2019 Volkswagen GTI Rabbit Edition | MotorWeek Road Test

While the rest of the world knew it as the Volkswagen Golf, when it arrived in the U.S. for 1976, it was dubbed…the Rabbit. It quickly began multiplying like crazy… so much so, that VW took over a Chrysler plant in Pennsylvania just to keep up with demand. Well, that rabbit hutch didn’t last too long, but the Golf sure has. And, here to celebrate is a special edition…the 2019 Golf GTI…Rabbit!
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[@arminsteinke2301]

As long John Davis is around us, all is well.

[@gmctech]

So true.... I've been watching him since I was about 8 years old on PBS up here in Canuckistan and I'm now 44 and still watch this show RELIGIOUSLY.....

[@affinity3281]

@@gmctech they said they put regular gas in it. Balding tires and who knows what else, probably had it in eco mode on 3 cylinders. Big difference between 87 and 91.

[@davidchernack4145]

John: tries to give performance specs The GTI's front tires: REEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@drm9979]

I love my 2018 GTI SE.

[@bjjbrawler1]

2021 SE checking in! Love the driving experience as well. Coming from many years of Jeep driving. feels amazing to be back in a vehicle of this caliber.

[@adammarkowitz7944]

So 13,000 hard miles have resulted in a significant decrease in performance? Not confidence-inspiring.

[@Bobby_Vang]

It's mainly in the slipping clutch. Test cars are abused hard, not surprised the clutch is worn out and slipping.

[@ZippyTPinhead]

That is a clutch issue. The DSG doesn't have that issue.

[@ACitizenOfOurWorld]

Gas Direct Injection is great until nothing cleans off the recirculated exhaust and crankcase gases from the tops of the valves, which results in power robbing carbon buildup there. Just need to remove the manifold and pick, scrape and scrub off that gunk. She'll be running like a champ again in just 5 hours of labor :)

[@abtcup]

The 6 speed manual cars come with a pretty soft stock clutch. A mild tune will cause the clutch to start slippng.

[@opmike343]

@@ACitizenOfOurWorld You're not going to get that level of carbon buildup at 13K miles, even on the WORST of fuel.

[@JohnDoe-xr5is]

I had a 2016 GTI....and I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. Sold it with only 26k miles on it. The brake rotors would rust overnight. And then they would screech/grind the first few times you braked burning off that rust. Then all 4 rotors had deep grooves cut in them. I could see one rotor, but all 4? And eventually all four rotors had perm rust on them...braking wouldn't burn off the rust. I've NEVER had a car do this. It also burned through a set of tires in only 20k miles. I don't drive the car hard, and I even had an alignment done at 4000 miles...still the tires cupped really bad in only 20k miles. And while driving on the highway, the onboard computer shut off one of my cylinders! The car bucked and sputtered. I pulled over...with two months left on warranty (thank goodness) and had it towed to the dealership. They called, said they see where the computer shut off one of the cylinders. But they don't know why, they can't recreate it....sorry about your luck, here's your car back. Then I started getting dew on the inside of the windows. Then my grand daughter said the back seat was wet. I know I never left a window open for it to rain into. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I finally decided to check the spare tire area....2 inches of standing water! It was like a bathtub! That's it, I'm getting rid of this thing. It was a fun car to drive, but a terrible car to own. I will NEVER buy a VW again as long as I live.

[@goclunker]

Somehow, you shouldn't own another car of anykind, period.

[@vr6gls]

John Doe You sound like one of those people that find any reason to complain about your car. I have a 2016 GTI with over 65k miles on it. It is modified to almost 400hp and let me tell you, my car has been absolutely FLAWLESS since buying it brand new. Take care of your car, and it will take care of you. 👍

[@goclunker]

@3 name changes allowed every 90 days. Glad you completely glazed over the video of my BMW M3. nice try dickwad

[@black98rt]

I’m with ya on the brake rotor issue. Thankfully that’s my only issue so far with 25k miles.

[@goclunker]

@3 name changes allowed every 90 days. The only thing that's not worth mentioning is YOU, you have NOTHING. ;)

[@larshoneytoast1190]

I have a 2016 base model Golf with an automatic transmission. The engine sounds beautiful when it rises at 4K rpm. Structure feels molded from solid steel. And the steering response is perfect.

