New Car Thread : Golf VI GTI

[Ezah]

So I thought I may as well start a new thread in case anyone wants to discuss or I start doing some mods..

Here is the spec/deal

2012 GTI, Candy White, cost equivalent to 23k GBP, 5 year warranty and 3 years free servicing & roadside assistance.

DSG
Dynaudio
Black Leather
Sunroof
RNS 510 (Nav, DVD, ipod integration etc)
Keyless
Parallel parking assist
Rear cam
Adaptive Chassis DCC
Cliamatronic
Premium MFD

Initial opinions after one day... well, very pleased with the quality of the build and interior materials and the car feels much larger inside than it is. No problems getting the baby in and out of the back as there is loads of room in all directions, I have a Mazda 3 rental atm and access is much tighter on that which led to some problems.

The sound is great.. a lovely deep drone from the back end, and unlike the AMG I last had, the driver can actually enjoy the exhaust note while driving! Yet the cabin is insulated well enough not hear everything else.
All the tech (far more than my last couple of cars (Range rover and CL) surprisingly) is very straight forward to use and stuff like connecting ipods & bluetooth setup was plug and play. The reverse camera view is extremely clear. But I haven't tested the Park-assist yet though. I am optimistic my wife will think the same.. will report back later! The Dynaudio upgrade is amazing.. and delivers a far better experience that the standard system in the Range and CL.

Lots of thought in the design as far as convenience and practicality is concerned..loads of storage spaces, front and rear cup holders (4 in total) luggage hooks etc. Its my first VW, so this may all be normal, but I was impressed anyway.
Very much enjoying the drive but i'll need some more time to really comment on that, but so far its comfortable as a highway cruiser, fast enough for my needs and no need to slow down for the corners

Not too sure on mods, will certainly get the windows done again as it comes tinted from the factory but I prefer the same % all around. Considering a foil wrap too, either partial (roof) or full.

I will try and find a reliable re-mapper.. no luck so far, but that's on the list.

Maybe a few storage related accessories.. and the drinks cooler/warmer.

In summary, it doesn't feel like downsizing at all, this car is everything I wanted but in a smaller package, with no noticeable drawbacks so far. However, If I had to pay 34k or whatever it costs in the UK I would likely be looking for an A4 or a C/E Class instead, but doubtful I would get the same options for that money, just a slightly larger interior and a bigger engine.































Thanks for reading.

andy

 

[Ezah]

you said keyless twice

Key less start and entry? 2 keys? No? Okay I best edit that then

Thanks for the comments guys? Maybe i'll look. Into other alloys aswell as these are getting a bit old by now!

 

[Ezah]

Very nice in the UK but 10p a litre fuel and choosing a 4 pot Golf

Just for you I promise to drive as inefficiently as possible, sir!

Yes its a lowly 4 pot, but its also the best new car available for the money.


After having owned 6,8 and 12 cylinders I really have nothing to prove in that area...or maybe I should have got an H2 to maintain the stereotype

Thanks for the compliment though.

 

[Ezah]

I agree, I really needed a 5 door though and no regrets at all about it... I was lucky actually, the dealers here are all sold out and it just happened that a car matching exactly my requirements was special ordered for the Motor Show..otherwise I would be waiting another 2-3 months and wouldn't have got Dynaudio, RNS 510 or the DCC as they tend to sell cars with a set "package" and not a-la-carte.


Really like the RNS 510, so far I have tried it out mainly for the phone, Nav and Media in.. but still have to try the DVD.. the manual states that it also has a TV function, but apparently not where I live.

It would be better if it accepted video streamed from the Memory card or iPod, but apparently it doesn't, only via the DVD.

I'll get more pics of the Unit in the morning

 

[Ezah]

Spill, what's the details on the big engined stuff you've had previously?

Heh ok.. I had an E34 520i in the 90's while I lived in Amsterdam, in gold. I dont remember the year but I think it was an '89 or older, and then an E36 320i Coupe in Boston green.

A 2004 L322 HSE 4.4 V8 when I came to Dubai, and then a 2005 CL65 V12 more recently.

In between I had 2005 C220 CDI and a 2007 E200 CDI, both 4 pot company cars.

 

[Ezah]

I thought they were "Monza shadows", 18" with the half black colour scheme.

According to the manufacturing bill (from some system or other which shows all the vehicle/factory/shipping details) I got, they are named as ""Detroit" 7.5J x 18 - tires 225/40 R18". But whose to say they are not named differently elsewhere.

