2018 Volkswagen GTI Autobahn

[@petermof]

Casey, these are getting better and better, well done

[@mathiasgotz5068]

Crazy to see the quality increase from Video to Video. Keep up the great Work!

[@mathiasgotz5068]

Additional Question: Did you change anything about the audio recording solutions? IN-Car Audio was hugely better compared to previous Videos

[@uvawahoo01]

Agreed, the progress over your videos is really remarkable.

[@cavins16]

Mathias Götz he is wearing a lav mic

[@PeppWaves03]

Wow, what a professional looking and sounding video. Keep it up!

[@ismh86]

Plot twist: he bought a F-150 instead.

[@petermof]

Stephen Hackett white wrangler😬

[@gian-lucbrasseur207]

He does look gay 🤔

[@993mike]

VW underrates these cars by quite a bit. They will normally be in the 230-240hp range at the wheels (not the crank) in stock form on a dyno. Also dump the stock tires and put on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's.

[@windmilldragons-creativepr3808]

Love the sun roof cut!

[@jsarbino]

OK, this video and the companion Golf R video, are the best comparison between these two vehicles I've seen. Thank you for these well considered reviews!

[@caseyliss2458]

That's extremely kind of you, James! Thank you!! 💙

[@jasontempestini27]

Gotta love the car seat installation with squirming boy rolling about in back. Way to keep it real, Casey!

[@MichielHaisma]

Great video. Love all the different shots, and you seem so relaxed as well! You're getting me excited about cars myself again.

[@kylesethgray]

💯💯💯

[@1BSDjunkie]

An informative and thoughtful review. Enjoyed hearing about and seeing how the cars drive.

[@johnsedwards]

I have a 2016 GTI S, without the diff, and I was dealing with the grip issues as well on the stock Bridgestone tires. The constant loss of traction drove me nuts, and finally replaced the tires and it was night and day. I put on Conti dsw's if it matters.

[@BenKurth]

I have 75,000+ miles on my 2015 MK7 GTI Autobahn. Pure White. Bought it brand new. I’ve owned multiple GM cars, a Ford, a Jeep, a Mazda, a Audi A6. My wife currently drives a Subaru. Hands down. The GTI is The Best car I’ve ever owned. Not one single reliably issue. 💯 recommended to anyone on the fence with this car. A pleasure to drive everyday on my 45 mile commute into the office (WI to MN). It won’t disappoint.

[@caseyliss2458]

No joke, it's *great* to hear that you've had no reliability problems. Given my sordid history with my now-departed BMW, I'm hopeful that my now-purchased Golf R doesn't have the same problems.

[@BenKurth]

Casey Liss congratulations on the R! Looking forward to a reveal video and/or mini review on your car of choice!

[@affinity3281]

Stock Pirellis are pretty adequate for the power of the GTI, and I'm no Pirelli fan. I didn't think 220hp/258tq would feel that fast coming from a 2017 Mustang GT but let me tell you, the acceleration surprises me. It feels nearly as quick at times, and I have more confidence taking turns because the back end wont slide out. The GTI is the perfect car for me.

[@3ofakinddrummer]

Regarding Your Latest ATP, member Special, I just bought an eGolf and it has 240km of range even though the battery is only at 93% health. But it has all the extras like Heat Pump, App Remote, automatic mirror dimming, ACC etc. you name it and it was just 16500€ in Germany and mileage was just 20000km. I can really recommend that car and I also have the gasoline version as a wagon, but we never use

[@jeremyjames155]

Nice video, just bought 2018 GTI with the DSG and love it... been a while since i have owned a VW...

[@MrVoayer]

In some aspects this is an eye opening review ! Great job !!!

[@canadianwatchguy6768]

Amazing work, Casey! Even as a very happy GTI owner, I enjoyed and respected your personal perspective on the GTI. Tires really do change this car, though. The stock tires that come with the car (there are three or four different brands that they use) are complete and utter garbage. A follow-up video with your friend’s GTI would be interesting to see.

[@caseyliss2458]

Thanks! Regarding tires, I think you're spot-on. My buddy with the Pirellis (which are actually Michelins - I misspoke) didn't have Bridgestones. He said his stock tires were also, exactly as you said, utter garbage. Hopefully I'll get some seat time in his someday.

