4 WORST And 8 BEST Things About The 2023 VW GTI

[@dwnshft]

Special thanks to our Patrons for their support of the channel! Would you still take a GTI despite all the other hot hatches getting hotter?

[@GT-Z-]

patreons *

[@volvoxc9086]

NO. GR COROLLA CIVIC TYPE R ELANTRA N ARE Better THAN THIS

[@TraceyAllen]

@@volvoxc9086 enjoy the 8 year wait list on the gr Corolla.

[@volvoxc9086]

@@TraceyAllen 8 OR 10 YEARS ITS WORTH THE TIME And MONEY OVER THIS BY A COUNTRY MILE

[@TraceyAllen]

@@volvoxc9086 it’s a really cool car, but it’s still a Corolla. In reality they are completely different segments. The GR has no compromises for comfort, just go fast and handle really good. But the GTI is a great, everyday car that is reasonably fast enough and comfortable. I hope you find one and enjoy it. I did in New York State, but once I figured in tax title and license twice plus travel it was getting too expensive and found my GTI locally. All the Toyota dealers in my state have 5 to 10 on the waitlist each, with no commitment from Toyota to make more model years.

[@MichaelSwanson-j9l]

This past Friday, I just bought a pomelo yellow GTI 40th Anniversary Edition GTI with the manual transmission. What an incredible car! I love everything about it! And the color is awesome - prettiest paint job I’ve ever seen on any car. And on this version are the adaptive dampers like on the Autobahn trim so you can adjust suspension stiffness. Plenty of power and 36 mpg on the highway trip home! I will keep this car the rest of my life (I’m almost 67 years old) and I firmly believe it will be a classic. I know people are going with EV’s these days, but for the fun factor, I’ll take the GTI any day over any EV!

[@dwnshft]

Enjoy!

[@dre32pitt]

I'm very curious as to how you get on with that infotainment being an older chap. Cheers!

[@huimingdong953]

Wants ask you if you think the gap between the wheel and the fender is larger than the one on Autobahn? Although both are 19”, the gap looks larger on the 40th edition.

[@on2wheels275]

I get my 40th Anniversary this week in P. Yellow also but with the 7 speed automatic. I’m more the psyched. The 40th Anniversary is the way to go, hands down if you want a drivers car and can do without all of the bells and whistles. When you think of it, the 40th Anniversary is really an absolute steal when you compare price to features of this VW.

[@juelz4516]

@@dre32pitt bruh he’s 67 not 87 😂

[@stevegaspar]

I've got a MK8 performance trim (top trim in Canada) and most owners don't know you can set the DCC, in custom mode, 3 fulls ABOVE sport or 3 full levels BELOW comfort. Game changer for a driving experience IMO

[@IllIIllllIlIlIll]

HVAC controls are wayyyy better on the base S trim. It even comes with actual volume and tune knobs.

[@TraceyAllen]

I have some disagreements, the touch interface and infotainment are actually pretty good, and work well with winter gloves. The interior are not as cheap as reviewers make it out to be, way nicer than my TDI sportwagen. The colors are pretty minimal, but we are only in the second year for North American, vw usually waits till the final couple of model years to bring out spectrum. Most dealers are are only allotted 1 or 2 GTI’s a year. Finally was you mentioned a $30k price, but the car driven in the video had to be $40k plus. The S trim starts just above $30k, but even my SE with Tartan cloth seats was $37.5k. Personally I prefer the cloth over the leather. Lighter, less complex, and they just look sharper than the grey leather. But cooled seats would be nice.

[@ITobiI]

can confirm. The touch- for whatever reason fits better for me... same experience, if not better than in the 7

[@MC-gp1zg]

Why do reviewers moan about having to take a hand off the wheel when the majority of drivers don’t have both hands on the wheel anyway ? I’ve had my golf r now for over a year and to be honest I don’t really have any issues with the touch screen or haptic buttons.yes the screen could be more responsive at times but certainly not as bad as people make out.

[@justaguy6862]

I had a 2011 GTI with the cigar cutter rims!! Frustrating mechanical issues at times. But loved that machine. Didn't even look at this model when looking for new due to the lack of physical HVAC buttons. And too much buried in touch/ capacitive etc. One wonders what the future repair bills will be when all that new tech turns old and starts to break down?

