Golf GTi- Finally lost the crown?....

[Dave_H]

Golf GTi - Fantastic car, set the standards of most hot hatches, always been the benchmark to many others...

But.. this morning I outdragged a brand new (2.0i) one in my 31 year old MGB GT, admitably it has a 1950cc stage 3 engine and tuned suspension, but even so, I'm not sure I could have done this to previous Golf GTi's.

So what happened to them?

[Roadrunner]

Badge engineering. They now weigh a ton. Well, one and a half actually. Plus they have wheezy litte engines that don't rev. The only real Gti out there when I was looking two years ago was the Pug 106 Gti. The best handling and nippiest little terrier out there. Clarkson rated it as the best too. Golf finally sold out to Gti fans and went running after the bigger buck tied up with spec obsessed reps.

[Leithen]

Golf "Gti" now a lardy family wagon - for Golf performance go for the forthcoming "Big Bertha" aka R32 - 3.2 V6 4WD 241bhp 236lb ft .... probably still get run for it's money by almost everything else...

[Roadrunner]

It may well be fast on the dull motorway's but it'll be eaten alive on any twisty roads by a 1.6 106 gti! Dull, dull, dull. Good for falling asleep in though.

[Dave_H]

I was surprised how I could out accelerate, and out handle this one, he honestly was trying to give me a hard time.

I started the "challenge" as a laugh, I suppose, I never expected the result.

[Roadrunner]

Funny thing is I'm sure these estate agents think they're in a fast AND decent handling car. After all, that's what the salesman told them.

[gnomesmith]

If you must have a Golf stick with the PD150 Diesel.

[Umar B]

All time best golf has to be the Mk 2 16V, realy gave the Pug 205 1.9 GTi (an excelent handling car) a run for its money and embarrass a lot of more expensive motors,

I have had mine for close to 4 years and the only thing to ever go wrong was the fron indicator bulbs blowing up from a an unknown power serge, apart from that its been a solid as a rock.

I don't think much of the Mk 4s but i think the V6 4Motion has a lot of potential if tuned the right way, can'r wait for the R32 tho!

[yum]

the 2.0 gti is no longer badged as such, as it is really sluggish (>10 secs to 60). Only the 1.8turbo is now the "GTI". Don't be too surprised that you left it embarassed.

The real lunatic wagon from the VW stable was the Polo G40, which was a 1.3 supercharged engine which was nippier than the fastest corrado at the time, ans streets ahead of the golfs.

[david_h]

I would never buy a new Golf GTI, they weigh almost double the original Mk1.
I doubt you'd be able to outdrag my own creation, I've become rather obsessed with improving my own Mk2.

[spnracing]

You wouldn't be able to out drag my Mk1 either...

My old company Mondeo (2.0 16V Ghia X) easily outdragged the new GTi Golf - quite sad really. But they're still high quality cars, I'd rather have one of those than a Focus.

The Mk1 was of course far lighter and more nimble, but its also tinny, has vague steering and poor safety features.