[@caseyliss2458]

I've heard *amazing* things about Michelin Pilot SuperSports. I had Pilot Sports on my BMW and loved them, though they did wear a bit quicker than I'd like. Naturally, your mileage (literally and figuratively, haha!) may vary.

[@MikeHeathExperience]

Dad with a GTI checking in. Massively better audio. Great camera setup. Great content. Love these. That follow shot at 8:02 is nicely done. Great work.

[@caseyliss2458]

Thanks, Mike!

[@CarStory]

We really need a GTI Coupe back in the US. I would buy one immediately if it was offered here. I don't care for the 4 door hatch version. I spent my 90s working on a 1988 16V GTI and a 1990 16V GLI and miss those cars like family members that past away.

[@josesitomal]

These are getting better and better, keep it up Casey!

[@kapeka83]

A little bit repetitive in the middle part. You could have straighten that through better editing. Still nice review though.

[@kylesethgray]

I love these videos so much. They’re definitely getting better with every one!!

[@stalman]

Listen to that great audio! Solid review Casey

[@caseyliss2458]

#babysteps

[@stephenhendricks103]

Casey, your friend with the Pirelli tires is absolutely right. I own this exact model. Came with all season Pirelli's from the dealer. Not the greatest choice, especially compared to a dedicated summer tire, but I experience NONE of the wheel spin you cite. Yes, I can induce wheel spin, especially on a wet road if I floor it from a dead stop but that's the extent of the issue. I'll eventually replace them with Michelin's as I did on my MK6 GTI but the Pirelli's are quite adequate and obviously superior to the Bridgestone's on your tester. I also have the DSG transmission. Until I bought a 2012 GTI with the DSG I'd always had at least one vehicle in my garage with a traditional manual transmission. When I replaced my 2012 model with the 2018 I didn't hesitate to go with the DSG again. I can't compare it with the performance of BMW or Porsche automatics but I much prefer it to other traditional automatics I've driven. And since I typically drive my GTI in manual mode any weird transmission behavior is user error. When I replaced my GTI last year I seriously considered the R. I think its a marvelous vehicle. But several factors made the GTI a better choice for me. Living the Puget Sound area I love having a sunroof. Around here we need all the light we can get in a dark cabin. And both the R and the GTI is nearly all black inside. The R offers significantly more performance but apart from the fact that I don't often use even the power of the GTI in stock form, I had a Stage I tune on my previous GTI and it gave me everything I could ask for. And then there was the price. I bought my fully loaded Autobahn/DSG for $32,043 plus TTL. The best price I could get on an R was almost $10,000 more. I just couldn't justify that premium. BTW, an excellent, informative review.

[@Affalterbach1967]

The underbody comparison at 8:30 is great, reminds me of SavageGeese.

[@roderickl9539]

Love your honest opinion. I've a 2008 VW GTI. It's almost 200,000 miles! I love driving it! In 2008, I didn't want to pull the trigger on the Golf R because it's a lot more money and not a whole lot of power for an AWD car. Nowadays, I don't want to pull the trigger on either because the 3-door version is not available. Between then and now, there were rumors about a GTI-R being developed. That would be something. However, I'd be apprehensive about a FWD car with 300+ HP. I'm thinking torque steer may rear its very ugly head. I don't like the Honda Civic Type-R even though there are a lot of good reviews about it. I'm 50+ years old now and, for me, to drive a Civic Type-R doesn't suit me at all. I'd prefer a Golf-R, 3-door, with a moon roof. But, I'll wait for the next model. The 2018/2019 still doesn't have 300 or more horsepower with the AWD. I'd love to see what VW will come up with to battle the Focus RS, WRX STI, and the Civic Type-R. I understand it's a hot hatch. A 300 horsepower or more hot hatch will suit me and my wife just fine. Keep doing what you're doing, man. Peace!

[@caseyliss2458]

Yeah, it's a tough call. As I said in both this an my R review, there are a lot of compromises in both cars, in my opinion. However, I really do think the R was compromised - excepting the slicktop - in ways that I was comfortable with. Your mileage may vary. :)

[@adamvardar3666]

Really enjoying your car videos so far, I’m looking forward to your next one!

