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

  1. I own a 2018 DSG Autobahn GTI. It replaced a 2013 model, the last MK6 built in Germany. Some comments. () Price and Content. North American owners of GTI's have long complained that the US spec version of the vehicle lacks features available on the GTI in Europe. The digital cockpit, for example, though originally promised for the US in 2019 is available only in Europe. The Euro spec version of the GTI includes dual injection and a slightly higher HP rating. Furthermore, a number of features (e.g. DCC, leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, panoramic sunroof, navigation, upgraded audio, etc.) are individual options in Europe. In the US they're only available (or not) in particular trim levels rather than as individual options or packages. Thus, in Europe a buyer can add or reject individual options to customize their specific configurations, an alternative not available in the US. Why the difference? There's a simple answer. VW has found repeatedly that US consumers resist paying what Europeans willingly pay for VW's. Their response has been to offer larger, cheaper versions of their vehicles in the US or in the case of the GTI, limit available features and combining features into different trim levels to contain production costs. For example, a DSG GTI in the UK configured as closely as possible to the Autobahn US trim (albeit with features like the digital cockpit not available in the US) has an MSRP of slightly more than $50,000 (!) at current exchange rates. That's compared to about $38,000 in the US, an MSRP that as Sofyan notes is often discounted significantly. For example, I purchased a fully loaded Autobahn with several dealer installed options about a year ago for $32,043 plus TTL. That vehicle had a sticker over $38,000. It made the GTI about $10,000 less than the best offer I received for a Golf R. (That difference may well have changed with the wider availability of the Golf R this year and the fact that at least here in the Pacific Northwest Autobahn GTI's are in very short supply.) () GTI versus Jetta. Sofyan notes that the newest generation Jetta has some features that the GTI lacks. A difference he attributes to the Jetta being a newer design. It's somewhat more complicated than that, I think. VW has expanded and updated the Jetta line-up in the US while discontinuing exports of the basic Golf to the US. They're obviously putting more eggs in the Jetta basket, a vehicle that's not even sold in Germany. They've taken the engine and drive train of the GTI (along with a number of other features) for the GLI version. It's an obvious effort to make a splash with the Jetta and accounts for including features like the digital cockpit. Hopefully, it doesn't represent a long term plan to phase out the GTI in the US and is simply an effort to broaden the appeal of their already best-selling Jetta. Personally, I prefer the versatility and iconic status of the GTI but for those looking for an affordable European compact sports sedan the GLI deserves a close look. () The MK8 GTI. I doubt we'll be seeing the MK8 GTI (or Golf R) in the US until the 2021 model year. Skipping a model year between GTI generations isn't a new practice for VW. They did the same when the MK6 was replaced by the MK7 generation. (There was no 2014 model in the US.) As far as its features are concerned there's still much unknown but a clue may be the GTI TCR where the 2.0L turbo engine sees a HP increase to 290. Torque in that engine is unspecified. Interestingly, the HP rating is about the same as a current GTI with a Stage I ECU tune from APR. That tune requires no additional mods for a DSG GTI but it does require a tougher clutch and/or periodic replacement in the MT version. And on that point it's perhaps noteworthy that the GTI TCR is not offered with an MT in Europe. () 6 speed DSG vs 7 speed DSG. My 2018 GTI has the previous generation 6 speed DSG. VW added a seventh gear for 2019. Sofyan isn't the first to have minor complaints about the behavior of the new transmission. That's not unusual for a new transmission from any brand. It often requires a while to work out kinks in the real world and implement software changes to address them. I would say, though, that I've never found the hesitation Sofyan mentions in either shifts or turbo lag in my GTI. If there is a verifiable issue I wouldn't be surprised to see VW address them even if they don't say much about it.
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  2.  @stefankoles  Not good looking enough for YouTube but I appreciate the comment. :)
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  3. Traded my 2013 MK6 Autobahn (last GTI built in Germany) for a 2018 model last year. Total of about 70K miles 35K of which with a Stage I APR tune. I didn't tire of my 2013 model and it certainly wasn't "underwhelming." Nor did it have a single issue of reliability. However, I have a teenage daughter who is starting to drive and I wanted the various safety and driver assistance features the new model offered when she began sharing it. My Mexican built GTI on the MQB platform somewhat is more rigid and "tighter" overall than the MK6 but it retains everything I loved about my 2013 model.
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  4. The GLI does not offer AWD. It's drive train is the same as the GTI. If you mean a WW "Golf R" you'll have AWD but if you are referring to a Honda "Type R", it, too is FWD.
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  5. Ain't happenin' , Michael. For some mysterious reason VW dealers object to 2 door GTI's sitting for months on their lots incurring flooring charges.
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  6. Different strokes for different folks. When I shopped last year, the best price I found for an "R" was more than $10,000 more than I paid for a fully loaded Autobahn/DSG GTI. It simply wasn't a premium I was willing to pay for my driving style including canyon carving. But there's no question the R is a magnificent vehicle.
