GTI Review and links.

[Jimble]

This guy ain't the best reviewer in the world but nice noise coming from the car 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiQBP1_4X6Q

I really liked his reviews of the standard golfs although that doesn't seem to be his best work!   Thats quite a poverty spec GTI though, no climate, no xenons?? I thought we got screwed but thats just not fair!!

[AAddict]

This guy ain't the best reviewer in the world but nice noise coming from the car 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiQBP1_4X6Q

I really liked his reviews of the standard golfs although that doesn't seem to be his best work!   Thats quite a poverty spec GTI though, no climate, no xenons?? I thought we got screwed but thats just not fair!!

I always imagine he lives in a caravan and owns heavy horses 

[Bill_the_Bear]

http://youtu.be/Gjb5FWOsavs

A lot of people will probably disagree with most of what he says.  On the plus side you can apparently have the car he drives now if you want.  It's in Holland though.

[CraigW]

http://youtu.be/Gjb5FWOsavs

A lot of people will probably disagree with most of what he says.  On the plus side you can apparently have the car he drives now if you want.  It's in Holland though.

I'll be the first

1) He doesn't mention anything about the impact that the extra torque has
2) He says the alloys aren't as sharp as the previous ones - absolute mince!
3) It doesn't corner as well as the megane or ST - funny, every other reviewer has said the LSD is brilliant

Why am I not surprised that the two Dutch reviews that I've seen so far are not enamoured with a German car 

[matchboy]

Totally agree Craig! I have a German mate and the Dutch and the Germans hate each other - no surprise he didn't give a glowing review and skirted around the issues. All in all, this 'cheesehead' needs to lay off the weed IMO 

[monkeyhanger]

Totally agree Craig! I have a German mate and the Dutch and the Germans hate each other - no surprise he didn't give a glowing review and skirted around the issues. All in all, this 'cheesehead' needs to lay off the weed IMO 

"hate" is an understatement - I have seen many shops in Amsterdam refuse to serve German tourists, and I have been on a DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam after a NUFC vs Eindoven friendly where most of the clientele were Eindoven fans going home. When the compere asked where everyone was from and one elderly family declared themselves as the only Germans on the ship they were roundly booed and had nuts thrown at them. The elderly German head of the family was up for a fight but none of teh Dutch took him up on his offer. Those Dutch have long memories!

[CraigW]

The problem with some of these reviews now is that because the GTI is historically been known as a hot hatch the most important comparison for the reviewers is out and out performance. As a result the GTI is losing out badly against the VXR, Megane, ST and 135.

I know it has to be the complete all rounder and that its streets ahead in terms of quality but I so wish that VW had been a bit more adventurous with the bhp and offered 250-260. It would have then wiped the floor with the competition (135 excepted). IMO there was scope to up the bhp and still not tread on the toes of the future R.

[Bill_the_Bear]

The problem with some of these reviews now is that because the GTI is historically been known as a hot hatch the most important comparison for the reviewers is out and out performance. As a result the GTI is losing out badly against the VXR, Megane, ST and 135.

I know it has to be the complete all rounder and that its streets ahead in terms of quality but I so wish that VW had been a bit more adventurous with the bhp and offered 250-260. It would have then wiped the floor with the competition (135 excepted). IMO there was scope to up the bhp and still not tread on the toes of the future R.

You're spot on with the bhp, but honestly they'd have to cut the price a bit to really hurt the ST or Megane.  250bhp and £2k off the price and no one should be buying an ST.  They'll never do it though because they're offering more versatility and history than the ST so in VWs mind they are not competing.  VW are gonna have to live with the fact that a lot of reviews will ignore how good this car is and focus on bhp/£ and those that aren't driving one will give 1001 reasons why they don't like the GTI no matter how jealous they are.

[Gryzor]

Not sure I agree on the GTI needing 250+ HP...  It's the fastest GTI yet, isn't that much slower than an ST 0-60, and for me it's all about how usable that power is in everyday driving.  It's an extremely well balanced car, and therein lies its appeal, which as Bear already said, will get ignored by the reviewers and interpreted as being less exciting etc.

[AAddict]

Tests seem to show it's pretty much equal to the Focus ST in the acceleration department.