Is the GTI Sporty Enough for me?

[KevinC]

Sorry to hear you sold.
I am not a big BMW fan but this is an interesting car.
I listen to two guys on "Everyday Driver" and they did a review.
Nice looking. Nice engine and current price not far out and as you mentioned and the guys in the review, the value might rise now.
If only I could buy everything I wanted.

Thanks for sharing that recent review, hadn't seen that one yet.

I'd like to own another one someday, but it probably won't be practical to do so. Nice examples run about $30k and up if you don't want a ton of mileage.

That S54 under the hood is incredible. Redline is at 8000, and peak horsepower doesn't arrive until 7900, so you're making power all the way up to the top. It really comes alive and screams an incredible song above 4k. Damn I miss mine!

 

[dale55]

The GTi is sporty in ways you don't even realize compared to others in the segment and even a segment or two above.

If your definition of "sporty" is an all out sports car that does little else, then no the GTi isn't "sporty" enough.

But beyond it being an all around great DD, take it out on some twisty roads and just blast through them or sling shot through traffic or just try an wipe the smile off your face every time you get on it and feel how rock solid poised the platform is. Add some mods and you can keep up with most things on the road and be stealth all the while doing it and have shit eating grin every time.

Good points you make here.

 

[dale55]

if I didn't need the space I might consider the current gen Miata Club.

GTI price range, lsd, double wishbone, rwd awesome tire to weight, decent power to weight.

That's one on my list as well.

 

[dale55]

How are we supposed to know? You have access to a GTI to drive whenever you want, so get out there and thrash it for a while and see if you like it. Its plenty sporty for me, especially as a daily driver in the seasons which allow it. Would I like a car with substantially more power? Yes.. But thats not what the GTI was meant for. It's meant to be a daily driver/weekend track warrior, not to blow 9's at the drag strip

It is a great all arounder. I certainly enjoy the driving dynamics.

 

[adam1991]

The GTi is sporty in ways you don't even realize compared to others in the segment and even a segment or two above.

If your definition of "sporty" is an all out sports car that does little else, then no the GTi isn't "sporty" enough.

But beyond it being an all around great DD, take it out on some twisty roads and just blast through them or sling shot through traffic or just try an wipe the smile off your face every time you get on it and feel how rock solid poised the platform is. Add some mods and you can keep up with most things on the road and be stealth all the while doing it and have shit eating grin every time.

110% this.

Of course, my first one is only a few days old. But after 40 years of driving Japanese, I'm hooked.

If the maintenance/repairs aren't too gawdawful, I'll just stick with the German platform and pay the price--fuel, tires, maintenance, and weird repairs that would never have to happen on an Acura.

Life is all about tradeoffs.

And the stealth thing--I'm all in for that. I'm a professional; a Civic Type R might light up a smile for its driving dynamics, but there's no way I'm daily driving that monstrosity of plastic ugliness.

On the other hand, me going 90 down the freeway as I travel for work? Why, I'm just another Golf, invisible in the mix.

 

[ElectricEye]

110% this.

Of course, my first one is only a few days old. But after 40 years of driving Japanese, I'm hooked.

If the maintenance/repairs aren't too gawdawful, I'll just stick with the German platform and pay the price--fuel, tires, maintenance, and weird repairs that would never have to happen on an Acura.

Life is all about tradeoffs.

And the stealth thing--I'm all in for that. I'm a professional; a Civic Type R might light up a smile for its driving dynamics, but there's no way I'm daily driving that monstrosity of plastic ugliness.

On the other hand, me going 90 down the freeway as I travel for work? Why, I'm just another Golf, invisible in the mix.

^^ 13 posts in, and the man gets it. ^^
I see the Porsche 944 or 928 I never got to own when I step up to my GTI.
The cops see a Golf. Likely don't see it at all.
Works for me.

