Possibly Replacing My GTI

[chitimon87]

Hey all I have a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if anyone else was in my shoes.

I have a 15 GTI SE DSG with koni yellows and eibach prokit. Rest of the car is stock.

I've had the car for 3 years now and my car ADHD is kicking in.....

I am considering replacing the GTI with 20 WRX, 20 STI or 17 330i wagon with M sport package...I am also considering keeping the GTI for a bit longer and getting an APR stg1 tune. The car is my daily with occasional track duty.

Has anyone been in my shoes and what have you ultimately decided???

 

[teslas]

To me, you will probably get the ich again in a couple of years, if you go with the subi, they are virtually the same car for years, get a used one and save some cash.
If your simply board with your car because you want more power - then just go stage 1.

It would be easier if you let us know why you want to drop your current car.

 

[George Ab]

Of course, we're car nerds. Fortunately, my cheap skateness usually trumps my car nerdiness. Of those vehicles the only one that I found appetizing is the 330i with sport package. I still have an older 325i with sport package and I do value refinement; however it is just not as fun. The other two have fun factor, but are less refined. I find the GTI a nice sweet spot of refinement and grin factor. You may want to lay down until the urge goes away, or do something to your car that will improve its fun factor with no loss of refinement. I have been tuned since 2014 as I jumped on the MK7 GTI when it first came out so I can't imagine living with the stock torque and HP. From a driveability perspective a DSG tune for the shift points is huge. That said, do what makes you happy.

 

[Corey199]

Like teslas said, if you really want to switch to a wrx/sti, they have been the same since 2015. I'd recommend tuning your car first to see if it changes your perspective on the car. If it doesn't, no harm done really, just go test drive the cars you listed and see which one you like the most.

 

[GTIfan99]

Hey all I have a bit of a dilemma and was wondering if anyone else was in my shoes.

I have a 15 GTI SE DSG with koni yellows and eibach prokit. Rest of the car is stock.

I've had the car for 3 years now and my car ADHD is kicking in.....

I am considering replacing the GTI with 20 WRX, 20 STI or 17 330i wagon with M sport package...I am also considering keeping the GTI for a bit longer and getting an APR stg1 tune. The car is my daily with occasional track duty.my

Has anyone been in my shoes and what have you ultimately decided???

I came from two previous STI's, and a WRX before that, and ended up buying a GTI.

Pros for the Subaru - pretty fast without modding, good clutch, brakes and suspension. Add pads, fluid, maybe a rear sway and you're ready to hit the track.

Cons of the Subaru - Interiors look worn out after 3 years, infotainment is a joke (even my wife's 11in in her new Outback), GAS MILEAGE (10 to 12 around town and 19 tops on highway), the EJ engine architecture is 30+ years old and if you drive aggressively, tune it, autocross it, or track it, you're luck will eventually run out. I've been through 3 EJ257 longblocks due to cylinder 4 eating the ringlands. Previous EJ205 in the WRX was pretty reliable, EJ255's and EJ257's are not. The only way I'd buy another STI is wait for the FA24DIT to be released and give them a year to sort it out (see all the blown engines in 2004 and 2008 on factory tune). Not worth buying a WRX for me, I spent so much money making my 2002 WRX track worthy, only to sell it 3 years later in defeat and just getting an STI, then another when the GR came out. No worth buying a new WRX if you plan on tracking, for the street, I'd buy it over the current STI hands down for the FA20DIT.

I'm currently EQT stg 1 91 oct in my GTI and the car feels great. I'm on stock clutch with no issues, just don't go WOT in any gear other than 1,2,3, unless you're on track and shifting from the top of the previous gear. I also get 26 mpg average driving mostly around town and I drive pretty aggressively. I know people will say "Don't drive a performance car if you care about mileage", but that's ridiculous. If I can get 300hp and get almost 30 mpg, it's embarrassing that Subaru makes 300 ish hp and gets that bad of mileage. It's 2021, get with it Subaru. 30ish mpg and 300 ish hp isn't that hard to accomplish.

