Seen one parked up locally recently, exactly the same colour...Absolutely stunning IMO, and a good continuation of the mighty diesel...Long may they continue....
I bought a new Mk7 GTD in 2015 and loved it, mostly. 50-60 mpg, comfortable and quick enough. The thing I did NOT like was far too much tyre noise on some of our rubbish UK roads (18 inch wheels). Switching to winter tyres from the supplied Bridgestone Potenzas did improve it a bit. Hopefully the Mk8 is better in that area. I have a 330d X drive touring now which is incredible - 50-60mpg, very quiet and loads more performance than the Golf. However, almost £50 a month for car tax is really p***ing me off now. Next time I change, I might go back to a Golf GTD with car prices rocketing up as they have done. As long as they get rid of those horrible touch buttons and keep it under 40K.
I had 2 7.5 GTD's and now a mk8 GTD (I actually contacted you in April to see if you wanted to review it). I don't care what anyone says about the Mk7.5, the Mk8 is leagues ahead, it drives so much better and handles so much better, it's also quieter and smoother. And you know what, I also like the infotainment, it's not that hard to get your head around. It works so much better with Android Auto, and now it's wireless is awsome.
Nice to have the owner feedback Timothy. Thanks for the offer of a drive, I hope I did reply. A lot of UA-camrs don't care about insurance but I do and it's a grey area when it comes to filming cars you don't own on motor trade policies. This GTD was a family member's car and driving it 3rd party on my GT4 policy was worth the gamble, it's not worth the risk with someone else's car.
i bought a 21 gtd a few months ago and love it. i did have lots of problems though to begin with like i needed a new steering wheel because the sensors clapped out in it and i was getting lots of error warning on the dash. then i needed a new gear selector VW said when investigating the wheel. finally i needed a new oil sensor after a 600 mile round trip to devon. all was covered by warranty thank god. a little issue i found now though is i feel its got a bit sluggish over the last month. i drive in comfort setting only flipping to sport when a good bass heavy song comes on lol but i find the peddle response to pulling away a little laggy. i did read that the car defaults to comfort after every start up and i tried what some suggested switching to another drive mode then back to comfort but i cant help notice the lag and i dont want to drive exclusively in sport because i like the 48 mpg urban driving i do. does anyone else suffer with lag on their mk8 gtd?
It's really annoying how people are hyper critical of the Mk 8 and unconditionally praise the Mk 7. Especially driving wise the 8 is vastly superior. The rest is mostly personal preference. I bet most people never drove or lived with a Mk 8. It's a great car all around.
Amen. Not only are they hyper critical but a lot of the media have been factually incorrect, 3 years after launch an evo journo was banging on about a function being hidden in the menus. Just set the shortcut up once and it's a just a downward swipe away
I couldn’t agree more. I have owned many generations of the Golf, and all of the recent ones, and the 8th generation remains unbeaten in terms of handling, comfort and seat comfort. It is also user-friendly. A great car! And another great review! Cheers, Tom
@@pauldavies7251The interior of the 7 is full of cheap plastic too. People act as if the 7 is a Benz while the 8 is a Hyundai. Golf is an economy car and the materials have always reflected that.
Good video Andrew. The GTDs I feel have always been a bit underappreciated. I had two Mk7's as company cars some years ago and I really liked them. Quick and punchy, revved well, even sounded half decent for a diesel (even the fake sound was alright), chassis wise basically the same as a GTi....at that time the standard alloys were a nicer design IMHO and I personally preferred the grey accents, particularly inside as it was way less chintsy. Probably the best thing about it was even driven like a wally, it was hard to get it to go below 35mpg, a GTI driven much the same way be easily 10 mpg less. Sadly my 2nd one was a summer holiday built car, and was terrible, with lots of build flaws and electronic gremlins, to the point I threw it back at my fleet dept and was happy to have anything but that car. Regardless I still stand by the Mk7 GTD being an excellent car (when built properly 😂). Two big things bug me about VWs nowadays, one the price....when I think back to 2015/16 when I had mine, at 28 grand I felt they werent exactly a cheap car....not too many years later they are basically 10k more expensive....and are definitely not 10k more car. Also, no doubt whilst they drive brilliantly and have lots of standard tech, they arent built anything like as well as they used to be...think the same can be said for most of the mainstay VAG products, Audi included. Sadly UK condemnation of anything thats not an EV renders cars like this a rarer and rarer sight.....certainly as a company car I dont think many people could or would entertain/justify something like this nowadays, despite being exactly the sort of vehicle most people would choose to have.
Great owner feedback, thanks. Well said re blinkered EV incentivisation. With regards to pricing, in 2019 my mate bought a six month and 8k mile old 7.5 GTD Estate, DSG & metallic for £21500 from VW, hard to believe now
@@volkswizard cheers Andrew, agree used car prices are a bit all over the place nowadays, I guess at the moment demand probably still outstrips supply (another thing to thank COVID for hey?!). I've moved away from new cars to buying several year old cars outright as I just can't bare the finance deals anymore. One of the best ones I had was a PCP on a new 2013 Octavia 150 TDi Elegance manual estate. I think the car was less than 24k, barely any deposit, 0% interest and comfortably less than 300 a month for 3 years. A bit beige, didn't handle very well, but well equipped and was so light (no multilink) it was barely slower than the GTD, was actually a bit of a sleeper. Make a good used buy I think.
Thank you for such a thorough review. I’ve had my Mk8 GTD for 2 years now (following a Mk7 GTD) and have been really pleased with it other than the much discussed sub-optimal infotainment system. All the torque you need for swift overtaking and 60mpg regularly achieved in mixed driving. Quiet & refined too.
Mine is identical to this one, Had it since June and i'm very happy with it. 62mpg with a mix of driving. But have had 700 miles(66mpg) out of a tank of Esso premium derv.
Incredible.....the best I can manage out of my 7.5 GTI PP is 48 to 50. My wife's 7 Tdi 1.6 on the same runs I can get 68 mpg....diesel is much better imo and I live very rural and most of the time you can only go as fast as the line of cars ahead
Great as ever Andy, thanks. As an ex company car schemer I was a Golf nut…Mk 4 GTI (I never knew otherwise, actually loved it), Mk 5 GT 4motion, Mk 6 GTD (prrrrrretty), Mk 7 GTD (overall winner), then Mk 7.5 GTE (chhhhheap, and only realising after it went how great it was). The GTDs were fab cars so not surprised to hear your review. Clearly years working my way up to the R only to faint at the Mk 8 prices, £4k less for a more prestigious option so perhaps if they fix the dodgy buttons (and the pricing) the 8.5 may get another look in…👍🏼 Look forward to the next vid…
Thanks Ray, great to hear your serial Golf ownership story. I think VW will have to get real with prices if they want to sell cars what with interest rates limiting what people can actually afford (it is after all the 'peoples' car). Already hearing about £45k list price 8Rs being sold for £36k brand new. New model will hopefully see revisions here too
You should! It's a bit like when Mk4 TDI 130 came out, sales people had it so easy when customers experienced the bang of the turbo and the torque kicked in, only difference now is that it a bit smoother but even stronger. Your Mk7 is good but I think you'll feel the difference
An excellent review. Unfortunately there are currently (Oct/Nov’23)no new cars available for retail purchase in the dealer network. There are a few new cars available for lease and several low mileage second hand ‘demonstrators’. Last month there were three cars available. Luckily I managed to obtain one of these; a cancelled order with the option list thrown at it, unfortunately taking it well over the 40000 threshold. Previously I have had 2 mk4 TDIs (115&130), a mk5 GTsport (170), MK7 GTD and two 7.5 R’s. The MK8 is an excellent car which over the first 3000 mins has regularly returned over 60mpg (average 57mpg). It’s a genuinely nice place to be. The infotainment system is ok and, as Andrew has pointed out in a previous video, there as a number of quick access features. - the issues are real but over hyped, mainly by car journalists who don’t live with the car and jump on the band wagon. DCC is excellent and makes a huge difference to the feel of the car, compensating for any (negligible in every day driving) effect that the slightly heavier diesel engine has. Overall a better, more solid car than the MK7/7.5.
Great episode, you just can’t beat a golf in any shape or form fantastic cars for everyone. Love the GTD and love the small differences attention to details :) I have a caddy maxi and have achieved 0ver 60+ to the gallon. My Mk5 R32 is coming back from the paint shop Friday can’t wait to see it Im chasing perfect:) Great video yet again Vdub :)
RE AUDIO QUALITY - you suggested I buy a new mic and even though the background noise issue was actually the old Hero 4 camera, I did and it works really well with my Iphone 12 for the walkarounds as it's light and compact and audio and video quality are a step up. In this video there is some distortion which I have pinned down to wearing the mic back to front, easy mistake and I will not do this again (my other mic (Rode) works either way round). The new mic has background noise cancelling function though filming by a busy road it can only do so much. The in-car footage was filmed using the old mic & GoPro Hero 5 which I don't think anybody complained about before so hopefully audio issues now sorted!
I ordered a new GTD in 2021 and got an unbelievable discount. With metallic paint, glass roof, 19 inch wheels and rear camera. All for £31,500 and it arrived in July 2022. Stupidly I sold it for £35,700 4 months later and even I got a big profit I actually regret selling it.
Hi Andrew. Had a 7.5 GTD as a lease when I was putting in the miles. Loved it. My retirement present was a Mk8 GTI as less miles now and tbh even with some glitches(all fixed) it works for me. Took you advice and fitted the RL air filter and hoses plus the RL360 19" alloys. Facelifts? I'm happy thanks. Great VW video as always.