[@wackit6756]

You’re right about VW and it’s color choices for the GTI. When the GTI 7.5 came out I wanted one SOOOO bad but for a car that was suppose to evoke sportiness and a wow factor, the colors were so boring. Literally at many dealers there would be a grey next to a blue, next to a black, and they would all look the same unless the sun hit a small portion of the car. Sometimes standing right next to them I couldn’t tell the difference. Don’t like appliance White, and red was not my thing. This newest puke green is at least different though, not beautiful. For a car that is suppose to appease the younger or sportier crowd, why does VW keep their colors so drab? Why not a metallic Orange or metallic Ocean blue, outrageous green or a deep Burgundy?

[@dwnshft]

Would LOVE a maroon or burgundy 😍

[@dre32pitt]

Because you have to spend Golf R money to get the fancy colors.. Expect that nuclear color palette to come out in the next few years, like they did with the MK7.5. And they did have a cool green/teal color, but it was ultra hard to find with a manual.. I ended up in a mk7.5 GTI S (prefer the plaid seats to the leather and the S was the only way to get them in the US).. Great car for what it is, but lacked in driving feel and throttle response (I was coming from a NA V8, so yea.. throttle response will seem like dial-up in any turbo nutter, unless it's already on boil)

[@TraceyAllen]

@@dre32pitt the mk8 GTI’s s and se’s get the tartan seats, I love mine. And rolling in second gear 20 to 60 like right now, wasn’t expecting that. They are brilliant cars.

[@tomg.4287]

Grocery bag hooks! Now I like my mk8 R grocery getter even more😎

[@dwnshft]

an underrated feature for sure!

[@FallenArtemie]

I had a mk7.5 and now a mk8. Being a person that doesn't change the climate all that much and keep it in Auto, the climate settings don't bother me. The sliders on the wheel are great tbh. I don't feel like I stepped into a worse quality interior from the 7.5 to the 8. They both felt as normal for the price bracket shared by Honda and Subaru. Anything better I would expect from the Audi price bracket.

[@nenadmomcilovic9133]

Do you think a Cornflower Blue 2021 Autobahn edition is better or worse than the 2023 40th anniversary model (autoobahn but without the premium audio, navigation, sunroof)?

[@on2wheels275]

You should mention that that is NOT a 2023 GTI. It’s more likely a 2022 GTI Autobahn edition. The only GTI that comes in Pomelo Yellow is the GTI 40th Anniversary Edition which gets you unique 19 inch rims that have never been offered in the US before, special badging and decals and 40th Anniversary steering wheel which is not shown here. The 40th Anniversary edition gets you the Autobahn equipped suspension and other features for less that an SE price. If you are reviewing a used 2022 just say it. It’s glaring obvious that this is not a 2023MY. The 49th Anniversary Edition are limited release in the US with just around 1500 units sold, although they won’t be collectors worthy, it’s cool to have a car that you won’t see on every corner

[@juelz4516]

Ohhh he got you bud! Callin you out OP!

[@on2wheels275]

@@juelz4516 haha yup

[@JustAnotherDayProdt]

This guy needs more views. Sure the production is not as high end as the some of the big KZbinrs, but the content and thoroughness is up there with the best.

[@dwnshft]

many thanks

[@t.k.morris]

Would you buy this over a 2023 Mazda3 hatchback with a manual or a Civic SI ??

[@ITobiI]

any time

[@WitchYuki22]

The 11th gen SI still has the 3-5 business days rev hang that the 10th gen had. You just don't hear about it because honda fanboys will always sweep any problems/criticism under the rag 😂😂 Also the SI has always been 200hp for like a decade now and hasn't changed at all. Yet no one criticizes Honda for that

[@paulreid179]

I say its between the GTI & the BMW 128ti , what you may miss in the GTI the Bimmer makes up for a whole lot. Its lIke they too miss what VW use to be and used the same formula to create that niche.

