Test Drive: VW GTI MkV
04-20-2006, 10:29 PM
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Test Drive: VW GTI MkV
Guten tak
I had a chance to check out the 2006 GTI MkV. All in all, considering the price I thought the car was great.
Exterior: … I like it. It’s not a “sexy” car but it definitely has charm and appeal.
Interior: One word - FABULOUS. When you first set your rump in there you can tell right off the bat that it’s definitely quality. Reasonably luxurious yet definitely getting the “Sport” gist across to the driver. Everything has logical placing and the fit/finish was great. The sport steering wheel is a very nice touch and felt great. The leather seats were amazing, offering very good lateral support as they definitely hold you in there. I definitely suggest the leather – I’m just not feeling the classic interlagos look. I didn’t drive it at night but I know how the colour scheme goes and I could imagine the whole experience being heightened a little bit when out on a nice night drive with the blues and the reds coming together to create a captivating ambiance. The only qualm I had with the interior was the gauge numbering was a tad small.
Space: It’s a hatch back… nuff said
The Drive: I didn’t have a chance to really put it through the paces but from what I could see it’s similar to RX8 performance.
The GTI is a zippy car with a mischievous lil growl…much like the lil fast character that rides in the back seat and whispers in your ear telling you to tell your girlfriend to **** off so that you can drive faster …and FASTER lol. But I digress.
The MkV has some good road hold however the steering could be a little quicker. You’re not gonna be setting any records but it definitely has some go and nice grunt for around town driving. One thing I don’t get is the weight… how VW comes to 3300lbs for this car is beyond me…but then again VW has always been known for making tubby cars.
The shifter was good but it didn’t have the ~ snick snick ~ feeling and the pedals were too close together as I could barely get my Fred Flinstone feet to the happy pedal….buts that’s just me and my mutant feet…maybe it’ll be better for others especially for heel and toeing….. but these are little things.
Sure it’s FWD but really, I don’t fault it for that….you can’t expect to have a RWD, foreign car with luxury and nice sportiness all for roughly 30K. Just to give you Yankees a feel for CDN pricing, an RX8 is about 40, an S2k and STi are 50k, a 350Z is about 45-49K…. So I think that all in all its great value
Concerns: RELIABILITY… However to be fair this really remains to be seen. The sales person said VW switched to Toyota’s electrical setup (or something or other)… but I’m really not sure what exactly he said because I tuned him out long time.
Conclusion: Great sporty car for around town driving! I think we can all agree that the best competitor would be the Civic Si. Many feel that the GTI is perhaps a little over priced by a few thousand in comparison but consider the fact that you get more luxury amenities and a torquier engine – it may be worth the premium depending on your tastes.
Recommended!
Auf Weidersehen
I had a chance to check out the 2006 GTI MkV. All in all, considering the price I thought the car was great.
Exterior: … I like it. It’s not a “sexy” car but it definitely has charm and appeal.
Interior: One word - FABULOUS. When you first set your rump in there you can tell right off the bat that it’s definitely quality. Reasonably luxurious yet definitely getting the “Sport” gist across to the driver. Everything has logical placing and the fit/finish was great. The sport steering wheel is a very nice touch and felt great. The leather seats were amazing, offering very good lateral support as they definitely hold you in there. I definitely suggest the leather – I’m just not feeling the classic interlagos look. I didn’t drive it at night but I know how the colour scheme goes and I could imagine the whole experience being heightened a little bit when out on a nice night drive with the blues and the reds coming together to create a captivating ambiance. The only qualm I had with the interior was the gauge numbering was a tad small.
Space: It’s a hatch back… nuff said
The Drive: I didn’t have a chance to really put it through the paces but from what I could see it’s similar to RX8 performance.
The GTI is a zippy car with a mischievous lil growl…much like the lil fast character that rides in the back seat and whispers in your ear telling you to tell your girlfriend to **** off so that you can drive faster …and FASTER lol. But I digress.
The MkV has some good road hold however the steering could be a little quicker. You’re not gonna be setting any records but it definitely has some go and nice grunt for around town driving. One thing I don’t get is the weight… how VW comes to 3300lbs for this car is beyond me…but then again VW has always been known for making tubby cars.
The shifter was good but it didn’t have the ~ snick snick ~ feeling and the pedals were too close together as I could barely get my Fred Flinstone feet to the happy pedal….buts that’s just me and my mutant feet…maybe it’ll be better for others especially for heel and toeing….. but these are little things.
Sure it’s FWD but really, I don’t fault it for that….you can’t expect to have a RWD, foreign car with luxury and nice sportiness all for roughly 30K. Just to give you Yankees a feel for CDN pricing, an RX8 is about 40, an S2k and STi are 50k, a 350Z is about 45-49K…. So I think that all in all its great value
Concerns: RELIABILITY… However to be fair this really remains to be seen. The sales person said VW switched to Toyota’s electrical setup (or something or other)… but I’m really not sure what exactly he said because I tuned him out long time.
Conclusion: Great sporty car for around town driving! I think we can all agree that the best competitor would be the Civic Si. Many feel that the GTI is perhaps a little over priced by a few thousand in comparison but consider the fact that you get more luxury amenities and a torquier engine – it may be worth the premium depending on your tastes.
Recommended!
Auf Weidersehen
04-20-2006, 10:52 PM
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The big concern is still reliability, i saw a white one on the road today, they look GREAT!, not the grille tho. havent drivne one, but i have a friend that is a big GTI friend he has a lot to say about it. Back to reliability, i dont know man, you really hope that VW/Audi would improve after all these years on reliability.... especially with their turbo engines.. Cant comment on this GTI yet, but i m leaning towards the negative side. I would def get this over the Civic Si.
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Last edited by Renesis_8; 09-11-2011 at 08:20 AM.
04-21-2006, 07:14 AM
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Just imagine the performance with a turbo-back exhaust, intake and "chipping" (ECU reflash these days). The numbers are supposed to be something like 250 or 260hp...
Add suspension and your fast will be screaming in your ear for more...
Add suspension and your fast will be screaming in your ear for more...
04-23-2006, 02:43 PM
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Well I got rid of an 02 VR6 to get my Rx-8 last week (all VR6's are made in Germany) and I went through a new transmission ($3000) coil pack ($400) and other small stuff. Check engine light came on often. My wife has an 03 TDi Beetle and that has been back to the dealership for numerous problems too. I liked the GTi but like others have said the reliability isn't there...even with Germany born cars.
04-23-2006, 10:06 PM
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I'd probably compare the German-built cars' reliability to BMW rather than Honda. First, simply because of where it's made and second... even if VW is a common or entry level brand, theire interiors and features do mark them at a level above your average Honda. Even all the reviews did have similar comments when comparing the new GTI to the Civic Si.
So perhaps think of it as a poor man's BMW or Audi rather than an expensive/luxurious Civic.
So perhaps think of it as a poor man's BMW or Audi rather than an expensive/luxurious Civic.
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