Mk8 owners do seem to be largely happy but VW need to convert those that have believed all the inaccurate media reports about the user interface. Glad you enjoyed the vid Tony, and are enjoying the mods👍🏻
Thanks - which bit has the mic issue? I was told to buy a new mic via comments, it was actually the camera but new mic seemed to work OK with no background noise but it has this strange distortion which I am working on. Sorry about that.
Hey don't be sorry mate..... The first 10 seconds sounded distorted more noticeable on my TV than the phone... Just keep pumping out those great videos... What i like and I'm sure a lot of other subscribers is your just an old school car reviewer guy which is rare now on youtube nothing fancy just cars which are affordable to the average Joe
Thanks! BTW worked out the mic was worn back to front for the distorted bits, really annoying as my old Rode mic could be worn either way. Hopefully cracked the audio now :)
Good to see some more VW content Andrew. I have a soft spot for GTDs, seeing as I owned and drove a 2010 MK6 GTD DSG for 9 years, and only just traded it in as it wasnt ULEZ compliant (After trying to track down a DCC GTI, I eventually settled on a 7.5 Golf R with DCC/Leather - little less dynamic than the GTI, but its kind of what I want right now) and it really was great. Similar to this one, but with a less power, the torque was great and on dual carriageways and motorways it was a great overtaking machine. Never enough power to really get you in trouble massively, but it would get you near pretty sharpish! That amount of power and tourque on this MK8 seems a great combination, along with that economy too, and Im sure you could have a lot of fun wringing its neck and still coming out with good numbers. Part of me wonders if I should have considered the MK7.5 GTD, but I think I just wanted to get a petrol again. Who knows, by the time Ive had the R a while, these might have come down to reasonable prices, and at least we will have a good idea of what the facelift will have done to the interior. As said before - good to see more content, keep up the good work as always!
Thanks so much Jonathan and once again thanks for your informed ownership perspective. You might be interested in some more VW content I've got lined up soon ... ;)
@@volkswizardintruiging. I know theres some facelift content coming, but didnt think that was going to be any time soon, so what else could it be? Keeping me guessing here...
@@volkswizardsorry but the mk7.5 gtd is an absolutely fantastic car , i had one from mew & worse mistake i made was sell it, Even tho ive now got a stage2 mk7 R, The gtd is everything anyone could need
Nice to see some VW footage Andrew, GTD is a cracking motor, can't understand the diesel negatively that we have, my mk 7.5 on a long run will do 65 mpg, whats not to like about that ? with regard to the dpf, the problems encountered with them clogging up is normally from the regen cycle not being allowed to complete, my mk 7.5 let's me know by the revs increasing to about 1000 rpm on tick over with the fan running also, if you know to let it tick over till the revs drop back to its usuall 550 rpm then that's the regen cycle complete and you can stop the engine, obviously not every one knows to do this, and it only normally happens after a spell of short runs, doing longer motorway runs and the dpf will passively regen whilst you're driving and you'll never knows its doing it, I work with big diesels like plant, tractors and trucks and we've had this technology along with ad blue / SCR since 2006 so I've got quite used to dealing with the issues that do crop up from time to time
Same, I have a 1.6 TDI DSG golf mk7.5 and the I know when it's regening as well because it goes upto 1k rpm and when I see that, I just take it up the local dual carriage way, stick it in sport mode and drive a total time of like 10 min at sport mode because it holds the gears so keeps the RPMS over 2000 therefore allowing the regen to complete. The way know that it's complete without stopping and seeing if it's dropped down to the usual 800rpm idle is to see is if auto start is not available message has disappeared from the reports section under car section. Of it has, then the regen has been completed. Knowing this trick will keep the diesels from clogging up the dpf and egr valves
yes !! taking it for a good run whilst it is doing the regen is also good and will do no harm, if more diesel drivers did this instead of just stopping the engine there would be less problems@@rejoicerone3176
Have a R Line 2L TDI 150bhp in Moonstone grey with upgraded wheels, winter pack and Par roof. This my 3rd Golf in a row previously Mk5 and Mk7. Great car except for the software gremlins, reboots itself every so often, going in November to hopefully sort it out. Drives well and does over 60mpg on long runs and no need to stop every 200 miles to charge it up for hours.
Great review, I got an octavia 245 vrs with vaq absoloutly love it, it's manual as not convinced of DSG long term..... Very fast BALANCED car. Not as fast as my dc5
That's a fascinating review - particularly as I used to own a Mk7 GTD. Interesting to note the ride is ok, my GTD was brutal & noisy on passive dampers and 19" wheels. There's a lot I liked about the GTD - I still miss that car in a lot of ways. It enjoyed being driven hard & would easily do high 50s MPG on a long run (certainly more than my current Mk 7.5 R estate does😂). I'd love a 4motion GTD - that would be a machine! It was certainly easy to wheelspin the Mk7 GTD & I'm sure the Mk8 isn't any different. My R doesn't feel much torquier. As for the Spec: I wouldn't get the 19" wheels, as I'd have the Harmon Kardon premium system instead - a car that will likely be doing fairly long trips needs a premium sound system & adding better wheels is a lot easier than adding an aftermarket sound system! To be honest, I hope the facelift version is better - I really have no desire to get a Mk8 at all (despite the chassis - I could not live with that smartphone interface at all. I don't particularly like the exterior or interior styling either). All subjective, I guess! Thanks for another great video - the channel has excellent content!
Probably sacrilege on here but recently I was loaned a 120d Xdrive and I thought it was just as good as my GTD and in fact I preferred the BM over a Mk 8 for now because it still has real buttons and idrive.
@@51StPi I completely "get" that - if i was buying just now, I'd certainly consider a 1 series over the Mk8 Golf. Particularly as it's available with x-drive (that alone makes it worth going for the BMW). Only thing that would stop me is the availability of the Golf as a performance estate (which is a pretty niche market, to be fair) - nearest equivalent to that is the 3 series touring, but the latest incarnation looks worse inside than the Golf (it doesn't even have a proper instrument binnacle 🤮). Indeed, one of my colleagues has just got a 128ti - after previously testing a GTi...
@@andrewmcivor42 I regularly drive a new and an old shape active tourer, you eventually get use to that dash with no idrive controller but it always nags at you and for me ruins the car. To press home on the touchscreen on a normal road I unconsciously always end up hooking fingers over the top of the screen to brace so I have more chance to accurately place my thumb on home, the thing is crap, stupid and dangerous, meanwhile in the old system the number of twists and clicks are in my muscle memory, miss the programmable shortcuts and the volume knob too, the volume roller placed on the armrest is a poor substitute. Rant over, and yes estates are very underrated, there’s always still the Superb but Skoda as well unfortunately seem to be going more form over function with every generation.
Do you have any idea when the facelift Mk8.5 R will be available for order after 4 and half years of my 2019 S3 and gonna be looking to change next year .
Well facelift will be early 2024, I doubt 8.5R will be from initial launch but unlikely to be a year behind base models like Mk8 was as it won't be as different so I'd expect second half of 2024 at latest.
The S4 TDI is on my list, just waiting for prices to drop, the memory of the press drive in 2019 is still with me today and not just the bit where I was waiting for Sideways Sid to eventually bring the car back :)
@@volkswizard fantastic! Yes the S4TDI is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Understated and soo much grip. I've pushed it this summer but can't seem to get it to slide. 🙃
It will soon be the weather for sliding a modern quattro Audi, greasy roads mean you can do it more safely at slower speeds, just be careful as that's a lot of weight to move around. Having said that still safer than terminal understeer of old Audis :)
Another great video Andrew . It’s a shame so many people aren’t buying diesels at the moment . I myself will have to think about this when it comes to my next car
Thanks Marc, it will be interesting to see how things pan out with values. What saddens me is that petrols (inc hybrids unless plugged in to charge) emit more Co2 and contribute more to global warming yet the media demonise diesels just because they are a bit worse for local air quality (only very slight worse for EU6 diesels)
❤ Your vlogs. The gtd is not that great IMO for mpg! My mk7 gtd dsg was lucky to do 37mpg. I got a mk7 gti in exchange and it's tuned 300bhp and it does 38mpg! Work that one out? Lol. My golf r mk7 standard is around 34/35mpg
for what its worth my NA 2013 TDI equipped sportwagen has staggered exhaust much like that, no tips but it follows the bumper contour the same. its subtle and if you never previously owned one you wouldnt pick up on it immediately. i think my 03 tdi Jetta Wagon even had the staggered exhaust. wish a gtd sw came to the usa but i know there is a better chance of finding Rudolf Diesels remains than this ever happening.
@volkswizard yes Andrew the prices for everything are among the highest in Europe.Vechicle reg tax is very high .The government taxes the motorist unfairly. I have a 2020 mk 7.5 vw golf 1.5 tsi manual in indigo grey with black satin wheels.I happy with it I can't afford a mk 8😂
I was told to buy a new mic to get rid of background noise, I did that and it worked but there is distortion now as you mention which I'm gradually working on.
@@volkswizard it sounds like the audio gain is too high particularly at the start and end of this video with the voice clipping or distorting. Agree with Edward - almost unbearable to listen to those sections.
Thanks @volkswizard, great review. This was the golf I ordered in 2021 exact spec, and still never got it due to production delays, so here's hoping for a facelift and i might be able to get my hands on it 😄, had a mk7 and 7.5 gtd and both bullet proof great cars, all the best
Yeah hopefully so, although not sure if a GTD will be a good choice by then considering the rising costs of diesel and petrol and the leccy push. But I'd like one more golf GTI or GTD before the changes 👍
Nice review but I’m not sure about the point you tried to make on the needing to do mileage to go for the gtd over a gti, the gtd is better on fuel at any speed, the performance is better in towns and city’s with all that low down torque plus it costs far far less to tax. Town and city driving is not great for the dpf if you never give it a run, but the gti is fitted with an Opf which equally needs a blast now and then.