 

[Strange Mud]

Subaru resale will help with car ADD hit. I test drove the WRX when replacing Mustang with GTI,. It was fast but felt big. It may have been considered if hatchback. I admit to not needing stupid fast I don't track and feeling fast on street is all I need.

 

[TheMechanicDude]

I do love the STI AWD system. That from diff is sexy. Love the EJ sound when in corked. Still a favorite car of mine. Don’t like 15+ Styling personally but that is when everyone started really buying them.

Chose the GTI over a FA WRX. FA motor doesn’t do it for me personally.

 

[swcrow]

Depends.

Is your car paid off? If it is, keep it and dump money into it and mod it to where you like it. Either way, you're going to save a ton of money sticking with the GTI.

PS....Subie interior still sucks

 

[vj123]

You might have to provide a little bit of background. Are you considering a swap just because you want a change or do you have kids on the way?

 

[KawaZukiVdub]

Instead of APR I'd go Cobb and get EQTs OTS stg 1 tune. Sounds like you're just bored of stock power and getting it tuned will wake the car up nicely. If that still doesn't really satisfy you then I would look at a M240i (used in good condition or even a used M235i since that may be more in budget?) over a 330i w/sport package unless you really just want the wagon?

 

[Subliminal]

I would keep the GTI and tune it. It'll be faster than the STI and 330i. Tune it with the Cobb AP3 like Kawa said, that way you get the benefit of the cobb traction control.

But if you do decide to switch to something else, I would go with the 330i. I know a couple of people with newer STI's and they both have admitted they have some regrets buying it. I would at least wait to see what they do with the next gen STI in 2022. Have you considered the Veloster N?

 

[GTIfan99]

Subaru resale will help with car ADD hit. I test drove the WRX when replacing Mustang with GTI,. It was fast but felt big. It may have been considered if hatchback. I admit to not needing stupid fast I don't track and feeling fast on street is all I need.

WRX, not so sure, but STI, 100%. I paid 29k for my new 05 STi, drove and tracked for 3 years, sold it for 26.5k. Bought 08 STI for 30k, traded it in 3 years later for 26k.

Every dollar I gain in resale, I burned in gas though. lol.

 

[KevinC]

M2 Competition. There is no substitute.

I'll let myself out.

 

[chitimon87]

Thank you all for your opinions.

To give you a little background I had Subarus before I bought the GTI. The last Subaru I had was an STI with a built engine so I know how brittle the ej25s can be haha. I agree GTI has much more refined interior but the newer VA Subarus have interiors I can live with.

I have been getting bored of the car and saw a friend's GTI get rear ended which made me wonder what would have happened if he had rear passengers.....plus the boss lady and I are planning a baby so I was looking to replace the GTI with something bigger, which was why I was considering the 330i wagon as well.

I did consider the Veloster N but it is about the same size of the GTI...and I would love an M240i but that would be a little too small for me as well.

For now, I will hold on to the GTI a bit longer and get an accessport to flash it. We shall see how long that will keep me from trying to replace the GTI.

@BadHombre760 You said you knew some people that bought newer STI who had regrets. Do you know what they don't like about the STIs besides the gas mileage??

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[GTIfan99]

Thank you all for your opinions.

To give you a little background I had Subarus before I bought the GTI. The last Subaru I had was an STI with a built engine so I know how brittle the ej25s can be haha. I agree GTI has much more refined interior but the newer VA Subarus have interiors I can live with.

I have been getting bored of the car and saw a friend's GTI get rear ended which made me wonder what would have happened if he had rear passengers.....plus the boss lady and I are planning a baby so I was looking to replace the GTI with something bigger, which was why I was considering the 330i wagon as well.

I did consider the Veloster N but it is about the same size of the GTI...and I would love an M240i but that would be a little too small for me as well.

For now, I will hold on to the GTI a bit longer and get an accessport to flash it. We shall see how long that will keep me from trying to replace the GTI.

@BadHombre760 You said you knew some people that bought newer STI who had regrets. Do you know what they don't like about the STIs besides the gas mileage??

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My son rode in the back of a Corrado until he was 7. He lived. Lol.