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Passed Driver's Ed
- Location
- Great White North
Replaced 2015 Autobahn GTI with 2019 Rabbit GTI (both Canadian Editions)
Why? Km’s were getting up there. Canadian Rabbit edition comes without sunroof and without navigation, both things I did not want anymore in a GTI.
In summary, the new car pulls harder and shifts a lot better. It also has the locking differential and adjustable shocks, both of which are great to have. MIB II is a lot more useful than MIB I. The PP brakes grab a bunch harder than the smaller one on the old car, though even those were good. Enjoy driving the new car with the Driver Assistance Package (Adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Traffic Alert, Lane Assist, Front Assist, Park Assist, Light Assist).
Some Details
Engine: The new one has the DKFA code, the old one was a CXCA. 210 HP then, 228 HP now.
The new one gives no indication of leaking coolant, the old one often had a slight whiff of antifreeze. Never a real leak, and only needed one top-off over 5 years.
The new one warms up twice as fast as the old one did. The new one idles initially at 1,300 RPM and stays above 800 for a while. The old one started at about 1,200 rpm and dropped to 800 RPM very fast. The 2019 has clean exhaust pipes, the old one had black soot. It appears significant development has taken place on the engine management and fuel injection side.
(to wit: starting in 2012 all European Golf 7 2.0 L engines had dual injection, now several higher-power versions come DI only)
Transmission 6 sped manual: 2019 with code TGN, 2015 with code NBL.
Like night and day. The old one needed the 1-2 upshift done at just the right speed to go smoothly. The old shifter was not really loose but also not really tight (left/right, front/back).
The new one is 90% like a Honda. Tight and sliding into place nearly by itself. The 1-2 upshift is no longer sensitive to speed.
Clutch: the new one feels more directly connected than the old one did.
Locking differential: the old car did not have one. It is wonderful to have.
The Canadian Rabbit has the adjustable shocks. Great to have.
MIB II with 8” screen and Car Play etc. is nice. I am not missing the navigation system as I can use the phone now, and, yay, there are updated maps for Nav Apps. The VW data for MIB I seemingly got updated every two to three years, and was behind local realities by several years on top of that those delays.
Both the car controllers and the MIB II boot up in no time now. MIB I was a lot slower.
The 2019 has a 61 Ah battery. The 2015 had a tiny 51 Ah one, which lasted only four years.
The new car has hard plastic covers towards the front wheel wells when looking behind either front door. The 2015 had soft foam there.
Penny Pinching by VW and CAD $310 of Remedies
The 2019 Fender Radio lost two speakers compared to the 201 Fender (now 6, was 8). Mostly to the detriment of rear seat occupants. Leaving that as is.
The new car seemed noisier than the old one. First off, VW cheapened away the under-the-hood silencer pad. I bought a new one at the dealer for CAD $79.62 plus local tax. It comes with all the clips needed. Part #5GM 863 831. Reduced the noise a bit inside.
Still seemed to be a noisier car, from the rear. I looked under the height-adjustable trunk floor insert and thought it looked different from the 2015 one. The old one had a carpet inlay under the spare wheel and covering the whole floor. The new car did not come with that carpet. I bought a used one (5GM 863 007) for CAD $103.79, including shipping from the Netherlands. Fits like a glove. Makes a difference to my ear. Cool.
The other downgrading I was unhappy about was the overhead console where the buttons are no longer backlit. Did not like this and bought a backlit console, part #5G1 947 105 QWHI . US $93.43.
Looking at the backlit one it is easy to figure out how to remove the installed one (pull and release clips). The Rabbit has a microphone installed in that component, so that needed to be transferred to the backlight console.
There are other “savings” VW realized, as do other auto makers these days. Battery cover now missing the lid, glove box no longer a/c’d nor lockable, no storage bin under seat and a few more. Sign of the times.
Despite these "savings": LOVE the car!
Why? Km’s were getting up there. Canadian Rabbit edition comes without sunroof and without navigation, both things I did not want anymore in a GTI.
In summary, the new car pulls harder and shifts a lot better. It also has the locking differential and adjustable shocks, both of which are great to have. MIB II is a lot more useful than MIB I. The PP brakes grab a bunch harder than the smaller one on the old car, though even those were good. Enjoy driving the new car with the Driver Assistance Package (Adaptive cruise control, Blind Spot Detection with Rear Traffic Alert, Lane Assist, Front Assist, Park Assist, Light Assist).
Some Details
Engine: The new one has the DKFA code, the old one was a CXCA. 210 HP then, 228 HP now.
The new one gives no indication of leaking coolant, the old one often had a slight whiff of antifreeze. Never a real leak, and only needed one top-off over 5 years.
The new one warms up twice as fast as the old one did. The new one idles initially at 1,300 RPM and stays above 800 for a while. The old one started at about 1,200 rpm and dropped to 800 RPM very fast. The 2019 has clean exhaust pipes, the old one had black soot. It appears significant development has taken place on the engine management and fuel injection side.
(to wit: starting in 2012 all European Golf 7 2.0 L engines had dual injection, now several higher-power versions come DI only)
Transmission 6 sped manual: 2019 with code TGN, 2015 with code NBL.
Like night and day. The old one needed the 1-2 upshift done at just the right speed to go smoothly. The old shifter was not really loose but also not really tight (left/right, front/back).
The new one is 90% like a Honda. Tight and sliding into place nearly by itself. The 1-2 upshift is no longer sensitive to speed.
Clutch: the new one feels more directly connected than the old one did.
Locking differential: the old car did not have one. It is wonderful to have.
The Canadian Rabbit has the adjustable shocks. Great to have.
MIB II with 8” screen and Car Play etc. is nice. I am not missing the navigation system as I can use the phone now, and, yay, there are updated maps for Nav Apps. The VW data for MIB I seemingly got updated every two to three years, and was behind local realities by several years on top of that those delays.
Both the car controllers and the MIB II boot up in no time now. MIB I was a lot slower.
The 2019 has a 61 Ah battery. The 2015 had a tiny 51 Ah one, which lasted only four years.
The new car has hard plastic covers towards the front wheel wells when looking behind either front door. The 2015 had soft foam there.
Penny Pinching by VW and CAD $310 of Remedies
The 2019 Fender Radio lost two speakers compared to the 201 Fender (now 6, was 8). Mostly to the detriment of rear seat occupants. Leaving that as is.
The new car seemed noisier than the old one. First off, VW cheapened away the under-the-hood silencer pad. I bought a new one at the dealer for CAD $79.62 plus local tax. It comes with all the clips needed. Part #5GM 863 831. Reduced the noise a bit inside.
Still seemed to be a noisier car, from the rear. I looked under the height-adjustable trunk floor insert and thought it looked different from the 2015 one. The old one had a carpet inlay under the spare wheel and covering the whole floor. The new car did not come with that carpet. I bought a used one (5GM 863 007) for CAD $103.79, including shipping from the Netherlands. Fits like a glove. Makes a difference to my ear. Cool.
The other downgrading I was unhappy about was the overhead console where the buttons are no longer backlit. Did not like this and bought a backlit console, part #5G1 947 105 QWHI . US $93.43.
Looking at the backlit one it is easy to figure out how to remove the installed one (pull and release clips). The Rabbit has a microphone installed in that component, so that needed to be transferred to the backlight console.
There are other “savings” VW realized, as do other auto makers these days. Battery cover now missing the lid, glove box no longer a/c’d nor lockable, no storage bin under seat and a few more. Sign of the times.
Despite these "savings": LOVE the car!
rdered mine from the dealer today.They can be ordered thru Vw Canada.79.00 for the hood and 113.00 for the trunk.