GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk8 => Topic started by: HBW13 on 24 July 2025, 07:05
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Morning all,
I absolutely love reading to posts in this forum, I must admit some of the things you all talk about are a foreign language to me but I do read never the less. Just thought I'd put on a little update from my own perspective (someone who doesn't know a lot about the inner workings of cars)
I've had my 8.5 for exactly 6 months now and can honestly say I've enjoyed every single mile in it. It is my daily run about and I have cover just over 8k miles in it (fair distance to/from work and few trips to London for family) I've seen 41mpg at best and 27 at worst. The car really feels like it has "settled in" now it runs well and is comfy to drive. I normally have it in eco mode due to mileage I do and have found that even in that mode the pops and bangs are present (more so than when I first got it) when I get down to the last 100miles of fuel I swap into sport and the difference in sound and speed to me is very noticeable!! I've even used the paddles at times. Fuel is decent probably putting in £30-40 every 7 days depending on my shifts at work.
When I first got it I wanted to do a Res delete Purley for the sound but now honestly it is good enough for me (kids love the pops and bangs) the interior is comfy and well laid out even driving position I've gotten used to. Cleaning the gloss shine trim is a pain as always gets finger prints on. I do wish they had more storage specifically for driving glasses and sunnies. It's been back to VW once for a "rattle" I'm the door and they sorted that said loose spacer???? The infotainment system is useful and well laid out and very customisable if you take your time with it.
I spent about two hours cleaning it yesterday using chemical guys honeydew snow foam then Mr pink supersuds. Both work really well but struggled to get tar spots off (took ages)
I've had the rear spoiler wrapped and the CS decals put on the doors as I loved them also the wing mirrors wrapped. I'm still undecided on which alloys to get as I love the Queenstown's but have also found black estorils from "torque wheels" (anyone used them) just need to speak with them and find out if my current tyres will fit on them as don't really want to buy another set. I've saved for the alloys twice now but unfortunately being a grown up I've had other things to pay for as apparently "new alloys for that stupid car" are not a priority to my partner lol anyways all in all I love the car and reading your guys posts. Just some ramblings from and over tired dad who's kids got up at 0500hrs this morning (who doesn't love school holidays)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VkxX3tjf/PXL-20250723-151940030-MP-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LJVqPnCw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/prcFk5Wt/PXL-20250723-152337771-MP-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rRWswmRh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3wQDLTTW/PXL-20250723-152343568-MP-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0zZQQhrq)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cJ7t2bxh/PXL-20250723-152358076-MP-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HJxL7378)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3NNyyrgf/PXL-20250723-152350583-MP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zHmD6r2T)
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Nice update @HBW13. I always enjoy reading ownership updates which give a real world view of what it’s like living with a particular make / model of car on a daily basis, rather than reading / watching a journalist’s view after spending probably no more than a couple of hours with the car.
You’re a brave man letting the dealer sort out your interior rattle; quite a few stories on forums over the years of dealers damaging or breaking trim pieces in customer’s cars (and then denying having done so) trying to sort out unwanted interior noises. Customers often end up with additional unwanted noises too if the dealer doesn’t fit the trim back correctly. Hopefully your rattle has been silenced and no additional dealer-inflicted noises.
You’ve mentioned tar spots being difficult to remove - a dedicated tar or a tar and glue removal product will make light work of removing tar spots. It’s much cheaper than a new set of alloys too so you shouldn’t get into too much trouble from your other half if you invest in some for ‘that stupid car’ :grin:. I use Valet Pro Citrus Tar and Glue Remover and it ‘does what it says on the tin’ (there are many other brands which will do the same job).
As for wheels - not heard of Torque Wheels before, nor have I read any posts about them on any of the other forums (4 others) I visit. I personally don’t like diamond cut alloys because of the generally poor durability of the diamond cut finish and susceptibility to white worm corrosion so I’d avoid the Queenstown alloys, although I agree, they do look good.
Look forward to your next update (maybe at the 12 month milestone?) and hope there are many more enjoyable miles to come :smiley:.
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Always good to read real life, real world updates.
Always good to see your neighbour’s wall too. 😁
It’s all sounding very positive so far, long may that continue :smiley:
Once you’ve sneaked a few hundred quid into your sock drawer that your other half doesn’t know about try CMWheels who do decent quality replicas and have been around a good while. I can vouch for them personally. They normally do free carriage if you tell them you’re a forum member.
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Forgot to add link:
https://cmwheels.com/product/18%e2%80%b3-2021-vw-golf-r-estoril-style-wheels-full-gloss-black/
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Nice post bud and lovely looking car. I’ve a rattle in the door/far corner near the little pane of glass on the drivers side that I need sorting..I’ve spotted what causing it but can’t get in to stop it moving so might be a dealer job. Cheers
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Great write up and glad your chuffed with the GTi, it looks lovely in white but is calling out for some slightly bigger rims as you allude to, hard to get those past the boss though (unlike engine parts) :smiley: As mentioned above, CM wheels look great value and get good reviews, I nearly went that way until I found a set of Racingline rims on offer, which was hard to refuse (they also suit the car well). Keep us posted how you get on with the wheel approvals!
