GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Hawkeye14 on 30 March 2014, 17:54
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Test drove a new Mk 7 GTD today and liked the car a lot, but I'm a high mileage driver (c18k per annum) with a lot of long distance work and didn't like the choppy sporty ride. I'm er, late middle age now and I appreciate comfort ! The ride was noticeably poorer than my 59 plate Scirocco on 17'' alloys.
I know a lot will just say buy a Mondeo or its a sports car, but I like the best of both worlds. two questions :-
1. If a opted for the Adaptive Chassis Control - will the 'comfort' setting make much difference ? (I like it on the Scirocco). Local VW dealers don't have one with this option to test drive.
2. The test drive seats were leather which felt quite firm. Go for tartan cloth ?
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Yes, adaptive dampers in my GTD set to comfort mode, make it ride like a limousine. In my Scirocco, I couldn't really feel much of a difference in the settings, but on my GTD they are very noticeable.
Yes, go for Tartan, if wears better, isn't cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and much cheaper (like free) :grin:
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Yes, adaptive dampers in my GTD set to comfort mode, make it ride like a limousine. In my Scirocco, I couldn't really feel much of a difference in the settings, but on my GTD they are very noticeable.
Yes, go for Tartan, if wears better, isn't cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and much cheaper (like free) :grin:
+1
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Test drove a new Mk 7 GTD today and liked the car a lot, but I'm a high mileage driver (c18k per annum) with a lot of long distance work and didn't like the choppy sporty ride. I'm er, late middle age now and I appreciate comfort ! The ride was noticeably poorer than my 59 plate Scirocco on 17'' alloys.
I know a lot will just say buy a Mondeo or its a sports car, but I like the best of both worlds. two questions :-
1. If a opted for the Adaptive Chassis Control - will the 'comfort' setting make much difference ? (I like it on the Scirocco). Local VW dealers don't have one with this option to test drive.
2. The test drive seats were leather which felt quite firm. Go for tartan cloth ?
I'm 22-23k miles a year. No ACC, 19's and cloth...it's a brilliant ride, I've never felt uncomfortable. Mind you the last car was an A4 S-line on 19's and was like driving over logs constantly.
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Definitely ditch the leather unless you have a strong preference (sounds like you don't) - comfortable in all temperatures and won't lose £1400 in 3 years of ownership. Get the cloth treated and it should look like new in 3 years time if you don't let any messy kids (or adults) eat in the car!
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Hawkeye14
I was a bit of a sceptic on the DCC before buying.....but def not any more.
DCC is a revelation to me. Highly noticeable difference (from sport) when set in Comfort or Normal.
Comfort truly is like riding in a Limo. I switch the settings fairly often while driving, but on balance when commuting (25k pa) comfort on the motorways absolutely rocks!!
Prev car was 5series, and comfort setting is well up there!
I read a few reviews where people couldn't differentiate between settings....you definitely can, big time.
S
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2. The test drive seats were leather which felt quite firm. Go for tartan cloth ?
I didn't notice any difference in firmness between cloth and leather.
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I have a GTI PP with DCC, 19" alloys and tartan seats.
I agree, DCC is a must for me, the car is so comfortable in comfort mode.
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Having been out myself now in a colleagues standard GTi then the ride is definitely harder without the DCC though still far better than my outgoing S Line.
The only way you will really know is to now source a demo with DCC as having now driven a standard set up and found it 'hard' you will feel instantly happy about the ££ you about to spend.
But I can verify all that has been said here in that the ride is truly comfortable. The local roads which were a constant cause for cussing are not noticed and that is without exagerration as the DCC cossetts the scarring and rutting completely.
Remember also this is a second version DCC that is active at all times so the other settings are equally dampened and when in Sport the ride is flatter as you push on but still not rigidly hard and I have not noticed the 'jiggling' off the line that my previous Quattro did when hit some ruts at speed.
I was reluctant to leave behind the leather seats but cost made that a non decision and now using the standard seats doubt I would go back as love the style of fabric and the material is more comfortable though must say the heated seats has been a revelation from being seen as a gimmick to a must have.
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DCC is awesome.
There is nothing better than before a long drive or as you hit the motorway flicking it into 'comfort' and settling back to enjoy the longer travel of the suspension and the way the car 'wafts' over undulations etc... The whole car just feels more relaxed and turns it into a real cruiser and then when you want a bit more action flick it back to 'normal'. I don't use 'sport' personally but as I do a lot of miles even just having the option of 'comfort' is value enough for me.
The seats are Tartan (cool and free) and the leather is not 'Nappa!'
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+1 to other replies. Added DCC one week after placing the order following some owners recommendation and I feel relief after all.
Today I felt sporty in my way to work and set to sport, it's awesome how this makes the car so flat and direct and then back to normal just transforms into a great cruiser. Comfort could create some bodyroll if pushed but it's a delight.
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I've got a GTD with the standard suspension and tartan cloth so interested to read this as I've found the ride to be excellent and the drive relaxing. Over the weekend covered 500 miles and continue to be impressed with the car, well behaved on all manner of roads and surfaces. Covering ~18k a year myself too I've been more than happy so far (apart from the suspension squeak issue which i hope will be resolved today)
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I think I have to be the voice of dissent.. much as I wanted to like DCC I think it's been a waste of money and I'm disappointed in it (and I'm jealous of all the people who seem to be delighted with it!).
Can I tell a difference between modes? Yes, in the same way that you can tell a difference in flavours between lemon and lime - both are still sour though. Sport mode is very firm, comfort is slightly less firm.