[@audieconrad8995]

I've heard more than one complaint about the Bridgestones as well as the P7's. My MK 7 came with Conti Pro-Contacts. I have since replaced them with the new General G-Max all-seasons. Both sets of tires were/have been excellent with maximum traction and great/predictable breakaway characteristics. So instead of spending 6k more to go with the R which is in itself is a terrific ride - spend $600. and fix the lame tire syndrome. Great car.

[@adambedski]

Thanks for the amazing video.

[@mericleman]

This video was really well done and informative. I appreciate your personal take on this car and why you ended up buying the R. The good work keeps getting better.

[@federicolite]

great video, a bit repetitive with the bit about the power to the tires, otherwise excellent, don't know if i'm crazy with the jumpy gopro filming from the passenger's side

[@jasonmcmaster4460]

2 words ,Throttle modulation👍🏼

[@cameron-smith]

I've found the same grip problem with the standard Golf. As soon as boost kicks in, it has trouble with grip. I did some searching and couldn't find anyone else talking about the same issue. Good to hear I'm not the only one.

[@KnuckleChin]

Wheel spin is not bad compared to the mk5. Wheel spin is only for half a second til the LSD corrects it. You will get wheel spin with ANY fwd car.

[@TaraMann]

Another great review! And I LOLed when you were standing in the sun roof.

[@abrintonmusic]

what a fantastic review, thank you!

[@adamsearle7217]

ATP lister and many time WWDC handshaker here :) Great stuff Casey, your videos are improving at a rapid rate. Video production quality, audio quality, and just how the whole thing sits together. If I can offer one suggestion: I want to hear you get fired up a bit more, like on ATP. I enjoy that Casey! Good luck with it mate

[@StephenButlerOne]

Most reviewers I've seen comparing the two, all agree the R is quicker, however trh GTI is more fun/engaging.

[@caseyliss2458]

I've read/seen much of the same. I don't think it's the case. That's the beauty of having multiple reviews of the same car! :)

[@StephenButlerOne]

@@caseyliss2458 I agree, it's always good to have choice. One size l fits all, rarely fits anyone correctly. On a side note I've just ordered a Seat Leon FR ST, 2l tsi. which is basically a GTI estate. Same MQB platform and engine. Should be here first week of December. For me it looks a bit nicer than the gold and mainly for my area, far less common. Golf's are everywhere. I'd of take a polo gti over the golf, but then they wrecked the polo with the new model. I always thought the outgoing 3 door polo gti, would be what the original golf gti team would of built. It seemed to fit in nicely with the original car.

[@caseyliss2458]

I would do terrible things to have the Golf R wagon/estate/Variant in the states. Unfortunately, I think I'm the only one.

[@spindles82]

Liked the video. But how often do you accelerate that fast to cause wheel spin. After the car is moving I don't get any wheel spin.

[@robertalvey7066]

Enjoyed your video. Keep it up. Look forward to your next video.

[@Randum_Gornutt]

Sounds like you need a different set of tires!!

[@debigred]

Improving with each video Casey! Keep me coming!

[@avizzy1237]

Nice review mate. I have the 245hp 370nm gti 7 speed DSG here in Aus and I can tell you, tyres make a huuuge difference. I have Pirelli p zeros (standard here) and on a dry surface it grips almost flawlessly. In the wet things can get a bit sketchy so I'm going to upgrade to michelin PS4S. Trust me though, upgrade your tyres and you'll be smiling everytime. And the 7speed shifts like butter. Thanks for your review, it was excellent!

[@caseyliss2458]

Coincidentally, I misspoke on the video. It's not "Pirellis" that my friend has; it's PS4s. :-P

[@brendantaylor2623]

Aveechal Prasad I have a DSG 7.5R with PS4S tyres, and it's crazy how well it can put the power down.

[@brendantaylor2623]

Casey Liss PS4 or PS4S?

[@caseyliss2458]

PS4S.

[@caliopigio]

Really nice video. The best so far by far

[@Noah-Lach]

HUGE improvement over the last video. I never really noticed any audio issues and the commentary was excellent as always. Although I agree with some others than you could've trimmed a little fat in the middle section.

[@SaraK_69]

Try to move on from point to point, instead of going in circles or repeating yourself. It's the tires, it's not too much power.

[@skuby.]

