Mk7 GTI Video Review

[RedRobin]

I could very quickly save you £2300 there Robin

....What do you mean, Andrew?

DSG.... sunroof....

....I wouldn't consider buying ANY car without DSG or equivalent system.

I've had sunroofs in my cars for decades and prefer them to aircon.

[RedRobin]

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I had a good look around a Mk7 GT at my VW dealer's the other day. Was fully loaded with DSG, leather seats, sunroof, and was a champagne-silver colour which showed off the body sculpting very well.

My impression was high quality throughout. However, I really do dislike all the many silver bits of trim inside that the current market wants as it's perceived as 'luxury'.

The wheels were over fussy and frankly horrible! VW are still using the diamond-cut finish which is so prone to white worm corrosion 

....I forgot to say that the price tag was £31k !!

[xjay1337]

To be fair when you look at the way cars have come on, the features, technology and what not that you get...£31k for a highly specced GTI isn't bad. I specced mine up and it came to nearly £40k... 

With things looking how they are, I've been looking at the 135iM (that one with officially 320bhp but it's actually 340bhp), they are around £30k, I specced mine with the bits I'd have, sports steering wheel, Xenons with cornering, keyless go, BMW Nav/Ipod and other sort of every day luxiries and it came to £36500...not a bad price and when you look at the monthly payments, not too expensive at all.

It's temping but at the end of the day it's not a VW... maybe a test drive would change my mind.

Point I'm making is that VW charge £31k because they can, because it is a quality product, the interior in the Mk7 is nicer than in the A8, fact. You get in it and you would think and feel you are in a luxury car.. except it has a slippy diff and 230bhp and looks that definately grow over time! 

[rdfcpete]

It's beginning to look more and more like a bland Audi A3.

   





















 
On a serious note, I think the 8P3 A3 (2009 and on) is quite a timeless looking car, certainly with the LEDs and Xenons. Slightly biased obviously, but I wouldn't say the MK7 looks anything like it in honesty unless you were doing a different comparison to the very latest A3, which does look like quite literally a fat bloater Audi A1?

[RedRobin]

It's beginning to look more and more like a bland Audi A3.

   

 
On a serious note, I think the 8P3 A3 (2009 and on) is quite a timeless looking car, certainly with the LEDs and Xenons. Slightly biased obviously, but I wouldn't say the MK7 looks anything like it in honesty unless you were doing a different comparison to the very latest A3, which does look like quite literally a fat bloater Audi A1?

....My comment was more intended to mean that the overall feel and presentation of the Mk7 GT (not GTI) was akin to the Audi A3. And I wasn't suggesting that the Audi is a bad car but only that in my opinion it looks rather bland - Not enough individual character for my taste.

[rdfcpete]

I'm just biting for the sake of banter Robin 
I respect that the A3 isn't everyones cup of tea, I'm glad VW haven't made it look like a sister to the current A3 which I don't think I'll warm to. I much prefer the 8P3, even if I didn't own one - much sharper and defined which IMO gives it character.

I think it'll be the same effect with the MK7 as with previous VWG's, in time we'll generally warm to it as it's in our face more and more - particularly the top end models.

[RedRobin]

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Food for thought....

If an option loaded Mk7 GT costs £31k, then an option loaded Mk7 GTI costs £35k? But a new Mercedes A45 5-door hothatch handbuilt by AMG costs £36k and offers over 330 bhp, plus '4WD', a very high standard interior much nicer than the Golf IMO and....  0-60 in 4.5 secs!!

Quicker than the BMW apparently too.

So, for around £36k there are some great NEW cars to choose from. The Audi RS3 obviously costs much more and especially when option spec'd to match the others.

[Kregiel]

as much as I like VW there is no comparison between vw gti and merc or bmw. The latter two are in different league performance and quality wise. MK7 gti interior in no where near bmw or merc quality. The fact that VW wants similar money for gti as 135i and merc amg is shocking 

Market will adjust those unrealistic expectations in my view. Being in a position to choose between those three cars I would never even think of gti for similar money

horses for courses...

Paul