first impressions of the GTI

[jpo]

As someone who for the best 4 years has been driving a 2003 1.4 E Golf I would have been disappointed if the GTi hadn't been a step up, but prior to this-when i had a bit of cash-i owned a 335 bmw m sport.

Firstly, VW were appalling at the handover-genuinely felt rushed, lad didn't seem to know what he was talking about etc. When I bought the 335 BMW made me feel like a king-VW have to up their game in this respect.

The car feel well sized-the BMW was a pain in terms of size and used to be a pain to park. The golf feels far more suited to everyday driving. The Sat Nav, on first impressions, seems sub standard and very second rate. Rest of the media system is good and the interior is fantastic. Seats look great, gear stick is unique etc.
The handbrake and stop/start are actually far easier to get used to than i first thought and are actually really clever. The BMW interior felt more high end but I do prefer the GTi, it's more unique. I love the fact that I have seen very few similar cars on the road, really adds to the appeal for me.

The drive is superb. It grips the road and it's not the speed that impresses, but the acceleration. It moves fantatsically. Love the wheels too.

One more thing-the colour. I have never loved a colour more than night blue, it honestly makes the car.

[Exonian]

Glad you like the GTI, it's a great car and we'll worth all the plaudits landed on it when it was launched.
A slight step up from the 1.4 Golf for sure! As you get more used to it then you'll realise what an accomplished bit of design it is. Some things aren't immediately obvious until you've lived with it for a while.

Interior wise, yes, it's bound to be a bit lower rent then a £40k odd Audi A4 rival but it's a nicer place to be than its direct rivals such as an Astra, Megane or Focus etc.
The GTI bits on the inside are a great homage the the 'brand' as you say. It's a really slick bit of kit.

I'll agree with you on the Nav too, I know it's "free" now (after a large price rise) but it's not worth the money VW charge as an extra.

You don't see many in that colour so let's see some pics!

[Hawaii-Five-O]

You don't see many in that colour so let's see some pics!

I saw an R parked up the other day in night blue. Really really nice colour. Underrated and relatively rare particularly for an R (which are mostly lapis, black, white or red).

To the OP. You only sound half happy with your GTI. Some damming with faint praise

[robtt]

Hi. Ordered mine in Night blue as well. Saw a GTE in the showroom with this colour and was completely taken .

[Websta24]

I took delivery of my Night Blue GTD 2 weeks ago and the colour is so much better in the flesh! Love it!

I agree about the handover, it was rushed. Not even a cup of coffee was offered to me and in terms of any "freebies" i got a bottle of screenwash, which the girl actually said "probably shouldn't have been left there"

[mjh_056]

Hi. Ordered mine in Night blue as well. Saw a GTE in the showroom with this colour and was completely taken .

Park next to a Night Blue R quite regularly at gym and when first saw it did not even realise it was an R from front as it does conceal the styling BUT its very obviously an R from the rear as the chrome of exhausts offset nicely to the colour.

So its a colour that get to see regularly and do really like it but think it hides the detailing too much on an R and so not a colour would consider, think the lighter the better on an R and will be sticking to the Lapis when my time comes.

Briefly saw an R on motorway last week (typically went off at next junction) in black and did instantly recognise as come up behind me due to the dual DRL but very stealthy and chrome tailpipes looked good against the black.

Not a colour would return to as my 2 x black Audi were a nightmare to maintain but was surprised how good R looked in black where felt it would lose any statement features before seeing in flesh.

Not want to hi jack this thread too much but to the owner of the new GTI you will grow to love the car more and more as miles clock up, its a really nice place to be though you highlighted one of areas where think an upgrade is needed in the standard media and sat navigation.

[jpo]

Definitely not half happy! It's a truly outstanidng car. Genuinely a  bit taken aback how much i love it. I suppose my slight annoyance is just how good the eperience could have been-stick a better sat nav in and make the handover an experience to enjoy and you'd have something amazing, as i much prefer it to the BMW.

Just driven it for a few hours on a roads and could not stop smiling.

[drisser]

Definitely agree regarding the sat nav - I found it really slow and clunky in the demo golf I had - no wonder they made it standard.  I didn't find the overall usefulness of the media system that great and gave up trying to navigate through menus to find the vehicle settings, it just wasn't intuitive.

BMW's professional nav is light years ahead - shame really because I do like the rest of the GTi interior and in standard form I don't think you need to add any many or any options..

I think handover depends very much on the dealer.. I have found really rubbish BMW dealers and good VW ones and vice versa - my own experience is smaller family owned dealerships are much better than the big groups..

[kodkod.84]

I currently have on loan a company 1.6TDI SE from a colleague who is on long term sick- I think this car is the bees knees, genuinely the best handling car I've driven as a daily and the engine is quite punchy. My partner who has a MK5 GT is also smitten and loves the adaptive cruise control.

So if that's a low end model, the GTI/GTD/R must be amazing- definitely a car we will we getting, oh and she wants a night blue after seeing one parked up