12:31 minutes of repeating yourself about the spinning and 4wd, tornado red beautiful color by the way

[@Werdna12345]

Who the hell is Casey!?

[@caseyliss2458]

I dunno but I hear he's SUPER good looking.

[@thezeek2745]

It’s the affected voice like a news caster that drives me nuts. Otherwise he’s a smart enough dude

[@luisjalvareztorres8481]

What a fantastic review 👍🏻

[@EddieLee6]

Great video. But does the GTI have the same terrible volume knob as the Golf R?

[@3653john]

Are you referring to the logo spinning while turning the knob ? I thought I was the only one that this irritates. Lol.

[@caseyliss2458]

YES! 😭

[@laloschjetnan]

Crazy improvements on the technical edits (and audio quality). The other bits like refining your cuts and being more concise will come naturally with time. Well done mate!

[@SerendipitousProducts]

I love the ATP shirt. Great job Casey.

[@michaelguppy4518]

i got conti extreme contact sport and they work great for grip on the GTI

[@AudiophileTubes]

Great work! Love your videos! Very informative and to the point.

[@Hector-Ramos]

Love seeing these videos popping up on my subscribed list. Keep it up! And if you want to do a video about all your gripes with the Model 3, you can use mine!

[@caseyliss2458]

Hahaha, that video would be 20 minutes of me ranting about not having an instrument cluster. ;)

[@njrom]

Wonderful job! So impressed with the improvements! Obviously there are a few things that could be better, but I think you’ve made it to great content!!!

[@janamart25]

Bought the XS to avoid the stabilization-problem yet?

[@caseyliss2458]

🙉 🙈

[@icetang]

Great Video Casey! I’m in the process of replacing a 2008 GTI and these videos are helpful. I think I might end up getting the same car you did 👋

[@caseyliss2458]

Thanks! Honestly, if I wasn't so intent on having AWD and/or the best available Golf, I'd have been really damn happy with a GTI 6MT. It's soooooo good.

[@icetang]

Casey Liss the shot of you in the sunroof is my spirit animal. Really enjoyed having the GTI for near a decade. Was going to consider a 3 series, but no more manuals after this gen! Truly a sad time. The golf R makes quite a bit of sense and fast Golfs are of the last nice fun cars you can get with a manual (although I did price out a Honda Accord sport, Hi John)

[@caseyliss2458]

That 3 series news cut deep when I read it. 😭 The Accord Sport is a great car, but I'd argue the R is actually more practical. More space! All wheel drive!

[@Lowista]

Great video! I love the new location for the outdoor shots of the car - green just looks so much nicer than gray :-) As a person with no idea of how these videos have to look, there is one thing I’d like to see more of in future videos: the interior of the car, used (just like the exterior shots) as filler for when you talk about totally unrelated things. Show us the details of what Volkswagen designed! :-) But as I said before: great video, great improvement over time. Keep up the good work!

[@apnorthern]

Keep up the videos. Your quality is improving and your multi-video arc helps me understand better what I value in a car. I know my future purchases will be more thoughtful and have higher satisfaction because of Casey on Cars.

[@mayhem052]

Great review and improvement in quality Casey. I did notice some of the critiques John and Marco had with the video. Maybe call up Alex Lindsay about lav mic placement (the pops and scrapes were a bit jarring on headphones). Overall though, you're doing a fantastic job, and the effort shows.

[@clintgunter]

“I hate [these tires]” -Casey Liss

[@bradleycross5987]

Your underneath view is unique, you should focus on that area to stand out.

[@delviacv2]

I see Nothing but improvement, Keep it up Casey

[@pappaslivery]

Great video. Loved the sunroof cut. How reactive was the LSD in corners? If you over applied throttle would it pull or was there wheelspin then as well?

[@caseyliss2458]

Honestly, I never pushed it quite hard enough to be able to give you a good answer. I'd imagine that it would plow like any other FWD car, but unfortunately, I didn't have access to an airfield to try it out... 😈

[@pappaslivery]

@@caseyliss2458 I hear you. It's hard to feel dynamics on public roads. I have a few choice on-ramps and off-ramps that I use at reasonable levels of safety and legality ;). As far as the chirp in a straight line...I can get that out of my wife's base Focus. I also agree that the ZF 8 speed in crazy good.

