The 7th Generation Golf GTI - Fifth Gear
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- Tiff reviews the 7th Generation Golf GTI, which unfortunately proves to be a disappointment to him.
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In short, a review for the 1% of the use of the 1% of GTI's, 99% of people who buys one never takes it to a track day, It's an excellent street car, and helps a lot to not kill you and other people should you decide to play stupid on the roads. The DSG is sweeeet and responsive and in daily traffic conditions is super confortable.
+1
Tiff seems to only concerned with racetrack performance which is largely irrelevant in the real world. I understand what he's getting at but he's missing the point in real world drivability and living with a car long term. That's why the Golf is as popular as it is, VW understands this and builds the Golf appropriately and sells millions of them as a result, they're not building the car for ex-race car drivers on TV cars shows..
True, if you not into pushing a car, this thing is perfect. Quick, comfortable, practical, efficient. If you are into tearing up mtn roads while taking the long way home, I would look elsewhere. Remember he is giving his two cents, basically what he likes. I agree with him. If my civic si couldn't turn off all the nannies, I wouldn't have bought it. When going hard into a bend, it is great to have lift off oversteer if I am not going to make it, then back on the throttle ripping all the way to 8k
Well said ! I wish they talk more about how a car 'feels' instead of merely testing its track capabilities.
I think the limits of the GTi especially is capable enough for a good level of enjoyment on public roads without troubling the safety systems too much, let not forget these are public roads and at the end of the day the electronic nannies are there to try and save your arse! :)
You are referring to Golf 1.2 Tsi, Golf 1.4 Tsi, Golf 1.6 Tdi, Golf 2.0Tdi. He is testing the GTi, which should have good track performance.
Where is it written that a good road car also has to be good on the track? The GTi IS a good road car, if you want a track car why would you buy a front wheel drive car anyway? The Golf's working brief is much more important than being a track car.
o_O This car isn't a disappointment. The fact that the only reviews we see are from people who ONLY seem to review vehicles for the track, THAT'S a disappointment. The MK7 GTI is a great car and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. If any of you people know of any channel(s) that; review vehicle for the REAL WORLD, please direct me to them. Thank you!
Go to EngineeringExplained Channel, the host has a 20 minute video where he goes in ALL details about the car, listing all plus, minuses, and extra things about it. One of the greatest reviews I've watched.
A big disappointment that you can't make the car lose control on the track? lol was this a car review or a track car review lol. how many people take their cars to a track? that's like complaining why your microwave can't make you decent toast in the morning, or a formula 1 car being terrible becuase there is no room to put your shopping in, or take the kids to school. The golf is a road car for general use while being safe, comfortable, practical and has a bit of speed when you need it!!
I couldn't agree with you more! It's more of a B road bomb stormer than a track attack car!
Dude its a GTI for a reason, VW does sell it as a normal everyday car BUT it is also set for people who enjoy a good drive in the track, they wouldn't upgrade the models TDI, GTI because its an "everyday" use car, but because its meant for both
oh yeah. tune this puppy. drop a downpipe for the added sound. better intake for the turbo whoosh. lower it; stiffer suspension. A few grand into mods and it's wild on a track.
The thing about the EA888 engine is that it's a tremendous base platform.
It's a performance version of the road car, so it should perform during the track day too. Especially with the Perfomance Pack ))
And Clarkson owns one. That's good enough for me.
This is the opposite to every other review I've watched so far.... says it all really
spot on mate
Seems consistent with what I've heard. Which part of the review do you feel is inaccurate?
+JayTac1 The entire thing, the overall perception of the car and all the things he moans about, other reviews haven't even mentioned them and mention more positives than negatives compared to this review
Remember you can always pull the fuse.
Not much need for lift oversteer on my way to work my GTI MK7 is perfect for me. As Clarkson has found out how fast you can drive round a track has no relevance to how good a car is in the real world if you have to pay for your own tyres and servicing?
+Peter higgins ... exactly!!
+filespec because the GTI is great at overtaking slow ass drivers like you.
@@filespec because with a tune from apr and some suspension and sticky tires will put the gti in the front of the hatch platform
One of the many reasons 5th Gear will never be Top Gear.
