Full 8-page road test of Mk 7 GTI

[2014GTi]

Thought so! 19's will ruin the ride and handling.

actually I don't think it will ruin the ride too much especially with DCC.
Plus the are 8" wide tires as apposed to 7.5", this in itself yields more grip and traction

[NBirkitt]

It's a very interesting read Neil, especially the comments about the 19" wheels. If you were spending your own money, would you say the PP is worth the near £1000 for use solely on the road?

Purely for road use, for the average driver... then yes you'd be better off spending the money on DCC adaptive suspension option, but any enthusiastic fast-road driver / occasional track dayer will kick themselves later if they don't go for Performance pack to benefit from the special diff-lock. The extra power and bigger brakes are neither here nor there because you could always re-map ECU / upgrade brakes later if you need to, but I can't see that diff-lock being an easy retro-fit... and it really does greatly improve traction and handling on hard cornering etc. almost to 4WD standards

No further comments about 19-inch wheels/tyres – if someone thinks they look good then I won't argue with that, but that same money buys PP which genuinely improves handling/braking, and 18s won't cost as much every time tyres need replacing...

[2014GTi]

 

I would say this is a way better system and that its a shame the Golf R didnt get VAQ with Haldex, XDS+ kills the brake pads / discs and heats them up quicker during sports style driving.
The Golf R will probably understeer just like all the previous generation Haldex systems 

[NBirkitt]

[/quote] You can buy a hard copy online now (for postage) but the electronic version is not yet available for download.  Availability of the downloadable versions lag way behind, which is annoying. [/quote]

Sorry about that, but the publisher's policy is to hold off on online sales until the printed copies have a chance to sell, otherwise too many would switch to buy online and both we and the printers would be out of business overnight... If you order a printed copy first-class before 3 pm today you should get it in post tomorrow :-) Online sales commence a week after official on-sale date ( ie 27.11 )

[dubber36]

Or just buy a subscription. It's by far the best VW magazine for grown ups and you'll get it quite a few days before it gets to the shops.

[Booth11]

I do have an annual subscription but it's for the downloadable version.  I may switch this to the paper copy though as I prefer to have a physical thing to read and wouldn't have to wait.

[matchboy]

Thought so! 19's will ruin the ride and handling.

Doesn't ruin my ride nor my handling 

[cheets7]

Ruin was the wrong word! 
but the car will definitely perform better on 18's.

[matchboy]

Ruin was the wrong word! 
but the car will definitely perform better on 18's.

I agree there may be a minimal performance gain, but IMO the better looking 19s outweigh this small loss (particularly as the chances of finding another GTI on the roads, with a clear road, to prove this is virtually impossible).

[JamesR27]

It's a very interesting read Neil, especially the comments about the 19" wheels. If you were spending your own money, would you say the PP is worth the near £1000 for use solely on the road?

Purely for road use, for the average driver... then yes you'd be better off spending the money on DCC adaptive suspension option, but any enthusiastic fast-road driver / occasional track dayer will kick themselves later if they don't go for Performance pack to benefit from the special diff-lock. The extra power and bigger brakes are neither here nor there because you could always re-map ECU / upgrade brakes later if you need to, but I can't see that diff-lock being an easy retro-fit... and it really does greatly improve traction and handling on hard cornering etc. almost to 4WD standards

No further comments about 19-inch wheels/tyres – if someone thinks they look good then I won't argue with that, but that same money buys PP which genuinely improves handling/braking, and 18s won't cost as much every time tyres need replacing...

making me think should I have blown the budget and specced it.