[@gavshan]

Really honing your skills Casey well done.

[@drdenkovski]

Camera tip: hold the gimbal upside down so that the camera is under your hand, it'll come out alot smoother

[@caseyliss2458]

🤦🏻‍♂️ Why didn't I think of that‽ Thanks!

[@gabefore]

Casey the audio is so much better. Great work!

[@philrlee]

You have progressed so far in such a short time with these videos. The audio is perfect now. The new lav mic was well worth the money. It’s meant the content of the video comes to the fore rather than the production quality and you’ve nailed the content. I’d also enjoy it if you to do regular follow up videos on the Golf R now you have it.

[@markhales5441]

Hi Casey, my new car journey was very similar to yours. After driving a lot of cars including the GTI and Type R and a number of Giulias and Stelvios I ended up with an Audi RS3 which is like a Type R on steroids. Did you ever consider one of these ?

[@caseyliss2458]

No, because they're two-pedal only. Though I've never been in an Audi 3, I did sit in a brand-new A4 a few weeks ago, and I really did not care for the interior layout. The quality of the interior was top notch, but the layout was weird to me.

[@BobAxiom]

Very good information on the DSG. Did you try driving it like a manual at all, using the flappy paddles all the time?

[@caseyliss2458]

Yes, very much so. Generally speaking - at least when not filming - I had the car in full manual. I liked it a lot, but missed the clutch pedal.

[@BobAxiom]

Casey Liss thanks for the feedback. I’m thinking seriously about a DSG R and I suspect that I will feel the same. Maybe I’ll just start doing left foot braking like I do with video games. Yeah, video game behavior on the street, that’s the ticket! 😉

[@caseyliss2458]

I had a whole segment that got cut wherein I made an argument that the DSG could arguably be the better transmission for the R: it allows it to fully realize the point-and-shoot-ness of the R.

[@janwedek]

Casey Liss are you sure what you’re describing is due to the DSG and not the Turbo? Usually what happens is that in higher gear/lower rev you get less oomph because the turbo doesn’t kick in. Instead the dsg either shifts down if you force the pedal down or it kicks in with some delay once revs are up. That’s why the “sport” driving mode keeps revs generally up and hence the turbo readily available. I might also just have not understood your issue explanation well enough though ;)

[@caseyliss2458]

Fair question, but yes, I'm sure it's the DSG. I've driven turbocharged cars since late 2004, and I can tell what's turbo lag and what isn't.

[@LeleSocho]

On the technical side all majors flaws from previous videos are gone, now it's only a question of fine tuning audio and video which is stuff that you'll learn with time. On the stylistic side i think it's ok, can't comment further because i'm not that much of a car guy but there is a flow and it works reasonably well.

[@flapplex]

I was confused because I don't know what you mean by "tossibly" and "deliberate"

[@Vhaele]

Echo the comments about tightening the dialogue about the tires in the middle of the video. Big jump in quality of audio and video since the last review (which was a big jump over the one previous to it). You're getting good at this, looking forward to your next review.

[@Pearl3Drummer]

Love the sunroof option!

[@johnsimon8457]

The entire Golf MK VII line is larger, more rigid, and lighter than its predecessor. That kinda stuff only comes out of a decade of R&D. You can REALLY geek out about the techniques they invented to stamp and weld the chassis and body.

[@caseyliss2458]

Not a joke: do you have any resources to go deeper on this? I'd love to learn more.

[@odiemac]

Nice one Casey! Does this car have a LSD, or was it just spinning one wheel? Looks like they’re partially addressing this for 2019: www.autoblog.com/2018/09/18/2019-vw-gti-retro-rabbit-edition/

[@VVYN.]

Moral of this video: if you buy a GTI, BUY DIFFERENT TIRES OTHER THAN BRIDGESTONE!

[@caseyliss2458]

💯

[@CalebPerez]

Video noticeably improved, especially in-car! Audio now sounds good instead of fine! The only recommendation I have is that you should avoid telling people to stop and watch another 15 min video to get context. Entertaining video! Keep up the great work! Looking forward to watch you slowly turn into an electric guy.