Really love how it looks in that colour and those wheels. I have always been a Golf guy,had quite a few 7’s and 7.5 and at the time thought the GTD couldn’t be topped as an allrounder,sadly they have just gone out of my price range now.
Lovely to see you review a 2023 Golf 8 in Dolphin Grey on the channel! Really enjoyed it. The GTD has escaped me too for this generation and your objective review is a breath of fresh air within context. I’d personally miss the VAQ but the Golf 8 is a phenomenal package when it works. We have two in our family now (both built post autumn 2022) and they’re just brilliant. I love driving mine to work with the absolute comfort, style, and onboard toys that I could ever ask for before driving home like a greased ferret; you can feel all of the 45 years’ experience contained within the overall package. I even like the haptic buttons 😂 the 8.5 has potential for legendary status to ensure that the Golf is the first and last ICE hatchback.
Hi 👋 really enjoyed the video 🎉I normally lease cars 🚗Im not sure whether to choose 2ltr r-line 150 diesel or the 2ltr GTD I Do around 20 mile a day mileage to work n back 🤔 The R-line to lease is around £20 more than GTD 🤯 Enjoyed the video Just not sure 🤔
More for the R-line?! Go for GTD! The reason must be better residual value on GTD, they have a following on the used market which is probably in excess of supply as so few get bought new - opposite is true of GTE
I have an mk 4 Octavia RS diesel which has the same engine and gearbox as this car. I had a mk 8 golf for two years before that, a 150 bhp tsi. The golf was well built but id say the Octavia feels better put together. And the golf had endless sensor faults. Anyway im glad you mentioned the torque available with this engine as it is Incredible. Overtaking is simple.I could see even you were impressed with it.
I was impressed for sure! I reviewed the petrol Octavia vRS when it came out in 2020 and it didn't really do it for me, I think this engine would suit it better but you won't get the Golf's chassis dynamics as IIRC the Octavia is deliberately set up to be softer. But you get more space for less cash which for some will be a better choice
@@volkswizard Mine has DCC which is not a gimmick. It's great on rough or broken tarmac in comfort mode and in sports mode on a good road the handling is transformed. But , like you say, I doubt it's as sharp overall as the GTi.
@@richarddastardly6845 Yes. It will be 2.0 TDI 150. Really 800 miles hows that? This is 1287 km thats unbelievable result. Now i make 1000km with 50 liters Volvo v40 D4. I drive everday 40km in one way thats 80km just work.… 60km of that is highway.. nice engine i think
@@richarddastardly6845 Ok i will see result and write here 😉. To work and home i drive 110-120 on highway and normal outside. That will be good result i hope. Becouse someone say take etsi it good enough but diesel is diesel and that new engine is perfect i read it. And dsg service on 50-60k
Would love a GTD, would go for a GTE if I wanted to be a test buyer at launch but even a 7.5 GTD would make me happy! I'm in the states and they don't produce them over here so I had to bite the mpg bullet and get a GTI
@volkswizard Too right! I do love my GTI. I just wish the tank would get me a little further! Only the guys in half-tonne trucks or big SUV's getting 10-20mpg complain about fuel prices here 🤣
Apparently new GTE offers GTI levels of performance but there is no getting away from the weight and used demand is less consistent especially as they age
Had a Mk7 GTD and loved it. That was followed by a Mk7.5 GTI, which i love, but, after 7 months of ownership it went up in value by almost 3k!! I took advantage and went for the Mk8 GTI. Love the look of the Mk 8 but after months of issues with the infotainment system and steering wheel (replacement steering wheel), i am changing from VW to BMW tomorrow. Mk 8 i feel has a lot of issues, which is a real shame as it looks great, and drive well if you ignore the warning lights that constantly show. This has made me go to BMW
Whatever the Government tell you to do, do the complete opposite!!! . I’d rather walk than sit in an electric vehicle. They have taken the passion out of motoring. Vw diesels, you can’t go wrong imho.
I did know that as I googled it while researching it and Mk5 was the most talked about model with it, just thought it was worth reminding people as it's a good feature.
@@volkswizard no problem. I think you didn't describe the comfort level of this car with 19s. How comfortable is it compared to other golfs? Other GTi s? Is it generally comfortable to drive?
My daily driver is a MK7.5 GTD. Great car, quiet, comfortable, quick enough with plenty of tech. 80k miles on it with no issues. Always loved Golf’s but I’m not as keen on the mk8 so my next car will be an Audi A3, although I think it’s shame that you can’t seem to get an A3 with the same engine/power as the GTD like you could on the previous gens. Diesel is not dead yet!!
@@volkswizardno, the only other one with this engine would be the Octavia vRS. Seems crazy that you can get a 4WD diesel version in a Skoda but not an Audi considering their brand was built on Quattro. Even BMW offer a 4WD diesel hatchback in the 120d XDrive! Considering what you’ve said about the mk8 GTD, I can’t help but think they should’ve put that engine in to more cars on this platform.
I've got the mk7 version this car and it's mapped just at a stage 1 and it surprises so many cars on the road plus its great for a work commute at the same time. Had mine just over 5 years and it's the first car I've had that I just don't want to get rid of.brilliant review. I'd love to see what this does with a map on it.
VW were unlucky to take the brunt of dieselgate, the detrimental view of diesel is largely from bad reporting and is only true about pre EU6 vehicles which were ironically all out of production when dieselgate hit. In fact VW had complied to EU6 years before they had to.
quite agree Andrew, bad reporting and lack of knowledge, plus I feel the greed of people claiming through diesel claim is one of the reasons that put the cost of new cars up, VW and others recouping the cost of the payouts and fines @@volkswizard
Mk8 is growing on me, still not sure how I'd get on with the interior but with the right colour, it's not the assault on the eyes I thought it was originally(!) Not sure if it's just me, but the roads in the road test footage look similar to the ones TR Hamza blasts down? Would've been an interesting collab between two VAG fans 😁
That's progress re Mk8 looks then! I know Hamza is local so it's not impossible (I was just to the north of Brum in Sutton Coldfield) but TBH those roads were terrible to film on so I hope his are better :)
Great video as usual, I have a MK8 plug in hybrid and it surprises me how quick and well it drives despite the extra weight plus it has proper buttons on the steering wheel.
Thanks Mark, I need to watch my Mk8 GTE video again as I suspect I quite liked it and it was much nicer to drive than 7.5 version but GTD is next level in no small part to just being lighter. Interesting about the buttons on wheel, the early ones did have these, how old is yours? By the time GTE came out most 8s were haptic.
@@volkswizardMine is a 2022 plate registered in March, really is great to drive and can honestly say I have had no issues with it and being able to use the VW app to preheat the car on a winters morning is great.
Andrew. I had a few Mk 7 GTD’s at work and thought they were great cars but haven’t had a Mk8 to compare. Do you have any idea when facelift Golf will be built? I’ve a speccy Golf R on order and no build date but would obviously want the upgraded dash etc as I intend to keep it for years (and hope to once the ghost immobiliser is fitted)! Keep up the good work and hope to see you at 100k subs very soon.
Thanks so much Howard! By all accounts the facelift will be announced officially in early 2024 with the order books opening then. There is a huge backlog of Mk8 orders to process so I suspect the official channels will be very quiet on this to not annoy VW as who wants a new car they ordered 2 years ago to be an old model when it arrives (well maybe 7.5 buyers would have been OK but this facelift is very important). If you've got a car on order now, I can't imagine it will come through as a facelift as a lot will have changed. Bearing in mind factory orders were 12-16 weeks in the good old days and didn't always get a build date that quickly there's still plenty of time for yours to be a Mk8 but let me know how it pans out.
@@volkswizard Thx for the info. I will let you know what happens. We now have some build dates for Golf R (for our lease fleet) that were ordered at the beginning of the year. They will have a few options but not as many as I’m after! Best wishes.
Great video! Very interested to hear how ‘quiet’ the Mk8 is. My ehybrid (1.4 tsi and motor) is horrible on the motorway with the engine running, 70 mph is at approx 2300 in 6th and the drone into the cabin is unbearable, I have to run it in 5th on the motorway to make the drone go away. GTD sounds like a world away from the plug in hybrid models…. Cheers
I can't wait to see that interior, the Macan one was a half way house and was OK but I bet they'll go separate climate but still touch sensitive like in Tiguan and Arteon facelift
I still prefer my 2015 VW Golf GTD 184, with its 19” Santiago Alloys, heated front windscreen, reversing colour camera, lane assist and self driving steering, uprated sound system, deep black metallic paint, red brake calipers, LED headlights with automatic high beam and turning headlights with the steering, than the newer Mk8 Golf GTD anytime.. lets see what the Mk9 VW Golf is like when it’s released.
Hi Andrew a great review of the GTD as you know I had a golf 8 very early 2020 car and I really enjoyed the drive of it always put a smile on my face and I would still love to try the upper spec models as mine was a life! Love dolphin grey and wish I had ordered it instead of moonstone! One of the best things I loved about my 8 was the lovely mood lighting in the dash and doors on a night! Can’t wait to see what they do with the facelift car All the best Daniel
Thanks for your ownership perspective Daniel, very interesting. If VW mess this facelift up I think I’ll be done with them, Golf 8 was a bit of a joke in retrospect, so lots to play for 👍👍
I have a 23 plate R Line and while the car is a good drive the touch screen controls are terrible. Such a hassle to change the climate controls, fan speed etc. a couple of physical buttons would be welcomed. The lane assist needs to be turned off at the beginning of every trip or it drives you into potholes or nudges the steering every now and again for no reason at all. The touch screen alone though is enough for me to not buy another golf, it’s that bad.