 

[JC_451]

^^ 13 posts in, and the man gets it. ^^
I see the Porsche 944 or 928 I never got to own when I step up to my GTI.
The cops see a Golf. Likely don't see it at all.
Works for me.

This phenomenon is real.

Quick story:

I'm in the lead of a 3 car pack rolling through the back roads going around 50 in the 35. I crest the next hill and see my pal LEO waiting down a the bottom and immediately let go of the gas, since I'm going downhill I didn't even get below 45 when I passed him.

Look in the rear view to see him pull out.....and immediately light up those cherries on the 3rd car, some unlucky guy in a Maxima who was just keeping up with traffic.

 

[ourlee]

Dale,
Here’s my 2 cents. I sold my daily drive 09 Miata after 7 years and $10k in mods. I sold it after my wife and I had a no fault accident in my son’s Rabbit, she was convinced that if we were in the Miata, we would have gotten messed up.
So I considered a GTI Sport, 17 R, TTS and a TT. I bought a low mileage 17 CPO TT for $37k after shopping for 5 months. It came down to driving position. I like small, low intimate cars. I love driving my son’s tuned MK5 Rabbit but the TT best replicates my beloved NC2s driving experience.

 

[ElectricEye]

This phenomenon is real.

Quick story:

I'm in the lead of a 3 car pack rolling through the back roads going around 50 in the 35. I crest the next hill and see my pal LEO waiting down a the bottom and immediately let go of the gas, since I'm going downhill I didn't even get below 45 when I passed him.

Look in the rear view to see him pull out.....and immediately light up those cherries on the 3rd car, some unlucky guy in a Maxima who was just keeping up with traffic.

Ha! Ha!!!
If I were the LEO, I'd target the Maxima too.
I give Maxima's I wide berth.
Expect the unexpected out of them is my philosophy.
And yes, more than once I've carried some speed in my GTI only too spot law enforcement a bit later than I'd have liked yet I've been fortunate to have gone unnoticed.

 

[normcaldwell]

I just bought a 996 911.

RWD, 2,900lbs, 300HP and mine has a factory LSD.

285’s out back and no ESC system. The car rarely breaks grip but when it does no nannies kick in and it’s controlled.

It makes a nice stablemate to the GTI, GTI is the somewhat fun jack of all trades car and this is a fun, low slung and noisy car with the upgraded mufflers I have.

I like your 996 XM!
I've not had the pleasure, yet, of driving a Porsche.
I bet the go and brake pedals are nicely oriented for heel-toe (or I should say; ball-roll).

 

[Bäsemödel]

Idk if thread is still being viewed by OP, but if it is, you should still go with the TTRS

 

[alderran1]

Dale,
Here’s my 2 cents. I sold my daily drive 09 Miata after 7 years and $10k in mods. I sold it after my wife and I had a no fault accident in my son’s Rabbit, she was convinced that if we were in the Miata, we would have gotten messed up.
So I considered a GTI Sport, 17 R, TTS and a TT. I bought a low mileage 17 CPO TT for $37k after shopping for 5 months. It came down to driving position. I like small, low intimate cars. I love driving my son’s tuned MK5 Rabbit but the TT best replicates my beloved NC2s driving experience.

So what happens if you run into a ford expedition or GMC Yukon? I know you’re crushed like a Campbell’s soup can


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[-Dutch-]

So what happens if you run into a ford expedition or GMC Yukon? I know you’re crushed like a Campbell’s soup can


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Just like how if you're driving an expedition and run into a semi?

 

[alderran1]

My point is if your point is to be safe then going from a very small to a small car doesn’t make sense. As you move up in size the % of vehicles that are bigger goes down so if safe were my goal big suv would be the vehicle I would pick.


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[-Dutch-]

I get that, but for cars on the small side I've seen nothing but positive crash reviews for these things. Hell, there was a Facebook post today about a guy who was hit on the highway and flipped multiple times, got out of the car with no major injuries. You could do much, much worse.