ALWAYS WANTED ONE ADVICE NEEDED

[mikergti]

Hi Guys,

I have been considering buying a new GTI for some time and have been reading the various topics for a few weeks, Hurdy/RedRobin to name a few you are a mine of information and enthusiam, which has made me want to be part of the forum too! Another good reason to buy a GTI!

Thing is I can't decide on a few things and need advice.

First of all it has to be a 5 door, sorry guys but family dictates, in Black Metallic with Monza II's, sunroof and a few other factory bits but the big question is about the optional Recaros as I can't find a GTI anywhere that has them fitted to look at/sit in prior to me speccing a new vehicle and opinion in dealerships is next to useless and the comments about the quality of VW leather bothers me too. Also is the RCD500 with Soundpack any good or should I save the money and upgrade with the Kenwood head unit, like Hurdy's, together with a speaker upgrade for a better all round unit? I like my sounds !!

Also the subject of re-mapping appears to be a hot topic. I am a fan as I have had a number of my previous cars re-mapped but the question I ask is who is the preferred option - APR/Revo/Bluefin?

After years of driving a certain make of diesel with a blue propellor as a badge I feel it is time to save some cash and drive something I have always coveted and the MK5 just does it for me!!

Your advice is appreciated.

Mikergti

[vw_sales]

Let me help if i can,

Firstly if your going to factory order you have to have leather, you cant factory order one now without.
(Plus recaro's have leather as standard).

The RCD 500 is very good,and i might consider this option if buying a Gti.

But i would probably spend the money on some quality speakers and sub and save a few quid as well.

Personnally i dont think the recaro's are worth the money, and the reason you wont find them in a dealer is because not many customers buy them, so no stock cars are ordered with them, visious circle etc.

Also in the nicest possible way, if you are over weight you will strugle to fit, and they certainly wont be comfortable.

The remapping i know nothing about ( sorry).

[MikeGTI]

I have the leather in the used GTI I've just bought and love it. The car is 2.5 years old with 30K on the clock and the leather looks like new.

Certainly looks and feels far better quality than the leather I had in my brand new merc previously.

I don't have the recaros, but find the standard seats to be very supportive, no sliding around like used to occur in the leather seats of my Audi A3.

I also have the 5 door and find it a very practical to live with, but I don't feel like it looks any less sporty or less like a GTI because of the extra two doors.

[AlanD]

lolololol !

I think VW need to book some political correctness courses

[vw_sales]

 

[RedRobin]

....A Warm Welcome to the forum, mikergti 

The standard seats are extremely good and supportive. However, if you plan to do track days the Recaros would support you better and it's far cheaper to order them in the factory build than afterwards  - Costing well over £3,000 because you have to change seat runners too! I have ridden in both Mk5 R32 and GTI with Recaros and they are not as tight as I expected. However, it will depend on your body shape!

APR/Revo/Bluefin are all established smooth remaps with not a lot to choose between their actual performance. I would go for the agent you think will best look after you long term. I assume you are thinking of Stage1 rather than 2 or 3 which would need other hardware performance mods to deliver their potential.

Hope This Helps (HTH),
RR

[mikergti]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the prompt responses!

I am sure I read on the VW webste the recaro's are now a £925 option so I thought why not as they are pretty sexy! However I am a stocky individual, ex rugby player rather than just overweight, so it would have been nice to sit in some prior to ordering - just in case!

Regarding the sounds I still like the idea of the Kenwood Head Unit, as per Hurdy's vehicle, with upgraded speakers, and a fitted sub - Anyone care to recommend anyone to look at for this side of things?

As for re-maps yes to start with a Stage1, then when funds allow I would look at adding in some of the other upgrades as per some of you guys.

RedRobin - would you suggest an order for the upgrades, ie re-map, then Milltek, then .....?

[joesgti]

best speakers for reasonable value are alpine type r's, also type r sub, but if your bothered by weight then maybe go with the carbon fiber type x. or not bother at all. if you get a decent set of speakers and run them from an amp the a sub isnt really needed unless you a bass head. (like i used to be, 4000w amp and 2 audiobann imortal subs :embarassed: )

[RedRobin]

RedRobin - would you suggest an order for the upgrades, ie re-map, then Milltek, then .....?

....It's not critical nor essential, but it's quite a good idea to do some of your hardware performance mods first. The thinking behind this is that the tuner can adjust settings according to how the individual car behaves with the hardware as it exists and performs in reality. When I was researching which remap I should choose (I spent months!) several of the established tuners privately told me it was a good idea to remap a car after hardware and after about 10,000 miles to give a VW engine time to settle and throw up any problems if they exist. They also said that not many people do that as they are too impatient!

Personally, I also enjoyed experiencing what each mod has individually added to my car

Have a read of my modding history so far: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=76814.0

So much depends on how long you plan to keep the car and what stage of performance you seek longer term. I value driveability for European (incl. UK) road use and long term reliability. A remap delivers more 'bang for your buck' than any other mod - It's something you feel instantly!!

[mikergti]

I will be using it as my daily drive and will keep it for upwards of 3 years so what I am looking for is reliability first but also enough of a kick as I am used to driving a remapped 330d so i would appreciate some mid range punch too.