GTD first drives test in Autocar

[Wurzel]

Only gets 2.5 stars out of 5.

"it's sprightly on a favourite country road, if not exhilerating; it's clinically swift rather than startling"

"handling isnt pin sharp, but given the GTD's relatively heavy kerb weight it copes well and gives confidence"

They critisise the price, less than £600 less than the GTI, and say there are other hot diesels in the VW Group that offer greater excitemnet for less money.

[Zico]

Top gear mag said a similar thing "not actually the hot hatch it pretends to be" and the price being so close to the gti makes very little financial sense. There are plenty of alternative 2.0D that are quicker and as economical.   

[mds69]

Pretty accurate IMHO (and I've ordered one!) 

Mine's through the company so the GTD ends up much cheaper (4-5K over three years through lower CC Tax, Fuel costs and higher Writedown allowance).  Wouldn't argue that the GTi is better car and better personal purchase for most people.

Obviously Skoda and Seat options would be cheaper still but where do you draw the line? 

[Exonian]

I'm a closet fan of the GTD.
In every day driving the Diesel torque gives enough performance to keep up with traffic (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) and it has the GTIs looks and equipment (minus the XDS or whatever it's called). The CR TDI engine is fairly quiet and very smooth once up and running and can be re-mapped to pretty decent performance levels to assist it keeping up with slightly quicker traffic than before. The only downside I can think of is that the CR doesn't re-map quite as well as a PD but I'm sure it won't be long before the tuners find a few more tricks up their sleeves.

Damn, I've nearly talked myself into one........

[Jkctr]

They can indeed be mapped to similar power levels to the GTI (for about 300 rpms at least anyway) 

[Exonian]

They can be mapped to similar levels to a standard GTI, however the GTI......I don't need to finish this do I?

[andykram]

I was in the dealer's yesterday sorting some paperwork out for my reg transfer and they had a GTD on the forecourt. Now, everyone's been talking about how it drives. I thought I'd throw in a comment about its looks and to be brutally honest it just didn't do it for me. It looked nice but the chrome bits (where we have red bits on ouur GTis) just made it look a bit like it was trying too hard and, ultimately, didn't lift it too much above a normal Golf. The alloys were nice but, again, nothing out of the ordinary and only what you see on countless £20k cars these days.
I suppose it can be summed up in the sense that when I look at my GTi I just love it and want to get in and drive the nuts off it. With that GTD there was none of that. And I reckon that's the point of a hot hatch isn't it?
I'm sure you will all have your own opinion on this.
As for the price, well, I thought the GTI was steep but this, at the end of the day, is a diesel. And having had diesels for years and finally gone back to the GTi I just feel they're boring. Simple as. Fuel economy, yes. Torque, yes. Excitement, no.

[Exonian]

Fair comments. 

A lot of VW buyers like discreet looks. And I think it would be a poor show if VW used all of the GTIs highlights on the Diesel car, so I think they played it about right.

Wonder if they will do a hotter R version of the Diesel when they eventually release the next Golf R model?

Edit to that: I've just had a thought, you really sneakily realised you'd made a big mistake as the GTD is nearly as quick, looks almost the same and yet is much cheaper to insure and tax plus does silly MPG when you drive it on the motorway.
So to quell your desires you thought you'd come on here and try and justify your buying the petrol model.

Okay, maybe not, it was just a thought after all 

[olly1]

I have ordered a Golf GTD! 
I used to have mark 5 GTI and the fuel economy was abysmal.
Yes it went like a bat out of hell until the engine disintegrated
at 4,500 miles!!! VW did not want to know about exchanging the car! which was disappointing
to say the least.
I have always liked the Golf and obviously I looked at the GTI but in the end
that engine put me off.
Incidently have paid £20,063 for the Golf in mettalic and 18 inch alloys from uk main dealer.
(currently driving an Audi TT 57 plate)
I have driven the GTD and yes its not got quite the urge of the petrol engine
but if I had gone GTI I would have had that engine worry at the back of my mind.

[Spartacus]

Well, I have had a Golf GT 140 4 Motion for the last 3 and a half years and while it has been a very good car and very economical it has no sense of occasion, not really much fun unless it is rainging or snowing and has zero road presence.

I have spent all this time wishing I had gone for a GTi.

I am so glad I will be moving to a new full fat GTi when it arrives on October.