GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Grahamt on 25 September 2019, 08:22
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Hi guy's,
Hoping some of you with more experience can suggest replacement adjustable dampers that I can retro fit to my GTI. I find the ride far too firm when not pushing on hard, it rattles my keys in the for pocket even when they are sitting carefully placed in a microfibre cloth. Corrogations across the road are by far the worst and some of the roads around my area are just full of them.
I'm running correct tyre pressures and have just thrown the Bridgestone tyres out for PS4s as the noise they generated was bonkers........the new tyres are better but it's still way noisier than my wife's mk7 Tdi ......ruins a great car to be honest.......it's mostly road noise pushed into the cabin, the exhaust is a bit droney when on throttle but on cruise you can't hear it, even fast cruise.
I'm looking for adjustable dampers that have a comfort mode, clearly I don't think I can retro fit DCC.
If anyone is reading this and buying a new GTI make sure you pay the extra for DCC .......I regret not specifying it and I'm only running stock rims.
Cheers for any constructive advice
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I think the problem is that one persons "Rock hard" is another persons "Soft and wallowy".
When you say you have the tyres set to the "recommended pressures", what are they?
If they're the recommended pressures of 38-40psi then those pressures are set that high to achieve the best fuel economy on the various government tests. I've always used those pressures as a starting point and then dropped them to a more reasonable level (try 35psi as a starting point) and I've never had any uneven tyre wear either on my standard 18s or my aftermarket 19s.
Mine still rides reasonably well even on 19s and lowered suspension.
Hope that helps.
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My last Mk7 GTD had DCC and my current Mk7.5 doesn't - both on 18's.
I was worried but... I genuinely don't miss it.
If you really want to get DCC this is probably your best bet:
https://www.kwsuspensions.co.uk/products/coilovers/ddc
The DDC variant is what you want and its about £2k plus fitting.
Personally, I'd have to really really really need that or just put up with it.
Have you considered swapping your car for a DCC equipped one? If its not brand spanking new it might be cheaper.
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It might be a good idea to test drive a DCC car first before spending your money (if you haven't already). As Gnasher said, it is all personal preference, mine on 19s without DCC is excellent so I wouldn't say DCC is essential. I do hope you get the problem resolved :smiley:
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Personally I would always opt for DCC as think its an amazing piece of tech that has me transport a full car around in bouncy comfort and when on my own and want to firm the ride up the difference is tangible and effective.
Its down to preference though as I personally like the extra comfort on the commute when moving along with everyone else
The key word is extra as surprised to see your comment as no MK 7 Performance that I have been in, either on 18 or 19 is anywhere near ruined in fashion you describe so maybe worth just having checked out, maybe some transport pucks still sitting there?
My R is on Pretoria 19" and in comfort, without passengers I would say its too comfortable, and bounces a little too much, thats how good the DCC is.
My wife car is an A1 SLine Black Edition and thats a lovely ride until hit any really poor surface and then its a little intrusive but its definitely acceptable
on the previous Audi and VW chassis the ride was really hard on the performance models but the new MQB chassis has for all the years of the model made the standard ride still firm but perfectly fine and nowhere near the days of previous model where the crashes could ruin a drive
My next order is a TCR and its set up for a firmer ride so the DCC was a must for me - if the TCR in comfort is same as my normal in R I will be happy.
If this was me I would first get it checked to make sure everything as should be and if still an issue I would unlikely look to change suspension I would be looking at some of the run out deals as you might be surprised at how good an exchange can get and have more options including DCC added.
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I'd second getting it checked over. I'm v fussy re ride comfort and, given the choice, I'd spec DCC. But have driven one without on 18s and seemed fine. In fact I also had a short test drive on 19s with no DCC and was surprised how comfortable it was. Better than a mates A3 S/line on 18s which was bone shaking.
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I run optional 19s without DCC and I find the ride far from harsh, like you are describing. I know this is of no help to you but it may suggest that there is something amiss with your car.
