Interesting thoughts going on here. I'll try and write a brief summary of my ownership experience and thoughts so far. Have a quick glance at my spec in my footer before we start...
Generally, I love the GTI. I had a MK5 GTI before this one, in vanilla spec and with a manual box. I loved that car, and went for the same door count/colour combo on this one, but with DSG and a few more toys. I went for the standard GTI, no PP. That's a decision I do slightly regret, but only for the differential.
I've done 28k in 2 years, and found it a tremendous companion for all types of driving. DSG monsters the city/motorway driving (thanks to ACC), and I find it a lot of fun on the tight B-Roads round where I live. Best option I specced was Dynamic Chassis, and mine remains in Comfort ALL of the time. Sport is just too firm for the broken roads I use. I love the compliance, and that it rides very nicely indeed for a luke-warm hatch.
It's certainly fast enough. We all want more power, but not once over the 2 years have I felt I needed it. I enjoy the noise it makes, and I love the effortless cross country feel of the car with the DSG.
I'm surprised to hear someone thought the standard audio was poor, I feel the opposite. Must be down to music types but I listen to band music from 70's to present day and it has all frequencies covered. It's great at high volumes with more than acceptable bass response. Compared with the weedy, quiet, flat standard audio in my Wife's 1-Series, it's mega.
Running costs are more than acceptable, you won't hear me complaining about fuel consumption. I'm about to order 4 new tyres for it which I'm expecting will transform the car yet again, thank God I can get away from the awful Bridgestones.
Things I don't like: Driving Position. Can't get low enough in the car, and the steering wheel doesn't reach out far enough for my 6' 1" frame. As a result, I always feel like I'm sitting too close to the pedals and a little too high in the car. The driving position in my wife's F21 1-Series is much better.
Not keen on the touch screen nav. The position of the screen is a bit too low in the car for me, and inputting data on the move is a clumsy procedure. When working, the nav is good but it's a bit clunky compared with the Pro Media in the BMW. Ergonomically, the BMW suits me better.
Would I order the same car again... Yes and No. It's was the perfect car for me at the time in my life when I ordered it. Now, I need a larger car to accommodate all the gear you have when a baby comes along. I'm not a fan of the looks of the Golf Estate so there is a high chance I'll be leaving the VW brand when the time is right for me to change.
It's been very reliable, certainly not boring, and I still love the way it looks. I know I'll look back on my time with it very fondly indeed.
Jon
