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2 Doors vs 4 Doors GTI... Let's debate!

2 Doors or 4 Doors GTI?


  • Total voters
    203

MSchott

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Michigan
For those of you that own 4drs, would you have still bought your GTI if it was available ONLY in a 2dr?
My guess is that a good majority only bought 4drs because that's what VW made available.
Personally, I would not have bought mine if I couldn't have gotten a 2dr, and I would have bought a Golf R instead, if they were available in 2dr. It's just my preference, and I just really dislike the looks of the 4dr. But then again, practicality wasn't on my list of things to consider when I bought my 5 GTIs or my R32.

I would not have bought a GTI if it was only available as a 2 door. Ease of entry and exit for my 6 year old is the top priority. I also entertain clients on occasion and must have 4 doors for that. I would have bought something else, not sure what. Maybe a Mazda 3.
 

Sandman GTI

Drag Race Newbie
Location
Tennessee USA
4 door and SUV.

4 door for people.
SUV's can be fun. The new ones get better. 1.6L Turbo and AWD fun.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
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cldlhd

Go Kart Champion
My daily before this was a 2 door and I still own a G35 sport coupe but having 4 doors is a lot more convenient doing things like picking my 10 yr old son from school. Ya it's just flipping a seat up but once he was in the back he couldn't close the door so I'd have to stand there until he got in then close it. He has a big book bag to carry in etc.. If Ferrari made a 4 door 488 I'd say it was wrong but this is a hatch not a sports car and part of it's cool, IMO, is that it doesn't come off as it;s trying too hard to be cool. Walk softly and carry a big stick.
 

MonkeyMD

Autocross Champion
There's even a Polo R. Awd 250 hp. Wonder how much it weighs though.
 

xl1200r

Ready to race!
Location
Albany, NY
I don't think the 4 door is a particularly bad looking car by any means, but I find the 2 door to be much better looking. Yes, it's the same roof line and body shape, but the less interrupted lines, particularly the glass, creates the illusion of a longer, lower shape.

As far as practicality goes, I've never understood people who like to put things in the back seat area. There's a giant door at the very back which opens to a much larger area to hold things that doesn't have a sofa bolted to the floor in the way. The reality is I still would have bought a 2-door GTI even if the back seats were much smaller and less usable for a full-size human. You can think of it like there are extra seats back there that are walled off in sheet metal, but I prefer to look at it as there are mostly useless (to me) seats back there that have the bonus of actually fitting a person if ever needed.

If I had kids, I'd go for the 4-door. As it stands, I carry more than one other person on very rare occasion, always adults, and it's never a problem. My back seat might get used a handful of times a year - not nearly enough justification to get a car I don't like to look at as much.

If I had gotten my car later and couldn't get a 2-door, I'm sure I'd have gone with a 4-door instead of going to another brand or model. As it was, 2-doors were always harder to come by, and for 2016 they were order-only, so I ordered and waited for 3 months for one exactly as I wanted it.

I've owned 10 cars, only 3 have had more than 2 doors. 1 was only available that way (Mazdspeed3), 1 was something I needed to buy quick and cheap (Dodge Stratus, but at least it was a stick), and the last was a second winter beater that was difficult to find rust-free, let alone as a 2-door (Jeep Cherokee XJ).

I'm willing to bet that the GTI has the best, biggest back seats out of any car I've owned, 2 or 4 door.

Completely self-serving pic of my car:
 
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ElectricEye

Autocross Newbie
Location
Central NJ
I don't think the 4 door is a particularly bad looking car by any means, but I find the 2 door to be much better looking. Yes, it's the same roof line and body shape, but the less interrupted lines, particularly the glass, creates the illusion of a longer, lower shape.

As far as practicality goes, I've never understood people who like to put things in the back seat area. There's a giant door at the very back which opens to a much larger area to hold things that doesn't have a sofa bolted to the floor in the way. The reality is I still would have bought a 2-door GTI even if the back seats were much smaller and less usable for a full-size human. You can think of it like there are extra seats back there that are walled off in sheet metal, but I prefer to look at it as there are mostly useless (to me) seats back there that have the bonus of actually fitting a person if ever needed.

If I had kids, I'd go for the 4-door. As it stands, I carry more than one other person on very rare occasion, always adults, and it's never a problem. My back seat might get used a handful of times a year - not nearly enough justification to get a car I don't like to look at as much.

If I had gotten my car later and couldn't get a 2-door, I'm sure I'd have gone with a 4-door instead of going to another brand or model. As it was, 2-doors were always harder to come by, and for 2016 they were order-only, so I ordered and waited for 3 months for one exactly as I wanted it.

I've owned 10 cars, only 3 have had more than 2 doors. 1 was only available that way (Mazdspeed3), 1 was something I needed to buy quick and cheap (Dodge Stratus, but at least it was a stick), and the last was a second winter beater that was difficult to find rust-free, let alone as a 2-door (Jeep Cherokee XJ).

I'm willing to bet that the GTI has the best, biggest back seats out of any car I've owned, 2 or 4 door.