I've even had the dealer have a look at it to make sure the system is working and they just reported that there are no error codes showing on the system and left it at that. I mentioned it to another dealer and he said he has it on his Sirocco and can't really tell a difference between modes there.
I think the best advice has to be to find one with and without that you can test drive before you drop £800 on it.
Update: My car is a PP GTI not a GTD, though I presume that's irrelevant for this question..
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Im quite a high mileage motorist, averaging between 50k and 60k per year. To be honest, the GTD is such a vast improvement on my previous 2012 A3 S line Sportback with 18s. The ride is firm but not spine shattering, the Audi was terrible but the Golf seems to be a very comfortable car. I tested a GTD that had leather and i am very pleased i went with the cloth seats as IMO they are much more comfortable.
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I've tried the GTD with ACC - much better in 'Comfort' for er, comfort
The cloth seats are definitely slightly softer with more 'give'
Cushty
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I think I have to be the voice of dissent.. much as I wanted to like DCC I think it's been a waste of money and I'm disappointed in it (and I'm jealous of all the people who seem to be delighted with it!).
Sorry to resurrect an old thread...
I currently drive a Mk6 GTD with adjustable suspension. I drive about 20k a year. I can currently set the suspension to very firm, firm and slightly less firm. Alls fine as long as you like a firm ride. Unfortunately, I have come to realise that the roads I drive on are not suitable for the Mk6 GTD suspension. I remember people talking about the limo like ride of the comfort mode... bollox.
My wife has recently bought an Audi A3 SE. It is considerably more comfortable than my old GTD. Having said that... we test drove an A3 sport. It was like driving my car in sport mode... very uncomfortable. Though I have to say that the Golf SE we test drove was possibly even more comfortable than our Audi SE.
Does anyone else have 2 cars in the household and are able to make a back-to-back comparison with the new GTI/GTD (with or without adjustable suspension) and a standard Golf or similar car?
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I don't own two cars to compare but own an R with DCC owned a mk7 GTI with DCC and have spent about 4ish months in a couple of SE's without DCC, the R and GTI set to comfort offer imo a very very comfortable ride, the R is on 19's which makes a difference but mainly when it comes to potholes more than anything else, obviously the SE with it's chunky tyres soaks up a bit more of the road but imo a mk7 GTD with DCC will have an excellent level of comfort.
Confused?....... :huh:
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I don't own two cars to compare but own an R with DCC owned a mk7 GTI with DCC and have spent about 4ish months in a couple of SE's without DCC, the R and GTI set to comfort offer imo a very very comfortable ride, the R is on 19's which makes a difference but mainly when it comes to potholes more than anything else, obviously the SE with it's chunky tyres soaks up a bit more of the road but imo a mk7 GTD with DCC will have an excellent level of comfort.
Confused?....... :huh:
... hmmm. The only thing confusing me is whether to go for another GTD or not. It ticks so many boxes for me. But the ride comfort of the Mk6 even with adjustable suspension is not suitable for the roads I drive. Frankly, the ride comfort of the Golf I have is a major disappointment. At the end of the day, even thought it is adjustable, it is still sport suspension.
I guess the only way for me to know, is to arrange a 24h test drive in one. The problem is finding one with DCC to test.
Also the 18" tyres are putting me off a bit. As I fit 16" winter tyres, I know my current car becomes quieter (I can literally turn the radio down) and more comfortable.
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If you are happier with a less firm ride and high walled tyres, why not choose a GT spec with some options rather than buying the one with the sports suspension and big wheels?
I can see why you think it might be harsh, but I've been surprised at how not harsh it is at all - even with our sh*t roads.
I testdrove a GTD without DCC and 19's and have a GTD with 18's and DCC - the test drive was quite nasty, I don't think I could have lived with that, but probably would have got used to it.
Normal mode for DCC is just fine, when the potholes get big or just on a long old motorway haul whack it into comfort and enjoy the luxury. Sport is ok, you do feel the difference - whether you want to feel it is another matter :D
It actually what I like best about my GTD - it can be all sorts of different cars depending on which buttons I push (not just DCC) and how much I hoof the gas.
Only thing I'd love to change is the road noise, but thats those crappy tyres and soon they will be gone!
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The DCC is one of the best features on the car the ride is truly cossetted and makes driving a pleasure on much of anyones main driving and when you get to the lames and require a little more 'feel' you drop it into sport. :smiley:
Remember these are version 2 DCC which are active at all times and cannot be compared to previous versions in Scirocco.
My tartan seats are unmarked and think look pretty cool, and are unaffected by weather like the leather in being sticky on hot days and very cold on, well, cold days.
Winter pack is lovely for them cold mornings though would say essential with leather :wink:
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I have a Audi A1 SLine and a GTD.
The Sline is very hard although perfectly livable with (for me) compared to the GTD.
The GTD on 18" is perfect if I'm honest. Not to firm or crashy (standard suspension and our roads aren't the best around here.
I would probably say the MK7 GTD was on par with my M6 GT on 18" wheels.
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I have tartan and DCC on the GTD.
Have previously driven 2 BMWs and 2 Mercs with leather and have not missed at all. I don't have kids or allow people to eat hot, messy food in the car, so I guess that helps. The material is also good and despite nearly a year of the local car wash boys using vacs on it, it remains like new.
I would chose DCC again, Sport mode is great for a fun B road session, but too firm all the time, comfort is great for motorways and rough track roads where I live but a bit fluffy for a fast drive on varied roads , but to me the choice of both plus the "normal" in between setting is money well spent. I have the car for 2 years, so it works out less than £8 a week, so for two pints of beer - well worth it.