 

[Ezah]

More pics of the MFD and screen

 

[Ezah]

yep, they should have left it without the icon. but if it was to bother you that much you could just control the volume on the steering

 

[Ezah]

I have that unit in my skoda, touch screen isn't ideal really.

Heated seats, will they ever get used?

The screen is ok, but I think the responsiveness leaves something to be desired as I find myself tapping a couple of times to select anything. Its big enough that I don't fumble the keys though, even with large hands.

yeah, I really don't know why it has heated seats.. I didnt spec them.. and they will not be used, unless maybe I get backpain or something

 

[Ezah]

It's not really though is it? Makes logical sense in the UK to buy a 2.0T as it combines respectable economy with performance. If petrol costs aren't an option then why not get a proper engine?

What would you say was a "proper engine" in a new car for this money then?

I am actually more than happy with this one, I only drive urban so anything larger is really quite pointless when I can have this much fun in a 2.0T, and that's the irony of the situation, yes fuel is dirt cheap.. but where are you going to go? Weekend trip to Saudi? pop to the desert to see some more sand? Nope.

When I used to live in Europe I would be off to wherever at the slightest excuse, Budapest, Prague, Barcelona, Cannes, whatever.. and then it would make sense to have a larger engined car for touring (although I preferred an MX-5 ). But this is a small country, just a few cities surrounded by desert, and there is really no where to go other than Oman.

Buying a larger/more expensive car than I need just because fuel is cheap is a pointless argument. I did try a V12 AMG for school runs and shopping but it wasn't doing anything for me, sorry.

 

[Ezah]

Apologies if I come over as defensive.. I know you guys are a bit obsessed with fuel costs and so on, and with good reason. But its not something to sway a car buying purchase here.

cheers

 

[Ezah]

Thanks for lowering the tone to penis size lol

Actually, I love this engine.. it was pokey enough in "D" and then i had a quick drive in "S" mode and went.. Wooooah.. thats really very quick.

Not sure that I would want a larger car (A4, A6 etc) with a 2.0T, but in this chassis its more than enough.

I do like those alloys posted above, but also the OZ Superturismos and the OEM Sirrocco alloys. We will see.

 

[Ezah]

Have you tested the launch control yet? It's a huge grin

Now I learned something new about the car Will have a look into that. cheers!

 

[Ezah]

Quick update on this after 6 months of ownership and 10,000km.
We are using the car as a daily driver, lots of short trips to school and work and putting about a 1k miles a month on it, which is all urban driving and short runs on the 7 lane motorway you need to use to get anywhere here.

Fuel economy over 10k km it is now at 25.5 mpg, but I make no attempt to drive economically as its about 15-20 gbp to fill the tank. I also never get stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.

issues/faults basically nothing at all, its been flawless throughout. The only problem has been a dripping rear washer nozzle, which is a common fault on MK6s and I remedied this with a 10p rubber screw thread cap, which stops the dripping but doesnt resolve the problem. As I dont need the rear washer anyway, its ok for now until there is a fix available.
The response time on the RNS-510 is a bit slow, but apparently this is resolved by the latest firmware update I will get at the next service.

So far no annoying rattles which are apparently common on MK6s

Consumables are limited to topping up the oil at 5k and 10k, I have used something like 3 litres only.

Modifications : taking it easy on this side as I value my 5 year warranty.. so I added a heavy duty load space liner, cargo net, rear window sun shades (all VW accessories) and an APR hatch pop kit, which enables full hatch opening from the remote control.

Servicing I have not been back to the garage yet as I still have another 5k km left before service is due. The first 3 services (15k,30k,45k) are free.

Practicalities So far no issues, I do carry a baby stroller with me all the time, and if I load up on shopping I need to fold the 40% split rear seat and push the stroller through. Without the stroller and baby seat I would have enough room for anything I am likely to carry though.

I did get stuck in the sand, which was softer than it looked and I buried the front end lol. Quickly got pulled out backwards by a friends LR4 and no damage done.. I wouldn't recommend it for off road!

The Ipod interface, Nav, voice command, phone integration all work very well indeed. The paint and leather are holding up well yet I have not been that diligent on the cleaning and valeting side.. we have had too many dust storms recently to bother with that.

I still look forward to driving the GTI every day, get great satisfaction from the handling, power, exhaust sound, driver comfort and toys available.. the missus likes it too I gather, but she couldn't care less about cars

Our baby is 21 months now, and while it was easier getting her into a SUV, its hardly an issue with the GTI, and everyone has enough leg room. Thats all for now.. will try and get some pics of the "mods" later

After a very enjoyable run up Jebel Hafeet mountain.. epic road for twisties. google it





andy