I’m a 60 year old female. I actually love the Mzk8 clean dash & interface. It’s absurd to me that reviewers are being so silly about it. I’ve owned my car for 2 days. And I find it extremely easy & intuitive Also love the haptic feedback buttons Bought my son a Mazda 3. Also a great car. And really like how that system works too. Though I think the MK8 has better safety features, especially for a young driver. If I had known the difference, I probably would have pushed for the GTI for my son. But the Mazda is great. But really, the GTI has better ride quality, better safety features, and better gas mileage
Great review, James. You nailed the GTI. Especially the steering - our Mazda 3 has way nicer, more natural and communicative steering. The GTI's steering to me is a "two-bites" set up - very direct, but too vague and lacking feedback.
Great review. On the controversial infotainment system… I think this would be a pain to learn to operate well for a short term rental or review. However, after owning it for a month and taking some time to learn to operate it well, it not only becomes a non issue, it becomes fun. I realize that being intuitive is a plus and this VW is not all that intuitive. But it’s not nearly as much of an issue if you will be driving it on a regular basis over the long term.
There are shortcuts to turn on heated seats. In fact they turn on automatically , you set it up via settings. After you set things up, you don’t have to mess with the screen too often. And it’s not slow, buttons are big on the big screen, easy to view. I saw those tiny Mazda buttons. Can’t find a Golf R at MSRP, good luck! Bought my GTI BELOW MSRP. Get a GTI, mod it up, smoke stock Rs , and still save money
Great review! I have a ‘22 SE and you nailed it. Overall it’s such a great car and so much fun to drive. Canyon runs are fun! Infotainment is a pain in the ass and lots of sensor issues unfortunately 😒
Thanks for the awesome and detailed review. I put a down on the 2023 GTI S here in Los Angeles, and ETA is mid to end of June. I’m really eager to drive her on a daily basis.
Always happy to see a new James Do video in my feed. Great and accurate commentary. We went from a GLI (mk7 GTI bones) to a Mazda 3 and while the the 3’s steering is slower it is so much more natural and communicative. I did like the DSG but boy was it stubborn to down shift and the 2.0 has zero oomph below 1700 rpm. So fighting the DSG to downshift and waiting for the turbo to spool up was something very noticeable. Sport mode and paddle shifting helped that of course. But sport mode had rev matched down shifts and no one wants that when just going to the grocery store. Tunes of course will help all of this. I do love the new MK8 styling but buttons sorely needed. And VW’s suspension tuning is just the best. That is the one thing (and probably the only thing) we do miss about our GLI. Again, great vid James.
@@closg9309 I agree. I have no idea why people are hating on the interior tech of this car. It’s fast with newest technology. I actually really enjoy it on my new Golf R
Agree with you guys! Have owned the Golf 8 for three years, fully loaded, and it is the best stress-free mile-muncher you could wish for. Go for it. Cheers, Tom.
Asking for your thought? Cars with a Manual Transmission Only... Mazda3 Premium H/B Civic SI or Sport Touring H/B GR86 Elantra N GTI S or 40th annv ??? My first concern is for a reliable car to own for at least six years, then fun to drive. All of these would work for my needs. Only something very, very small, like a Miata wouldn't work for me. I am currently driving a 2006 Mazda3 2.oL 5sp manual ransmission sedan since purchased brand new and I still enjoy it, but want a new car for retirement. No racing or track time will be in my future at all. I don't care about 0-60mph times. I just want a fun-to-drive dependable car.
got myself a manual gti 2023 love the thing. I was rough learning it not even gonna lie and still runs great. Still occasional stall and slip of the clutch but is so fun to drive for a first manual car.
@@closg9309 Maybe one day haha ive yet to really put the power down on it yet only 1k miles but its so fun shifting threw the gears i live in a really hilly area so hilly suburban america can be rough tho
Check out getting a clutch stop if you haven't already! Was huge help on my manual '23 and really helped with rolling away and smoothing out the 1-2 shift.
The CX30 is not a sports car so you cannot compare both cars side by side. The CX30 does have a little more power but it is also a lot heavier, you do get AWD also with the CX30. I think if your goal is to tune a car, drive a sports car, and have fun driving it then get a GTI. If your goal is to have a small SUV that has good power, feels luxurious and good space for a family in the future then get the CX30. both cars are geared towards different people.
GTI. Get the Base in Canada or the S in the US and get all the fundamentals at a bargain price. And the basics are solid. Smaller infotainment screen but comes with two knobs that actually work well with the system and even with Android Auto. Decent base audio. Very good base LED lighting. Honestly, you are not missing much by skipping the luxury features because you have what you need and you'll feel good about your purchase. The US version has even more content than the Canadian Base model. The only reservation? In Canada the 2022 Base came with 17" wheels. But I have never really liked the flat diamond cut directional wheels designs on GTI that get more and more exaggerated every model and look awful on the other side of the car anyways to justify stepping up. So many other premium looks with aftermarket choices or used Audi wheels.