Here's how you fix the stability control problem: Pull the fuse
its actually possible aswell to code it out and change the settings though the infotainment system
@@airplanejack true; but they probably needed a quick solution for the video. I have my car coded to be able to turn it off
I own one and love it.
Do you still have it? Does it have the performance package? I'm ready to get one and trying to find a used one. But finding one with the performance package is not as common and I'm wondering if I shouldnt bother.
@@GarethColquhoun I ended up getting a 2015 GTI. Upgraded it with a Unitronic Stage 1+ and slotted rotors with the red stuff pads. Absolutely love it!
me too
Me too
two different cars? he was driving a dsg one at the start and a manual on the track
This is a road car, not a race car. Tiff only gives cars a good rating if it drives like a race car. Think it's time the old Tiff model is retired and a new model brought in.
Unfortunately a Mk7.5 Tiff would not show the same improvement that VW has. And the Sterling Moss vacancy is not available.
worst review in history?
Agree 100%
Thankfully these electronic helpers can't be switched off totally. Most gti buyers are just average drivers. They need every help they can get, especially if the road conditions are bad. Not everyone is a Motorsport ace, even if he thinks so.
Pretty damn beautiful car
This is one of the reasons that I dislike Fift Gear. Tiff is talking about "problems" that 95% of all GTi drivers will never feel or even know about.
This car is meant to be driven on public highways, so driving like a completely twat, Tiff, is generally outlawed. I know that you're only trying to find the car's limits but they are going to be high for the buying public. Most will never reach them and hopefully for those deluded boy-racers that do find the limits, I won't be on the road travlling in the opposite direction or if I am, I hope the computer-controlled checks keep the twats from crashing into me.
If you hold the traction control button for 5 seconds, it does switch off the stability control too
While I share Tiff's feelings re. being unable to drive a car without the electronic overlord, I find it a bit weird to call an otherwise brilliant car a "disappointment" because of that inability. Thing is: A GTI isn't a racing-car and it's not a "track-tool" (like a Caterham or a KTM X-Bow), either. The vast majority of hot hatches will never spend any time on a race-track and I'd hazard a guess that most owners of one would find lift-off oversteer a bit scary.
Yes: The ability to be driven hard and fast is a major selling point for a hot hatch (that's why VW have been holding their GTI-launches at Paul Ricard for at least three generations now), so picking out that one aspect for criticism isn't "unfair". But having your dislike of a car like the GTI hinge on the fact that you can't drive it like a hooligan is a bit narrow-minded. The GTI is a sporty all-rounder, meant for everyone and everyday use. That's why apart from a more powerful engine and a stiffer suspension it still has things like five seats and a big boot.
I know what you mean, but in my mind a "sensible hot hatch" (what often is used to describe vw gtis) is a bit of an oxymoron. I understand vw in terms of shifting their target market to the average person rather than the hardcore enthusiast, but then I end up asking myself if it deserves the gti badge if it lacks the hooligan nature of its ancestors.
Forgot to add... I realise car badging is a powerful tool and is completely understandable why a big car company like vw would want stick their prestigious gti badge on a car more people would want to buy and live with
Yeah, I take reviews done by race car drivers with a grain of salt because they've driven cars that are finely tuned for a race track and always have that feeling in the back of their heads when reviewing every day road cars.
Hey Tiff, I hear Top Gear is looking for hosts. You'd be the perfect candidate since Top Gear is garbage as well as your review of the GTI.
uhh no
DZEMAG who shat in your mouth buddy, you sure do talk a lot of shit!
Does this guy realize this isn't a race car?
I'd like to see some statistics on how many buyers of hot hatches go to race tracks with their cars. I'm guessing probably not a lot. If you're going to test a road car, do it on the road. If you're going to test track car, then do it on the track. Just from my personal test driving and from professional reviews which test hot hatches in the environments in which their designed and ultimately driven, the GTI is always a step ahead. Can't beat her refinement and feel. Not to mention practicality. Honestly, if you're buying a GTI you probably don't have enough money for a fleet of cars so practicality is important. GTI = best buy
I can't believe how a simple VAGcom edit would save the gti so much criticism. VW is stupid-they got all the complicated stuff right, like the chassis, steering, and engine, but won't let you turn off esc.
