2025 Gti

[mrmatto]

What are the issues?

Infotainment issues like audio cutting out or becoming unresponsive. Plus sensor issues and errors supposedly related to the steering wheel, but I see people who got a new wheel still having issues.

 

[Kushdaiin]

All I can see is that they moved the front radar back into the grill. I saw it some of the camo'd cars but wondered if it was just a pre-production. Now we see the reason is so they could do an illuminated front emblem. If that emblem had the front camera mounted (instead of where I see the front camera, above the radar) you can be very sure I would have been sourcing one of those emblems for my car. Either way, wonder if that's a "standard" 2Q0 front radar down there, which must now have a heated front cover.

Blah blah blah... I'm not in the market, although I like the Mk8 (and now 8.5 I guess) but all I can see is the potential for retrofits into my Mk7.

I'm not sure that it being lit is the reason they moved the radar out of the emblem. If you look at the 2024 SEL-P R-Line Atlas, it doesn't appear as if they moved the radar out of the emblem and that one is lit as well. However, it could just be down to emblem size at that point.

 

[Cuzoe]

2024 SEL-P R-Line Atlas

Ohhh, did not know that. Atlas also has camera below the emblem so I still can't get that emblem .

Naturally parts.vw doesn't have the 2024 Atlas. It has the Cross Sport... do you know if that also has the illuminated badge?

 

[Dog Dad Wagon]

If they fix steering wheel buttons, backlight the sliders AND add the 20hp that Europe is getting, I'll consider selling the 19.

We already know they’re fixing the wheel buttons and backlighting the sliders. Wouldn’t you tune it anyway? So who cares if we don’t get the 20HP?

 

[Sparky589]

We already know they’re fixing the wheel buttons and backlighting the sliders. Wouldn’t you tune it anyway? So who cares if we don’t get the 20HP?

I have a sneaking suspicion that if that 20hp makes it stateside it'll just because they tune it to run on 91 and not 87.

 

[Kushdaiin]

Ohhh, did not know that. Atlas also has camera below the emblem so I still can't get that emblem .

Naturally parts.vw doesn't have the 2024 Atlas. It has the Cross Sport... do you know if that also has the illuminated badge?

The equivalent cross sport does have the lit emblem.

 

[Dog Dad Wagon]

I have a sneaking suspicion that if that 20hp makes it stateside it'll just because they tune it to run on 91 and not 87.

Absolutely not - there's no reason VW would go back to recommending 91 octane at this point.

The MK7 was released with 210HP. In 2018 with the MK7.5, they bumped all of them up to 228HP.

 

[RudyH]

Personally I like the new headlights, it looks more Golf, then who knows....

Between the MK7.5 R, a lot has grown on me to the point where I put a deposit on the next MK8 R DSG coming in March, screw the MK8.5 R...why?

I can control the light bar, by disconnecting and vinyl it out. Now I also have to disconnect the stupid front and rear emblem, hence why they moved the front driver assist sensor below the license plate...
I also HATE the tablet they put in the MK8.5, HUGE faux pas in my books. They didn't even finish it properly, you can easily access the mounting bracket for it (which might even be a good thing?)

I like the buttons on the steering wheel for the MK8.5 but that is all.
I can put up with the headlights on the MK8, and swap out the haptic for real buttons if they bother me.

Still holding out for Canada receiving the 8Y.5 RS3, but as long as I don't sign papers for the R, the VW dealership understands where I am coming from which is good.

 

[Chogokin]

Lol...I think my Mk7 is the last GTI...or VW in general. The interior is starting to look like a shuttle from the Enterprise. I like having shapes in my instrument cluster and dash. Everything is moving towards computer monitors. My next car...probably in the next two years will be a lot more "analog" in feel.

 

[mrmatto]

Lol...I think my Mk7 is the last GTI...or VW in general. The interior is starting to look like a shuttle from the Enterprise. I like having shapes in my instrument cluster and dash. Everything is moving towards computer monitors. My next car...probably in the next two years will be a lot more "analog" in feel.

Audi is still making nice interiors with analog controls, thankfully.

 

[Nerdy Oreo]

That shit kicks in if I back down my driveway too fast and at too sharp of an angle. Fucking scares the shit out of me every time.

I second this lol. That driveway is STEEP lol

 

[KevinC]

Geezer perspective, who's owned various GTI's and R's back to the original in 1983...

Hits: Exterior styling overall looks better, like a proper refresh. Real switches on the steering wheel again (I have to deal with the damn haptic ones on the wife's GLI and I STILL hate them despite about 20k miles experience "getting used to" them).

Misses: That giant iMax screen on the dash. What in the literal f*ck? Are they trying to keep up with BMW and their new hideous "curved display"?? So they backlit the sliders, but still didn't put a real rotary volume knob back in it? FAIL. Needs real climate controls, NOT through the iMax screen. The GTI lettering on the doors is a huge fail, though should be easily removable. The McNugget "shifter" is still there and is a major fail. Lack of 6MT moving forward a MASSIVE fail, given the relatively high take rate the 6MT was still getting. The price. $40k+ no doubt. That's ridiculous, even with Bidenflation.

The front radar sensor in the Mk7.5, hidden behind the VW logo, works great and has been utterly reliable for me for 62k miles. The old-style thing that sits in the path of road debris was intermittently troublesome on my Mk7, and here it is again - old technology returning so that they can light the freaking logo? JFC I'm about to have a coronary lol.

 

[GTIfan99]

We already know they’re fixing the wheel buttons and backlighting the sliders. Wouldn’t you tune it anyway? So who cares if we don’t get the 20HP?

At 262hp, with ESC being able to be turned off, it would depend. If it's limited to 125mph, then yes, if not limited, then no need to tune.

I run at Daytona and Sebring, 125 mph limiter is a no go.

 

[aegis]

For me, this looks like a good enough upgrade to strongly consider an 8.5 R...but I would still keep my 7.5 GTI to complement it.

And that's only if they become more accessible without dealer markup.

This is basically my thought's as well.
Mk7 2-door get's stabled for the winter, allows me time to work on it and clean it up. 8.5 R as the daily/winter driver. I don't think I would trade up if I had to trade in a 7.5 for it.