[@eklektikTechno]

This show still retains its appeal that it had over 25 years ago when i started watching

[@swanblake]

VW just announced they are cutting there warranty down becaause it is costing them so much. Kind of tells you everything you need to know

[@robertanderson9804]

VW reduced the warranty period to 4 years but have added 2 years free servicing. Their data said the longer warranty wasn’t a strong selling point especially for customers who lease.

[@subvet3668]

Must have been some really worn tires to get all that squeal and poor times. The GTI with the manual should see times of 6.0 all day and 5.7 with the DSG.

[@dudndadn12212]

Jesse James he did say it had over 1300 hard test miles with a slipping clutch.

[@Pauliepsi]

They fully lift shift, 6.0 and 14.2 are the real numbers from a previous episode.

[@verothacamaro]

The real important number is the trap speed of 97 mph which is pretty much in line with the power output of a stock GTI

[@ak2112]

@@verothacamaro This guy gets it. Trap speed is key.

[@shartingfish5761]

How can the DSG be faster when all the performance tests say it’s slower? Does yours have a super button? Randy Pobst did a test, check it out on youtube, where he tested the dsg vs the 6mt and every test showed the mt to be faster in every way..

[@Frajenbran9901]

Have a 2015 Autobahn DSG I bought new. Now has over 70k and still love it as much as day I bought it.

[@muznick]

Looks just like my 2019 Urano Gray Rabbit. I think mine could get a 7 sec 0-60 if started in 2nd gear.

[@SquiggleSquared]

can't believe you guys put regular in the car when it specifically says to get the best performance, put in 91. Adds to the bad acceleration time.

[@pitman0727]

93 Octane only in my CC R-line DSG w/ zero issues at 100k miles. Car runs very strong and you wouldn't be able to convince anyone its only 200 hp / 210 tq.

[@CarStory]

As an owner of a 2018 GTI Autobahn, I can tell you it's my favorite hatchback daily driver. No, it's not a fast car but I didn't buy it for 0-60 runs. It's fun and easy to drive under any condition I find myself in. I think it's the best GTI yet inside and out.

[@brianreardon7700]

Fast compared to some of these boring mini suvs people are buying like crazy lol .. I don’t get it..also there was a clutch problem with this test car like they said..most 0-60 times for the gti are around 5.8 or so..

[@CarStory]

@@brianreardon7700 Yes I get to 60 in right around 6 seconds which isn't bad.

[@tomdolgin5441]

That car’s 2.0T should use premium 91 octane at least. I use 93 because 91 is only available at one gas station chain. You would have gotten faster 0-60 & 1/4 mile times. Put premium in 2 times and see how much better the engine runs and accelerates. It can run on 87 octane, the engine will adjust and pull the timing, but it’s just going to feel sluggish and get worse gas mileage. So you might as well just put at least 91 in. You lose a lot of hp & foot pounds of torque when you use 87 octane when premium 91 or above is recommended.

[@louisnguyen2865]

Had a GTI that had constant electrical problems. Hope this rabbit is better, but kinda doubt it.

[@IEatYouBabies]

what a mk4? new onces dont seem to have those issues

[@99SVTBolt]

Old VWs are notorious for that. My 2015 & 2018 have been flawless.

[@jaiizwaii89]

Louis Nguyen anything vw has electrical issues. As a current vw lessee.

[@sleeksilver]

@@99SVTBolt my buddy has a '16 R and he's had quite a few issues already with less than 25k on it.

[@99SVTBolt]

sleeksilver that sucks. I’m at 50k with my 2015 and 20k with my 2018. I should trade it in for the C8 Vette before it starts to fall apart.

[@leightonmann]

Cool sleeves. Car is pretty good too. I like the Legacy plaid upholstery.

[@30minforasn]

No one complains about how these volkswagen design never change. It practically looks the same ever since it came out.

[@foxtrot685]

Good. Like the Porsche 911, if it ain't broke design wise...

[@K03sport]

... No need to go revolution on a car like this; continual evolution is the best method. It also helps draw on the car's heritage. Soon, this and the Golf R will be the only 'Golfs' in the showroom as VW has plans to axe all other variants for 2020 and beyond... (my guess is to make room for the I.D. series)

[@wbwayne8887]

The spy shots of the 2020, even under camouflage looks about the same also. Smh

[@solobellimino2356]

VAG is about evolution not revolution. Holding on to the past moving forward. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

[@varsity2845]

Yea you gotta get the DSG in these cars to get the most out of it and enjoy it

[@tyranelewis7763]

You would have had better performance and MPG using the recommended Premium fuel as VW states the posted HP, Torque and MPG were achieved. Even though you can use regular fuel you will not get the posted performance figures using regular

[@eppyz]

The wore out clutch didn't get either🙄

[@russs5838]

Where can I buy one of those magic helmets that buckle under your chin automatically on impact?