This is the group who prefer a sti over the golf r...madness
On NO... not able to turn off ESC since so many of us go to the track... SHUT UP!
+Jason Green It's just odd for a "performance" car. Wouldn't be a big deal on the standard Golf.
It's turned into a large luxury GT car.
Premium unleaded?
Why is Tiff trying so hard to drift a front wheel drive car? Yea, maybe you can, but why would you need to? FWD really isn't the smoothest platform for drifting anyway.. Question is... Who's going to drift on the street? Let alone a FWD car? And for those who do take their car to autocross or open lapping days, how many people drift in those situations? Drifting isn't the fastest way to get around the track anyway. Shouldn't we enjoy a car for what it is? It's a FWD car, slow in, fast out, drives like a dream if you evaluae it as a FWD car. No point trying to cut steak with a butter knife, they both serve different purposes. I bought the MK7 GTI, swayed by the Chris Harris review and never had a moment of regret, this is not the most expensive, but yet one of the best cars I've owned thus far.
By the way ESC / Traction can be completely turned off with an aftermarket VCDS cable.
I agree with everything you said, and bought one in August. I didn't know you could disable the stability though, I wonder if it would make the car faster or slower during Autocross courses (seeing that it will brake the inside wheel might make it faster with it on...)
Kevin Cheung Tiff is not just trying to drift this car for the sake of driftting but more or less pushing the car to it's limit to see how the new chassis behaves relative to the old one as well as the competition. Given this car's current crop of competition, the chassis dynamics of this car is not quite keeping up. Sure, for someone not seeking the extremes Tiff is hinting at, they will find this car quite satifying. However, for those seeking a bit more in this class of cars will simply find it elsewhere in the competition. After all at the end of the day it comes down to choice.
Silverdeamon92 I highly disagree. He is trying to drift the car. The GTI throws down better track times than the Focus ST, and the chassis is fantastic. It's also faster in a straight line, as the power VW lists is at the wheels, not the crank. What Tiff is complaining about is the fact that the chassis isn't loose like the Focus ST. While I'll admit that the Focus ST can be more fun in some situations, the GTI is a more mature car with a Audi grade interior. Just because it doesn't get sideways says nothing about the chassis' ability to compete.
Silverdeamon92 Anyone serious enough to want to drift this car, would just disable vehicle stability entirely with an aftermarket diagnostic cable. It can be done, and is done by enthusiasts on a regular basis. But... Honestly, you give the car as is to a another equally skilled pro driver with nannies on, they will probably drive this car faster than the average person can with all the nannies off. This is the exact reason why I don't watch Top Gear anymore, drifting the car is irrelevant to 99% of the people who will actual buy the car, regardless of what car you are talking about. I for one, have never seen someone drift an STi on the street, or the track on open lapping day, have you? You can't judge chassis abilities with nannies on, so saying the chassis dynamics can't keep up is just an assumption, not fact. The Golf R, and the Audi S3 are all built on the same chassis, the MQB platform, all 3 cars are actually critically acclaimed for their chassis dynamics. Just watch Chris Harris drive the GTI and the Golf R, he has nothing but good things to say about the car and it's chassis. Just go and test drive one, you'll understand then, as a package, the Focus ST, though a great car, isn't really in the same league.
ParkersGarage Not faster in a straight line... Stock Mazdaspeed 3 is still faster than a stock gti in a straight line. The Focus ST stock is faster than the Mazdaspeed 3.
I have to agree with folk already who state that this isn't a track car. I have just bought a new, standard 5 door GTI and it is exactly what I wanted. I didn't want a track car, just a really nice, fast, accomplished hatchback...... being of a certain age, there was one clear choice. Tiff does sound a bit pompous sometimes.
MK IV GTI is still by far my favorite.
If you are going to track this car. The first thing you do is a stage 1 tune at minimum which will allow you to completely disable traction control.
Exactly.
if your stubborn like me you wont give up there, i went into my fuse box and pulled all the electronic saftey system fuses even airbags leaving me with lots of dashboard lights, but lots of FUN!