[@nike12000haha]

I was under the impression if you drove a car other then a white one you would burst into flames like most vampire movies I have seen....😂😂 #atp

[@eduardocarreon8844]

GTI 🇲🇽❤️4EVER the BEST

[@bailorg]

Those dark garage shots just don't work for me. Other than that, these videos are already much better than videos from many other KZbin car channels. Can't wait to see more.

[@shabbatshalom23]

It‘s really weird to see that VW seem to be unable to do anything besides the extremes when it comes to options. Here in Germany you can go absolutely nuts on the options list, anything short of a dog collar in matching paintwork seems to be a (albeit pricy) option, including the sun roof and the Pretoria wheels obviously. Ironically, you can‘t get a manual on the Golf R over here, where they’re much more common. Maybe they still try to sell the R to a different crowd, like they did with the VR6. Still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me though.

[@caseyliss2458]

That's super weird. It's a little frustrating that there are so few options at the upper trims, but at least it made finding one easy!

[@germanicus7880]

Breaking news: the car with 290 bhp, AWD and summer tires performs better than the car with 220 bhp, FWD and all seasons.. The big question I have is: Why didn't you test drive your buddy's car with the Summer Pirellis? He said it was a world better.. A new set of summer tires cost maybe, what? $800? The upgrade to the R cost TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!! Thats the real world difference over the Autobahn. You can get an Autobahn for 30-32 K new at the end of the model year. A Golf R not only NEVER comes down in price it is often sold at a grand or two over MSRP. $43K and above is common. And if you wait until the end of the model years you can get a GTI S with the same engine and drive train as the Autobahn for a little over $20K So the entry price into each car is now nearly a $20K delta if you don't need navigation and leather seats etc.

[@maxbogaers]

Have you turned the email thing of yet?

[@seanmcd72]

Casey the tires are shit that come with this car. Mine had the Conti "TX" all seasons. Switched to the Super Sports AS/3+ and it's night and day difference. I don't need awd down south, so a GTI with a stage 1 tune is the perfect option.

[@hoytwood4937]

I have a 2015 TDI (diesel) 50 MPG average LOVE THE CAR ! 236 ftLb

[@germanicus7880]

I just took the buyback on mine. I loved it too. Especially the range on long road trips. But from what I have read the fix lowered both power and gas mileage, used more AD-Blue and some were failing inspections anyway. I ride my bike to work so I bought a GTI Autobahnas a weekend car. Loving that too. for other reasons..

[@davidstauffer4093]

Dix you get the fix? No problems? Manual trans?

[@teggsy2165]

No sunroof buy the convertible R,not sure if it's a 4x4 though in the convertible,i want a sunroof option on every hatchback for the UK but we lose out on many models. But there's hope the Mk8 Fiesta ST has an option for it now but it looks worse than the Mk7 and it's lost a piston!

[@justind8055]

Really like the “deeper dive” into the under carriage stuff... More of that!

[@AlanJEdmonds]

I get what you mean regarding wheel spin, but the extra power is good to have, especially once you're beyond 1st or 2nd gear. I suppose it places greater demands on the driver to show restraint. I can see the appeal of the R, when you just want to get down the road without any fuss. It's good to see you appearing more relaxed, and sounding more like you do on ATP. The audio quality was better than I expected, with just a few variations left to iron out. Finally, how come you dropped the 'Casey on Cars' title prefix with this video?

[@caseyliss2458]

I dropped it because @smhackett told me to.

[@karlieeuh]

Please do a director’s cut? Buff the infotainment screen? Shorten the “Front wheels drive, Bridgestone,, too much power fir the tires” scene ? Ask Marco to try the various DJI Osmo Mobile versions vs DJI Phantom drones compatibility with Overcast? and I am scared when you look into the camera instead of at the road (yeah, I’m French, and one of the worst)

[@grammarhwk]

Video is leaps and bounds better than where you started, enjoying watching you improve! I still think the car lift scenes aren’t adding a whole lot, would be better without them.

[@messier4553]

Great Video Casey! I miss the commentary from the fam though. Will you be bringing it back in the future?

[@caseyliss2458]

Possibly. I never set out to include their commentary, but sometimes someone says something I *have* to include. :) This time, probably because we had just had the R, there wasn't anything notable.

