens and passive dampers.
I had no complaints with that at all and I hit some terrible roads deliberately.
It still was flat, controlled and comfortable.
Dcc is a bit cleverer than the past, vdm is very clever....is it totally essential? I don't think so. Its nine hundred quid...
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From my quick spin in the Clubsport on 18s with no dcc I thought the ride was very impressive indeed. I’d read so many comments in reviews saying it was firm but I didn’t find that at all. Be interesting on 19s.