Just a thought, have you checked to see if the transport pucks are still in place?
Here are some photos to show you what you are looking for - https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6978296-Quick-Guide-to-Remove-Strut-Pucks
There are three pucks each side of the car on the front struts and it has been known for the techie doing the PDI to only remove one of the 3 each side and miss the other two.
Let us know how you get on because your description of the suspension in your GTI is not in keeping with any experience that I have heard on this forum and I hope you can get it sorted ASAP.
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Thanks for your excellent thoughts and guidance.......I'll answer and do a more detailed reply later when I get chance 👍
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I run optional 19s without DCC and I find the ride far from harsh, like you are describing. I know this is of no help to you but it may suggest that there is something amiss with your car.
Just a thought, have you checked to see if the transport pucks are still in place?
Here are some photos to show you what you are looking for - https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6978296-Quick-Guide-to-Remove-Strut-Pucks
There are three pucks each side of the car on the front struts and it has been known for the techie doing the PDI to only remove one of the 3 each side and miss the other two.
Let us know how you get on because your description of the suspension in your GTI is not in keeping with any experience that I have heard on this forum and I hope you can get it sorted ASAP.
First thing I thought when I read the thread title too.
The GTI is far from a poor riding sports hatch. A bit knobbly at times but a good compromise.
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Transport pucks would be my first bet as well.
Here's how my first GTD was delivered
(https://live.staticflickr.com/2812/9875519715_2a9ee72a66_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/g3EBXi)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/7413/9878492703_8f41b2d88a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/g3VRHH)
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Has the dreaded transport pucks thing been seen in the UK since about Autumn 2013?
I've not seen anyone actually say its happened since then.... and that was down to the dealers not being made aware of it specifically on a PDI checklist...
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Has the dreaded transport pucks thing been seen in the UK since about Autumn 2013?
I've not seen anyone actually say its happened since then.... and that was down to the dealers not being made aware of it specifically on a PDI checklist...
Doubt it, but given how unusual the complaint is given the depth of understanding this might be one thats gone rogue as its that or an actual fault really
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I was impressed by how well the car rode on 19's without DCC when i picked it up, so am surprised to read OPs comments. I have my tyres all at 36 psi, which seems to give a happy medium. It sounds like something is definitely wrong with the setup.
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Mine rides on 19" rims on standard suspension and does not behave like you describe... It used to, until I reset the tyre pressures to the sticker recommended level, with an accurate gauge (garage gauges can be quite a bit out)...
They were, originally, set at close to 50psi at delivery... Which, basically, rattled everything...
The only other difference is that mine is on the Pirelli tyres...
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Thanks guys for all your input and ideas today, it's made some interesting reading.
From reading the replies I'm probably expecting too much from the standard GTI set up without DCC, comfort and not feeling the corrugations on the 5 mile section of dual carriageway and then great handling when pushing on hard.
The car does ride well when I hit the odd pot hole that I not spotted ahead.
@Gnasher.............I think you're right it all about perception, my too hard might be too soft for a Ferrari driver.....good job I haven't got one :grin:. I was running the tyre's all round at 38psi, I've dropped them to 35psi so I'll see how that is tomorrow and I'm doing an identical 240 mile run up and down the M6 to Tebay that I did Monday, I got 46 mpg which I thought was amazing....mostly cruising at gps 74-76 with the odd sprint.
@fredgroves.............Thanks for the link to aftermarket DCC systems. My GTI was new in April so it'll probably be too expensive to change, but at least if I find I can't live with it there are professional options out there and compared to the depreciation I've incurred buying new it's not too expensive.
@wattts .........Next step I think is to drive a DCC equipped GTI over the same horrid road to do a comparison. Might see if any of the local dealers near Chester have one.
@hertsman........"My R is on Pretoria 19" and in comfort, without passengers I would say its too comfortable, and bounces a little too much".............this sounds exactly like what I'm after :smiley: :smiley:........need to test drive a DCC after your comments.
