2006 Volkswagen New GTI: My Take
Yesterday I read Joe’s review of the new VW GTI and disagreed with many of the points he made, yet came to the same conclusion: It’s my favorite sport compact for real driving too! As for the rest…
Joe thinks the GTI looks too cute. My tester — black with a black mesh grill with red piping and those demonic wheels — looked mean to me. And Joe deserves major bonus points for explaining the root of the wheel name Hufeisen, relating to the horseshoe cutouts in the alloy rims. I didn’t know that.
My main contention is that Joe found the GTI better around town and not as “confidence-inspiring” as the Civic Si — the GTI’s lifelong competitor — around the track at Road America. I found it the exact opposite. The GTI felt much more planted on the track than the Civic Si did, and around town I thought the Si was the more predictable machine.
I also thought the suspension was tuned too tightly in the GTI for around-town travel. My wife couldn’t stop complaining about the bumpy transport, and I thought back to the GTI commercial of the guy leaving his significant other on the curb so he could enjoy the ride alone — not a solution in the real world.
But the GTI is for those who want the stiff ride and ultra performance, and the interior, throaty exhaust note and extreme acceleration all get applause from me.
Now for the DSG. Joe isn’t a fan, while I’m one of the “raving” auto reviewers in love with it. Even with a $1,075 option price I wouldn’t buy a GTI without it. As much fun as a manual transmission is, the everyday living with one is a downer. Enthusiasts usually don’t mind that trade-off, but if you have the option of the DSG, which allows for up- and downshifting via paddles on the wheel, you get some of that extra driver input with none of the clutch hassles.
Flip the stick from standard drive to the manual mode.
Tap the upshift paddle to move positively through the gears.
The upshift paddle from the back. It has a great feel.
Plus, this is the best use of the DSG I’ve experienced, including the more expensive Audi A3 and Jetta GLI. Upshifts are rapid and precise, and while downshifting could be improved, I never had a problem scooting around slowpokes. Then when I ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic, I flipped the shift lever back to the automatic position and focused on the stereo. You can’t beat that.
At the end I’m still agreeing with Joe; this is my kind of sport compact. But I also see why the Civic Si has some advantages with its more forgiving ride. You have to decide for yourself — am I a GTI guy or an Si guy?
