I remember a road test of the Mk2 GTI by LJK in CAR when he bemoaned the lardy nature of the new car compared to the light and nimble Mk1.
The recieved wisdom is that the Mk2 is the one to have, but I do not agree. If you want an old GTI I go with LJK, the Mk1 is the one to have. Who wants sloppy seconds?