I had an early MK8 R line TDI but sent it back 8 months in, for the very same reasons you describe, plus the random electrical glitches, but mainly because the emergency braking would come on for no reason on the motorway, happened 4 or 5 times and it got scary, VW dealer couldn't sort it, kind of lost my trust in it then, so went back to a MK7.5 GTD, no issues at all with it, plus I prefer having 3 doors.
I had the 7.5 version, great car…..but I always felt it needed a little more “oomph”. I now have an SQ5 and the 3 litre lump, is a banger…shame they never shoe horned it into the Golf and chucked in 4wd..
I think you'll find the 8 significantly faster than 7.5, 16 hp is only part of the story, amount of torque and spread is neck straining. With AWD it would be epic but once you get going traction isn't an issue so there's something to be said for the simplicity of 2WD. Would love to drag race an SQ5 to find out for sure :)
I owned a mk7.5 GTD with 30k miles and loved it, but to continue receiving Company Car allowance I had to sell as it had passed 5 y/o - My intention was to upgrade to the mk8 although unfortunately the mk8 GTD is above my company’s Co2 allowance of 130g/km, very frustrating in many ways!........Good review.
Great video as always...I wonder if you have a kind of rebuttal to the rumour/news that Vw is on the precipice of failure due to its overreaching into the EV sector which it knows isn’t the real future? Toyota think the same apparently. There’s a UA-cam video on it somewhere that includes the head of VWs warning to stop spending immediately!
Think the 8 looks fugly,had my 7.5 gti now over 4month and don’t like it that much the gearbox feels like it’s having a fit the sensors are to sensitive keeps locking the brakes on when a twig is close getting my mk5 gti back out the garage after winter
I had a 2020 MK8 GTI and sold it as I was plagued with constant faults on the dash. I had the steering wheel replaced twice and was waiting for a 3rd as its full of sensors but the dealer said that there was no date for the new wheel as the company that made them had gone out of business. I really liked my GTI and I would still have it if it wasn't for all the software issues I had.
I had a mk 7 tdi auto, absolutely loved it till I was in a major accident that wrecked the vehicle and me , if your a mile munchers this is a fabulous vehicle they say 52mpg but I have seen 60 , iq lights are a real game changer, the only headache is Kahn and the Labour government, Kahn want to increase air quality restrictions 2027 diesel being out petrol eu5 , and labour want a national air quality control policy that will remove all the old cars sub eu4 which penalised anyone owning a diesel. You have to be a mile muncher 30 mile commute or the dpi will clog around town driving, but if your town driving only the gte is the way to go providing you can charge
Definitely, if they work for you. The company car tax rules force first owners into hybrids or evs, take this perk away and for normal people who aren't running cars through companies, more efficient and reliable diesels still make a lot of sense if you do the miles. And because of the imbalance in supply on the used market, their second hand values are more solid than ever.
sold mine, loved it performance wise and running cost but the infotainment crashing , travel assist errors and random software issues couldnt be fixed by VW dealer , 3 new steering wheels , loads of software updates sold it such a shame
Same with my GTI CS, going by the official technical bulletins VW AG clearly didn't give 2 hoots about sorting out our exclusively RHD issues on cars already sold (new cars now seem OK) so that was it. They said some issues were caused by owners resetting the infotainment system with a long press of power button (as recommended by main dealer techs) and as a result they were only going to attend to the issues that cause you to reset. That was it for me, as the issues they said were caused by a reset were happening without a reset on my car, so there was zero chance they'd sort them out. It was better car one I disabled traffic sign recognition controlling the cruise control
I think the diesel GTD was withdrawn from the Aussie market due to poor sales. A visit to my main dealer had only SUVs. No GTI and only one black R demo. The choices are limited. I like the T-Roc R, but it's pricey. Love Dolphin Grey and Moonstone grey. Cheers.
Thanks for the down under feedback Philip. How much people care about Co2 emissions is reflected by demand for inefficient ICE SUVs. Only when you tax the hell out of them do they change their buying choices and they can only get away with that on company car drivers who buy a lot of new cars percentage wise but are a small proportion of the those actually on the road.
Thanks - I think I've cracked it. This time the mic was on my collar backwards - silly mistake caused by my previous mic being able to be mounted either way. Have since recorded another (VW) video and all seems OK so fingers crossed.
Good car if you are doing long runs, short journeys and city traffic aren’t the best for diesels as I have learnt to my cost. All my cars over the last 20 years have been diesel but went to petrol again with a 2018 R estate which I have really enjoyed.
Great review as always Andrew, however despite the overall package of the mk8 I simply couldnt live with the shiny black plastic on the dashboard. Ive saw it first hand in a friends car as for me it is a case of costcutting over style and durability. It makes me pine for the dashboards of yesteryear like the ones Audi and BMW used to do 😉
I had a 1.5 TSI R line from Goodyear in early 2021 to test their all season tyres. ua-cam.com/video/RdGwjVzfwx4/v-deo.html Weirdly I didn't review the thinking better opportunities would arise. Always had a lot of respect for Golf R line in 2.0 TDI 150 guise as that's still a puncy engine and looks and spec of R line are pretty much as good if not better than the old GTD.
Id love one, but doing 30k a year personal and private new car on lease just isn’t an option. Maybe a facelift with the rectified interface in 3 years when someone’s put 30k on it, that’s how I tend to buy.
If you do short journeys in these things you get a lot of the dreaded regen cycles that kills the mpg neglecting diesel.. imo the petrol GTi is the much better package
I love the quality and finish on my mother in laws T ROCsport, but the adaptive cruise control is so annoying. You should be able to have just cruise control, not this follow the car in front which is travelling slower
Seen one parked up locally recently, exactly the same colour...Absolutely stunning IMO, and a good continuation of the mighty diesel...Long may they continue....
Well said Spike!
I bought a new Mk7 GTD in 2015 and loved it, mostly. 50-60 mpg, comfortable and quick enough. The thing I did NOT like was far too much tyre noise on some of our rubbish UK roads (18 inch wheels). Switching to winter tyres from the supplied Bridgestone Potenzas did improve it a bit. Hopefully the Mk8 is better in that area. I have a 330d X drive touring now which is incredible - 50-60mpg, very quiet and loads more performance than the Golf. However, almost £50 a month for car tax is really p***ing me off now. Next time I change, I might go back to a Golf GTD with car prices rocketing up as they have done. As long as they get rid of those horrible touch buttons and keep it under 40K.
I had 2 7.5 GTD's and now a mk8 GTD (I actually contacted you in April to see if you wanted to review it). I don't care what anyone says about the Mk7.5, the Mk8 is leagues ahead, it drives so much better and handles so much better, it's also quieter and smoother.
And you know what, I also like the infotainment, it's not that hard to get your head around. It works so much better with Android Auto, and now it's wireless is awsome.
Nice to have the owner feedback Timothy. Thanks for the offer of a drive, I hope I did reply. A lot of UA-camrs don't care about insurance but I do and it's a grey area when it comes to filming cars you don't own on motor trade policies. This GTD was a family member's car and driving it 3rd party on my GT4 policy was worth the gamble, it's not worth the risk with someone else's car.
i bought a 21 gtd a few months ago and love it. i did have lots of problems though to begin with like i needed a new steering wheel because the sensors clapped out in it and i was getting lots of error warning on the dash. then i needed a new gear selector VW said when investigating the wheel. finally i needed a new oil sensor after a 600 mile round trip to devon. all was covered by warranty thank god. a little issue i found now though is i feel its got a bit sluggish over the last month. i drive in comfort setting only flipping to sport when a good bass heavy song comes on lol but i find the peddle response to pulling away a little laggy. i did read that the car defaults to comfort after every start up and i tried what some suggested switching to another drive mode then back to comfort but i cant help notice the lag and i dont want to drive exclusively in sport because i like the 48 mpg urban driving i do. does anyone else suffer with lag on their mk8 gtd?
It's really annoying how people are hyper critical of the Mk 8 and unconditionally praise the Mk 7. Especially driving wise the 8 is vastly superior. The rest is mostly personal preference. I bet most people never drove or lived with a Mk 8. It's a great car all around.
Amen. Not only are they hyper critical but a lot of the media have been factually incorrect, 3 years after launch an evo journo was banging on about a function being hidden in the menus. Just set the shortcut up once and it's a just a downward swipe away
I couldn’t agree more. I have owned many generations of the Golf, and all of the recent ones, and the 8th generation remains unbeaten in terms of handling, comfort and seat comfort. It is also user-friendly. A great car! And another great review!
Cheers, Tom
@@tomashley5869but its way overpriced, the interior is cheap plastic ,
The interiors are more like a ford focus now 😭
I own 3 vw's by the way
@@pauldavies7251The interior of the 7 is full of cheap plastic too. People act as if the 7 is a Benz while the 8 is a Hyundai. Golf is an economy car and the materials have always reflected that.
Good video Andrew. The GTDs I feel have always been a bit underappreciated.
I had two Mk7's as company cars some years ago and I really liked them. Quick and punchy, revved well, even sounded half decent for a diesel (even the fake sound was alright), chassis wise basically the same as a GTi....at that time the standard alloys were a nicer design IMHO and I personally preferred the grey accents, particularly inside as it was way less chintsy.