[@TheKiltedYaksman1]

Either the car is down on power, or the clutch is really shot, because the heavier GLI they just tested was significantly quicker.

[@99SVTBolt]

TheKiltedYaksman1 clutch is shot. It’s well known the stock clutch is a weak link in the powertrain.

[@shartingfish5761]

99SVTBolt clutch isn’t shot if it’s doing burn outs.. they probably used regular gas and not premium..

[@99SVTBolt]

ShartingFish did you listen to the video? They said the clutch is well worn.

[@shartingfish5761]

99SVTBolt i watched the whole thing, when? I must have missed it twice..

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

John, you mentioned gas mileage and said it was with regular gas........if you put 87 octane in it and that's what you were using for the speed tests...you lost a whole bunch of performance. According to the VW site you only get the 228 hp & 258 lb-ft of torque if you use 91 octane. 2019 is the end of the run for GTI gen 7, and it may take a year before US gets the gen 8, but I look forward to you tests of new VW vehicles as they come our way......including electric models. 👍

[@gmctech]

my '08 Jetta 2.0T FSI with a cat delete is getting a 15.1 @ 102 quarter mile.... I'm running the 02M KDQ 6 speed manual and it's a rocket when you hit 3500 RPM hold on because the boost hits hard and it breaks loose and ESC activates and it's got 320,000km on its clock!

[@DJNMTX]

Pretty clean machine

[@MDHenry4]

Hop on down! They nailed it but add a convertible

[@K03sport]

I'd love to replace my 04 GTI 1.8t with a new GTI-S/Rabbit (or Alltrack 6spd), but there's just something about the new ones that doesn't have me rushing to the dealer. I know it's a better car than my 04, but I think it lacks the 'rawness' the older cars and disconnects the driver from the drive/experience. Sure, it's quick, but I also think it lacks a true sporting feel that can be found in the numerous aftermarket tuners out there for VWs

[@JG-ce6op]

I have a Mk6 GTI. Its a Wolfsburg Edition and I absolutely love it. When I first saw it I was in love! It has the DSG transmission. I find myself looking at the ones and thinking, "Its nice but its not a MK6 GTI." Several reviews of the MK6 say it drives like the MK2 GTI. Do your research (it has its faults but all cars do), take one for a test drive and then you'll see!

[@shartingfish5761]

I own a 2018, now i want to drive an 04, because honestly i love this car, the steering is precise, i can do lift off oversteer, the manual transmission is balanced and near perfect, it’s an amazing vehicle, not to mention I consistently get 43mpg on the highway at 80mph..

[@tomdolgin5441]

I’d rather still have my 03 GTI 1.8T than a new 2020 GTI 2.0T. The 1.8T is an amazing engine, quicker too.

[@eppyz]

Have owned a MK6 and MK7.5 GTI and disagree with you. Go drive one first then come back and see how you feel😁

[@MrRanvic]

Love watching this host reviews. Thank you sir

[@amedeomodigliani3497]

Latest VWs are great cars to buy if you plan to switch it with the new one every 40k miles, because that's around when the big problems start.

[@rubenverduzco1914]

¡Si Señor! I own a mk6 golf R , just hit 100k miles and still runs solid .

[@victorvandyke9898]

Yeah, 0-60 in 7 seconds is just unacceptable. I had a 2015 GTI with a flash, and was blown away by the power. 0-60 in 4.4 seconds easily. Loved the car and the 2.0 engine. I now have a 2018 S3 with a APR stage 2 flash with the downpipe and Carbon Air cleaner/filter from APR. Easily a 400HP car with almost 400 ft lbs tq. My best 0-60 on bad roads was 3.8 seconds. I still miss my GTI as the Audi is almost too sterile. Not as much fun.

[@eppyz]

Yeah but they are running 87 octane and a worn out clutch they admitted as much at least.

[@onpointdetailingbrandon6119]

APR CHIP 12 SECONDS 1/4 MILE

[@dudndadn12212]

The best all around car available for the money.

[@GyroPyro121212]

Wow, that thing is beat. 7.0 0-60 and 15.4 1/4 mile? That’s about as good as a 2002 Ford Focus SVT with 170 hp and 145 lb-ft.

