Mk 8 Golf

[Yusee]

The I30N does sound epic in that link.... whether I could live with it as a daily though...

And that's why Golf GTI's are loved - because they aren't hardcore. They are nice road cars with no vices that are just as happy tootling to the supermarket or sitting in traffic as they are being ragged.

Agree. A hot hatch is a day to day car first and foremost. Most of the other hot hatches are too firm riding for daily use on UK roads. The golf is also a brilliant drive- it's the best hot hatch.

[Hertsman]

The I30N does sound epic in that link.... whether I could live with it as a daily though...

And that's why Golf GTI's are loved - because they aren't hardcore. They are nice road cars with no vices that are just as happy tootling to the supermarket or sitting in traffic as they are being ragged.

Agree. A hot hatch is a day to day car first and foremost. Most of the other hot hatches are too firm riding for daily use on UK roads. The golf is also a brilliant drive- it's the best hot hatch.

Its what said a few times, the Golf GTI/R is first car where not had to compromise comfort for performance and vice versa and though its seen there are more extreme performance cars out there, its usually with compromise and for your main demographic of driving that becomes tiresome,

Its great I can press the comfort button and have the DSG and Auto Hold do all the work for me on a slow commute and cruise a motorway in complete comfort and at the press of a button have the firmer suspension and steering when road is there to push along.

Sure we all been there and hence chose the GTI/R as the pure performance car in them situations simply becomes tiring and you fall out of love with it

So when I see a journo piece praising the merits of some cars performance I am always thinking thats great where you are driving it, I get it, but its still not a Golf GTI/R

[fredgroves]

And you equally see all of the children commenting on any reviews of a Golf saying "why do people always conclude that the golf is best? its not the most powerful or the fastest lap times, why is it the best? you are all paid shills of VW!".... its because very few people want a racing car... and a lot of the people saying they do, have never actually driven a racing car....

[gizzywizzy]

The I30N does sound epic in that link.... whether I could live with it as a daily though...

And that's why Golf GTI's are loved - because they aren't hardcore. They are nice road cars with no vices that are just as happy tootling to the supermarket or sitting in traffic as they are being ragged.

I fully agree, I’m not in a GTI but I have owned an 09 plate mk6 GTI  and now a mk7 GT but the GTI as you say is so versatile, if you want a pocket rocket it will deliver but if you want a run to Sainsbury’s with the family for a big shop it delivers on that as well.

[Brenbo]

I agree with the sentiments that Golf GTI/R is not just about performance.  Also in a few years time owning the fastest Hot Hatch will not mean as much when the EU regs insist limiters are fitted to cars destined for the EU and UK.  Then it will come down to how much of an alll rounder a car can be as performance will not be much of a factor when you have a limiter throttling the performance out of the car if you get close to the speed limit.  Maybe then those who choose a new car purely on 0-60mph figures will start to choose a car for being an all rounder and whether it is a nice place be in while driving.

[Mutley75]

I read somewhere the proposed limiters can be switched off - a bit like being able to toggle start/stop.

[Brenbo]

I also read that would be the case to start then they will try to impose a regulation for the limiters to be on permanently.  I also the limiters will auto start when you start the car even though you turned it off on the last time you drove the car.  Which could get a bit annoying.  The other thing to be weary of , is the data loggers being fitted.  I understand some cars may already have such devices fitted as i knew a territory manager at work who mentioned a few years ago his BMW had data such as speeds etc, recorded to the key.   

[Mutley75]

Just have to keep our GTIs for the next 25 years then and sod the lot of them! 

[Exonian]

The reason most of us are here is because we don’t want the most focussed hot hatch and neither do we want something dull as dishwater. So we buy the best all-rounder which is still the GTI/TCR/R/CS (etc).

It’s no guarantee the mk8 will be as desirable to hot hatch fans as the current amazing all-rounder the mk7 is so even some of us dyed in the wool VW types do keep half an eye on the opposition.
A lot of mentions of the i30N in here and I’ve seen a good few now. Most are in the lovely signature light blue, but just to confirm how handsome a car it is I saw a dark grey one last week. I have to hand it to Hyundai they’ve done a great job on the looks and sound of the car for the money.
I saw a slightly uglier looking fastback version in Sainsburys car park last week which still looked well proportioned.
It’s certainly an option if VW’s next incarnation of GTI is as much of a disappointment as the mk3 and mk4 GTI’s were in their day.
The i30N will probably steal more Focus ST sales than VW I’d imagine.

[Mutley75]

Hyundai’s can be the most amazing car in the world, ever. But I still wouldn’t buy one if the interior is made from recycled yoghurt pots. That’s something VAG has over most other brands too.