Just remember to replace the fuses immediately if you ever crash. Don't want the insurance companies to find out :-P
Guys an idiot! Where can I possibly go slide around like that? I don't have time, money or access to a track. Here's what I got. A 2015 GTI with the Auto box with 280 HP and 352 Ft Lbs of torque! Thanks to a $750 APR flash. Car is fast!!, very little torque steer, wheel spin in second and third shifts. On ramps and passing cars has never been more fun.
+victor van dyke y dun u just tune a stage 1 ? it increase 95 hp which mean after tune is 310hp
The only disappointment is this guy's ''review'' based on ESC and not realizing it's not a race car
It's not that. Hot hatches and have always been strongly linked to lift off oversteer and handbrake turns etc. Old school hot hatch fun is what he was after (what the mk1 and 2 gti were famous for). It may be a technically superior car from a day to day basis, but the real question is does it deserve the gti badge from and enjoyment standpoint?
@@kieranmz4614 It's a hot hatch that stays out of ditches? Problem?
@@johnfrench7452 I don't have any issue with it having esc. My issue is the inability to turn it off on the odd occasion for a bit of sliding if the driver intends to. I am aware of the changes of the typical gti buyer (less hardcore enthusiasts these days who care about steering feel etc) hence the greater focus on day to day usability and comfort and therefore a permanent esc system wouldn't bother most of them. Besides, the greatest hot hatches aren't remembered for the overall usability and a utilitarianism, it's their engine, handling and character which usually embeds them in the history books. 205 gti, mk2 golf gti 16 valve, 106 rallye, 182, st180, focus rs etc.....
@@kieranmz4614 Which is why some manufacturers make hard core hot hatches for hard core boy racers! Let's just overlook the fact that some of them have CVTs.
@@johnfrench7452 Indeed but shame since the gti badge carries a lot of heritage. One more thing; when reading reviews on vw and audi hot hatches (modern ones) the term "sensible hot hatch" is sometimes used. It just seems to be a bit of an oxymoron or maybe my thinkings just too old fashioned?
Reviewed from a professional race drivers piont of view, but really most of us wanna have a bit of fun but we also want to stay alive. The driving aids are there for a reason. Im sure though with some tinkering in a garage, you could disable the nanny features for some old school driving fun.
The only "disappointing" thing is that Tiff doesn't understand what a hot hatch is meant to be.
So you're disappointed at a company disabling it's vehicle ability to allow you to be stupid? Your "fun at the track"=people getting into real world accidents for trying to copy you in a real life with road full of people.
That's like having a DSLR camera with no manual mode cause the engineers know best.
I love what you wrote. I agree he is an idiot
mid-life crisis lmao
I love my GTI MkVII. I learned to drive stick in a MkVI, I've spent some time in my buddy's Mk3 Focus ST, and well as a topped out Sub STI. My best experience has been in the GTI--but my GTI also has more luxury features than any of these others I've driven.
Golf Mk3 VR6, Mk4-5 R32 is all you need, that sound... >>>
I'm getting a mk5 r32. :3
Good choice!!! I have a MK3 GOLF VR6, love the sound
Expecting that Golf would be a hard core racer is missing the point of GTI. If it were so, sells figures wouldn't be so high. Should it have 300hp? Sure, but then the gas consumption and maintenance goes up while real world doesn't care about 0-60 that much.
Exactly!! people don't get it, VW is trying to sell more, and appease to the mainstream buyer all the while retaining it's enthusiast drivers as much as possible. Honestly I HATE stiff rides, I'm glad it's more comfortable to drive, and the stearing isn't as harsh. I'm a commuter, yet want that power when I need it, as I do drive often on highways and hills. Focus ST and Fiesta ST are only manuals, yuk!!! what commuter in their right mind wants a manual??...this car is an all-rounder that ticks every box on the list.
Yes, the Golf GTi is the supreme all rounder with price taken into consideration. It might not be the "most" fun but it IS fun, it might not be the fastest but it is quick and when it counts in the real world it's the best GTi. This is why thrashing it around a track doesn't mean anything to speak of.
Ismael Rivera your mom likes to ride the stick (if you know what I mean muhaha)
Those who are not concerned about 0-60 buy the normal Golf. The GTI, however, is for those who are concerned, so these minute details do matter.
