Drone.....

[ar899]

Thanks Joe, Fred

It's not that I'm coming from an S Class 

My motoring history is a series of small cars with small engines that have been worked hard on motorway journeys (currently a standard Polo). So I'm used to a fair bit of engine/road noise but yes, I'm not accustomed to performance cars. I was just hoping that the GTI would have been a bit more relaxing in the cruise.

You must have noticed quite a difference coming from GTDs, Fred?

Yes its different to the GTD... in 2 ways:

1) The GTD had most of the noise coming from the oil burner up front - which whilst not fully agricultural, certainly had diesel clatter

2) The Mk7/Mk7.5 had a lot more sound deadening material - the arch liners were thicker and even the parcel shelf!

I didn't ever drive a Mk7 GTI, but yes, the Mk8 does sound more like a performance car.

Trust me though, if it sounded like my friend's Lotus it would have gone a long time ago! I don't find it a problem on long journeys. The bloody rattles are much more annoying 

Interesting point about the 7/7.5 having more sound deadening - I have seen the reviews on cost cutting but don't think I heard about that one!

My last long termer was French so am used to rattles . Renault do make excellent engines I would have to add though.

[ar899]

To add to the excellent points above, is it definitely exhaust and not tyre noise?
Bridgestones can drone like hell.

The mk8 is definitely more vocal than the mk7 owing to feedback from focus committees and internet influencers (and the odd real journalist) leading VW to make the mk8 louder and sharper/harder than the mk7.

Pretty sure it was the exhaust as was the same noise I could hear around town. I thought I had read complaints from some that the noise in the Mk 8 was toned down a bit due to new noise regulations but maybe not then?!

[ar899]

I recently had opportunity to take my  (7.5) gti on an extended motorway run- something which I don’t often do, as we would normally be doing long runs with the family in the seat alhambra- it’s a 184 ps engine with 6 speed dsg.

It was a reminder for me that, no matter how refined the hot hatch has become, it’s still not a type of car ideally suited to cruising for hours on a motorway.

Far more noise- engine and tyres- than our mpv.

It’s not something that really bothers you on shorter journeys, but after a couple of hours, i did start to wish I’d taken the mpv.  I really didn’t expect that.

It wasn’t as easy to hold a conversation in the gti.

You also have to drop to 5th gear every so often to find a bit more torque for getting past slower traffic- but maybe that’s just my style of driving.

The gti is perfectly suited to fast A roads, back roads, and around town.

If I was doing a lot of motorway mileage, I’d choose something else.

Thanks for that feedback - you may be right, I may have to look elsewhere though I do like a hatch! As Fred & Watts have posted, it is interesting to hear differing views.

[Yusee]

I don't wish to give the impression that it's a bad car for the motorway- not at all.

Perhaps I hadn't appreciated what a great car the Alhambra is for long motorway journeys- I was actually really looking forward to using the golf on a long run- for a change, we didn't have kids with us and had a choice of car.

Much of this is really about expectations.

If I consider my car history, I started with hot hatches- then had 2 alfa saloons and 2 BMWs- during the years that I was doing heavy motorway mileage. The 205 became a bit tiring on long runs between Manchester, Birmingham and London.

Now I have the luxury of choosing the appropriate car for whatever use.

But the golf ( i'm talking 7.5, I appreciate OP is mainly interested in mk8) is a perfectly good car for long runs- just not as good as an oil burning bus!

[Foxy367]

I think the Mk8 is quieter than my mk7.5 was on the motorway. As you say it’s what your used to. The wife’s Skoda Kodiaq is quieter than my GTI. I’d still happily do the jaunt down to Birmingham with Work in mine though

[fredgroves]

I asked Mrs G as she moans about everything... Yes my car is noisy on the motorway but its road noise not exhaust drone. Apparently.

So that's that settled, she's always right 

[Yusee]

I asked Mrs G as she moans about everything... Yes my car is noisy on the motorway but its road noise not exhaust drone. Apparently.

So that's that settled, she's always right 

I just came back from a brief motorway blast this morning- and was about to post exactly this point.
It’s  the tyre noise I’m hearing. Engine was quiet as anything

[JoeGTI]

Yeah as I mentioned in my first reply, I find its the tyre noise thats the most intrusive. I definitely find it very apparent when I hop from the wife's car (a T-Roc) into the GTI.

[simonwhite2000]

I read the mk8 has less sound insolation as a way of reducing cost - how much truth I'd in that I don't know.
What tyres have people with 19s got?

[fredgroves]

S005 on mine