Completely self-serving pic of my car:

I'll give you an example of putting things in the back seat:
My son and I went salt water fishing a couple of months ago, and had two chairs, two fishing rods, cooler, tackle bag, two sand spikes, a large bucket, crab trap...
It was very convenient to also access items on the folded rear seat through the rear doors.
I also moved from one house to another shortly over a year ago, and loading and unloading items through the rear doors is really convenient.
I have nothing against the two door car - I like them both.
I just don't see a sports coupe there.
 
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Having owned a 2 door MKV, and a 4 door MK6, I have to say I like the 4 better.

Anyone driving more than 1 friend around would be better served by a 4 door. Having said that, it's still preference as to what you think looks better. I just personally like the practicality of the 4. Front doors are easier to get out of with a 4 door in a tight space as well. When you're 6' that makes a difference, as opposed to someone a little shorter.

Good debate though!
 

g60dude

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
New York
I don't think the 4 door is a particularly bad looking car by any means, but I find the 2 door to be much better looking. Yes, it's the same roof line and body shape, but the less interrupted lines, particularly the glass, creates the illusion of a longer, lower shape.

Definitely a good fun debate. It's interesting to see peoples opinions. I guess if everyone thought the same, life would be quite boring. With that, I think the 2 door, looks very short from the B-pillar back. In my eyes, the 4 door looks lower and longer. The Mk7 though is the first Golf/GTI where I think the 4 door looks better than the 2 door. Up to this point, always liked the looks of the 2 door.
 

Hexxum001

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
I don't think the 4 door is a particularly bad looking car by any means, but I find the 2 door to be much better looking. Yes, it's the same roof line and body shape, but the less interrupted lines, particularly the glass, creates the illusion of a longer, lower shape.

As far as practicality goes, I've never understood people who like to put things in the back seat area. There's a giant door at the very back which opens to a much larger area to hold things that doesn't have a sofa bolted to the floor in the way. The reality is I still would have bought a 2-door GTI even if the back seats were much smaller and less usable for a full-size human. You can think of it like there are extra seats back there that are walled off in sheet metal, but I prefer to look at it as there are mostly useless (to me) seats back there that have the bonus of actually fitting a person if ever needed.

If I had kids, I'd go for the 4-door. As it stands, I carry more than one other person on very rare occasion, always adults, and it's never a problem. My back seat might get used a handful of times a year - not nearly enough justification to get a car I don't like to look at as much.

If I had gotten my car later and couldn't get a 2-door, I'm sure I'd have gone with a 4-door instead of going to another brand or model. As it was, 2-doors were always harder to come by, and for 2016 they were order-only, so I ordered and waited for 3 months for one exactly as I wanted it.

I've owned 10 cars, only 3 have had more than 2 doors. 1 was only available that way (Mazdspeed3), 1 was something I needed to buy quick and cheap (Dodge Stratus, but at least it was a stick), and the last was a second winter beater that was difficult to find rust-free, let alone as a 2-door (Jeep Cherokee XJ).

I'm willing to bet that the GTI has the best, biggest back seats out of any car I've owned, 2 or 4 door.

Completely self-serving pic of my car:
+1!

That's a nice looking car. I even like the color. ;)
 

xl1200r

Ready to race!
Location
Albany, NY
I'll give you an example of putting things in the back seat:
My son and I went salt water fishing a couple of months ago, and had two chairs, two fishing rods, cooler, tackle bag, two sand spikes, a large bucket, crab trap...
It was very convenient to also access items on the folded rear seat through the rear doors.
I also moved from one house to another shortly over a year ago, and loading and unloading items through the rear doors is really convenient.
I have nothing against the two door car - I like them both.
I just don't see a sports coupe there.

With that amount of oddly shaped and smaller items, I can see the back door making things easier. I tend to move larger things that wouldn't fit through the door, so it gets me nothing in that regard. I also moved recently, and having to load and unload from only the back was a little annoying when there were lots of little things to haul, but it's not like I'm doing it every day. Having rear door would have been easier, but not really a game changer in my mind. Like you, I like both, I don't fault anyone for buying one over the other, choices are good.

I don't think anyone is trying to argue it's a sports coupe - it's not - but it does have sportier styling being a 2-door.

g60dude said:
Definitely a good fun debate. It's interesting to see peoples opinions. I guess if everyone thought the same, life would be quite boring. With that, I think the 2 door, looks very short from the B-pillar back. In my eyes, the 4 door looks lower and longer. The Mk7 though is the first Golf/GTI where I think the 4 door looks better than the 2 door. Up to this point, always liked the looks of the 2 door.

Well, it is shorter from the B-pillar back, just as I might think the 4-door looks very short from the B-pillar forward. Running lines along an object tend to make it appear longer in that direction - it's why floorboards running long-ways make a hallway look longer, vertical stripes on a wall make the ceiling look higher and horizontal stripes on your shirt make you look fatter. The 2-door and 4-door Golfs have the same number and placement of horizontal lines, but the 4-door has an additional door seam, a more significant B-pillar and the additional quarter window at the back introducing a bunch of vertical lines which chop up the front-to-back flow and create the illusion of a taller car.

I don't want anyone to think I'm arguing that the Mk7 2-door is a hallmark of sleek, sporty styling - it's not. If I could buy a Scirocco here, I would (though maybe wait for that MQB version...). In the meantime, a 2-door Golf is the closest I can get!
 
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