Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.

  1. Having owned two GTI's over the last nine years, I've yet to see a single CEL on either one.
    2
  2. I'm a fan of both brands. I've owned a couple of Honda's including a '94 Prelude that was among the best cars I've ever owned. Put well over 100K miles on it and it drove the day I sold sold it identically to the day I bought it. Its VTEC engine was a wonder. On the other hand I've owned VW's going back to my high school days when "dinosaur crossing" signs dotted the highways. Along with an early Rabbit and a couple of GTI's including one sitting in my garage today that have given me perfect service including about 40K miles in my MK6 version with a Stage I APR tune. (Other than losing a couple of MPG's it lacked even a single issue.) Otherwise, my track days have always been on two wheels rather than four so my assessment is in terms looks, versatility, and performance both as a daily driver and as a Sunday morning canyon carver on largely deserted mountain roads. Like many drivers whose 12th birthday was long in the past, I find the exterior styling of the Type R to be hideous. I value usable performance but I don't have to impress my classmates sitting in a high school parking lot or cruising the local drive-in. The humungous wing designed to provide down force on the rear wheels in a FWD automobile is simply ridiculous. The huge faux "vents" only adds to the styling that looks more like elements of a Halloween costume than a functional design. Some find the styling of the R to be "boring." I find it to be simple, classic and highly functional. Visibility is unsurpassed and the attention it doesn't draw is a major plus when I'm exceeding the speed limit. Then there are minor issues that make a big difference for me. Among them is the fact that the center mounted triple exhaust in the Type R makes it difficult if not impossible to fit a hitch mounted bike rack to the Type R. My GTI (and the Golf R) with dual exhausts on the corners handles one easily. As far as the interior is concerned, as Sofyan notes, the Golf R is significantly better. Not as flashy as the Type R's multicolored circus themed interior but overall far more "premium." And again, there are small issues that make a big difference for me personally. My big dog's second home is the back seat of my GTI. I simply wouldn't purchase a vehicle that makes no provision for back seat HVAC vents. My dog would suffer silently but my teenage daughter would complain loudly. And as far as versatility is concerned my GTI (and the Golf R) easily accommodates my spouse, my daughter and two of her friends (or a friend and the dog.) The Type R is a four passenger vehicle, period. And even though it's a foot longer than the Golf R, it provides less overall cargo capacity. For many years I always had at least one manual transmission vehicle in my garage. Until I purchased a GTI with its DSG automated manual in 2013. For a car I use as a daily driver, I'd never go back. It's quicker shifting than any MT and when driven in manual mode provides every bit as much control and "engagement" as a traditional manual transmission. Another point for the Golf R in terms of versatility. The Civic Type R is an undeniably impressive vehicle. For those looking for a track toy they can drive on the street or a hatchback with stoplight drag racing cred it's difficult to beat. But it reminds me of a comment a friend once made about his Ferrari. He said, "I bought it to impress women but I found it drew stares and comments mainly from 12 year old boys."
    2
  3. The "stupid drivers assitance stuff" as you put it adds almost nothing to the weight of the vehicle. The additional weight comes primarily from the 4Motion AWD.
    1
  4. If Americans were prepared to pay well over $55K for the features the Golf R has in Europe, we'd have them here, too. Both the GTI and Golf R are both "de-contented" for the American market because American consumers are not willing to pay the price of European VW's.
    1