The New VW Golf GTI Just Isn’t As Good As Its Predecessor

[cawimmer430]

The New VW Golf GTI Just Isn't As Good As Its Predecessor, And We Can Blame Cost Cutting

When the Golf GTI was introduced to the world back in 1976, two years after the standard model entered production, it effectively launched the hot hatch class. Yes, that first GTI had a mere 108 hp (110 PS) but the first-gen Golf was a small and light car by today's standards and it was enjoyable to drive.

Now in its eighth generation, the Golf GTI still has a very large, and very faithful, following, and who better to explain this than Jason Cammisa, the voice of Hagerty that has owned two Mk7s, gifted one to his mother, and convinced several others to join the Golf army.

And who can blame him? The GTI has never been pretentious. It was a car that looked rather plain and simple but possessed hidden capabilities that could put a smile on any enthusiast's face when they drove it, and that is exactly how VW intended it to be.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGbPHp6QfkQ

When VW's then Chairman Ferdinand Piech introduced the Mk4 in 1997, he was convinced that the Golf was ready to play in the upper classes as he boldly announced that the fourth generation of Golf would do one better than Mercedes. People may have laughed, but the joke was on them. Several years later, Mercedes would delay its W205 C-Class because it couldn't compare to the world's best $50k car: the Golf. By now, it's understood that the Mk8 has a lot to live up to, but does it?

Starting off with the exterior design, while the Golf GTI Mk8 might carry some of the 'futuristic', spaceship style design that most car manufacturers seem to be going for these days, it presents itself quite well as a compact hot-hatch, a concept that may have been forgotten by some other players in the market. The beautiful example in this video sports a vibrant Kings Red paint. But the truth is that VW focused more on cost-cutting than anything else, and while that might not be a bad thing in certain areas (sustaining the cast-iron engine into what may be its last generation), you might come across some cheaper parts-bin specials that aren't entirely specific to the Golf.

Of course, the new GTI is still a performer, with its 241 hp turbocharged four combined with a seven-speed DSG or six-speed manual. But, when it comes to the actual drive, Jason contests that the GTI might not be all that much the playful toy that VW claims it is, and he would know, considering the fact that he had the chance to test the car quite vigorously.

The lack of improvement continues in the cabin of the GTI. Once again, cost-cutting has led the interior of the new GTI to be a little inferior to its predecessor, though not by too much. It all goes south, however, when it's time to start playing with the new infotainment system. Despite the concept proving to be a disaster for virtually every other carmaker who's tried to go down the button-less route, VW too has decided to eliminate every single physical button or switch inside the GTI, and — as you can see — it's far from ideal, to say the very least.

So, did the Golf fail to retain its basic principle of form always following function? Jason Cammisa seems to think so. Perhaps it is a sign of a passionate Mk7 owner unwilling to accept change, but at the end even Camissa accepts that at its very heart, the Mk8 is very much a GTI.



Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2021/08/the-new-vw-golf-gti-just-isnt-as-good-as-its-predecessor-and-we-can-blame-cost-cutting/

[SJ_GTI]

I saw this on youtube and also saw there is a huge thread of this on TCL (or VWVortex).


I see his point. When I first heard about the new Golf R is sounded like that had some pretty impressive upgrades coming...but then as I read more about it the more it just seemed like minor incremental improvements. And I suspect that is the reality...the MK8 is an incremental improvement over the MK7. IIRC when the MK7 first came out it wasn't considered much better than the MK6, which itself wasn't much better than the MK5. I think the last time there was a "big leap" was from the MK4 to the MK5.

[cawimmer430]

I saw this on youtube and also saw there is a huge thread of this on TCL (or VWVortex).


I see his point. When I first heard about the new Golf R is sounded like that had some pretty impressive upgrades coming...but then as I read more about it the more it just seemed like minor incremental improvements. And I suspect that is the reality...the MK8 is an incremental improvement over the MK7. IIRC when the MK7 first came out it wasn't considered much better than the MK6, which itself wasn't much better than the MK5. I think the last time there was a "big leap" was from the MK4 to the MK5.

From what I know the last model GTI and R drove pretty well. I'd assume that this one must be an improvement somehow.

The only thing that bothered me about the new Golf was the relatively cheap-feeling interior, which feels like a total downgrade from that of the last generation.

[GoCougs]

Good review. Some of his stories can be annoying AF but didn't happen here.

Ugh. The all digital dash and capactive buttons are a catastrophe. And yes, automakers are doing it because these days it's cheaper than physical gauges and buttons.

Yes, it's more cheaply built, but in ways 99% of buyers will not notice, let alone not care about. TBH, it's better to put it elsewhere (where it's gone I'm not too sure though).

And he's correct at ~11:00 - UX was a major determinant in my buying decision, and I still think Audi does it best in the A4/Q5 platform (though still off from perfect).