GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: EliteBajan on 01 June 2013, 03:43
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Ladies and Gentleman, yes this very evening I got to drive a Red GTI manual with 3 doors, ACC, no performance pack, ordinary Sat Nav and cloth seats.
I won't bore you with how I managed to get the drive, but my brother picked me up in this car from work and I'm embarrassed to say I nearly wet myself!
Now red is not my favourite colour but in the night with the street lights hitting it, it looked outstanding. I have taken some phone camera pics but don't have photo bucket or anything so you'll have to wait a while for them. I got in the drivers seat after spending 5 mins walking all round it, then spent another 10 mins sat there touching this and that.
It was in sport mode which makes the exhaust note very prominant, which you'll love or hate, unless you're me then you'll be undecided. I think I felt it sounded too artificial but my cousin who was sat in the back loved it and my brother thought it sounded good so maybe it's just me. All the controls felt good and the quality inside the cabin was excellent and the illuminated red strip high on the door card and on the door sill is a really classy touch. But to the all important drive!!
If I'm honest I was slightly disappointed.......at first. I've read every review watched every clip, whatever the language, so my expectations were sky high. I found the steering lifeless and fidgety having to make constant small corrections when going in a straight line over London A and B roads. The torque was however very good but often with a slight delay that I don't recall in my Mk 6. Having said that this car felt considerably quicker than my Mk6 through every gear and only had 180 miles on the odometer.
There is just a slight detachment while driving the car that you don't get when you drive fast Fords and I would really like to do a back to back with a Focus ST. Having said that as the miles passed I felt more and more comfortable. The seats were very good, the whole car gives you a feeling of being in a quality item, and as much as it chokes me to say it, you can really see where your money has gone. The car looks, feels and drives like that old cliche " a car a sector or two above it's own". This is a car to grow into, you may really need nothing else, irregardless of options.
Then I changed the setting to normal! The steering all of a sudden came to life, that overly heavy feeling on the straight ahead disappeared and the steering felt linear and precise. Strangely I don't recall feeling much change to the ride, which I felt was good anyway. I didn't attack too many bends but it seemed to handle neatly and put its power down quite cleanly but it was bone dry and there was one occassion where I could feel the traction control ease the power to maintain the line. Hopefully this is where the performance pack will come into its own. I drove for about an hour on A and B roads and really enjoyed the car to the point that when I pulled up outside my house I didn't want to get out!
I can't see anyone being disappointed with this car as it does so many things well. It massages your ego and you can't help but smile when you're driving around, a really smug, I got all the cream kind of smile. This is a brilliant bit of kit and although I'm not convinced that this car emphatically beats the opposition when it comes to handling, it really doesn't matter because its such a good package.
It has taught me that you can't believe everything people say and that if you can you really need to drive any car you intend to buy, because in the end your opinion is the only one thats counts! Having said that I hope you all find my humble ramblings of some use.
And yes my order was in before my opportunity to test drive :embarrassed: :whistle:
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Great review. In getting in one in a few hours time. Looking forward to it more now!
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Very nice review!! Good to hear some feedback on the ACC.
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Can I ask which dealer as I'd like to look at a 3dr in Tornado in the flesh?
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Good to hear you took it out of Sport mode around the London roads! :grin:
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Nice review, it's great that we're starting to get some real world first impressions now! :cool:
Great review. In getting in one in a few hours time. Looking forward to it more now!
Are you that excited that you can't sleep Bear? :grin:
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Nice review! Dammit I want my car now!!
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The dealership was Milton Keynes, my brother managed to get a favour done from a manager he knows there. Not that I should be broadcasting it!
I've posted the pics in the GTI pics thread.
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Have you got one on order Elite?
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Yes was ordered last Saturday but not expecting BW for a while yet.
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When I drove the gti in Durham you could tell between the three different modes straight away. comfort relaxed the steering (for want of a better word), normal mode was normal and sport mode tightened the steering (heavier feel). you could tell on the suspension too in the country lanes I was on. I'm pleased I added it to my order.
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It has taught me that you can't believe everything people say and that if you can you really need to drive any car you intend to buy, because in the end your opinion is the only one thats counts! Having said that I hope you all find my humble ramblings of some use.
And yes my order was in before my opportunity to test drive :embarrassed: :whistle:
Nice review mate. I totally agree that everyone buying the GTI should take it for a drive. It really helped me in deciding to opt for DSG. I actually drove both manual and DSG and in fact, a MK 6 DSG on consecutive days.
Like you, I also didn't want to leave the car after my test drive :) I only drove it for 25 mins mind.
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When I drove the gti in Durham you could tell between the three different modes straight away. comfort relaxed the steering (for want of a better word), normal mode was normal and sport mode tightened the steering (heavier feel). you could tell on the suspension too in the country lanes I was on. I'm pleased I added it to my order.
Given more time I would have tinkered more and tried sport suspension with normal steering. That's what I think is good about the system, how you can customise it to what you want. It would be good to drive one without ACC so I can see exactly what the difference is on a standard setup. Especially given that I haven't opted for it.
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When I drove the gti in Durham you could tell between the three different modes straight away. comfort relaxed the steering (for want of a better word), normal mode was normal and sport mode tightened the steering (heavier feel). you could tell on the suspension too in the country lanes I was on. I'm pleased I added it to my order.
Part of my thinking is my S Line suspension would be similar if maybe slightly harsher than the GTI Sport setting and was actually pleased to see Sport was described as 'fidgety' on town roads as that is my experience now and that by placing setting to 'normal' the ride settled markedly so that justifies the choosing of ACC right there.
Think the expectation should be that 'Sport' is a little fidgety on the very indifferent town roads we experience and that there is not anything actually wrong in it being so as that set up is what makes for greater driving experience when get to push it a bit more - But I do live with my S Line suspension quite happily we are always quite critical on forums as we highlight experiences and imagine the GTI sport setting is better still and would probably be more than fine as a standalone still.
With both the ACC and DSG being new and refined versions seems I have picked a good time to jump on board from Audi :)
In fact having been looking at other versions of GTI and comments in overall forum from MK4-6 thinking of selling our 2nd car a Mini Cooper and going all in on Golf GTI/GTD :)
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I don't know if I made it clear enough originally, but I thought the ride was very good irregardless of the setting. What I was not taken with was how the steering felt when in sport mode. Which was overly heavy around the straight ahead and I had to constantly make small corrections. It felt very artificial especially when driving around town. Maybe with more time I might have become more accustomed to the weight and found it of benefit when pressing on?
As it was I personally didn't like the sport setting and found as soon as I put it on normal the feel was far better, more natural and uninhibited. But as far as ride comfort and body control were concerned I had no complaints at all.
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I don't know if I made it clear enough originally, but I thought the ride was very good irregardless of the setting. What I was not taken with was how the steering felt when in sport mode. Which was overly heavy around the straight ahead and I had to constantly make small corrections. It felt very artificial especially when driving around town. Maybe with more time I might have become more accustomed to the weight and found it of benefit when pressing on?
As it was I personally didn't like the sport setting and found as soon as I put it on normal the feel was far better, more natural and uninhibited. But as far as ride comfort and body control were concerned I had no complaints at all.
Guilty of misunderstanding what meant but clear now :)
But also reassured from the real world test drives and feedback we getting that the varying adjustment available are felt and will meet our personal preferences.