Talk some sense into me...

[Exonian]

Monsieur Ex

It was only a few weeks back you were saying, having rediscovered driving the gti, that you'd forgotten just how good it was.  Both gtd and gti great cars, but unless your regular mileage has suddenly increased, it seems a little fanciful to make the switch.

Why not just relax and enjoy your gti for a while, until you finally decide to get the R 

I don't think you're quite at the full pipe and slippers stage yet, maybe just approaching the top of that slope 

Ahh, madamoiselle B, such soothing words to ease away my (car) woes.

What's this talk of an R though? Surely that's just the modern day equivalent of a Cavalier 1.6L now that they cost tuppence to hire for couple years?


I must make a confession with my rekindled love of GTIness in mind: I've only used the darn thing a few times to do 2.5 miles in traffic since the beginning of December.




Hand me an extension lead and the order form for an electric UP!

Eeee up lad/lass!

Now for a nice cup o' Yorkshire tea whilst I puff on me pipe...

[carl1]

I have to admit iv'e never driven a mk7 GTD but i was next to one but behind by the exhaust and it sounded quite nice, ( i presume sound pack) but only on tickover. I just can't imagine on full chat at 4k (yea 4k remember that Exonian) it will sound anything like nice. When i imagine a diesel engine sound at 4k, its like someone just stood on my grave.

You most definitely will have heard a sound-pack one if you preferred it to your GTI at idle.

You're completely backwards in your perception of sound vs revs - at a tickover (on a normal GTD) you will hear the characteristic diesel rattle (albeit quieter than some marques - the BMW 2.0td unit has more of an idle rattle), at 4k revs you won't, it'll sound pretty much like the GTI - a 4cyl 16v 2ltr turboed car (diesel or petrol) from the same manufacturer is going to sound pretty much the same at 4k revs unless the exhaust is significantly different between the 2. Once you get past around 1600rpm, the diesel "clatter" is gone from the engine note.

In Normal mode (without Soundaktor), the R under high load sounded pretty much like my GTD under high load (the turbo whine was a little different) when I was on my 2nd test drive of the R.

I'd suggest you stop imagining something upon which to base an opinion and find out before passing comment. 

So are you saying at GTD sounds as good as a GTI  from 1600rpm upwards, ( not that the GTI sounds great) windows down and i wouldn't know i was driving a diesel. Wow they have improved since the mk6. I have seen a few drive past me when iv'e been walking and i must say iv'e always known they are a GTD before iv'e noticed they haven't got the exhausts either side. I will try and test drive one with the windows down and rev it and not cruise as my 16 year old diesel van sounds ok once i'm upto speed and cruising, if i get time mind you and i would like for my totaly wild imagination of what a diesel engine sounds like at 4k to be proven wrong, i seriously would , no joke. 

[monkeyhanger]

From 1600rpm and up there is not a lot of difference with the soundaktors off (in normal mode on both - very similar displacement, same general engine architecture (valve and cylinder configuration), direct cylinder injection (which used to be a purely diesel thing) and the use of a timing chain (rather than a belt) on the TSI gives it a little bit of a clatter at low engine speeds. If you hadn't noticed, petrols are getting more diesel-like in the technology employed on them.

As diesels go, the 2.0TDI unit sounds pretty sweet (far less rattly at or close to idle than a 2.0 BMW unit), whereas the 2.0TSI unit doesn't sound remarkably good (hard to make an inline 4cyl engine sound good next to a 6 or 8 cylinder engine) - a good reason for the soundaktor fitment on both. Once you get away from the idle clatter, they sound very similar and at cruising speed the GTD will be quieter than the GTI, only doing 2200rpm to maintain 80mph in 6th.

[carl1]

I know my what your saying and im not surprised GTD's are quieter at cruising and both my previous ed30/35 sounded a bit diesel on tickover but my MK7 doesn't in the slightest, but i'm on about fast acceleration with the windows down a fair bit, i can't help but think the GTD would sound a bit harsh up front, a lot more harsh then a petrol.
I hadn't driven a petrol for a couple of years before my current car, you just get used to diesels they're everywhere without even realizing it and you become immune to them.  Then i bought my car and was like wow it's just so smooth, almost like a V8 in comparison to diesels. I'd forgotten what half decent revy petrols were like and maybe you will feel the same when you get your R or maybe i will not feel the same once i drive a GTD 

[Exonian]

Still, if I didn't have a GTI to dispose of, there's always deals like these around:
http://www.centralukvehicleleasing.co.uk/vehicle/choose_your_lease/57649/volkswagen/golf/20_tdi_gtd_5dr.html
 

[Poached]

They all look good on 5000 mpa in pov spec.

I don't know what that outfits excess mileage charges are.

[Exonian]

6p + VAT I think.

Poverty spec on a gtd ain't exactly stingy though.
Throw the options onto one you've bought with your own cash and watch the pennies roll down the drain.
You can put the options list onto a lease car too and equally flush the lot down the toilet.

[Snoopy]

Every rep and his dog has a Deisel golf  keep the GTI and enjoy the smoother refinement.

[Mr Savage]

*whispers* I think you should just wait for the RS3

No on a serious note. It's not worth changing to a GTD. It's changing just for the sake of it. I'm sure it's a great car but so is the GTI. If you want to get out the car so badly then I'd just wait for some more used examples to come on the market and choose sonething a bit different.

[2014GTi]

I hope the original poster doesn't mind me posting on this thread for similar advice.

I currently own a good spec 3dr Manual GTi with few toys, I bought this car before I got married and now me and the wife are expecting our first child in July.
Work wise I am not doing a big commute but may soon be travelling further, approx. 90 miles per day.

Would moving to a 5dr DSG GTD be a good move?
I was also considering the BMW 335d Saloon xdrive Msport Auto.

Is the boot of a Golf MK7 big enough for child requirements?

Cheers