[@tsomeone950]

Once you drive a VW you will understand..... Can't shout from the sidelines like you are "well informed"..... Lots of arm chair critics here again..... Waiting for the guy that's going to say rather buy a C8 lol

[@boci11]

After enormous repairs and daily fixes of your VW you will understand - Overly engineered German Junk !

[@shartingfish5761]

I own a white 2018 S with the LSD and a 6mt and I absolutely love the car, I’ve owned it a little more than a year and couldn’t be happier with it..

[@shartingfish5761]

IsBoR what year, trim level, mileage, and repairs did you have to do?

[@seinsmeld13]

Nice lid Ben!!!!!!

[@joshuagraham3222]

Beautiful car.

[@alanalameda5636]

Is it made in mexico?

[@mmahtnart8986]

There is not a VW dealership in my town. Enough said, Adious!

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

VW has very small number of dealers compared to the US Big 3 and the major Asia brands. Their sales will never be very big if they don't add more dealers. You also might not have a Mazda dealer in your town......had to compete if you are not selling a popular pickup truck 🤔😅

[@Dungzoo]

0-60 7 seconds? Mind bottling

[@turdzilla1675]

Dungzoo It’s because the car is ragged out and has shit tires. They even say that you should refer to the previous video they made in which the car does it in 5.6

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Mend bootling. I think they were using 87 octane fuel.....lost all kinds of hp and torque. The car needs 91 for max power.

[@jayczyzyk9707]

Its a box from hell

[@realbeetlejuice]

228hp coming out of a 2.0L is not really competitive though, to be fair. GM were making 2.0L's with 260hp back in 2007. 228hp in 2019 from a 2.0L.... meh

[@emasinwebs]

Was the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times obtained with regular gasoline, or was it with premium gas?

[@99SVTBolt]

Emmanuel Asindi it was obtained with a slipping clutch. 🤔

[@davidm5707]

They use what the manual calls for. Even if it only "recommends" premium, they use it.

[@kindlyklaus9416]

The sexiest Golf GTI ever😍😍

[@schmo7777]

The clutch was bad after a few thousand miles?! No thanks.

[@foxtrot685]

Yes, not every automotive journalist respects the manufacturer provided press vehicles. Says more about the people driving it than it does the vehicle in this case.

[@ABeans07]

Oe clutch is garbage. My 17 R clutch failed at 20k

[@brycmtthw]

Premature clutch wear says more about the driver than it does the car. Especially if more than one driver drives the car, like press fleet cars.

[@mmahtnart8986]

What do we have here? Another "Black Edition" like so many others?

[@omarpabon5751]

Its essentially an SE without the larger head unit and sunroof. It replaces the inbetweener sport trim

[@waltervila33]

Why buy this when I can get a used first gen mazdaspeed3 for less money and more horsepower and better reliability not to mention a 5 sec 0-60 time

[@morecowbell69]

Try finding a Mazdaspeed3 that hasn't been modified to hell and back, and beaten into the ground

[@qwertyman9560]

Sure why not, you can also have hell of a fun fighting all the wonderful torque steer of the speed3

[@kidghost7628]

Because quality not like the cheap s*** you get with Mazda .....

[@tsomeone950]

Get an Astra turbo then. All u want to do is to straight on a drag strip.....

[@shartingfish5761]

T Someone they didn’t sell them in the USA but i know exactly what you’re talking about from top gear..

[@thelawofinertiathelawofine9186]

Congratulations on making a fun car sound so boring that you see 💤

[@LearnAboutFlow]

And you would buy this over a more powerful, more reliable Veloster N why?

[@realbeetlejuice]

0-60 in 7s... oooof

[@Mac10Daddy]

Lennox Lewis yeah I know. He said they were hesitant to launch it hard. Like why, it’s a test car, whomp on it!

[@realbeetlejuice]

@@Mac10Daddy 228hp coming out of a 2.0L is not really competitive though, to be fair. GM were making 2.0L's with 260hp back in 2007. 228hp in 2019 from a 2.0L.... meh

[@vacuumnut8300]

Bargain. Really. When I look at what else I can buy for what VW charges for the GTI, it is not bargain. Not to mention the questionable VW reliability.

[@rj9617]

Agree.

[@shartingfish5761]

I paid 22k out the door for my 2018 GTI S, with a 7 year 72k mile bumper to bumper warranty.. which ill never use.. Honestly think that is a bargain, especially when i compared it to similarly priced vehicles.