@ar899.........sounds like I don't want an A3 s/line
@hog hedge..............cheers for the heads up on the transport pucks..........jacked the two front wheels up this afternoon and checked, all clear so looks like the PDI was completed properly for those.
@sootchucker.........not good at all is it.
So a run tomorrow down the horrid corrugations before I hit the M6 now I've adjusted the tyre pressures and maybe next week I might see about a test drive of a DCC equipt one, if for no other reason than the experience. I know Chester didn't have one when I ordered last December........shame I didn't trawl the other dealers before I ordered to try a DCC car as an extra £800 ish isn't much extra. Never mind, there are always the aftermarket ones.......might be a Xmas present from me to me. :smiley: as I did buy the car as a keeper.
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I’d firstly as above check they haven’t left the transport blocks in, as a friend with his M2 had exactly that happen with his new car.
After that depending on how local you are to me I can take you out in mine which currently has the KW DDC coilovers fitted.
Between the 2 GTIs I currently have (both 2014 and PP cars), the one on standard suspension and 19’s is pretty similar with the DDC ones and 18’s which is impressive as I’ve had KW V3’s too and they were quite harsh by comparison.
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@hog hedge..............cheers for the heads up on the transport pucks..........jacked the two front wheels up this afternoon and checked, all clear so looks like the PDI was completed properly for those.
Before you make any decisions definitely also check the rears for transport pucks. In my experience rear suspension issues have more of an effect on ride comfort than front suspension.
I'm another vote for the something is not quite right here camp. From your descriptions, you may well have defective suspension.
Alternatively, bite the bullet and trade up to a DCC equipped car. The ride in my 7.5GTI on 18's with DCC set to comfort is as good as the ride in the 7.5 Trendline on 16's I traded. And both cars on the same tyres - PS4. I'd be surprised if you don't love a DCC equipped ride.
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Before you make any decisions definitely also check the rears for transport pucks. In my experience rear suspension issues have more of an effect on ride comfort than front suspension.
AFAIK VW only put the pucks in the front.
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Post deleted as hadn't read pucks only on front
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Don't think in the first post you said whether you were on 18s or optional 19s but guessing as you said you'd now ditched the Bridgestones then you'll have the 18's.
Mine is the same setup. The only time I think this is hard is around the city centre where some of our roads are absolutely disgusting. Other than that I find it rides well. PSI is normally 34ish. Living on the edge of the Peaks means I regularly get on some good roads and the GTI is really in its element on these. As quick as you need a car to be and handling is excellent. Soaks up the bumps perfectly and never feels like it needs to be any firmer.
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My R is on Pretoria 19" and in comfort, without passengers I would say its too comfortable, and bounces a little too much, thats how good the DCC is.
This caught my eye. I've often thought that there's not much difference between my settings. I CAN tell the difference, but it's more in the finer vibrations. There's more of them in sport.
In the corners I can feel a difference, sport feels flatter, but as for straight roads with undulations, can't say it's that different. Maybe I ought to try a different car and see how it compares.
GTI PP, Brescia (19s)
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My R is on Pretoria 19" and in comfort, without passengers I would say its too comfortable, and bounces a little too much, thats how good the DCC is.
This caught my eye. I've often thought that there's not much difference between my settings. I CAN tell the difference, but it's more in the finer vibrations. There's more of them in sport.
In the corners I can feel a difference, sport feels flatter, but as for straight roads with undulations, can't say it's that different. Maybe I ought to try a different car and see how it compares.
GTI PP, Brescia (19s)
With passengers the ride in comfort is quite settled, without it can be a little bouncy for sure, to point my daughter when she is on her own in back complains of travel sickness that when I keep it in normal she does not - Race is firm but completely compliant even on bad roads
Personally I feel the difference is quite tangible but unless its extreme imagine we all have our own very subjective tolerance and so the best advice given by anyone on these subjective areas is to go test for yourself as best anyone can give otherwise is a basic guidance and understanding.
