I am a new owner of a 2017 GTI Sport, I was previously driving a 2015 BMW M235i that was AWD. One thing I notice is that when driving at highway speeds the GTI seems to be affected by the wind a ton more than I was expecting or used to from the bimmer. Is this normal?
No, it's not normal.
First I'd question, is this actually due to crosswinds or is it just an impression
and actually caused by uneven pavement, which you would feel particularly
when accelerating harder on any FWD car.
Is there anything I can do to help give the car a more planted feel when driving quickly on the highway?
Yes, first thing to check is tire pressure. Overinflation causes 'wandering' on
uneven surfaces. Next thing if pressures are ok is to check is toe in. Have an
alignment done (your car's under warranty perhaps).
Sufficient toe in esp. on front is mandatory to compensate for crosswinds.
The heavier the wind blows the more load is put onto the wheels of the 'back'
side, which will - when toe in is present - 'counter steer' to compensate the
unwanted force.
I'm assuming it's the byproduct of being a hatchback versus your previous coupe. You have a lot more surface area on the side of your car now for the wind to hit.
Sorry, this is wrong and misleading.
Typically FWD cars are less prone to this issue, and it's not the lateral area
what matters most, but the center of that area. Actually it's more backwards
on the Golf compared to the 235i Coupé.
That said, there is no common 'issue' known. Any Golf should feel stable on a
straighline in a similar manner as a 1/2 series BMW. I had both 1 and 2 series
as company cars.
.