I have a 2005 Infiniti g35 6 spd manual coupe for rear wheel drive fun and I'm getting ready to sell my daily driver ( 1996 Nissan 200SX SE-R 5 spd manual) and buy either a 2016 Golf tsi or a GTI . The GTI would fit the bill perfectly for a daily driver that's well built , comfortable ,practical and fast enough to be fun when I want it. I'm 46 and have a 9 year old son. There is a market for a car like the gti for people like me that don't want an suv ,we want a smallish fast car that's more subtle and ,IMO, classier than the usual boy racer. The new civic type r looks pretty cool but it's just fast and furious for a somewhat old dude like me and the vw has more room- I'm 6'2".
You got it yet Chris?
+RUSSELL SPEARINK I ended up getting a 2016 Golf se and kept my Infiniti g35 coupe for fun.
+chris diesenbruch Sounds like you probably made the best choice fella. I've been tempted by 'hot' VW's on occasion, but always concluded that better thrills, equipment and edgier styling were available for the same or better money. For a 'normal' car I suspect they are probably quite good. Can I ask what changed your mind? Many thanks
+RUSSELL SPEARINK for what I wanted to spend it was either a bare bones gti or a golf with sunroof, keyless entry, push button start, upgraded fender stereo....besides the 1.8t is a just a smaller less powerful gti 2.0 . So I got it as a nice, refined practical daily driver and have the 6 spd manual, rear wheel drive g35 coupe for fun.
+chris diesenbruch Sound logic sir. Thanks
I wonder if the permanently on ESP has something to do with reducing insurance costs?
Surely there must be a way of disabling it? A fuse? An ECU tweak?... That said you'd seldom want to turn it off on the road, so what makes the golf so boring and predictable on the track is perhaps what makes it so safe and surefooted on the road. Different horses for different courses.
The ESC actually can be switched off if you have a VAGCOM and make a few software tweaks. Anybody who has any business turning ESC off will be able to do it.
There is a reason why Chris Harris golf gti mk7 has over 1m views at present. Full road reviews matter
VAG tune can solve the ESC problem.
Yep, I bought this car to be great on British roads. Funny that. If you want a track version, get the R, or something lighter and more extreme. I think that this video tells you more about Tiff than it does about the Golf... and that isn't very nice.
If he'd held the traction control button for 3 seconds, he'd have deactivated the stability control, too. Lol
This is possibly the worst review on anything. Ever.
If you want to see a review for this car that isn't just relying on a track, watch Top Gears from 5 years ago. Jeremy Clarkson compares it to a BMW and loves it.
You can change ESC Sport to ESC Off with VCDS. So if you really need that lift off oversteer on the track, you can fully disable it at your own risk. You could also just drive the GTI better, it's meant to be a stable vehicle.
I agree with the others that said this review seemed contradictory to other reviews (even track reviews), but maybe others don't get to drive high end cars? As for me I don't get to drive high end cars either and I won't be going to the track so most of this review is worthless. Your road review consisted of saying you couldn't hear the exhaust so you were disappointed. Because everybody wants gaudy loud exhaust on road trips or going to work.
I have heard that the gti only has 170hp. wtf?
beephex1 Not true. In fact, the factory rating of 210HP is grossly underrated by VW. Brand new stock GTIs are showing +260HP and 315 lb/ft torque at the crank o.O And 260HP = 193 KW ;-)
Should have reviewed the Golf with a manual transmission.
I want one currently have fiesta st
Tiff is the best!
Also nice to see review that is more balanced and honest when dealing with VW.
My monies on the 2015 Civic type R, think its going to be epic!
and you are a bullshit because my money is on the Golf R
aaaahhh, poor little angry man.
tiff has spoken.. i shall buy a 4 door mk5 gti then
They are good
but remember that the MK7 with APR Stage 1 ECU tuning makes 300HP+ and 370TQ+ for $700, the MK5 only made 270HP and 300TQ Stage 2 and that requires ECU tuning, air intake, and exhaust that'll run you $550 for the ECU, $300 for the intake, and $950 for the exhaust that,s $1800 BUCKS and in the end it makes LESS POWER, you might not be able to turn off all the electronics in the MK7 but stage 1 will provide enough power for most of us and still get the best MPG that the GTI has ever gotten and it only cost $700 bucks, if you've ever spent money on aftermarket performance than you know as well as I do that making that kind of power that cheap is a STEAL
You need 300 hp for what, red light racing ?
istvan buda dude, seriously you don't get it? why are you looking at this car then? better yet why are you watching fifth gear at all?
but in all fairness, if your a noob, go watch the mighty car mods video called "how to reflash your ecu", if that doesn't explain it enough then your hopeless, and you should go buy a base model
I watch fifth gear not the car and so you telling me every fifth gear is about VW gti?
