GTD Vs GTI

SkidMarkKing · 15 Jan 2023 at 17:36

Hi,

I'm looking at swapping my older 2005 mk5 VW golf gti for a newer mk7 one. I was looking into the GTD as they seem to get 50-60mpg with £20 a year road tax.

It will be used for my small local service business as well as personal but a lot of people actually come to me. Yearly I probably do around 7000-8000 miles.

As I'm aware the diesel GTD won't drive the same as the petrol GTI and with my lowish annual miles would I still see the benefit of diesel? I know they used to say you need to do 10,000 a year to get the benefit of diesel.

Cheers

MissChief · 15 Jan 2023 at 17:44

At that mileage I wouldn't get a diesel. With the price at the moment, and your usage a diesel doesn't make any financial sense.

Blackhawk47 · 15 Jan 2023 at 17:48

I would definitely go with the GTI. It will be a much better experience all round, and at that mileage not worth going diesel.

SkidMarkKing · 15 Jan 2023 at 17:59

MissChief said:
At that mileage I wouldn't get a diesel. With the price at the moment, and your usage a diesel doesn't make any financial sense.

Cheers guys.

Once a year I do make an 8 hour drive (one way) upto Scotland. The MPG and the £20 tax tax seems very tempting with the GTD but with my low miles and the fact I've got a mk5 GTI now that I love driving it may feel like a downgrade I guess

squerble · 15 Jan 2023 at 18:45

Denying yourself the GTI for one trip a year is almost as daft as me being tempted to get an ICE car instead of an EV next time because once a year I might need to use public charging

dacads · 15 Jan 2023 at 18:46

Yeah not much point going diesel now. Maybe some will disagree but personally if buying new or used it’d have to be petrol or electric/hybrid if planning to keep long term.

Kenai · 15 Jan 2023 at 18:53

GTD wouldn't be anywhere near a consideration for me with that usage

MissChief · 15 Jan 2023 at 19:44

SkidMarkKing said:
Cheers guys.

Once a year I do make an 8 hour drive (one way) upto Scotland. The MPG and the £20 tax tax seems very tempting with the GTD but with my low miles and the fact I've got a mk5 GTI now that I love driving it may feel like a downgrade I guess

A modern car, even a 2.0 Turbocharged one will easily get 40-45MPG on a long run. My 428i, a 2.0 Turbo with 245BHP consistently gets 46MPG at a 70mph cruise. Sure your GTD might get 10-15 more than that but it's not really worth it just for one run a year. Get the GTI.

MissChief · 15 Jan 2023 at 19:45

dacads said:
Yeah not much point going diesel now. Maybe some will disagree but personally if buying new or used it’d have to be petrol or electric/hybrid if planning to keep long term.

agreed. At some point the government will want to more or less tax Diesel cars off the roads due to their pollution.

MrRockliffe · 15 Jan 2023 at 19:51

One of my neighbours went from a Fiesta ST to a GTD for family duties thinking it would still be somewhat sporty to drive, but he finds it's just another diesel golf.

Don't do on the basis it offers better MPG - get the GTI.

MissChief · 15 Jan 2023 at 20:04

MrRockliffe said:
One of my neighbours went from a Fiesta ST to a GTD for family duties thinking it would still be somewhat sporty to drive, but he finds it's just another diesel golf.

Don't do on the basis it offers better MPG - get the GTI.

The GTD is basically like an S-Line Audi or ST-Line Ford. The looks without the go.

V_R · 15 Jan 2023 at 20:25

GTI all day. Though I'm bias.

turbot1984 · 15 Jan 2023 at 20:25

Had a mk7 GTD and quite enjoyed it and really cheap to run. Not had a GTi since the mk4 so can't comment on later ones.

Dangerous Dave · 15 Jan 2023 at 20:46

I'd go with the GTI. Mk7 GTi's are pretty good on fuel and with diesel being 15% ish more expensive with the difference likely increasing when the ban on importing Russian diesel comes into affect they will be very close running cost wise.

turbot1984 · 15 Jan 2023 at 21:20

... i'll add i was doing 18k motorway miles a year so GTD a no brainer.

SkidMarkKing · 15 Jan 2023 at 21:45

Would I be right in thinking to get the higher MPG I would need to be doing longer distances?

The majority of my journeys will be 10 miles one way then 10 miles back. If that, mostly.

MrRockliffe · 15 Jan 2023 at 21:53

SkidMarkKing said:
Would I be right in thinking to get the higher MPG I would need to be doing longer distances?

The majority of my journeys will be 10 miles one way then 10 miles back. If that, mostly.

Most definitely. Diesels typically take longer than warm up, too, with the engines usually being made of iron.

My old 320d would only just get warm by the time I got to my dads, which is a 25 minute journey from home, in winter.

My S5 is warm within 2-3 minutes, by comparison

SkidMarkKing · 16 Jan 2023 at 10:50

To be honest for the budget if I was to get a mk7 GTI I would have to go with one with 90k-100k on the clock. My business is fairly now being under 24 months old so finance isn't an option.

The GTD ones seem a little cheaper and they do say diesel engines run for longer?

thebandit · 16 Jan 2023 at 11:07

Diesels arent good to lots of short journeys, sure they might be more effificent (petrol is a lot cheaper mind), but they need a good run to keep the DPF clear. I have a R line TDi (which I love, great car), over christmas I had three weeks off and just used it to go to the shops etc, by the 3rd week I was getting DPF warnings. Easily cleared up by going for a long drive but it highlights the issues with diesels and short journeys. I would argue even with my mileage (15 miles, twice daily) the diesel doesn't make that much sense. Personally I would go petrol with your use case, but they are great cars either way.

Finglonga · 16 Jan 2023 at 11:36

Got 46mpg in my Mk7 GTI on runs to Fort William from Stafford. The GTD I test drove was bland compared to the GTI and even if I did higher miles I would still go for GTI.