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My R is on Pretoria 19" and in comfort, without passengers I would say its too comfortable, and bounces a little too much, thats how good the DCC is.
This caught my eye. I've often thought that there's not much difference between my settings. I CAN tell the difference, but it's more in the finer vibrations. There's more of them in sport.
In the corners I can feel a difference, sport feels flatter, but as for straight roads with undulations, can't say it's that different. Maybe I ought to try a different car and see how it compares.
GTI PP, Brescia (19s)
With passengers the ride in comfort is quite settled, without it can be a little bouncy for sure, to point my daughter when she is on her own in back complains of travel sickness that when I keep it in normal she does not - Race is firm but completely compliant even on bad roads
Personally I feel the difference is quite tangible but unless its extreme imagine we all have our own very subjective tolerance and so the best advice given by anyone on these subjective areas is to go test for yourself as best anyone can give otherwise is a basic guidance and understanding.
Interesting. I can't really tell much difference between Normal and Sport, I must admit. The difference C->N is bigger, but still not a lot.
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An R and a GTi ride completely differently. The extra weight of an R from the 4wd system means it feels a bit more settled than a GTi but a GTi is slightly more nimble and being lighter you'll feel more of the road surfaces.
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Don't think in the first post you said whether you were on 18s or optional 19s but guessing as you said you'd now ditched the Bridgestones then you'll have the 18's.
Mine is the same setup. The only time I think this is hard is around the city centre where some of our roads are absolutely disgusting. Other than that I find it rides well. PSI is normally 34ish. Living on the edge of the Peaks means I regularly get on some good roads and the GTI is really in its element on these. As quick as you need a car to be and handling is excellent. Soaks up the bumps perfectly and never feels like it needs to be any firmer.
Yes your right 18s and way less noise now I've dumped the Bridgestones......I'm surprised VW put such rubbish on that actually detracts from the car. Not many new owners would throw nearly £400 on tyres they've already paid for but I did after reading numerous threads on this forum.
Well today I've put another 240 on the clock with the tyre pressures dropped to between 34 and 35psi, was previously at 38psi. I'm surprised at how it has taken the jaring out of some if the corrogations on a terrible road section near me.....my keys now don't rattle on the microfibre cloth they sit on in the side door pocket, which is good.
In a few weeks I might try a DCC car, just to see the difference but im not sure I'm ready to take the hit on 5 months depreciation with only 3.5k on the clock.
Cheers again to the contributors above , it's provided some good sound food for thought but with the lowered pressures and the jaring smoothed off I'm much more content. The decreased pressures haven't had any negative effect on fuel consumption, I got 47mpg cruising at gps 74 ish over the 230mile round trip.......can't complain at that.
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An R and a GTi ride completely differently. The extra weight of an R from the 4wd system means it feels a bit more settled than a GTi but a GTi is slightly more nimble and being lighter you'll feel more of the road surfaces.
Interesting.....might see if I can test drive an R too 👍,
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The R rides entirely different to a GTI/GTD. Really very different. It feels squat and planted and utterly unfazed by bumps - even level crossings!
The FWD golfs are very very light at the rear. Its not "bad" vs the R but definitely different!
Tyre pressures do make a fair old difference. I inflate mine to the four passenger pressure when I have a big old load of gear in the car for a long journey and after I often forget to drop the pressure back down and its a really different feel. I find 33 all round on 18's is best and no stupid tyre wear from it either. The higher pressures from VW are to scrap a few numbers on the test cycle and quite frankly are not good news on the road.
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The noise difference between the factory Bridgestone and a Michelin PS4 is negligible if any. Utterly pointless to ditch perfectly good tyres sand contrary to what every one says the bridgestones aren't that bad. Driving style has more to do with it than anything.
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The noise difference between the factory Bridgestone and a Michelin PS4 is negligible if any. Utterly pointless to ditch perfectly good tyres sand contrary to what every one says the bridgestones aren't that bad. Driving style has more to do with it than anything.