Probably the best thing about it was even driven like a wally, it was hard to get it to go below 35mpg, a GTI driven much the same way be easily 10 mpg less.
Sadly my 2nd one was a summer holiday built car, and was terrible, with lots of build flaws and electronic gremlins, to the point I threw it back at my fleet dept and was happy to have anything but that car. Regardless I still stand by the Mk7 GTD being an excellent car (when built properly 😂).
Two big things bug me about VWs nowadays, one the price....when I think back to 2015/16 when I had mine, at 28 grand I felt they werent exactly a cheap car....not too many years later they are basically 10k more expensive....and are definitely not 10k more car. Also, no doubt whilst they drive brilliantly and have lots of standard tech, they arent built anything like as well as they used to be...think the same can be said for most of the mainstay VAG products, Audi included.
Sadly UK condemnation of anything thats not an EV renders cars like this a rarer and rarer sight.....certainly as a company car I dont think many people could or would entertain/justify something like this nowadays, despite being exactly the sort of vehicle most people would choose to have.
Great owner feedback, thanks. Well said re blinkered EV incentivisation. With regards to pricing, in 2019 my mate bought a six month and 8k mile old 7.5 GTD Estate, DSG & metallic for £21500 from VW, hard to believe now
@@volkswizard cheers Andrew, agree used car prices are a bit all over the place nowadays, I guess at the moment demand probably still outstrips supply (another thing to thank COVID for hey?!).
I've moved away from new cars to buying several year old cars outright as I just can't bare the finance deals anymore. One of the best ones I had was a PCP on a new 2013 Octavia 150 TDi Elegance manual estate. I think the car was less than 24k, barely any deposit, 0% interest and comfortably less than 300 a month for 3 years. A bit beige, didn't handle very well, but well equipped and was so light (no multilink) it was barely slower than the GTD, was actually a bit of a sleeper. Make a good used buy I think.
Thank you for such a thorough review. I’ve had my Mk8 GTD for 2 years now (following a Mk7 GTD) and have been really pleased with it other than the much discussed sub-optimal infotainment system. All the torque you need for swift overtaking and 60mpg regularly achieved in mixed driving. Quiet & refined too.
My pleasure, thanks for the ownership insight, glad we concur
I hope this leads to more VAG diesel reviews from you, a neglected sector on UA-cam these days. Thanks for all your informed content.
Ive had a mk8 gtd since 2022 april and with mixed driving I get about 40mpg...I really don't understand
Mine is identical to this one, Had it since June and i'm very happy with it. 62mpg with a mix of driving. But have had 700 miles(66mpg) out of a tank of Esso premium derv.
Incredible.....the best I can manage out of my 7.5 GTI PP is 48 to 50. My wife's 7 Tdi 1.6 on the same runs I can get 68 mpg....diesel is much better imo and I live very rural and most of the time you can only go as fast as the line of cars ahead
Went from a 7 GTD to a 7.5 GTI and frankly I miss my GTD
What did you miss? I’m thinking of making the same change
Care ot explain?
Great as ever Andy, thanks. As an ex company car schemer I was a Golf nut…Mk 4 GTI (I never knew otherwise, actually loved it), Mk 5 GT 4motion, Mk 6 GTD (prrrrrretty), Mk 7 GTD (overall winner), then Mk 7.5 GTE (chhhhheap, and only realising after it went how great it was). The GTDs were fab cars so not surprised to hear your review. Clearly years working my way up to the R only to faint at the Mk 8 prices, £4k less for a more prestigious option so perhaps if they fix the dodgy buttons (and the pricing) the 8.5 may get another look in…👍🏼 Look forward to the next vid…
Thanks Ray, great to hear your serial Golf ownership story. I think VW will have to get real with prices if they want to sell cars what with interest rates limiting what people can actually afford (it is after all the 'peoples' car). Already hearing about £45k list price 8Rs being sold for £36k brand new. New model will hopefully see revisions here too
Let’s hope so Andrew, and I know who to speak to for re-homing the interim wagon 👍🏼 Cheers
Loved my mk7 GTD . Would be interested to try this based on the review.
You should! It's a bit like when Mk4 TDI 130 came out, sales people had it so easy when customers experienced the bang of the turbo and the torque kicked in, only difference now is that it a bit smoother but even stronger. Your Mk7 is good but I think you'll feel the difference
An excellent review. Unfortunately there are currently (Oct/Nov’23)no new cars available for retail purchase in the dealer network. There are a few new cars available for lease and several low mileage second hand ‘demonstrators’. Last month there were three cars available. Luckily I managed to obtain one of these; a cancelled order with the option list thrown at it, unfortunately taking it well over the 40000 threshold. Previously I have had 2 mk4 TDIs (115&130), a mk5 GTsport (170), MK7 GTD and two 7.5 R’s. The MK8 is an excellent car which over the first 3000 mins has regularly returned over 60mpg (average 57mpg). It’s a genuinely nice place to be. The infotainment system is ok and, as Andrew has pointed out in a previous video, there as a number of quick access features. - the issues are real but over hyped, mainly by car journalists who don’t live with the car and jump on the band wagon. DCC is excellent and makes a huge difference to the feel of the car, compensating for any (negligible in every day driving) effect that the slightly heavier diesel engine has. Overall a better, more solid car than the MK7/7.5.
Great episode, you just can’t beat a golf in any shape or form fantastic cars for everyone. Love the GTD and love the small differences attention to details :)
I have a caddy maxi and have achieved 0ver 60+ to the gallon.
My Mk5 R32 is coming back from the paint shop Friday can’t wait to see it
Im chasing perfect:)
Great video yet again
Vdub :)
Glad you enjoyed it JB! Hope Friday is good weather for you and R32💓
RE AUDIO QUALITY - you suggested I buy a new mic and even though the background noise issue was actually the old Hero 4 camera, I did and it works really well with my Iphone 12 for the walkarounds as it's light and compact and audio and video quality are a step up. In this video there is some distortion which I have pinned down to wearing the mic back to front, easy mistake and I will not do this again (my other mic (Rode) works either way round). The new mic has background noise cancelling function though filming by a busy road it can only do so much. The in-car footage was filmed using the old mic & GoPro Hero 5 which I don't think anybody complained about before so hopefully audio issues now sorted!
I ordered a new GTD in 2021 and got an unbelievable discount. With metallic paint, glass roof, 19 inch wheels and rear camera. All for £31,500 and it arrived in July 2022. Stupidly I sold it for £35,700 4 months later and even I got a big profit I actually regret selling it.
Hi Andrew. Had a 7.5 GTD as a lease when I was putting in the miles. Loved it. My retirement present was a Mk8 GTI as less miles now and tbh even with some glitches(all fixed) it works for me.
Took you advice and fitted the RL air filter and hoses plus the RL360 19" alloys. Facelifts? I'm happy thanks. Great VW video as always.
Mk8 owners do seem to be largely happy but VW need to convert those that have believed all the inaccurate media reports about the user interface. Glad you enjoyed the vid Tony, and are enjoying the mods👍🏻
Fantastic review as always haven't seen a gtd review as good well done... have to say what's going on with your mic... Sound quality lately is poor 👍
Thanks - which bit has the mic issue? I was told to buy a new mic via comments, it was actually the camera but new mic seemed to work OK with no background noise but it has this strange distortion which I am working on. Sorry about that.
Hey don't be sorry mate..... The first 10 seconds sounded distorted more noticeable on my TV than the phone... Just keep pumping out those great videos... What i like and I'm sure a lot of other subscribers is your just an old school car reviewer guy which is rare now on youtube nothing fancy just cars which are affordable to the average Joe
Thanks! BTW worked out the mic was worn back to front for the distorted bits, really annoying as my old Rode mic could be worn either way. Hopefully cracked the audio now :)
@@volkswizardthe summary at the end was clipping hard too.
Good to see some more VW content Andrew. I have a soft spot for GTDs, seeing as I owned and drove a 2010 MK6 GTD DSG for 9 years, and only just traded it in as it wasnt ULEZ compliant (After trying to track down a DCC GTI, I eventually settled on a 7.5 Golf R with DCC/Leather - little less dynamic than the GTI, but its kind of what I want right now) and it really was great. Similar to this one, but with a less power, the torque was great and on dual carriageways and motorways it was a great overtaking machine. Never enough power to really get you in trouble massively, but it would get you near pretty sharpish!
That amount of power and tourque on this MK8 seems a great combination, along with that economy too, and Im sure you could have a lot of fun wringing its neck and still coming out with good numbers.
Part of me wonders if I should have considered the MK7.5 GTD, but I think I just wanted to get a petrol again. Who knows, by the time Ive had the R a while, these might have come down to reasonable prices, and at least we will have a good idea of what the facelift will have done to the interior.
As said before - good to see more content, keep up the good work as always!
Thanks so much Jonathan and once again thanks for your informed ownership perspective. You might be interested in some more VW content I've got lined up soon ... ;)
@@volkswizardintruiging. I know theres some facelift content coming, but didnt think that was going to be any time soon, so what else could it be? Keeping me guessing here...
Dolphin grey. That was an old Bmw colour, mainly the 3 series.