I’m having the natural/intuitive MAZDA vs solid/sharp VW dilema. Current CX-5 owner that wanted a 3 but that was too small and want a GTI but the infotainment is such a red flag. I might finally fold and just switch and see how it does. Any thoughts on this James?
Test drive it , infotainment thing is blown out of proportion. You will get use to it in a few days and have no issues. Great driving car, I love mine.
@@closg9309 I just did and it’s great! Not trying to decide if I want to go up to the Golf R. I feel like value for money is in the S/SE. Autobahn feels to close to R in terms of price… if you have any thoughts there they would be super welcome!
@@paulmccoy6431 I bought a SE below MSRP. Around my area , South FL, all R are 10+k mark up, no thanks. SE + mods is still less than what I would’ve spent on a R. Being in FL, I don’t need the AWD, and my GTI handles the power just fine. My SE is heavily modded and it’s awesome, currently FBO Stage 2 E85 and it’s a rocket.
I don’t know how he got torque steer. I have a FBO STAGE 2 e85 mk8 GTI pushing close to 400whp and barely get any torque steer. I have to really be flooring it to feel some tq steer
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I’m a 60 year old female. I actually love the Mzk8 clean dash & interface.
It’s absurd to me that reviewers are being so silly about it.
I’ve owned my car for 2 days. And I find it extremely easy & intuitive
Also love the haptic feedback buttons
Bought my son a Mazda 3. Also a great car. And really like how that system works too.
Though I think the MK8 has better safety features, especially for a young driver.
If I had known the difference, I probably would have pushed for the GTI for my son.
But the Mazda is great.
But really, the GTI has better ride quality, better safety features, and better gas mileage
It’s not slow. It’s not buggy.
The steering is on point & and great.
The entire car is a huge jump from the MK 7.5, my last car.
Great review, James. You nailed the GTI. Especially the steering - our Mazda 3 has way nicer, more natural and communicative steering. The GTI's steering to me is a "two-bites" set up - very direct, but too vague and lacking feedback.
Great review. On the controversial infotainment system… I think this would be a pain to learn to operate well for a short term rental or review. However, after owning it for a month and taking some time to learn to operate it well, it not only becomes a non issue, it becomes fun. I realize that being intuitive is a plus and this VW is not all that intuitive. But it’s not nearly as much of an issue if you will be driving it on a regular basis over the long term.
I love mine. GTI is great! Digital Display is one of the best
I have a 2023 40th and the infotainment system is a non issue.
There are shortcuts to turn on heated seats. In fact they turn on automatically , you set it up via settings. After you set things up, you don’t have to mess with the screen too often.
And it’s not slow, buttons are big on the big screen, easy to view. I saw those tiny Mazda buttons.
Can’t find a Golf R at MSRP, good luck! Bought my GTI BELOW MSRP.
Get a GTI, mod it up, smoke stock Rs , and still save money
Great review! I have a ‘22 SE and you nailed it. Overall it’s such a great car and so much fun to drive. Canyon runs are fun! Infotainment is a pain in the ass and lots of sensor issues unfortunately 😒
Thanks for the awesome and detailed review. I put a down on the 2023 GTI S here in Los Angeles, and ETA is mid to end of June. I’m really eager to drive her on a daily basis.
Did you get it ? Hoe do you like it?
@@APatriarca1 Yes, it's a fantastic car to drive. I'm loving it!
It’s not about saving a bit more to get a Golf R. They don’t exist, and when they do, they’re usually 5-10k above sticker.
Always happy to see a new James Do video in my feed. Great and accurate commentary. We went from a GLI (mk7 GTI bones) to a Mazda 3 and while the the 3’s steering is slower it is so much more natural and communicative. I did like the DSG but boy was it stubborn to down shift and the 2.0 has zero oomph below 1700 rpm. So fighting the DSG to downshift and waiting for the turbo to spool up was something very noticeable. Sport mode and paddle shifting helped that of course. But sport mode had rev matched down shifts and no one wants that when just going to the grocery store. Tunes of course will help all of this. I do love the new MK8 styling but buttons sorely needed. And VW’s suspension tuning is just the best. That is the one thing (and probably the only thing) we do miss about our GLI. Again, great vid James.
Amazing car except for annoying emergency assist fail/beeping all the time
Will definitely have to wait until they modify the infotainment before getting one! Such a dealbreaker for me unfortunately 😅
Why? It works great, touch screen is nice , everything works, nice tech, that digital cluster is one of the best in “budget” cars.