[@eddolous]

You seemed more relaxed later in the video

[@aaronromine]

I think the only problem with AWD is that generally it's boring. Sure it's fast, but the driving dynamics of a point and shoot car are only fun when you're at 9/10ths. The ability to break a bit of traction here and there adds just a bit of drama, whether you're in FWD or RWD. I think this is why the Focus RS has a drift mode. I'm not saying grip is bad. I'm itching to get a set of PSS on my car, but there is something to be said about driving a car that involves you - and being aware of that edge. Add that to the mechanical complexity, worse fuel economy, and tire wear, AWD just doesn't do it for me. From a daily driver standpoint, FWD is just better. I disagree that 220hp 258ft/lb isn't too much for a FWD - there are tons of FWD that make more power (Focus ST, Civic Type R, upcoming Veloster N) with good to great road manners. If you're launching, you might need to feather the gas a bit to maintain full traction (even then I think the TCS is being relaxed put still putting most of the power down to the pavement), but I can tell you if you're digging yourself out of a corner at 20MPH in 2nd gear you'll appreciate the torque. I know this is 'merica but not everything is about launching from a stop (or low speed). I highly doubt you can break it loose above 20MPH unless you're cranking the wheel hard. Also - this is 'merica, so if it can't do a burnout it's no fun! Having just purchased a Focus ST (goodnight sweet prince - at least in the US), my biggest complaint is torque steer, which could be rectified with better tires and/or LSD. That's probably the biggest gap on any 2WD vehicle - front or rear. My old 05 G35 had one, 06 Mini Cooper S and the '12 Genesis Coupe Track before that - so to me it's almost a necessity. Honestly the LSD in the 2018 GTI is probably the biggest reason you didn't see any torque steer. However torque vectoring is a huge boon in the Focus though - as I seems to reduce under-steer (which was a huge problem on the Mini and even a problem on the Genesis Coupe w/ the stock Potenza's) and add a bit of fun lift-off over-steer in FWD. I do think VW has made some great choices with this car - the addition of the LSD in the '18s coupled with a bit more HP and offering a dual-clutch adds mass market appeal that Ford would never get with the ST and will keep these popular. The GTI has become somewhat of the new beetle for this generation (those with fond memories in the '80s, or influencing their children with those fond memories seems to parallel the boomers that drove Beetles and the resurgence in popularity in the early 00's). VW seems to live of waves of successes that are hooked generational - because when is the last time you saw two Passats or Tiguans at the same time. It'll be curious if the GTI stands on it's own and maintains its popularity for the next decade or two (again this paragraph is regionally specific to the US - where we have fickle ideas about cars). Good job on the video! The audio quality and editing were huge improvements - seems like you're getting this down!

[@caseyliss2458]

I definitely want to drive my buddy's. He actually has Michelins on his - I misspoke in the video - and he swears it's night-and-day better. I'm still dubious about the DSG, but a GTI with a 6MT and a nice set of tires would be hard to pass up. And what a hell of a great deal.

[@tomdodds9457]

Just let you know from a young one I think there is a bit of quiet high pitch noise. I don't really care, but I know some do. Really good video though.

[@caseyliss2458]

Shoot, so sorry to hear that. My apologies! Thanks for letting me know!

[@juanseaforth5111]

Very good review!!

[@TubieMcTubington]

Love the ATP shirt.

[@aarongundersen2318]

how is it "pretty much the same" when the golf r has 72 more horse power ?

[@caseyliss2458]

Because torque is what matters when starting from a stop, and driving at speeds Americans drive on even the fastest roads. And there's only a ~20 ftlb ∆ between the two.

[@aarongundersen2318]

well. Car and driver has 0-60 at 4.5 for golf r and 5.8 for gti. both autos. quarter mile 13.2 and 14.4. those are 2015 models. same engines as now. seems like sort of big difference. i own a golf r (stage 2), but have never driven a gti. not tryin to argue, just wanted to point that out

[@AndrewLinke]

Good improvement. + Especially like your locations this time. + You're getting better at not looking at the camera. + Editing is getting more click and the time was perfect. - Might want to wipe down the touchscreen before doing an interior fashion shot. - Have you tried looking at Jason Snell's audio filter settings for podcasts? (Google it, he has a great post on Six Colors) You might be able to apply some of the same techniques to bring the audio quality up.

[@MuquitaTheBeast]

This is 30k how much is that Alpha??