The first golf has DSG gearbox, when he goes on the track its a manual gearbox
This review went way over the general publics head, sounds about right.
Once again Tiff is hating on the Golf GTI mk7. This is the third video I've watched with Tiff complaining about it. For the rest of us who don't know Bernie, I screwed up F1, Ecclestone, the new GTI is an amazing car. So Fifth Gear how relevant is a review by an old race car driver anyway.
To COMPLETELY disable stability control all you need do is hold the TCS button for 3 seconds. Perhaps he didnt think to try that, perhaps the test model wouldn't allow it - but I assure you, once this is done you can get the mk7.5 completely sideways without any interference whatsoever.
How come he went from driving an auto to a manual
This man is old.......old and rusty.
I bet he'd still out drive you any day
come back when you have a clue
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiff_Needell go clue yourself in first. I'm going to bet this "old man" has more experience on a racetrack than you.
I didn't reply to you Tomoy, zip it
DumpValvesAndDnB my mistake. you're right. jrgti80 needs to get a clue
47.1 mpg?
Notice how Tiff talks about the E-Diff and the extra sports dampers like they're essential yet slams the car for it's track performance. Firstly he's probably paid off by VW to try and get buyers to tick the options list but his recommendations go against his hatred of the car on the track as his views are almost contradicting one another. Too many reviewers slam cars for not handling on the "limit" but as others have pointed out, most of us don't and probably can't do that on public roads unless we want to cause accidents, or lose our cars in crashes.
I love this car. It has everything you need. But I understand Tiff's viewpoint as well. I don't need some electronic nanny governing over me just because some bellend in corporate decided that I was too stupid to drive.
Shame on you, Tiff. Your statement about the engine is A LIE. This engine is a great deal more powerful that the previous one, even more than the figures suggest. The MKVII GTI accelerates to 200kph just as fast as a MKVI Golf R. If you lied about the most easily identifiable aspect of the car, what can be said about the rest? This review always sounded biased to me. Today it sounds even more.
if you hold the esp button in 3 sec you get in esp-sport, only one click is asr off only. esp-sport is more free and playfull. have driving this car and its amazing:)
The car he road tests has chrome gti badges which means it does not have the performance pack. The gti performance pack has red gti badges and big red gti brake callipers
Neil Kerray he drove two cars in the review a manual and an auto.
How did I end up here? What am I doing with my life?
Lmfao I love what u wrote o cannot stop 😂. You rock
Miss the GTI 1, 1984, the purrfect car, no bullshit there! So fun to drive!!
Tif Needell is the real deal.
Sure this car will just be used on the road, but its nice to see someone who knows what they're talking about, throwing its around on a track.
Two different cars in the road and track. Same reg but I'm sure the first was paddle shift and the second had a proper gear box.
They should test on Roads we always use City and Country Roads
Not a Racetrack
0:17 Finished last thanks to a car without a proper handbrake, The Astra VXR, witch end up against the Megane RS
Is this the performance pack version?
You have a Trackday plug in "Carista OBD2 an fix it. ESP off.
I need to buy my first hot Hatch but I'm undecided between this and the megane rs .... Pleeease help!!!!
Fifth gear crap , top gear much better and like chalk n cheese with gti review. Iv had mk5 gti now own mk7 gti n is an amazing car got revo remap and is over 300 bhp and with DSG gearbox its a rocket
+craig Cameron This is extra.
1:15 What is that option??? WHY MY MK7 GTI DOESN'T HAVE THAT??
U could pull out the abs fuse:)
then I guess it not worth it to get the performance package(2295$ in canada) if we cannot make a real profit out of that differential , I will still buy this car in april =)
It appears to struggle for sales.