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Love reading these.
Mine is just a MK8, 2022, but a Clubsport. Had a fantastical time with it is Wales recently, much better than the roads here in the South East!
If you are looking for a nice little additional mod:
https://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=291139.0
Cheers
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I love the decals.
Can I ask where you got them from?
Thanks !
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Great review, so glad you are loving your GTi.
I have had mine 6 months now too and I am also loving it. Although I have previously had two Gti's and an R, I had a 4 year break from the Golf's as I had a 2020 Edition one Audi A3.
This post has prompted me to share my thoughts of my 8.5 GTi against my previous cars.
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Hi All, thanks for the replies.
As I said just the ramblings of someone who doesn't know a lot about cars but happy to learn.
Anyone out got any storage tips or things to do always happy to have a look into.
Go well all.
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Strap in as this is my 6 month review and it is long, but there is a lot to say about this Golf Gti. I can only compare my mk8.5 Gti DSG to my previous Golf Gti which was a manual 2018 mk7.5 GTi PP
Specification
• Oyster Silver Metallic Black with black roof
• Soul Black-Tornado Red interior
• 19” Queenstown alloy wheels
• Adaptive Chassis Control DCC
• Exterior styling package Black Style with Matrix headlights
• Sound system Harmen Kardon, 8+1 speakers, 480W total power output, 12 channel amplifier & subwoofer
Initial cost savings by purchasing a nearly new
I initially went onto the VW website and used the configuration tool to spec up a brand new GTi with the above specification. I had a big shock when I saw the prices bearing in mind that I bought my mk7.5 GTi PP in 2018 which was 7 years ago. I paid about £34k for the mk7.5 and the mk8.5 (with the above spec) came in at £45.4K.
I had to ask myself if I was really happy about spending just over £45k for a GTi and then by sheer chance I found a used GTi advertised that matched my spec that was being used as a demonstration car by a VW dealer. Not only that, it was a staggering £8.4k cheaper than a brand new one and it was only 5 months old with 4k miles on the clock. So I bought it.
Exterior Styling
I couldn’t make my mind up with the colours, although the car looks great in white, I live in the countryside amongst a lot of farming vehicles and the roads are pretty muddy. So I thought that the Oyster Silver black option would work for me. The exterior of the mk8.5 looks sharper than the mk7.5 & mk8 and I liked this option as the black roof and blacked out front end seemed to go well with the Queenstown wheels. Not sure if it is my imagination, but the twin exhausts look bigger than the ones on the Mk7.5. I also think that the front and rear end lighting on the mk8.5 is a major improvement from the mk7.5 and the mk8. Although I have nothing against the standard GTi alloy wheels, I really think that the 19” Queenstown wheels look really good on the GTi.
After 6 months of ownership I am still pleased with my colour choice and have not seen another one the same colour on the road yet. I had the car detailed with a 2-year ceramic coating applied to it. The finish is extremely glossy and the car looks great – see photos
Interior styling
The new infotainment system layout is good and works well but the screen seems to be so big compared to the mk7.5. I went for the traditional classic GTi cloth tartan seats because to me, this defines a Gti and I think that these seats look great. In my opinion the interior quality of the mk8.5 is not as good as the mk7.5. I do like the ambient lighting as it has some nice touches.
Driving & comfort
There’s no doubt that both cars are great to drive.
There is a lot of technology in this car, most of the driving aids are good but some are a bit annoying. Rather than disabling the annoying ones every time I start up the car, I leave them all on and just learn to live with them.
I don’t think that the mk8.5 front seats are as comfortable as the mk7.5 front seats. There are certainly less adjustment options and it took a long time to find the best position for me.
I always use individual mode with the softest suspension setting with the exterior and interior engine sound in sport and everything else in comfort. To me, this is a nice set up for everyday driving.
This is the first car that I have driven without a manual gearbox so I can’t really comment on the DSG and I had to physically tuck my left foot under the seat to stop me from inadvertently operating the break thinking that it was the clutch pedal. The car seems to handle well, but I didn’t push it as I was still getting used to the DSG. I am glad that it has the DCC as I always leave it in comfort mode as the condition of the roads is shocking.
There are also more rattles in the mk8.5 probably due to the cheaper materials and plastics used. I think that this is no different to most new cars these days.
As the car didn’t come with a spare wheel, I have added a space saver spare wheel & jack kit.
Practicality
It is very well known that both the mk7.5 and mk8.5 are very practical cars. The boot space can be adjusted to make it a little deeper if you have a lot to carry. It is still a brilliant daily driver for both long and short journeys.
I am getting and average of 32 to 35 mpg but did manage to get 49 mpg on a steady trip from the South West to Oxford.