Exactly, some Volvo and Kia also had the same colour , it’s fine no one can copy right for a colour 😂
Golf's peaked at 7.5
Not when it comes to driving
Looks and tech wise the 7.5 is the better car, the 8 may drive better but the radio would drive me nuts
@@volkswizardsorry but the mk7.5 gtd is an absolutely fantastic car , i had one from mew & worse mistake i made was sell it,
Even tho ive now got a stage2 mk7 R,
The gtd is everything anyone could need
Yup. It’s like we all know. Mental. Wonder once past 8.5. Nine will be the spiritual high
I peaked at 6.5, then I got cut now I’m 6 max #CorcumcisionIsAMistake
Nice to see some VW footage Andrew, GTD is a cracking motor, can't understand the diesel negatively that we have, my mk 7.5 on a long run will do 65 mpg, whats not to like about that ?
with regard to the dpf, the problems encountered with them clogging up is normally from the regen cycle not being allowed to complete, my mk 7.5 let's me know by the revs increasing to about 1000 rpm on tick over with the fan running also, if you know to let it tick over till the revs drop back to its usuall 550 rpm then that's the regen cycle complete and you can stop the engine, obviously not every one knows to do this, and it only normally happens after a spell of short runs, doing longer motorway runs and the dpf will passively regen whilst you're driving and you'll never knows its doing it, I work with big diesels like plant, tractors and trucks and we've had this technology along with ad blue / SCR since 2006 so I've got quite used to dealing with the issues that do crop up from time to time
Same, I have a 1.6 TDI DSG golf mk7.5 and the I know when it's regening as well because it goes upto 1k rpm and when I see that, I just take it up the local dual carriage way, stick it in sport mode and drive a total time of like 10 min at sport mode because it holds the gears so keeps the RPMS over 2000 therefore allowing the regen to complete. The way know that it's complete without stopping and seeing if it's dropped down to the usual 800rpm idle is to see is if auto start is not available message has disappeared from the reports section under car section. Of it has, then the regen has been completed. Knowing this trick will keep the diesels from clogging up the dpf and egr valves
yes !! taking it for a good run whilst it is doing the regen is also good and will do no harm, if more diesel drivers did this instead of just stopping the engine there would be less problems@@rejoicerone3176
My 7.5 GTD suffered from terrible road drumming. I'd be interested to hear if the Mk 8 is any different
Hi I have a 1.6 golf with 110 bhp what are your thoughts on having it remapped?
DPF ? My first Golf diesel was a non-turbo 1.5 , about as simple as an engine can get, mechanical fuel injection 50mpg. Lovely, a pity about the rust.
Great video Andrew…I loved my 7.5 GTD. although I love my 1 Series I do miss the power and torque…and the poppy out reversing camera
Have a R Line 2L TDI 150bhp in Moonstone grey with upgraded wheels, winter pack and Par roof. This my 3rd Golf in a row previously Mk5 and Mk7. Great car except for the software gremlins, reboots itself every so often, going in November to hopefully sort it out. Drives well and does over 60mpg on long runs and no need to stop every 200 miles to charge it up for hours.
Fingers crossed VW can sort the issues in November and then you can have a pretty much perfect car 🤞🏻
I wait rline same engine with DSG. Can u do 1100km with tank? On how kilometers u do service? 25k 30k ?
Thank you for posting ! Sure wish we could have this car in the US, sigh ! no estates-wagons or funs cars like this, not even the new Passat Estate.
Loved my GTD
Great review, I got an octavia 245 vrs with vaq absoloutly love it, it's manual as not convinced of DSG long term..... Very fast BALANCED car. Not as fast as my dc5
That's a fascinating review - particularly as I used to own a Mk7 GTD. Interesting to note the ride is ok, my GTD was brutal & noisy on passive dampers and 19" wheels.
There's a lot I liked about the GTD - I still miss that car in a lot of ways. It enjoyed being driven hard & would easily do high 50s MPG on a long run (certainly more than my current Mk 7.5 R estate does😂).
I'd love a 4motion GTD - that would be a machine! It was certainly easy to wheelspin the Mk7 GTD & I'm sure the Mk8 isn't any different. My R doesn't feel much torquier.
As for the Spec: I wouldn't get the 19" wheels, as I'd have the Harmon Kardon premium system instead - a car that will likely be doing fairly long trips needs a premium sound system & adding better wheels is a lot easier than adding an aftermarket sound system!
To be honest, I hope the facelift version is better - I really have no desire to get a Mk8 at all (despite the chassis - I could not live with that smartphone interface at all. I don't particularly like the exterior or interior styling either). All subjective, I guess!
Thanks for another great video - the channel has excellent content!
Probably sacrilege on here but recently I was loaned a 120d Xdrive and I thought it was just as good as my GTD and in fact I preferred the BM over a Mk 8 for now because it still has real buttons and idrive.
@@51StPi I completely "get" that - if i was buying just now, I'd certainly consider a 1 series over the Mk8 Golf. Particularly as it's available with x-drive (that alone makes it worth going for the BMW).
Only thing that would stop me is the availability of the Golf as a performance estate (which is a pretty niche market, to be fair) - nearest equivalent to that is the 3 series touring, but the latest incarnation looks worse inside than the Golf (it doesn't even have a proper instrument binnacle 🤮).
Indeed, one of my colleagues has just got a 128ti - after previously testing a GTi...
@@andrewmcivor42 I regularly drive a new and an old shape active tourer, you eventually get use to that dash with no idrive controller but it always nags at you and for me ruins the car.
To press home on the touchscreen on a normal road I unconsciously always end up hooking fingers over the top of the screen to brace so I have more chance to accurately place my thumb on home, the thing is crap, stupid and dangerous, meanwhile in the old system the number of twists and clicks are in my muscle memory, miss the programmable shortcuts and the volume knob too, the volume roller placed on the armrest is a poor substitute. Rant over, and yes estates are very underrated, there’s always still the Superb but Skoda as well unfortunately seem to be going more form over function with every generation.
Really good review this one, the mk8 gtd really surprised me and probably you with all the good points … 🙏
Do you have any idea when the facelift Mk8.5 R will be available for order after 4 and half years of my 2019 S3 and gonna be looking to change next year .
Well facelift will be early 2024, I doubt 8.5R will be from initial launch but unlikely to be a year behind base models like Mk8 was as it won't be as different so I'd expect second half of 2024 at latest.
Audio is a bit to high, makes it clip a loy
Thanks, pretty sure it’s sorted now for the next vids 👍
I did offer you the chance to drive mine when I first got it. I’ve sold it now as it was dull as dishwater.
Sorry Russ, it’s tricky driving owner cars from an insurance perspective. What do you drive now?
I love the new Golf GTD But I ended up buying the AUDI S4 TDI instead. Loads more power and torque . Horses for courses....
The S4 TDI is on my list, just waiting for prices to drop, the memory of the press drive in 2019 is still with me today and not just the bit where I was waiting for Sideways Sid to eventually bring the car back :)
@@volkswizard fantastic! Yes the S4TDI is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Understated and soo much grip. I've pushed it this summer but can't seem to get it to slide. 🙃
S5 diesel would be interesting too
It will soon be the weather for sliding a modern quattro Audi, greasy roads mean you can do it more safely at slower speeds, just be careful as that's a lot of weight to move around. Having said that still safer than terminal understeer of old Audis :)
@@volkswizardThanks I'm looking forward to it... hope you will do a review on the S4 TDI when you get it ❤
Another great video Andrew . It’s a shame so many people aren’t buying diesels at the moment . I myself will have to think about this when it comes to my next car
Thanks Marc, it will be interesting to see how things pan out with values. What saddens me is that petrols (inc hybrids unless plugged in to charge) emit more Co2 and contribute more to global warming yet the media demonise diesels just because they are a bit worse for local air quality (only very slight worse for EU6 diesels)
@@volkswizard couldn’t agree more. And when it comes to the disposal of said batteries when they fail .
❤ Your vlogs. The gtd is not that great IMO for mpg! My mk7 gtd dsg was lucky to do 37mpg. I got a mk7 gti in exchange and it's tuned 300bhp and it does 38mpg! Work that one out? Lol. My golf r mk7 standard is around 34/35mpg
for what its worth my NA 2013 TDI equipped sportwagen has staggered exhaust much like that, no tips but it follows the bumper contour the same. its subtle and if you never previously owned one you wouldnt pick up on it immediately. i think my 03 tdi Jetta Wagon even had the staggered exhaust. wish a gtd sw came to the usa but i know there is a better chance of finding Rudolf Diesels remains than this ever happening.
Good value.Prices for the VW GTD in Ireland start at £49998 Inc delivery .In Euro that's nearly €58000 euros😮
You are screwed on everything over there aren't you?
@volkswizard yes Andrew the prices for everything are among the highest in Europe.Vechicle reg tax is very high .The government taxes the motorist unfairly.
I have a 2020 mk 7.5 vw golf 1.5 tsi manual in indigo grey with black satin wheels.I happy with it I can't afford a mk 8😂
Please, please,,please sort your audio out. So much sibilance makes it uncomfortable to listen to.
I was told to buy a new mic to get rid of background noise, I did that and it worked but there is distortion now as you mention which I'm gradually working on.
@@volkswizard Hope you get a mix combo that works for you. Can I also add that, and you know, dolphin grey has been around for sometime.
@@volkswizard it sounds like the audio gain is too high particularly at the start and end of this video with the voice clipping or distorting. Agree with Edward - almost unbearable to listen to those sections.
Thanks @volkswizard, great review. This was the golf I ordered in 2021 exact spec, and still never got it due to production delays, so here's hoping for a facelift and i might be able to get my hands on it 😄, had a mk7 and 7.5 gtd and both bullet proof great cars, all the best
Thanks so much gregg, hopefully by the time facelift opens for ordering, production will be in full swing and you'll get a better car a lot quicker.
