[Thxrick]

Originally Posted by pikkagtr

I have a 17 SE as well for a beater
Grab yourself a dog bone insert mount for the car world of difference in the shifter feel and reduced wheel hop
ECS has a great one with the replacement bolt for about $49

Yes. I need to do that. I bought a forge SSK. Going in on Wed. when I take the car to my guy for an oil change and alignment. I am just having blast with the car...

[Yes2m3cs]

Congrats on the GTI! I love my 16 GTI

[yco]

they re really fun car drive.. parts are cheap car is not slow.. which is a great combination..

[PandaM3]

Great car... makes me wish I still had my GTI. I ended up selling it after I got my e90 M3. I still think my GTI was a much funner car. After I sold it I transferred the majority of mods to my wife's VW CC. That included
- larger KO4 turbo
- intercooler
- downpipe
- big brake kit
- rimz
- after I also added an LSD

From what I hear, the mk7's are even cheaper to tune. No turbo manifold needed, just bolt up the better turbo and flash software.

Anyhow here are some pictures

[Germanauto]

Always loved these. Congrats.

[aaaaah]

Originally Posted by PandaM3

Great car... makes me wish I still had my GTI. I ended up selling it after I got my e90 M3. I still think my GTI was a much funner car. After I sold it I transferred the majority of mods to my wife's VW CC. That included
- larger KO4 turbo
- intercooler
- downpipe
- big brake kit
- rimz
- after I also added an LSD

From what I hear, the mk7's are even cheaper to tune. No turbo manifold needed, just bolt up the better turbo and flash software.

Anyhow here are some pictures

MK7 are actually a bit more expensive if you have the 6MT as you generally need to replace the clutch because the stock one will start slipping. Such is my understanding. The power gains from a basic tune are outstanding though.

[HyeWarrior]

God I severely miss mine

[RM7]

Never understood the draw of the front-wheel-drive?

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Never understood the draw of the front-wheel-drive?

Having owned a number of all three formats, a well engineered, communicative fwd car be more fun than a vague, ham fisted rwd car. Awd is honestly hard to enjoy, it just feels too clinical.

But a lot of it comes down to what's actually available. I've got a three year old, so I want a five door. And it's got to be a manual. Those two choices just killed any rwd car in the US for me. I'd love an M140i, an M2 five door or an RS3 hatch with a manual. But I can't have any of those.

But given a choice every weekend day to drive the wife's 3er or my GTI, I've rarely driven the BMW. A little part of me misses my old Mazda 3 wagon because it had beautiful lift throttle oversteer, which the GTI doesn't exhibit nearly as well, but the motor sucked in the Mazda.

[nomade30]

Nice cars! I work for IE and plan on buying a mk7 daily once I can afford it. Cars can be a blast even though they are FWD.

[FriskyDingo]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Never understood the draw of the front-wheel-drive?

FWD isn't the draw. Everything else is. My GTI is far more engaging and fun to drive than most modern BMW's.

[phantomF80]

Originally Posted by FriskyDingo

FWD isn't the draw. Everything else is. My GTI is far more engaging and fun to drive than most modern BMW's.

Agree. I have a 2017 GTI Sports, and it's a more fun daily driver than my F80. It reminds me a lot of my E46 ZHP. It's just a fun car, even though FWD is not the most ideal config.

[HyeWarrior]

Sub 250 hp FWD with a small displacement is a lot of fun

[Yes2m3cs]

My F82 sits far more than my MK7 GTI. I use that little car for everything! It's a fantastic car for the money. Mine is 6speed too

[Thxrick]

Originally Posted by xG35guy

My F82 sits far more than my MK7 GTI. I use that little car for everything! It's a fantastic car for the money. Mine is 6speed too

Mine too. Tuned with the MAPerformnce Stage 1 map...its a game changer!

[KO7]

I have a 2016 Golf R in Lapiz Blue and love it dearly. No power mods, and don’t feel like I need them. Absolute rocket when the roads are wet and most people on the road are struggling for traction.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by KO7

I have a 2016 Golf R in Lapiz Blue and love it dearly. No power mods, and donÂ’t feel like I need them. Absolute rocket when the roads are wet and most people on the road are struggling for traction.

For all the talk about rwd higher hp etc etc your car is about all one needs on public roads in the US. Beyond that is a combo of spending money for rarely usable performance and ego.

[KingOfJericho]

I still contend that the GTI is one of the best cars I've ever owned. I only had it for a year but my wife still talks about it and how I should have kept it. Just so easy and fun to drive and the customization options are probably second only to a Wrangler.

[ASAP]

Truly a great car... probably one of the best iterations of fwd... tq steer is virtually non existant and the front lsd does a good job. However, you cant cheat physics and it still feels fwd and I could not get over it during the test drive. I personally would get a slightly used R or an S3 but congrats either way.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Having owned a number of all three formats, a well engineered, communicative fwd car be more fun than a vague, ham fisted rwd car. Awd is honestly hard to enjoy, it just feels too clinical.

But a lot of it comes down to what's actually available. I've got a three year old, so I want a five door. And it's got to be a manual. Those two choices just killed any rwd car in the US for me. I'd love an M140i, an M2 five door or an RS3 hatch with a manual. But I can't have any of those.

But given a choice every weekend day to drive the wife's 3er or my GTI, I've rarely driven the BMW. A little part of me misses my old Mazda 3 wagon because it had beautiful lift throttle oversteer, which the GTI doesn't exhibit nearly as well, but the motor sucked in the Mazda.

If you are comparing a GTI to say and old school Mustang... then I agree 300%, its tighter and feels better. However if you compare it to most modern rwd cars, its genuinely no comparison.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

For all the talk about rwd higher hp etc etc your car is about all one needs on public roads in the US. Beyond that is a combo of spending money for rarely usable performance and ego.

Wanna know why the miata is one of the most popular sports cars in existance?

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by ASAP

If you are comparing a GTI to say and old school Mustang... then I agree 300%, its tighter and feels better. However if you compare it to most modern rwd cars, its genuinely no comparison.

What are you offering as comparison? It's a better chassis than the GT86. That's sort of the end of what's comparable in the price range. I need to carry a kid, so the ND Miata is out, but also not really a better chassis than the MQB. It's still pretty flexy and would need a lot of suspension work to get rid of the stupid amounts of lean Mazda built in.

The 230i is not enjoyable, one wheel drive, heavy and actually exhibits more understeer than the GTI, especially at lower speeds. Sure it has the ability to create power on oversteer, but the chassis understeers earlier and harder than the GTI.

You mentioned the R, but I found it actually understeers more than the GTI. A little more weight on the front axle and no mechanical LSD combined with a Haldex setup that's still predominantly fwd doesn't help as much as one might think. I swear they also have softer shocks and springs, but maybe it's just the lazy DCC.

So again, for under $45k, what rwd chassis is there that's worlds better than the GTI? The only thing I've considered that's outside of the price bracket is a GT350, and possibly the M2 Competition, but I really prefer having rear doors and a hatch. And we have an F30 LCI, it's definitely not that.