I see more Mk7 GTD and Golf R's than I do GTI's.
It's expensive, not that fast and isn't as good looking as its competitors. (Although I know this is subjective)
You can buy a Focus ST for less which has more power.
Or, if you really want that diff, which is very good, the Seat Leon Cupra 280 shares the same platform and has 60 more hp, and comes with the diff as standard, and costs less too but sports a Seat badge, rather than a VW/Audi one even though it uses parts from the same bins.
to me it looks so much better than the competition
It's not a bad looking car, it's just it's priced 4k higher than it should be. If it was early 20's, then it would sell a lot more, but with the R offering 80 more hp and a 4WD system for not much more money, and the GTD offering considerably more economy for similar money and in a market of very few, those make sense. The GTI is priced too highly for what it is and is competing against it's own brand line because it's been dragged into a higher level because of it's price.
Tiff is RIGHT, you buy a car, you should be able to drive it when you want. I agree about the driving aids but you should be allowed to disable them and drive the car.
how old is he?
....since when has sideways powersliding been the fastest way around a track? He mentions this when comparing to the MK5. I agree that having just a little bit of looseness in the rear at the limit is nice, but he's just ripping on the MK7 bc he cant drive it like a maniac. I think its a fantastic car, and in the US....we don't have ESC :)
Psssst... You can completely disable the stability program with a €70 OBD dongle and an Android app.
Fun fact, 99% of the people that buy these dont take them out on tracks and burn their tires to hell.
So MKV for race tracks, MKVII for motorways.
Maybe with a modified ECU the stability control would be completely off.
Come on Tiff. The GTI is not and never was a track attack vehicle! It's a car where one would go to the furthest grocery store and attack B roads!
Lazaro Carreiro The new Civic Type R is the Track Attacker now, but with a shitty hard ass ride. Im so glad i went with GTI Clubsport which will own it in ride area & most other.
pass dramatic wave typically privilege garage judgment feature.
Buy a focus st mk3 & have an all round smile 😆
looking at that car makes my head hurt it's so ugly. and it's american, no one in their right mind would buy a focus st over a gti lol please
chadgrov The new focus and ford cars in general was designed by people who design Jaguars and Aston Martins. There's some Euro aspects to the car. If anything, it's more "eurocentric" than american.
@ JoshuaM yeah theyre the only american car company that isn't total garbage, however, the focus st still looks like an awkward mess. it's tacky and ugly, opinions are like assholes but the golf R is just a far more sophisticated and refined package. not even that aston martin front grille can save the focus
chadgrov I love the Golf R.
+chadgrov The Focus ST is designed in Germany.
Like a lot of racing drivers he has missed the point of this type of car!, on public roads the golf comes into its own!, entertaining enough whilst being refined!, if you can live with a civic type R then good for you!
just take the car to any ecu store and they can take care the esc problem for u small case
Jeremy Clarkson said it best: Race car drivers' opinion about street cars doesn't matter. Because they compare every car to a race car.
Tiff oh Tiff oh Tiff, just remove the ECU fuse.
Who goes on the track, most wont ...>
I'm thinking about a GTI so looking at reviews to compare it to GTD, but when I saw it was Tiff doing this review I didn't bother watching any further, how many potential golf owners actually care about going sideways? This is why I don't watch 5th gear - him and Vicky can't seem to review a car without continually driving sideways - I'm not knocking their driving talent but it's just not relevant (nor even entertaining), they make Clarkson's reviews look positively consumer friendly!
2 different cars...the first car had paddle shifters...the car used on the race track didn't...
Hot hatchbacks have the potential to be the greatest vehicle type.. practical sports cars which are better than SUV's at almost everything except towing. Even Subaru was tempted to turn the WRX into a hot hatch.. with awful results. Weirdly, hot hatches always end up niche, trailing the sales of wasteful SUV's and lumbering trucks. VW messes up here with a combination of cheaper quality and underpowered, enforced stability which shuts down any fun.
Have always been a fan of Tiff and his expertise, but sadly not this. As others state, I feel he missed the point here although he is technically correct from where he is coming.
Review has nothing to do with everyday driving.