Yeah hopefully so, although not sure if a GTD will be a good choice by then considering the rising costs of diesel and petrol and the leccy push. But I'd like one more golf GTI or GTD before the changes 👍
Nice review but I’m not sure about the point you tried to make on the needing to do mileage to go for the gtd over a gti, the gtd is better on fuel at any speed, the performance is better in towns and city’s with all that low down torque plus it costs far far less to tax. Town and city driving is not great for the dpf if you never give it a run, but the gti is fitted with an Opf which equally needs a blast now and then.
Fantastic video as ever. Not sure if it’s my phone but distortion on audio? Keep up the great videos!.
Thanks, it’s me. Apologies. Learning new mic, bit late for this one but I’ve cracked it for next one 👍
Really love how it looks in that colour and those wheels. I have always been a Golf guy,had quite a few 7’s and 7.5 and at the time thought the GTD couldn’t be topped as an allrounder,sadly they have just gone out of my price range now.
Lovely to see you review a 2023 Golf 8 in Dolphin Grey on the channel! Really enjoyed it. The GTD has escaped me too for this generation and your objective review is a breath of fresh air within context. I’d personally miss the VAQ but the Golf 8 is a phenomenal package when it works. We have two in our family now (both built post autumn 2022) and they’re just brilliant. I love driving mine to work with the absolute comfort, style, and onboard toys that I could ever ask for before driving home like a greased ferret; you can feel all of the 45 years’ experience contained within the overall package. I even like the haptic buttons 😂 the 8.5 has potential for legendary status to ensure that the Golf is the first and last ICE hatchback.
Hi 👋 really enjoyed the video 🎉I normally lease cars 🚗Im not sure whether to choose 2ltr r-line 150 diesel or the 2ltr GTD
I Do around 20 mile a day mileage to work n back 🤔
The R-line to lease is around £20 more than GTD 🤯
Enjoyed the video
Just not sure 🤔
More for the R-line?! Go for GTD! The reason must be better residual value on GTD, they have a following on the used market which is probably in excess of supply as so few get bought new - opposite is true of GTE
I think its the GTD 🎉Does it matter about only doing around 20 miles commute to work being a diesel 🤔I'll lease it anyway 🎉
Thank you for reply
I have an mk 4 Octavia RS diesel which has the same engine and gearbox as this car. I had a mk 8 golf for two years before that, a 150 bhp tsi. The golf was well built but id say the Octavia feels better put together. And the golf had endless sensor faults. Anyway im glad you mentioned the torque available with this engine as it is Incredible. Overtaking is simple.I could see even you were impressed with it.
I was impressed for sure! I reviewed the petrol Octavia vRS when it came out in 2020 and it didn't really do it for me, I think this engine would suit it better but you won't get the Golf's chassis dynamics as IIRC the Octavia is deliberately set up to be softer. But you get more space for less cash which for some will be a better choice
@@volkswizard Mine has DCC which is not a gimmick. It's great on rough or broken tarmac in comfort mode and in sports mode on a good road the handling is transformed. But , like you say, I doubt it's as sharp overall as the GTi.
Prefer a 2.0Tdi r line tbh, more economical and cheaper. For that sort of GTD money you might as well get a Tiguan
I wait rline tdi for march. How is consumption? Can i make 1100 with tank?
@@MrCungaLunga - You should be able to get at least 800miles on a tank with 2L TDi
@@richarddastardly6845 Yes. It will be 2.0 TDI 150. Really 800 miles hows that? This is 1287 km thats unbelievable result. Now i make 1000km with 50 liters Volvo v40 D4. I drive everday 40km in one way thats 80km just work.… 60km of that is highway.. nice engine i think
@@MrCungaLunga - Best engine ever imo, I can get 800+miles out of a full tank of diesel on my manual B8 Passat
@@richarddastardly6845 Ok i will see result and write here 😉. To work and home i drive 110-120 on highway and normal outside. That will be good result i hope. Becouse someone say take etsi it good enough but diesel is diesel and that new engine is perfect i read it. And dsg service on 50-60k
Would love a GTD, would go for a GTE if I wanted to be a test buyer at launch but even a 7.5 GTD would make me happy! I'm in the states and they don't produce them over here so I had to bite the mpg bullet and get a GTI
Oh well GTI is still very good and fuel is cheap over there so enjoy it while you can!
@volkswizard Too right! I do love my GTI. I just wish the tank would get me a little further!
Only the guys in half-tonne trucks or big SUV's getting 10-20mpg complain about fuel prices here 🤣
Carwow have a drag race comparing mk8 gtd, gti and clubsport. Worth a watch. Gtd gets left for dead
Drag race aint real life
Diesel Power 🔥
I've had diesels my whole life but honestly rather buy a gte unless I was constantly doing long journeys
Apparently new GTE offers GTI levels of performance but there is no getting away from the weight and used demand is less consistent especially as they age
@@volkswizard if it's anywhere between gtd and gti I can't complain
Had a Mk7 GTD and loved it. That was followed by a Mk7.5 GTI, which i love, but, after 7 months of ownership it went up in value by almost 3k!! I took advantage and went for the Mk8 GTI.
Love the look of the Mk 8 but after months of issues with the infotainment system and steering wheel (replacement steering wheel), i am changing from VW to BMW tomorrow. Mk 8 i feel has a lot of issues, which is a real shame as it looks great, and drive well if you ignore the warning lights that constantly show. This has made me go to BMW
Whatever the Government tell you to do, do the complete opposite!!! . I’d rather walk than sit in an electric vehicle. They have taken the passion out of motoring. Vw diesels, you can’t go wrong imho.
The Best Golf was and still is the MK5.7! Diesel engines are great. Electric cars, not so much 👎🏻
Needs a meme from Toy Story. “Plastic, plastic everywhere…..”
The electric heater has been there since mk5
I did know that as I googled it while researching it and Mk5 was the most talked about model with it, just thought it was worth reminding people as it's a good feature.
@@volkswizard no problem. I think you didn't describe the comfort level of this car with 19s. How comfortable is it compared to other golfs? Other GTi s? Is it generally comfortable to drive?
Puzzling how you reversed yourself on VW group diesel engines when you reviewed the Porsche Macan T.
My daily driver is a MK7.5 GTD. Great car, quiet, comfortable, quick enough with plenty of tech. 80k miles on it with no issues. Always loved Golf’s but I’m not as keen on the mk8 so my next car will be an Audi A3, although I think it’s shame that you can’t seem to get an A3 with the same engine/power as the GTD like you could on the previous gens. Diesel is not dead yet!!
That's true, I don't recall seeing a high power Leon TDI recently either.
@@volkswizardno, the only other one with this engine would be the Octavia vRS. Seems crazy that you can get a 4WD diesel version in a Skoda but not an Audi considering their brand was built on Quattro. Even BMW offer a 4WD diesel hatchback in the 120d XDrive! Considering what you’ve said about the mk8 GTD, I can’t help but think they should’ve put that engine in to more cars on this platform.
I've got the mk7 version this car and it's mapped just at a stage 1 and it surprises so many cars on the road plus its great for a work commute at the same time. Had mine just over 5 years and it's the first car I've had that I just don't want to get rid of.brilliant review. I'd love to see what this does with a map on it.
After diesel gate and the price of fuel and the detrimental view of diesel, i don’t think anyone wants to wear that anymore
VW were unlucky to take the brunt of dieselgate, the detrimental view of diesel is largely from bad reporting and is only true about pre EU6 vehicles which were ironically all out of production when dieselgate hit. In fact VW had complied to EU6 years before they had to.
quite agree Andrew, bad reporting and lack of knowledge, plus I feel the greed of people claiming through diesel claim is one of the reasons that put the cost of new cars up, VW and others recouping the cost of the payouts and fines @@volkswizard
Mk8 is growing on me, still not sure how I'd get on with the interior but with the right colour, it's not the assault on the eyes I thought it was originally(!)
Not sure if it's just me, but the roads in the road test footage look similar to the ones TR Hamza blasts down? Would've been an interesting collab between two VAG fans 😁
That's progress re Mk8 looks then!
I know Hamza is local so it's not impossible (I was just to the north of Brum in Sutton Coldfield) but TBH those roads were terrible to film on so I hope his are better :)
Great video as usual, I have a MK8 plug in hybrid and it surprises me how quick and well it drives despite the extra weight plus it has proper buttons on the steering wheel.
Thanks Mark, I need to watch my Mk8 GTE video again as I suspect I quite liked it and it was much nicer to drive than 7.5 version but GTD is next level in no small part to just being lighter. Interesting about the buttons on wheel, the early ones did have these, how old is yours? By the time GTE came out most 8s were haptic.
@@volkswizardMine is a 2022 plate registered in March, really is great to drive and can honestly say I have had no issues with it and being able to use the VW app to preheat the car on a winters morning is great.
Andrew. I had a few Mk 7 GTD’s at work and thought they were great cars but haven’t had a Mk8 to compare. Do you have any idea when facelift Golf will be built? I’ve a speccy Golf R on order and no build date but would obviously want the upgraded dash etc as I intend to keep it for years (and hope to once the ghost immobiliser is fitted)! Keep up the good work and hope to see you at 100k subs very soon.
Thanks so much Howard! By all accounts the facelift will be announced officially in early 2024 with the order books opening then. There is a huge backlog of Mk8 orders to process so I suspect the official channels will be very quiet on this to not annoy VW as who wants a new car they ordered 2 years ago to be an old model when it arrives (well maybe 7.5 buyers would have been OK but this facelift is very important). If you've got a car on order now, I can't imagine it will come through as a facelift as a lot will have changed. Bearing in mind factory orders were 12-16 weeks in the good old days and didn't always get a build date that quickly there's still plenty of time for yours to be a Mk8 but let me know how it pans out.