We can't all be wrong Chris. Quieter, marginally better mpg, massively better traction from a stop (less critical for those with LSD to prevent/minimise tramping), way better turn in grip, better road feel and less choppy ride is what I've experienced with the change - and you don't have to drive like a dick to appreciate the difference.
That being said, although the PS4 are marketed as a replacement for PSS, the PSS are better (softer), but wear quicker.
Even on my Golf R with no tramping issues, the back end was jittery going around roundabouts at moderate speeds.
For my Polo GTI+ (with no LSD), I put up with the standard fit Turanzas until the back end got away from me exiting Testos roundabout as a Golf GTD sailed past me with no drama, on a dry day. Some might've thought it's the limitation of torsion beam rear suspension and a light back end, but changing to PS4 and the car is rock steady and you have to give a hell of a lot more to induce tramping.
Part of the problem is that to maximise mpg claims, over the last few years, official tyre pressures are way too high, which hinders noise, ride and grip.
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The noise difference between the factory Bridgestone and a Michelin PS4 is negligible if any. Utterly pointless to ditch perfectly good tyres sand contrary to what every one says the bridgestones aren't that bad. Driving style has more to do with it than anything.
Sorry I have to disagree. With the BS tyres the noise levels are awful on anything but perfect roads. I seldom have the radio system on. I've measured , same road, same bit of road, same speed, same weight in car, no wind, dry surface etc etc and the db readings would hit 80 ish on rough roads and 73 ish on perfect roads. Now those figures are 78 ish and 68-70 ish. Not a scientific study using calibrated equipment but the figures show the trend. At the high end saving say 2 db might not sound much but it's a logarithmic scale which means 3 db is a doubling so if sound energy.
So to me it's been worth it.
Put it this way I can now hear the exhaust note when I push the throttle from a cruise position even slightly, at speed , over say 50, I never heard the exhaust note change at all as the racket from the BS was so intrusive.
If you want a very cheap set of BS let me know, their in the shed, I'm near Chester.
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Absolutely no difference what so ever in noise levels between the two and I would suggest the placebo effect to justify the 400 quid spent. No real difference in mpg either at least nothing to shout about.
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The factory datasheet shows its BS 73db vs PS4 71db.
Its definitely quieter, they aren't allowed to lie about those things.
As was said earlier that is a lot of difference.
I know you refuse to accept that the PS4's are better. We've had this argument about a million times on here.
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Fight, fight, fight! :grin:
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As someone who has changed the BS for PS4s a couple of weeks ago I can say there is not the hoped for difference in quietness, overall not much at all. :sad:
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As someone who has changed the BS for PS4s a couple of weeks ago I can say there is not the hoped for difference in quietness, overall not much at all. :sad:
The only tyre from looking that should be quieter than the BS and the Michelin is the Dunlop which is 67db I think.
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The factory datasheet shows its BS 73db vs PS4 71db.
Its definitely quieter, they aren't allowed to lie about those things.
As was said earlier that is a lot of difference.
I know you refuse to accept that the PS4's are better. We've had this argument about a million times on here.
I don't recall ever saying the PS4s weren't a better tyre! What I have said is I don't see the point in binning perfectly good tyres that are virtually brand new. I never had any issues with the factory Bridgestones, yes they took an age to warm up during cold weather but then I adjust my driving style for the road conditions which a lot of people don't and then complained that they couldn't floor it out of junctions or roundabouts on greasy surfaces.
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The factory datasheet shows its BS 73db vs PS4 71db.
Its definitely quieter, they aren't allowed to lie about those things.
As was said earlier that is a lot of difference.
I know you refuse to accept that the PS4's are better. We've had this argument about a million times on here.
I don't recall ever saying the PS4s weren't a better tyre! What I have said is I don't see the point in binning perfectly good tyres that are virtually brand new. I never had any issues with the factory Bridgestones, yes they took an age to warm up during cold weather but then I adjust my driving style for the road conditions which a lot of people don't and then complained that they couldn't floor it out of junctions or roundabouts on greasy surfaces.
