Test drove a mk7 gti - thoughts and questions

[MA1694]

Hi everyone. I had a go in a manual mk7 gti yesterday and in all honesty felt a bit underwhelmed. Hardly felt any quicker than my mk6 gti even though it has 70Nm more torque. Also felt more artificial, hard to explain exactly how. I did like the gearshift though and the more modern interior. Build quality all good maybe slightly less solid than mk6 but not much in it.

Few questions I have:-

There was a faint rattle during cold start, are timing chains an issue on the Mk7 platform?

The test drive was for 10 mins or so and dual carriageways, I noticed the oil went up to 100C really quickly not sure if that's something or nothing?

There was a very faint whirring noise with the clutch up that went away with clutch down. The owner said it may be the release bearing but the clutch feel bite and shift was fine. However I'm not sure if the clutch would need replacing soon? Mileage was 83,000.

There was no record of water pump replacement or heater matrix. Were these an issue on every mk7 gti and something I should keep money aside for?

Thanks in advance.

[Carbon VW]

Hello there and welcome!
Regarding the faint rattle during cold start, its not something ive ever heard on my own, timing chains are not a problem on the Mk7 but obviously timely oil changes are key to keeping the chain in good condition. Ensure it has good service history with on time oil changes.
It is normal for the oil to heat up quickly. On MK7 cars, the exhaust manifold is water-cooled, so coolant gets to working temp pretty quickly also. Not an issue unless oil temp gets too hot. Mine is tuned and runs a bit cooler but i believe it used to run at 106 degrees prior to remap.
My car (2013) also has that whirring noise (only noticeable when car in a garage, next to a wall etc) from the clutch and disappears when clutch depressed. Ive had VW check this and they say it's normal. If the bite point it good and it changes gear smoothly I would say it's ok.
Regarding the water pump issue, this is a well known issue where there is a leak from the thermostat housing which is a plastic unit housing the pump/thermostat. I had this chaged out at similar mileage to yours. Definately keep money aside for this one and inspect for any leaks before puchase.
 The heater matrix is not a big issue on the Mk7 and the removal of the silicate bag from the coolant expansion bottle if not something I have done. You can search the forum and make your own mind up on that one.
The Mk7 is a fairly reliable car and IMO is a far superior vehicle than the Mk6. (aside from the steering wheel which i prefer in the Mk 6 )

[Finglonga]

Personally I would try a DSG as the manual has a very weak clutch and the DSG is actually faster 0-60mph. If you re map it you will need an upgraded clutch or it will slip but the DSG can easily hadle extra power and torque.

[joe6]

Welcome to the forum. I still have a 2010 mk6 gti as well as a 2019 mk7.5 PP. Apart from less feel from the steering and poorer ergonomic seating in the mk7 I think the mk7 is generally a better car and I get better mpg with the mk7 even with the extra 35bhp. Not heard of timing chain problems but if there is stretch the ecu is programmed to identify the faulty timing before it causes damage. Water and oil temperatures go up quickly from a cold start. My oil temperature goes up to 106 at times - hot weathe or spirited driving - and the water is steady at 90. As said by carbon vw, the water pump is problematic. In the USA a class action has got vw USA to increase the warranty on the water pump to 8 years (only one free repair by a dealer in that time though!!) Only heard of clutch issues on the mk7 after a remap. Had to replace the DMF on the mk6 at just over 90k when I started to get a screech when cold although the clutch position and  bite were still fine. There is a debate over heater matrix blockage causes. You need to read the comments on the forum and come to your own conclusions on that.

[Exonian]

The reason you can’t really feel the 70nm of torque is the fact there’s a load of dead travel in the throttle pedal. Cured by fitting a PedalBox. Although the power delivery does still feel very linear.

[Adam T7]

I changed the expansion tank on my GTI to get rid of the silica bag, I’ve owned from new and only done 15k, but thought it a good idea. Only cost a few quid but you pays your money, you take your choice.

Also had a DSG service and LSD fluid change and filter clean at 3 years. Engine oil and filter changes every 6 months.

[MA1694]

Thanks guys, all in all the mk7 does seem a lot more reliable than the mk6. I've read it's a ~£600 job for the water pump and thermostat so will keep some money aside. I don't have the budget for a dsg but even then, always been a manual person. I have seen a few performance pack models but the owners don't seem to be clued up on servicing the lsd so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra.

[madstaff]

Just to ease your worries a little, i could never determine if the VAQ diff in my Clubsport had been serviced due to having no service book as it has digital service schedule (DSS).

I have checked the DSS but couldnt really decide if it had been done as it says it was due 2020.

Anyway, i decided to do it myself and can say the pump filter had only the smallest speck of debris on the screen.

The fluid has either been changed before, but VW dont remove the pumps and clean the screen filter, or my thoughts are the VAQ diffs run ALOT cleaner than the pumps in the rear diff of an R.

I would say if you find the car that ticks all the boxes, put £100 aside and get the pump done to satisfy yourself.

[Adam T7]

Thanks guys, all in all the mk7 does seem a lot more reliable than the mk6. I've read it's a ~£600 job for the water pump and thermostat so will keep some money aside. I don't have the budget for a dsg but even then, always been a manual person. I have seen a few performance pack models but the owners don't seem to be clued up on servicing the lsd so I'm not sure if it's worth the extra.

I had my work done at a local independent that has a very good reputation. When I mentioned the LSD service to the Dealer that I bought the car from and had done the servicing for the first 3 years of its life, they weren’t sure it needed doing.

[symonh2000]

A noise which stops when the clutch is pressed is usually the gearbox input shaft bearing.

Release bearings usually make a noise when the clutch is pressed, as they are not doing much with the clutch engaged.

The GTI should feel reasonably fast, unless you are coming back from a seriously quick car. I came to the GTI from a remapped BMW 330d with 320bhp and the GTI didn't feel too slow in comparison.