Ladies and Gentleman, yes this very evening I got to drive a Red GTI manual with 3 doors, ACC, no performance pack, ordinary Sat Nav and cloth seats.
I won't bore you with how I managed to get the drive, but my brother picked me up in this car from work and I'm embarrassed to say I nearly wet myself!
Now red is not my favourite colour but in the night with the street lights hitting it, it looked outstanding. I have taken some phone camera pics but don't have photo bucket or anything so you'll have to wait a while for them. I got in the drivers seat after spending 5 mins walking all round it, then spent another 10 mins sat there touching this and that.
It was in sport mode which makes the exhaust note very prominant, which you'll love or hate, unless you're me then you'll be undecided. I think I felt it sounded too artificial but my cousin who was sat in the back loved it and my brother thought it sounded good so maybe it's just me. All the controls felt good and the quality inside the cabin was excellent and the illuminated red strip high on the door card and on the door sill is a really classy touch. But to the all important drive!!
If I'm honest I was slightly disappointed.......at first. I've read every review watched every clip, whatever the language, so my expectations were sky high. I found the steering lifeless and fidgety having to make constant small corrections when going in a straight line over London A and B roads. The torque was however very good but often with a slight delay that I don't recall in my Mk 6. Having said that this car felt considerably quicker than my Mk6 through every gear and only had 180 miles on the odometer.
There is just a slight detachment while driving the car that you don't get when you drive fast Fords and I would really like to do a back to back with a Focus ST. Having said that as the miles passed I felt more and more comfortable. The seats were very good, the whole car gives you a feeling of being in a quality item, and as much as it chokes me to say it, you can really see where your money has gone. The car looks, feels and drives like that old cliche " a car a sector or two above it's own". This is a car to grow into, you may really need nothing else, irregardless of options.
Then I changed the setting to normal! The steering all of a sudden came to life, that overly heavy feeling on the straight ahead disappeared and the steering felt linear and precise. Strangely I don't recall feeling much change to the ride, which I felt was good anyway. I didn't attack too many bends but it seemed to handle neatly and put its power down quite cleanly but it was bone dry and there was one occassion where I could feel the traction control ease the power to maintain the line. Hopefully this is where the performance pack will come into its own. I drove for about an hour on A and B roads and really enjoyed the car to the point that when I pulled up outside my house I didn't want to get out!
I can't see anyone being disappointed with this car as it does so many things well. It massages your ego and you can't help but smile when you're driving around, a really smug, I got all the cream kind of smile. This is a brilliant bit of kit and although I'm not convinced that this car emphatically beats the opposition when it comes to handling, it really doesn't matter because its such a good package.
It has taught me that you can't believe everything people say and that if you can you really need to drive any car you intend to buy, because in the end your opinion is the only one thats counts! Having said that I hope you all find my humble ramblings of some use.
And yes my order was in before my opportunity to test drive
