HawkeyeGeoff

Well. I'll have you know I think GTI interior has no alibi......U-G-L-Y it ain't got no alibi.

budgy

GTI's are great cars. 2 family members had them, both moved onto even nicer VW products with AWD. (A5 and Golf R).

I got to drive an MK6 a fair bit years ago with the DSG, its a tremendous little car, feels more solidly made than my Mazdaspeed 3, it was certainly less torquey but I would say unless you were racing it, it was just plain quick and easy to drive fast with that DSG.

Selling my Speed 3 finally after 10 good years with it, going Golf R but they are very well priced in Canada not much more than a loaded GTI here and the AWD I just really wanted on my next car.

CMK

The Mk7 GTI has a lot more torque now, ~50 lb/ft increase over the Mk6. Really makes it effortless to drive.

HawkeyeGeoff

To add to that, the Mk7 has just insane aftermarket potential if OP decided to go that route. I was very, very impressed with what can be accomplished with just a tune. Turns into damn near big turbo territory w/ just a cal.

1nate7

I agree, picked up a 2017 Sport at the end of the year. It's a lot of car for the money when you consider the huge discounts available. Even the new 2018's are already being discounted several thousand under MSRP and have the longer warranty (6/72) which is really nice if you plan on keeping it stock-ish. I only have 4,000 miles so can't really comment on reliability. It checked a lot of firsts for me (German, turbo, DSG) but overall I'm extremely happy with it.

Vitt

GTI Sport or any trim with PP has a real LSD.

Very much agree with this statement. I leased a 2015 and it was very reliable. Turned in the lease for a 2017 Sport and love it as a DD. Plenty of power for DD and getting around traffic. Fun car to drive. Being a hatch, it gives you lots of room to carry big items with the rear seats down.

Maximum6

2018 has horrible trim specs.

The base model has no LED headlights , E-LSD, Bigger brakes
The 2nd level trim has all the stuff the base model doesn't but adds a moon roof...which a performance minded person might not want.

I will wait for a 2019 ....

or fetch a TYPE R

TheDonEffect

If a moonroof is the difference between you winning or losing a race then the base model is the one you want since you'll be changing everything anyway. Additionally, the si is the more comparable trim spec. It's like saying I don't like the si's moonroof so I'm going to buy a golf r.

1nate7

I am with you here. I would have preferred to go with another Honda/Mazda, but they don’t really have anything that is directly comparable. I really wanted another hatchback for a daily, super practical and I actually like the unique look. If a Civic Si hatch or current MazdaSpeed3 existed then it would probably be at the top of my list. Only other car I considered was Focus ST, just decided the VW was better suited for me.

I think he is making the point that the VAQ "front lock diff" isn’t a true LSD.

Interesting point, this was actually a factor for me. The 2018 SE has LED headlights and new 8" screen but you are stuck with the sunroof which I really don’t want. The flip side is you can get plaid seats and sunroof which wasn’t possible before.

CMK

While I know anecdotes aren't a true measure of reliability, I would personally steer clear of any Golf with a sunroof due to the number of people who report leaks (anything from small to catastrophic). The Germans may be known for their engineering expertise, but apparently sunroof engineering is just a bit out of their reach.