EOTR VW Golf GTI 245 performance

[Rich B]

2 years and c. 19k miles and I definitely warmed to this car. It did everything well and a couple of things very well.

Speed - not a particularly quick car overall, but in the right gear and revs it had some decent punch. Rolling start at 30 in 2nd then through the gears it was good fun all the way up to 110mph+.

Handling - the turn in was seriously sharp, it was always fun to bowl into a roundabout quicker than felt right without braking and accelerate though the corner (the LSD helped). General handling was great - very confidence inspiring.

Interior - good quality seats and steering wheel, no complaints. The ICE was also very good and well thought out - better than BMWs offerings imo - especially with the brilliant Carplay and the fully digital dash. Other than that, it's a golf - so practical and comfortable.

What I didn't like - it sounded crap (even with the speaker) and didn't really have any character to the power delivery. It scrabbled off the line because it's fwd. it had a weird button at the end of the accelerator pedal that clicked when you put your foot it down. The mirrors could either be in "fold down for reverse" OR heated - which annoyed me every winter day. The heater controls were weirdly damped so you couldn't turn them up/down quickly.

Overall - it was a very good car. Great looking, practical, quickish, etc... But I don't miss it one bit.

[Swervin_Mervin]

it had a weird button at the end of the accelerator pedal that clicked when you put your foot it down.

Loads of cars have that - it's to get it to kick down as much as poss, or overcome any speed limiter that's set. My 330 has it, albeit it's not as pronounced, and my 197 had it as well.

[Sundayjumper]

Overall - it was a very good car. Great looking, practical, quickish, etc... But I don't miss it one bit.

I was pondering this - of all the people that had a Golf on a cheap deal, how many of them got to the end and said "that was brilliant, I'm going to have another one" ? It feels like none of them.

[Rich B]

it had a weird button at the end of the accelerator pedal that clicked when you put your foot it down.

Loads of cars have that - it's to get it to kick down as much as poss, or overcome any speed limiter that's set. My 330 has it, albeit it's not as pronounced, and my 197 had it as well.

Weird. On the golf (and the T Roc I briefly had) it is like a proper click - with what feels like another 5mm of pedal travel. Particularly strange as the cars are manual.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Yeah - the 197 was the same. I haven't tried in the Superb tbh. THe 330 is still noticable but more of a soft click.

[Matty]

Overall - it was a very good car. Great looking, practical, quickish, etc... But I don't miss it one bit.

I was pondering this - of all the people that had a Golf on a cheap deal, how many of them got to the end and said "that was brilliant, I'm going to have another one" ? It feels like none of them.

Plenty, I would have thought - isn't that why they're so popular?

Lets not forget most people buy them because it's a "Golf GTi" and it looks nice - they don't care about most of the driving quirks Rich has bought up.

Edit - it is (was!) a great looking car in that colour though, love that blue.

[16vCento]

My XF has a proper switch you can feel at the end of the travel.

The V60 doesn't, and it's a shite idea, you have no idea how far you can put your foot down before overriding the speed limiter, so it's not very useful.

[MikeHunt]

Handling - the turn in was seriously sharp, it was always fun to bowl into a roundabout quicker than felt right without braking and accelerate though the corner (the LSD helped). General handling was great - very confidence inspiring.

I test drove a Leon 300 a few years ago, I dont think it had an LSD and it was almost underivable in 2nd gear in the dry and very annoying in 2nd/3rd in the wet. You only needed to think about the accelerator pedal and it was fighting itself and making worrying mechanical noises.

[Jobbo]

The mirrors could either be in "fold down for reverse" OR heated - which annoyed me every winter day.

My Audi is like this and it annoys me because I don't want to fold the mirror down when reversing but I don't want the heating on all the time.

But posting this has made me realise there is another alternative which fits my needs: turn the switch so it's set to adjust the right hand mirror. Wouldn't be any good for you, mind.

[Rich B]

Yeah, I reverse into my drive and want it to dip (dial in Left position), but in the mornings need the mirrors to be heated. So every day I'd pull back up to my house, go to reverse in and realise it's still on heat from the morning.

Heating should have a separate button imo.

[Jobbo]

I agree. If it's anything like my Audi, it won't dip if you switch it to the left mirror position when you're already in reverse. Which is annoying because that's the one time I sometimes want to use the dipping function.

[dinny_g]

Overhead 360 degree reversing cameras are the nuts. - my new place has an awkward reverse to the spot in front of the window and I'd be lost without it.

I tried to park my dads car over the summer and had to look back over over my left shoulder again. first time in years. I came so close to twatting it off a wall. I can't park anymore...

[240PP]

Love that colour.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Heating should be automatic like it is on BMWs imo.

EFA

[simon_g]

Overall - it was a very good car. Great looking, practical, quickish, etc... But I don't miss it one bit.

I was pondering this - of all the people that had a Golf on a cheap deal, how many of them got to the end and said "that was brilliant, I'm going to have another one" ? It feels like none of them.

I'm on my third mk7 Understated competence rather than brilliance is the Golf way.

Although yes, the mirror thing is annoying.

[V8Granite]

Heating should be automatic like it is on BMWs imo.

EFA

Like it is on late 80s Peugeots, Early 2000 Audis, 1990 Mercedes and pretty much any car with heated mirrors.

Dave!

[Rich B]

Heating should be automatic like it is on BMWs imo.

EFA

yep, can't argue with that.

[Marv]

I have nothing to add but I think these are a great looking hothatch!

[McSwede]

Overhead 360 degree reversing cameras are the nuts.

Aye. If you're an old lady. Hand your membership in on the way out Grandma

[dinny_g]

I’m happy with that criticism