Engine, drive and performance
The exhaust sound on the mk8.5 doesn’t seem to be as loud as the mk7.5. I am sure that the mk7.5 had more pops, bangs and crackles.
I know that I am new to automatic gearboxes but occasionally when in D drive it can be a bit sluggish or uncertain about gear changes at times. Saying that, Sport mode is mind blowingly fast.
I do have a couple of niggles and the main one is the start/stop system. It was never really annoying on the mk7.5 manual, but with the mk8.5 DSG it does sometimes cut out when I am slowing down to almost a standstill at traffic lights or a queue of slow-moving traffic. The car isn’t even stationary and unless I bring it to a standstill the engine restarts itself again. The other one is that the autohold is a bit harsh when releasing the brakes and the car does tend to jerk forward rather than pull away smoothly.
Acceleration – Although there is a bit of a delay in acceleration between 2000 and 3000 revs, the mk8.5 feels much quicker than the mk7.5. It’s also a shame that there is still a noticeable amount of torque steer which at times can be quite scary, especially on the West Country narrow roads!
I have noticed that this engine consumed quite a bit of oil too. But from memory all Golf’s do.
Issues
Convenience window opening feature keeps stopping even after doing several resets.
Conclusion
This car is very enjoyable and makes me smile every time I walk up to it and every time I get in it (especially when I start it up).
This is a really good car. It looks good, feels good, sounds great and goes like a rocket.
OK it does not have the grunt or sound as good as the R and although the 0 – 60 is slower than the R, the acceleration is incredible and it is still a fast car. It is cheaper to run than the R without having to sacrifice too much on the performance.
Do I love it? Yes, I do.
Is it better than the mk7.5? Yes and no. Looks, performance and technologies are definitely better but the build quality, especially the interior is not as good. I just hope the build quality elsewhere is good and it turns out to be reliable.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Kjt4jV8B/IMG-20250714-WA0003.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/DfGSxWP0/IMG-20250714-WA0011.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gkPnQYgD/IMG-20250714-WA0016.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zXSV19M1/IMG-20250714-WA0018.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
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@MarkHowells; very comprehensive write up. I think the combination of Oyster Silver, black roof and Queenstown alloys works really well :cool:. Although the mk8.5 exterior changes - compared to the mk8 - are very subtle, visually IMHO the mk8.5 is what the mk8 should have been. I agree on the seats - a GTI needs tartan cloth upholstery! (apologies to any leather seat lovers out there). It’s reassuring that your review doesn’t include a list of software gremlins so maybe VW have finally sorted most of the issues that affected the mk8.
On VW’s use of poorer quality materials - I’ve noticed VW build quality has become poorer with each of the five VW’s I’ve owned. My first VW back in 2002 was a mk4 Golf 150 bhp diesel; VW actually badged that car as a GTI (it was the ‘hot’ diesel at the time). Even though that car wasn’t great dynamically, build quality was excellent and it felt quite special and premium.
You may find your oil consumption slows down or even stops (I’ve read on some forums that this can happen over time). Your current oil consumption might be a consequence of how the car was driven by others when it was used as a dealer demonstrator car.
Hope your GTI ownership experience continues to be a positive and enjoyable one :smiley:.
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Hi, can you give some more details on the reduced adjustability of the seats please? I’ve a 7.5 at the moment and plan to order an ED50, but as a tall chap (6ft 2) I’m now a bit concerned about seating position. I thought the seats were fundamentally the same seat.
Thanks!
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Hi, can you give some more details on the reduced adjustability of the seats please? I’ve a 7.5 at the moment and plan to order an ED50, but as a tall chap (6ft 2) I’m now a bit concerned about seating position. I thought the seats were fundamentally the same seat.
Thanks!
The adjustments on the mk8.5 are
Backward and forward position
Height position via a pumping a lever
Backrest angle position
Lumbar
I am sure that on the Mk7.5 you can also adjust the angle of the flat part of the seat you rest your behind on
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Thanks for the confirmation. This is the same as on my 7.5. The seat base angle changes as you increase the seat height. A bug bear of mine actually! Appreciate the info.
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Little more...
Just washed her... Best part of 3 hours
Haven't had time to clean her in the last few weeks
Due to the kids holidays sadly the kids (7 & 4) don't seem to
Share my enthusiasm in keeping her clean and tidy they are more interested in how to crush daddy's spirits again... Anyways
I used some new chemical guys items today (see pic) and while they were no where near as easy to use as the creative advertising they had on their web site I was pleasantly surprised.
The foam seemed to cling longer and actually take a fair amount of dirt off with it and I diluted some of the bug/tar stuff and it was a lot easier to remove! Hope this may help someone looking for some decent products...
Go well all
(https://i.postimg.cc/FzDCC6zk/PXL-20250831-152835268-MP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p55BpqDP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FzDCC6zk/PXL-20250831-152835268-MP.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p55BpqDP)