[@vacuumnut8300]

@@shartingfish5761 That is amazing. I just looked it up on Truecar and the cheapest price is a little over $26k.

[@shartingfish5761]

vacuum nut They don’t sell many of them here and VW is pretty empty by me, so i just negotiated the deal, got what i wanted, shopped around, and they beat all the deals i had.. I mean it’s not a 30k dollar car, i got mine stripped with just the lsd, but that’s all i wanted..

[@JOPAGalvin]

Understand hard driven test car but 13,000 miles & a worn clutch? Add the repair to the $30 grand price & no longer a bargain sports hatch. Love to pick the Golf GTI over similar Honda, Toyota & Mazda offerings. But VW must first work on the reliability & quality control issues.

[@brycmtthw]

Jose Nivlag multiple drivers beating the shit out a press fleet car doesn’t help. Toyota, Mazda and Honda don’t offer anything near the GTI for the cost. Yes there’s the new Civic Type R, but good luck getting it for anywhere near $30k

[@acefighterpilot]

Why are you adding the repair cost to a brand new car? Haven't you seen the testing in the video? That's what it means to be a press car: Start. Launch. Launch. Launch. Launch.... x13,000

[@chocolatewheelchair]

GIMMIE FOR REAL

[@mmahtnart8986]

Anything VW related is expensive.

[@sleeksilver]

Too bad that VW ditched their long warranty. I had a VW and wouldn't ever buy another....

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Crazy that an automaker with a reputation for unreliability would offer a really good warranty for 2 years, then REDUCE it for no apparent reason. They pull nonsense like this and wonder why they haven't been a major player in the US market for over 30 years.

[@davidm5707]

If it's truly not needed, keep it in place and it won't cost you anything. Pulling it indicates you can't afford it. Hyundai/Kia have had a great warranty for over twenty years. It gives buyers peace of mind that this move doesn't.

[@ak2112]

Where did you see they dumped the 6 year 72k warranty? VW's website still says it's still 6/72 for all 18s and up (e golf excluded).

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

@@ak2112 They're dumping it starting with 2020 models

[@ABeans07]

Omg who is the sound editor on this? Awful music mix on top.

[@daison96]

DSG for 228 HP......... 🤣🤣🤣

[@turdzilla1675]

Looked up dyno videos on these. They make like 235 hp and 270 tq at the wheels. That's 270 hp and 310 tq at the crank, they are way underrated by VW. The one in this video is ragged out with a slipping clutch and tires that are clearly worn out based on the squealing.

[@AliEsko]

I'll gladly take a Veloster N over the over rated and over priced GTI with it's picnic table cloth interior 😭🤣😭😭😭😭

[@shartingfish5761]

I bought a new GTI S with the LSD and manual transmission, with insensitive’s i paid 22,000 out the door.. Not sure what Veloster you will get for 22k with tax, but i assure you it won’t be the N. Also, while the N is cool, it’s not a good daily it rides hard as a rock, and cargo room sucks.. i can get 8ft length 2x4s in my GTI with the hatch closed.. To me that was a win..

[@affinity3281]

Veloster is good if you only know 2 people or less. Nobody pays msrp on GTIs.

[@katmanjenks1961]

Yawn

[@shaunsnyman5107]

Dinky toy for little boys

[@shartingfish5761]

Yeah, men who drive vehicles with automatic transmissions aren’t men.. Would rather drive a stick dink car than a lifted minivan with an automatic transmission which 90% of the snow flake generation drives..

[@rj9617]

First!

[@angelgjr1999]

My Mustang GT is faster.

[@shartingfish5761]

Assuming you mean the sn95 in the picture? I assure you unless you have the 4 cam dohc terminator engine, it is not faster.. it might be faster at emptying the gas tank and more fun to do donuts in, but as somone who has had 3 fox bodies and a Roush 429R i assure you the 2v 4.6 mustang GT of the sn95 generation is a pig in comparison.. compared to the roush in a straight line the mustang was faster, but in the corners the GTI would embarrass it..

[@magneto8002]

Junk.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

Those plaid seats are tacky as hell.

[@99SVTBolt]

Nick Motsarsky it’s been plaid for like 30 years. 🤣

[@tsomeone950]

You obviously don't know your history

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@@tsomeone950 I do. That doesn't change the fact that they're tacky.