@@closg9309 I agree. I have no idea why people are hating on the interior tech of this car. It’s fast with newest technology. I actually really enjoy it on my new Golf R
Agree with you guys! Have owned the Golf 8 for three years, fully loaded, and it is the best stress-free mile-muncher you could wish for. Go for it. Cheers, Tom.
Asking for your thought? Cars with a Manual Transmission Only...
Mazda3 Premium H/B
Civic SI or Sport Touring H/B
GR86
Elantra N
GTI S or 40th annv
???
My first concern is for a reliable car to own for at least six years, then fun to drive. All of these would work for my needs. Only something very, very small, like a Miata wouldn't work for me. I am currently driving a 2006 Mazda3 2.oL 5sp manual ransmission sedan since purchased brand new and I still enjoy it, but want a new car for retirement. No racing or track time will be in my future at all. I don't care about 0-60mph times. I just want a fun-to-drive dependable car.
got myself a manual gti 2023 love the thing. I was rough learning it not even gonna lie and still runs great. Still occasional stall and slip of the clutch but is so fun to drive for a first manual car.
Easy car to learn Manual! Keep the Manual alive!! Wait until you start modding it and getting some power. Super fun. You will be smoking V8s !
@@closg9309 Maybe one day haha ive yet to really put the power down on it yet only 1k miles but its so fun shifting threw the gears i live in a really hilly area so hilly suburban america can be rough tho
Check out getting a clutch stop if you haven't already! Was huge help on my manual '23 and really helped with rolling away and smoothing out the 1-2 shift.
@@nobleman-swerve 1-2 gear i get completely smooth like half the time ill have to look at a clutch stop never heard of it
@@nobleman-swerve I google a clutch how does that work is it hard to install>
I’m actually looking at the GTI and the CX30 now. Which do you think is a better option as a daily driver? Thanks, Fred
The CX30 is not a sports car so you cannot compare both cars side by side. The CX30 does have a little more power but it is also a lot heavier, you do get AWD also with the CX30. I think if your goal is to tune a car, drive a sports car, and have fun driving it then get a GTI. If your goal is to have a small SUV that has good power, feels luxurious and good space for a family in the future then get the CX30. both cars are geared towards different people.
Yeah im actually comparing the GTI and cx5 turbo right now. cant decide
just bought a mk7 gti s and i've driven 5k miles so far and it has been very worth it so far. i can only imagine how much better the new ones are
GTI. Get the Base in Canada or the S in the US and get all the fundamentals at a bargain price. And the basics are solid. Smaller infotainment screen but comes with two knobs that actually work well with the system and even with Android Auto. Decent base audio. Very good base LED lighting. Honestly, you are not missing much by skipping the luxury features because you have what you need and you'll feel good about your purchase. The US version has even more content than the Canadian Base model. The only reservation? In Canada the 2022 Base came with 17" wheels. But I have never really liked the flat diamond cut directional wheels designs on GTI that get more and more exaggerated every model and look awful on the other side of the car anyways to justify stepping up. So many other premium looks with aftermarket choices or used Audi wheels.
Better to keep it simple with VWs. With the history of EA888 problems they slowly creep up well before 100,000km.
I’m having the natural/intuitive MAZDA vs solid/sharp VW dilema. Current CX-5 owner that wanted a 3 but that was too small and want a GTI but the infotainment is such a red flag. I might finally fold and just switch and see how it does. Any thoughts on this James?
Test drive it , infotainment thing is blown out of proportion. You will get use to it in a few days and have no issues. Great driving car, I love mine.
@@closg9309 I just did and it’s great! Not trying to decide if I want to go up to the Golf R. I feel like value for money is in the S/SE. Autobahn feels to close to R in terms of price… if you have any thoughts there they would be super welcome!
@@paulmccoy6431 I bought a SE below MSRP. Around my area , South FL, all R are 10+k mark up, no thanks. SE + mods is still less than what I would’ve spent on a R. Being in FL, I don’t need the AWD, and my GTI handles the power just fine.
My SE is heavily modded and it’s awesome, currently FBO Stage 2 E85 and it’s a rocket.
that is a 2022 (not 2023)
Yep, I noticed the same thing because the 2023 GTI has GTI embedded in the headrest.
In other words, the MK7/7.5 GTI/R generation is the best GTI/R generation made.
Torque steering is actually not a good thing and I wonder anyone will feel exciting about it🤔
I don’t know how he got torque steer. I have a FBO STAGE 2 e85 mk8 GTI pushing close to 400whp and barely get any torque steer. I have to really be flooring it to feel some tq steer