@@volkswizard Thx for the info. I will let you know what happens. We now have some build dates for Golf R (for our lease fleet) that were ordered at the beginning of the year. They will have a few options but not as many as I’m after! Best wishes.
Great video! Very interested to hear how ‘quiet’ the Mk8 is. My ehybrid (1.4 tsi and motor) is horrible on the motorway with the engine running, 70 mph is at approx 2300 in 6th and the drone into the cabin is unbearable, I have to run it in 5th on the motorway to make the drone go away. GTD sounds like a world away from the plug in hybrid models…. Cheers
You know my thought's on the Mk8 Interior Andrew so no comment there.... I love the colour though , Be interesting to see the facelift interior
I can't wait to see that interior, the Macan one was a half way house and was OK but I bet they'll go separate climate but still touch sensitive like in Tiguan and Arteon facelift
@@volkswizardYes i think so, i hope they have listened to customer feedback. My mate just bought himself the Golf R 20th anniversary! must me mad ?
the more i look at the golf8 the more i like it
I still prefer my 2015 VW Golf GTD 184, with its 19” Santiago Alloys, heated front windscreen, reversing colour camera, lane assist and self driving steering, uprated sound system, deep black metallic paint, red brake calipers, LED headlights with automatic high beam and turning headlights with the steering, than the newer Mk8 Golf GTD anytime.. lets see what the Mk9 VW Golf is like when it’s released.
Hi Andrew a great review of the GTD as you know I had a golf 8 very early 2020 car and I really enjoyed the drive of it always put a smile on my face and I would still love to try the upper spec models as mine was a life! Love dolphin grey and wish I had ordered it instead of moonstone! One of the best things I loved about my 8 was the lovely mood lighting in the dash and doors on a night! Can’t wait to see what they do with the facelift car All the best Daniel
Thanks for your ownership perspective Daniel, very interesting. If VW mess this facelift up I think I’ll be done with them, Golf 8 was a bit of a joke in retrospect, so lots to play for 👍👍
Downgraded my mk8 buggy GTI to a 23 plate Polo GTI and I love the polo more. Just feels so much better inside and still quite quick
Infotainment easier to use?
I have a 23 plate R Line and while the car is a good drive the touch screen controls are terrible. Such a hassle to change the climate controls, fan speed etc. a couple of physical buttons would be welcomed. The lane assist needs to be turned off at the beginning of every trip or it drives you into potholes or nudges the steering every now and again for no reason at all. The touch screen alone though is enough for me to not buy another golf, it’s that bad.
I had an early MK8 R line TDI but sent it back 8 months in, for the very same reasons you describe, plus the random electrical glitches, but mainly because the emergency braking would come on for no reason on the motorway, happened 4 or 5 times and it got scary, VW dealer couldn't sort it, kind of lost my trust in it then, so went back to a MK7.5 GTD, no issues at all with it, plus I prefer having 3 doors.
I have the rline yes the lane assist can be a pain I like the look of dash and touch controls can be a bit fiddly at times but not to bad
I had the 7.5 version, great car…..but I always felt it needed a little more “oomph”. I now have an SQ5 and the 3 litre lump, is a banger…shame they never shoe horned it into the Golf and chucked in 4wd..
I think you'll find the 8 significantly faster than 7.5, 16 hp is only part of the story, amount of torque and spread is neck straining. With AWD it would be epic but once you get going traction isn't an issue so there's something to be said for the simplicity of 2WD. Would love to drag race an SQ5 to find out for sure :)
I miss the days of performance manual diesels!
I owned a mk7.5 GTD with 30k miles and loved it, but to continue receiving Company Car allowance I had to sell as it had passed 5 y/o - My intention was to upgrade to the mk8 although unfortunately the mk8 GTD is above my company’s Co2 allowance of 130g/km, very frustrating in many ways!........Good review.
Great video as always...I wonder if you have a kind of rebuttal to the rumour/news that Vw is on the precipice of failure due to its overreaching into the EV sector which it knows isn’t the real future? Toyota think the same apparently. There’s a UA-cam video on it somewhere that includes the head of VWs warning to stop spending immediately!
Think the 8 looks fugly,had my 7.5 gti now over 4month and don’t like it that much the gearbox feels like it’s having a fit the sensors are to sensitive keeps locking the brakes on when a twig is close getting my mk5 gti back out the garage after winter
I had a 2020 MK8 GTI and sold it as I was plagued with constant faults on the dash. I had the steering wheel replaced twice and was waiting for a 3rd as its full of sensors but the dealer said that there was no date for the new wheel as the company that made them had gone out of business. I really liked my GTI and I would still have it if it wasn't for all the software issues I had.
Good cars but why not just get one of many other front wheel drive VAG diesel products which are cheaper and do much the same thing
The top speed of the GTD at 152mph suprised me😮
I had a mk 7 tdi auto, absolutely loved it till I was in a major accident that wrecked the vehicle and me , if your a mile munchers this is a fabulous vehicle they say 52mpg but I have seen 60 , iq lights are a real game changer, the only headache is Kahn and the Labour government, Kahn want to increase air quality restrictions 2027 diesel being out petrol eu5 , and labour want a national air quality control policy that will remove all the old cars sub eu4 which penalised anyone owning a diesel. You have to be a mile muncher 30 mile commute or the dpi will clog around town driving, but if your town driving only the gte is the way to go providing you can charge
Not too keen on that front bumper, it looks like it came off a caddy
😂😂😂😂
Get a life
It’s an absolute sin that VW stopped selling diesel engines in America
Never got the facelift gtd 😢
Is it still worth buying diesel cars tho ?
Definitely, if they work for you. The company car tax rules force first owners into hybrids or evs, take this perk away and for normal people who aren't running cars through companies, more efficient and reliable diesels still make a lot of sense if you do the miles. And because of the imbalance in supply on the used market, their second hand values are more solid than ever.
sold mine, loved it performance wise and running cost but the infotainment crashing , travel assist errors and random software issues couldnt be fixed by VW dealer , 3 new steering wheels , loads of software updates sold it such a shame
Same with my GTI CS, going by the official technical bulletins VW AG clearly didn't give 2 hoots about sorting out our exclusively RHD issues on cars already sold (new cars now seem OK) so that was it. They said some issues were caused by owners resetting the infotainment system with a long press of power button (as recommended by main dealer techs) and as a result they were only going to attend to the issues that cause you to reset. That was it for me, as the issues they said were caused by a reset were happening without a reset on my car, so there was zero chance they'd sort them out. It was better car one I disabled traffic sign recognition controlling the cruise control
I think the diesel GTD was withdrawn from the Aussie market due to poor sales. A visit to my main dealer had only SUVs. No GTI and only one black R demo. The choices are limited. I like the T-Roc R, but it's pricey. Love Dolphin Grey and Moonstone grey. Cheers.
Thanks for the down under feedback Philip. How much people care about Co2 emissions is reflected by demand for inefficient ICE SUVs. Only when you tax the hell out of them do they change their buying choices and they can only get away with that on company car drivers who buy a lot of new cars percentage wise but are a small proportion of the those actually on the road.
Why doesn’t anyone buy the gtd? Ya can’t get em now and out of production
Still available from stock apparently
I have a question: Do you know when the Golf facelift will be released?
Really enjoying your uploads but the audio quality remains poor (despite you working on it, adding external mic etc) 😢
Thanks - I think I've cracked it. This time the mic was on my collar backwards - silly mistake caused by my previous mic being able to be mounted either way. Have since recorded another (VW) video and all seems OK so fingers crossed.
GT-Dirty 😂
Good car if you are doing long runs, short journeys and city traffic aren’t the best for diesels as I have learnt to my cost. All my cars over the last 20 years have been diesel but went to petrol again with a 2018 R estate which I have really enjoyed.
Great video Andrew. You might have just suggested my next car after my Mk7 TDi.
We could use a good diesel in the states. Too bad VW screwed up on that. I would buy one in a heartbeat ! Thanks, RickGTI….. 🇺🇸🌴
39 000 for a golf.... Shoot me now
Great review as always Andrew, however despite the overall package of the mk8 I simply couldnt live with the shiny black plastic on the dashboard. Ive saw it first hand in a friends car as for me it is a case of costcutting over style and durability. It makes me pine for the dashboards of yesteryear like the ones Audi and BMW used to do 😉
Shiny black looks nice
Great video as always, reckon you could do a review on the mk8 r line
I had a 1.5 TSI R line from Goodyear in early 2021 to test their all season tyres. ua-cam.com/video/RdGwjVzfwx4/v-deo.html
Weirdly I didn't review the thinking better opportunities would arise.
Always had a lot of respect for Golf R line in 2.0 TDI 150 guise as that's still a puncy engine and looks and spec of R line are pretty much as good if not better than the old GTD.
So you want ed30 ed40 but no ed35 😢
Ed35 is too close to Ed30 but I wouldn't say no to a nice manual
Id love one, but doing 30k a year personal and private new car on lease just isn’t an option. Maybe a facelift with the rectified interface in 3 years when someone’s put 30k on it, that’s how I tend to buy.
If you do short journeys in these things you get a lot of the dreaded regen cycles that kills the mpg neglecting diesel.. imo the petrol GTi is the much better package
I love the quality and finish on my mother in laws T ROCsport, but the adaptive cruise control is so annoying. You should be able to have just cruise control, not this follow the car in front which is travelling slower