They're rock hard and have poor grip even when warmed up. You don't need greasy surfaces to find them lacking. What's the point if having to drive a hot hatch like it's got 75ps to avoid the Bridgestones letting you down when pretty much all of the "equivalent" alternatives from Goodyear, Dunlop, Continental, Michelin, Uniroyal, Pirelli etc perform way better in all areas - especially grip and traction.
When you're driving a car costing hundreds a month in depreciation, why tolerate tyres that compromise the hot hatch characteristics of the car for the equivalent of a monthly payment? I do bemoan the fact that I feel the need to bin VW's choice of tyre. I'd much rather VW charge £100 more and select a tyre befitting the car's abilities. Other manufacturers do this for their hot hatches.
You've been quite lucky that your original GTD came on Dunlops - if mine hadn't come on Bridgestones, I may not have chopped it in fir an R in the pursuit of some decent grip and traction (and ended up binning the Potenzas that came with anyway). Now you have a PP, with LSD. Your traction with more than 1/3 throttle in 1st, on Bridgestones would be very poor wet or dry, hot or cold without the LSD.
I had the slight inconvenience of selling the Polo's tyres and getting a £310 set of PS4s for a net cost of £110. The car and my confidence in its abilities is transformed. Those Bridgestones last almost the length of most people's PCPs, that's a serious compromise - like making Usain Bolt run in wooden clogs.
How Bridgestone get away with marketing themselves as a performance tyre manufacturer is beyond me. The only advantage to them is they last forever (because they are so hard).
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I've seen threads in Vx Astra forums complaining about how noisy their factory Bridgestones are, so it's not just with Golfs.
The tradeoff is that Bridgestones are harder wearing, but tend to need bit more heat in them to start performing. Tyres are all about compromises, there isn't one that can do it all.
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I've seen threads in Vx Astra forums complaining about how noisy their factory Bridgestones are, so it's not just with Golfs.
The tradeoff is that Bridgestones are harder wearing, but tend to need bit more heat in them to start performing. Tyres are all about compromises, there isn't one that can do it all.
For me, Michelins are the best all rounders. On group tests with multiple categories of attributes, the Michelins always score highly in all areas - noise, comfort, wear, wet/dry traction, wet/dry grip - all with decent fuel economy. In recent years, Michelins are reasonably priced too, especially if you time it right to coincide with a cashback promotion.
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
I think it must've been my Dad's GTD that came on the Dunlops, the Contis are a good tyre too. I just don't see the point in putting up with tyres that are inadequate to exploit any of the performance that car offers. I dislike spending money unnecessarily (and I include car options that I wouldn't use frequently in that assessment). The overall cost of the tyres (and 225/40 R18 have come down significantly over the last 3 years to not much more than £300 a set) compared to the overall cost of the car.
You can nurse that car on Bridgestones to stay safe at all times, but when you've got 200+ hp at your disposal, why stick with tyres that would only give you the potential to use more than half of it in a dead straight line, on a bone, dry, hot day, 10 miles into your journey (tyres fully warmed up), without even mentioning tramping. It's a change that you can feel every day, and for that reason, i'll swap those tyres out. It's also a matter of safety - a grippier tyre is going to have shorter stopping distances.
The real question is, why the hell do VW fit these compromise tyres to a hot VW? It's got to be down to cost, and i'm pretty confident that it's generally the UK market getting shafted - when you look on French, German, Italian, Spanish ebay sites, you see plenty of people flogging their standard Nogaros, Parkers, Cadiz etc with factory tyres to get something aftermarket, and they all seem to be on Contis, Pirellis or Dunlops when they're listed. Whenever VW send out press cars for review, they're never on Bridgestones. Over on the Polo forum, everyone speccing 18" Brescias for their GTI gets Bridgestone Turanza tyres. When the car was getting rave reviews for handling and driveability at release - all of the press cars were on Michelin PSS - that's no coincidence.
