Author Topic: Bucket list tick!  (Read 1524 times)

Offline Spronk

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Bucket list tick!
« on: 20 April 2018, 17:45 »
Hello,
Many, many years ago, I bought a MK1 1.8 GTI cabriolet in Mars red for my wife to drive (I had to make do with a company Sierra at the time). It was a lovely car, but not a patch on my friend's GTI with a tin roof. Since then I have owned a succession of german marques including Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but have always felt most comfortable with Volkswagens. I had a sensible Mk7 Golf 1.4TSI DSG until earlier this week, and am now the very happy owner of a late pre-facelift GTI Performance DSG in Limestone Grey with 90% tints and keyless entry.

I should explain that I am the wrong side of 65 and I like nice analogue dials and real buttons. I was therefore gutted with the facelift Mk7.5. Parker wheels, shiny black plastic and glass, and the poorly-developed active information display that can no longer be deleted ruled out a new one for me.  I was so fed up that I even considered an Audi S3 where their Virtual Pilot display remains an option on new ones, and there are a lot of recent cars with standard clocks available. A test drive confirmed that the ride was not a patch on the GTI's on standard suspension, and two hours at the Audi dealership was enough to put me off owning one in any case.

After much searching on Autocar and the VW approved sites, I finally tracked down my new car at Parkway Volkswagen in Kettering. The deal was done over the phone, and I drove 134 miles to do the changeover. My main criteria were to find a pre-facelift car that was newer and had fewer miles than my "old" Golf which was only registered in 2016. Mad I know, but if I had waited until my existing car ran out of warranty, I would have missed this one, which is the exact specification I would have ordered new if the facelift had not happened.

Needless to say I am very, very happy with my new GTI which has more than met my expectations. It just feels so right in every department, and is so wieldy after my last stodgy Golf. OK so I have had to wave goodbye to the incredible fuel economy of my 1.4 TSI, but I didn't buy this to save the planet. I respected my last Golf but I absolutely love my GTI. Enough said!




Offline Guzzle

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Re: Bucket list tick!
« Reply #1 on: 20 April 2018, 19:33 »
Congratulations and welcome to the forum  :smiley:

Like you I was initially sceptical of the active info display. But since having it, my opinion has completely changed. So much so that I actually think now that it's one of the best features of the car, and i'd be reluctant to have another one without it.
7.5 GTD

Offline Watts

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Re: Bucket list tick!
« Reply #2 on: 20 April 2018, 19:57 »
Congratulations! They are great to drive! Love mine too :smiley:
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Spronk

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Re: Bucket list tick!
« Reply #3 on: 21 April 2018, 19:36 »
Thank you Watts and Guzzle (sounds like a 70's band). I feel very privileged to join your elite group of GTI (and GTD) enthusiasts. I too would have probably got used to the Active Information Display over time if that had been my one disappointment. I was even considering buying aftermarket 18" Pretorias to replace the standard Parker wheels, but that just told me that the Facelift would not make me happy, hence the effort to find a suitable pre-facelift car which ticks all the boxes for me. I admit to being a Dinosaur, and to my mind, the pre-facelift Mk7 will probably be one of the landmarks in GTI history. To anyone more reasonable, who may have been raised from birth on a diet of touch screens and menus, I'm sure the facelift and future generations will hit the spot. I think this one of mine will be a keeper until the powers that be eventually prize my licence from me. :smiley:

Offline Watts

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Re: Bucket list tick!
« Reply #4 on: 21 April 2018, 19:48 »
Well said Spronk! All the so called 'driving aids' aren't my cup of tea either, even in the MK7 but ignoring those (as I do) it is a great driver's car. I suspect I may go for a facelift something eventually but it won't be for the tech, just because of a need to update. Have a look over at the MK7 section, plenty going on and lots of information being imparted. Don't know how you feel about changes to your car but if you are open minded, I'd 100% recommend a pedalbox, for about £160 and 5 minutes fitting it absolutely transforms the driving characteristics of the car. Feels like you have removed 100kg, the car responds like a GTI should :smiley:
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Spronk

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Re: Bucket list tick!
« Reply #5 on: 22 April 2018, 17:41 »
Thanks for your thoughts, Watts. I must confess to switching off the stop / start every time I get into a car, as I don't like the engine cutting out at junctions. In a traffic light queue, I will switch it back on if it is clear there will be a bit of a wait. I do appreciate the park assist, though. As for throttle response, it is good to know that the pedal box is so highly rated. Having just upgraded from a 1.4TSI DSG, I find the stock pedal response very keen, so I don't feel the need to change anything at the moment. I'm sure as time goes by I will get the urge to tweak something, but I'm enjoying the honeymoon with my new bride and will not ask her to get a breast augmentation until at least after the honeymoon is over. :wink: