Hot Hatchbacks..

naefeart · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:24

In a way I do.

There are several standard drive modes: economy, comfort, dynamic and individual.

I use comfort for traffic and bad road surfaces and individual (which is a custom dynamic with the sport mode turned off for the gearbox) when the roads are clear. Neither are great allrounders so I may switch between them several times during my 20min journey. Plus I have to switch off the auto-stop thingy each time I switch modes.

I could leave individual on all the time but it's tiresome in traffic and it holds a lower gear constantly which is annoying.

[TW]Fox · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:27

naefeart said:
Plus I have to switch off the auto-stop thingy each time.

I'll never understand why people do this.

Greg0986 · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:30

[TW]Fox;30382253 said:
I'll never understand why people do this.

Perhaps they don't want to use it? I had a hire car that had it and it annoyed me no end so I turned it off.

naefeart · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:32

[TW]Fox;30382253 said:
I'll never understand why people do this.

If I'm at a busy flowing roundabout (there are seveal on my commute) waiting for a gap, the delay in the car starting before moving can mean the gap decreases into something just too close to call. I want to be foot down and gone with no hesitation.

[TW]Fox · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:39

Greg0986 said:
Perhaps they don't want to use it? I had a hire car that had it and it annoyed me no end so I turned it off.

This is usually the reason - it annoys somebody the first time they experience it so off it goes. The reality is that once you get used to it there really is no reason not to have it on.

naefeart said:
If I'm at a busy flowing roundabout (there are seveal on my commute) waiting for a gap, the delay in the car starting before moving can mean the gap decreases into something just too close to call. I want to be foot down and gone with no hesitation.

Does the Audi system suck particularly bad or something? In a manual you have control over situations like that by not releasing the clutch and in the auto by the time you've lifted off the brake and moved the foot to the throttle the engine is running.

paradigm · 8 Jan 2017 at 11:51

[TW]Fox;30382287 said:
Does the Audi system suck particularly bad or something? In a manual you have control over situations like that by not releasing the clutch and in the auto by the time you've lifted off the brake and moved the foot to the throttle the engine is running.

Just feather the brake in an auto/DSG. So long as you aren't giving the pedal a fair amount of pressure, start/stop won't engage.

Don't see the point in turning the system off myself, but maybe that's because I've read the manual and know how to use it properly

EDIT: Didn't see it was an S3 he was complaining about. He already talks about "drive modes" in Drive Select. Just pop into sport on the gearbox, it'll disable stop-start anyway, without messing with the stop-start system, or use Dyanmic in Drive Select, then the start/stop is less sensitive.

naefeart · 8 Jan 2017 at 12:10

Come on now. Let's assume I have read the manual (I have) and understand how this works. I choose to switch off the start/stop because it interferes with how I like to drive and I don't want to change how I like to drive to overcome the peculiarities of this system.

Start/stop is not there to enhance my driving pleasure anyway

paradigm · 8 Jan 2017 at 12:22

So take the thing out of economy and put it in Dynamic/S. It'll never bother you again then.

If you are driving it for pleasure surely you want it in Dynamic/S anyway.

naefeart · 8 Jan 2017 at 12:40

But I've already said I use individual mode (which is dynamic with the sport mode off for the gearbox) because I find it drives nicer in town and doesn't hold on to lower gears as much.

I know it's the start of the year, but c'mon chaps youre making this hard work today

Besides the start stop isn't the issue. I find that I need to switch between modes to get the best drive. I belive you can simply engineer in the best compromise rather than rely on all this tech (it's just a hatch afterall). My old Alpina had the best suspension/ride setup as standard and that was with 19s. The best bit is that they use BMW parts to do it. Drive an MSport BMW and it's harsh in comparison.

Housey · 8 Jan 2017 at 12:46

Skillmister said:
Housey - out of interest did you try/have you tried an ST before getting your GTI or did you just go straight for the Polo because of the deal price?

I wasn't looking for the best hot hatch I was looking for a cheap run about and having been in my fathers polo runabout I know how solid and quiet they are and how they feel like a much bigger car because of this. The Fiesta will be a better hot hatch but won't give that relaxed big car feel that the Polo surprisingly does. People go in it and are surprised how big and quiet it feels but then it also can be made to go really well too. Add in a cheapish deal and I just faxed an order in and it arrived on my drive.

paradigm · 8 Jan 2017 at 12:58

naefeart said:
But I've already said I use individual mode (which is dynamic with the sport mode off for the gearbox) because I find it drives nicer in town and doesn't hold on to lower gears as much.

I know it's the start of the year, but c'mon chaps youre making this hard work today

Besides the start stop isn't the issue. I find that I need to switch between modes to get the best drive. I belive you can simply engineer in the best compromise rather than rely on all this tech (it's just a hatch afterall). My old Alpina had the best suspension/ride setup as standard and that was with 19s. The best bit is that they use BMW parts to do it. Drive an MSport BMW and it's harsh in comparison.

I just tend to drive in Eco unless I'm specifically going out for a "blast" (so commuting et al). Even in Eco though, I'll knock the gearbox into S when approaching dodgy junctions or busy roundabouts (for better response and a quicker way of getting up to speed), so I don't find the stop/start actaully kicks in unless I'm in stop/start traffic.

When going for a blast I tend to use Dyanmic (can't think of anything that I'd change in individual, with the exception of possibly turning off the "sound aktor") and still switch between D and S on the box, situation dependent.

Lopéz · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:07

rebel rebel said:
I also found the 205 Gti to be way too twitchy, in the mid 90s I had a mk2 golf gti and thought about trading it in for a 205. I took one out for a test drive and changed my mind straight away. There was no subtlety in the accelerator, put your foot down slightly and it revved like a maniac. Definitely have a feel of death about them. Thinking back now there can't be much difference in the speeds between the two, but I never felt like the golf was trying to kill me!

Housey said:
Pug always felt much more alive. It's agility is what made it better in my view than a Golf.

I used to drive a Mk2 Golf GTI 8v and a 205 GTI 1.6 back to back daily. There could not be two more different interpretations of the same idea.

The Golf felt solid, high sided, industrial, slow to respond but absolutely planted.
The 205 felt nimble, nervous, low sided, paper thin, fast to respond to everything except the brakes.

Jump in a Golf and blip the throttle. Jump in the 205 and blip the throttle. Night and day.

Sparky · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:14

Always preferred the 309 GTi over the 205 , purely a visual thing though.

FurryLemon · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:25

I want an Abarth 500, but I just don't fit.

It's like watching Clarkson climb into a car with a rollcage except I'm taller and much bigger built.

Housey · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:26

Lopéz said:
I used to drive a Mk2 Golf GTI 8v and a 205 GTI 1.6 back to back daily. There could not be two more different interpretations of the same idea.

The Golf felt solid, high sided, industrial, slow to respond but absolutely planted.
The 205 felt nimble, nervous, low sided, paper thin, fast to respond to everything except the brakes.

Jump in a Golf and blip the throttle. Jump in the 205 and blip the throttle. Night and day.

Totally agree, both great but very different approaches. For me the Pug was my preference as is needed work but if you got that bit right it was quicker.

Housey · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:27

Sparky-F1 said:
Always preferred the 309 GTi over the 205 , purely a visual thing though.

An often forgotten car but back in the day was seen as the best of the lot when it arrived!

Housey · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:33

This was our last hot hatch, bought for my wife when they first came out. This was one of the very first MK5 GTI on the road as I took delivery about 3 weeks before the new registration plate arrived, something I've never been fussed about. Sadly it was a jinxed car that kept getting into scrapes not of our fault so I sold it after 18 months!

And my current one. The family design queues are obvious I feel...

Lopéz · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:38

Housey said:
Totally agree, both great but very different approaches. For me the Pug was my preference as is needed work but if you got that bit right it was quicker.

I should really do something with this heap of embarrassment on the drive.
For today I'll stick to just pulling the cover back over it!

Berger · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:42

My 306 Rallye was amazing, had all new OEM suspension fitted so it handled as new. Best car I'll ever own for driving pleasure I think.

I had a 306 Gti 6 prior to it which had old suspension and it just wasn't the same car, suffered understeer and didn't feel as tight.

Both cars struggled on the road day to day with the lack of power and short gearbox. Overtaking people you had give it some! Great fun on the track or quiet roads.

Jono8 · 8 Jan 2017 at 13:45

Well as we are doing pictures

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