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  7. In my experience the Stage I tuning (APR) of a GTI doesn't turn it into a tire shredding monster. And with a DSG it doesn't require periodic clutch replacement, either. Having put about 35K miles on my MK6 GTI before the tune and about 40K miles afterward I did experience a drop of about 2-3 mpgs and I'd estimate it cut the overall life of my tires by about 10%-15%. I'd agree though that while the VW engine can be taken even further in terms of HP and torque I don't really see the point of a 400HP GTI. :)
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  8. You're more than 3 generations behind current MK7.5 GTI's and they are somewhat larger both inside and out. Nevertheless, at 168" long, it's among the smallest 4-5 passenger vehicles out there. Small enough, in fact, to earn a discount on Washington State stiff ferry fares for vehicles 14' long or less. Something that nothing other than a Mini manages.
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  9. True. But not likely to confuse North American customers since the Polo is not available on this side of the pond.
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  10. <sigh> And you can live cheaper in Oklahoma City than in Seattle....but you're stuck living in Oklahoma. If your definition of "performance" consists exclusively of punching an accelerator to go in a straight line on a flat road for a quarter mile, that domestic V8 will be a far better choice for you.
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  11. You won't see a MK8 in the US until at least the last quarter of 2020 as a 2021 model. More likely it will be the first quarter of 2021.
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  12. Had a 2013 with 70K when I sold it. Likewise, no issues whatsoever.
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  13. Let me guess, your think "classic" is the flavor of the week from a month ago.
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  14. I found Soyfan's comment odd. To me, the smile of the GTI looks considerably less aggressive than the frown of a Golf R. :)
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  15. I can see the logic of your name. :) On the other hand, I purchased a fully loaded Autobahn GTI last year for about $32K plus TTL and never found a Civic Type R without at least $4000 added to the sticker price. As for the Golf R, the best offer I found within 500 miles of Seattle was $10,000 more than the GTI I bought.
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  16.  @proboxpepper6752 I was actually referring to the fact that VW won't be offering a base Golf in the US after 2019.
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  17. That depends on one's priorities. Same engine and drive train but the GLI is larger with more room in the back seat but less cargo space both behind the back seat and overall. Except for the digital cockpit in the GLI the interiors are similar though the Autobahn GTI has somewhat higher quality materials. Personally I prefer the GTI's handling dynamics on back roads and it's superior in terms of urban traffic and parking. But the GLI is no slouch on those points, either.
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  18. And in comparable trim to the Autobahn that Sofyan reviewed, the price is over $50,000 at current exchange rates.
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  19.  @kcsellingpage653  That's not unusual. Perhaps a slight exaggeration but not much.
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  20. Robots know no nationality. But for the record I've owned both the last version of the GTI built in Europe and the current MK7.5 built in Mexico on the MQB platform. The latter is better built, more rigid, and overall better than the former.
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  21. Not in my experience with several VW's. Interestingly, Europeans don't consider VW's to have a bad reputation for reliability. That may well be because they pay far more for VW's than Americans and are far less likely to ignore maintenance and service.
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  22.  @tails300  Any verifiable evidence to back that up? I thought not.
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  23. It's a pattern reminiscent of the introduction of the MK7 version of the Golf (including the GTI) in the US in 2015. We saw no 2014 model at all. I'm somewhat more optimistic about timing than you are but I agree it will be at least late 2020 or the first quarter of 2021 before we see the MK8 in the US.
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  24. Not all. When I shopped extensively a year ago the best price for an "R" I found from any dealer within 500 miles of Seattle was $10,000 more than I paid for a fully loaded GTI Autobahn. (i.e. $32K plus TTL vs $42K.) At the time there were VERY few "R's" available in the Pacific Northwest (3 in the entire Puget Sound region) while GTI's were readily available. That situation is currently reversed. Very few Autobahn GTI's available while "R's" are discounted by about a thousand bucks under MSRP. In short price differences depend on location and timing. In addition, though, while the "R" is a magnificent vehicle the weight difference between the "R" and a GTI is about 250 lbs, the equivalent of putting an NFL linebacker in the back seat. On tight mountain roads where the additional HP of R can't be effectively used, the GTI is far more nimble. Then there's the available sunroof in the GTI that's absent in the R. Many may view that as a minor issue or may even prefer the R but in the Puget Sound area we can use every bit of sunlight in the dark, dark cabin of a Golf we can get.
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  25. I have the same model and haven't experienced what you describe even once much less 3 times. The only roughly comparable experience was once when a vehicle in front of me moved into the left turn lane with the right rear corner extending a few inches into my lane. I had no problem passing on the right in my lane but the adaptive cruise control slowed my GTI and AEB engaged abruptly and momentarily as I approached. It was startling but understandable. All in all, I rather the systems incorrectly engaged than failing to engage when needed. In your case I'd ask the dealer to take a look, especially since it's happened on multiple occasions. But as with many intermittent issues I wouldn't be surprised to hear it can't be fixed if it can't be replicated.
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  26. As noted in another comment on this thread, VW routinely limits the content of US spec versions of the GTI in the interest of containing costs. In fact, VW generally find that Americans want cheaper and larger vehicles than the Euro spec vehicles that VW sells.
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  27. Cherish it. No Golf with the 1.8T engine in the US for 2020.
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  28. You won't see the VR6 again. Period.
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