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Seat performance Leon's come on continental 6s which felt very good when I test drove the Cupra R ST. Performance Audi's are coming through with Hankook apparently. 🤷♂️🤷♂️
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
Looks like "your waste of money" is other people's "value for money" :grin: :grin:
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We are mostly car enthusiasts on here so it’s far from unusual to buy a car then immediately upgrade components that don’t fit our ideals.
The car isn’t a hardcore hatch out of the factory so has plenty of middle of the road compromises.
Swapping tyres out to something deemed more in line with an owner’s wants is just one of many things that can be “improved“ upon.
I saw a YouTube vid posted on here some time ago with a Clubsport chassis guy saying exactly why they chose Bridgestones for that model as standard and he really rated them.
I can’t remember what he said now and having had three sets of them on different cars I’m no fan of them but don’t hate them either.
My thinking being they probably made good Nürburgring tyres because they would get very hot on track so would work at their best and being made of rhino hide spec rubber they wouldn’t need changing every few laps like softer tyres would.
Maybe VW fit the concrete BS tyres to UK mk7 cars because of all the issues we had back in the mk6 days with factory Dunlop’s developing tyre wall bulges after hitting potholes. It might have been a feedback decision to fit harder tyres that withstood impact better. Probably not and we will never know but it’s a thought...
My 2013 GTI PP came with Conti 2’s and the following three (R, GTD, Ed40) came with BS (all 18” wheels).
Back to the OP, definitely try and drive an R.
I remember thinking my GTI back in 2013 could be a bit crashy on occasion and a bit underdamped very occasionally. I had no such issues with my 2015 R, that was firm but rode very well (from memory!).
Reports from owners I’ve read decently who have traded to 2019 R’s from older R’s have mentioned much noisier exhausts, less refinement (cost cutting) and some have said the suspension is harder or noisier tyres. So it might be out of the frying pan but I’d definitely recommend a long test drive though, they’re incredibly impressive cars with some good deals on in stock cars.
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
Looks like "your waste of money" is other people's "value for money" :grin: :grin:
yeah no problem with that what so ever 👍
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
Just been for a run out into Wales, on some rough A and B and minor lanes and your comments "I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right."..........are spot on 👍.......the ride is so much better than previous......all down to softer side walls I guess........so I've now got a ride I can live with 🙂. Today was the first time since fitting these tyres that I've done, what has been a regular route for the past 20 years so I almost know every rut , pot hole and collapsed grids and know exactly how my cars behave over them..........happy GTI owner now 🍻.
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Great outcome Grahamt, simple and free!
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My gtd came on contis Matt and they were a good tyre. I'm not saying the Bridgestones are the best tyres far from it but to me it's a total waste of money to bin them at new. I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right. People can come on here and say I'm wrong but that's my opinion.
Just been for a run out into Wales, on some rough A and B and minor lanes and your comments "I still don't particularly like the PS4s, far too soft on the sidewalls and they make for a spongy bouncy ride unless you get the pressure right."..........are spot on 👍.......the ride is so much better than previous......all down to softer side walls I guess........so I've now got a ride I can live with 🙂. Today was the first time since fitting these tyres that I've done, what has been a regular route for the past 20 years so I almost know every rut , pot hole and collapsed grids and know exactly how my cars behave over them..........happy GTI owner now 🍻.
you like your tyres, good for you 👏👏
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I'm very happy the OP is happy without spending over 2k on the problem!
They make us tight in Yorkshire!
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I'm very happy the OP is happy without spending over 2k on the problem!
They make us tight in Yorkshire!
👍👍...born in Harrogate 👍👍
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I'm very happy the OP is happy without spending over 2k on the problem!
They make us tight in Yorkshire!
👍👍...born in Harrogate 👍👍
The affluent part of Yorkshire! :grin:
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I'm very happy the OP is happy without spending over 2k on the problem!
They make us tight in Yorkshire!
👍👍...born in Harrogate 👍👍
The affluent part of Yorkshire! :grin:
Yeah but still tight 🤣🤣🤣🤣