[@staqp.4337]

When you’re in the middle of heavy fast moving traffic getting bounced around by potholes and bumps in the road the touchscreen sucks. If you’re stopped at a light it’s fine

[@bigshotsnapshot]

Sliders can be used as buttons, no problem, just tap or press one side or the other. Tesla slaps in a big screen, very few buttons and knobs, and it is considered state-of-the-art and mind blowing. VW does the same and the world loses its mind. This is the future of car interiors, get used to it, just look at the newly revealed Porsche Cayenne, refreshed 911 will be mostly screens too. The new GTI is sleek, stylish and innovative, inside and out, while sticking true to its performance roots. Hot-hatch rivals are nowhere near as refined. 🚗🔥💨

[@shijima_ending]

Well firstly, Tesla's screens are more responsive and the design is a little more intuitive. And secondly, Teslas are made for NPCs, and you'd want the drivers car GTI to be a little more analog in that regard. Nonetheless, I agree that the whole interior and tech situation is blown a little out of proportion. It wont stop me from upgrading from my MK7 GTI to a MK8 GTI or R.

[@janperez9456]

Gonna have to disagree. Yeah it looks sleek but it's inconvenient. They not doing it to look sleek its for cost cutting. Cheap to stuff everything in a lcd screen than to have buttons. I have doubts on the longevity of these capacitive buttons lasting more than 3-4 years

[@robertlizinski6109]

The infotainment system is easy peasy. It's just a matter of getting used to it which these testers aren't taking the time to do.

[@t.k.morris]

Awesome video presentation! Liked and subscribed.... Thanks!

[@t.k.morris]

If you don't change your desired temperature very much, is this system really an annoyance?

[@TraceyAllen]

I’ve owned my GTI for a few weeks. The infotainment system has a learning curve. But you get used to it pretty quick. I use my steering wheel controls a ton more than I used to. I live in central Minnesota so it definitely gets cold here. The car is pretty smart, I set it up to turn on the heated seat and steering wheel. The car only does this when it’s cold out. You also have a max defrost button next to the headlight button. The buttons and sliders work well with gloves on. I really like it.

[@benwells2338]

Oh crap…did I just notice a design quirk that’ll upset my OCD almost as much as the MK7’s media power button logo that rotates with the dial? The honeycomb pattern on the trim panel isn’t actually level, but very slightly at an angle?? Eh maybe not…hopefully not haha

[@DanielEnochs]

Mountain dew color ! I love it!

[@TheJoStephan]

I really wonder how these “tech” designers think it is safe to hide the climate controls inside such a complex touch screen menu. Imagine adjusting these things while DRIVING ?!! Insane !

[@t.k.morris]

Can you easily replace the gear shifter knob?

[@TraceyAllen]

Yes.

[@Dagot1948]

I have a '22 GTI Autobahn 6MT. I was aware of the "button" problem when I bought it and wasn't a deal-breaker. I still hope VW hears its customers that the climate control system is unacceptable. Simple things, like turning off/on the AC, increasing/decreasing the temperature become multiple interactions with the touch screen. Even holding two fingers on a slider as a more direct way to make changes is a serious distraction. Taking your eyes off the road to make those adjustments, especially at speed, is simply unsafe. A simple knob where one click equals one degree in temperature is much better. Otherwise, the car is incredibly fun to drive and I don't regret buying it at all.

[@EastWood2004]

I used own a mk7.5 golf R and moved to M2C. I recently bought a Cupra Formentor VZx. I can tell you it is more fun than Volkswagen golf.

[@t.k.morris]

Does it recommend or require premium grade gas?

[@TraceyAllen]

87 octane.

[@kerbsy7838]

The steering wheel “sliders” are also buttons

[@r3games1985]

I don't think this is a 2023. I was just in one at the dealership and it did have the red stitching on the wheel and gloss black around the gear shifter.

[@jtkent28]

As a lifelong VW owner and 3 time GTI owner, I was really disappointed with what VW decided to do with the cheaper interior and all touch infotainment. All I could think when I got out of the mk8 at the dealership was.. why? who asked for this? If they had taken a simple poll of current GTI / R owners and asked them before they did this I guarantee every single one of them, myself included, would have said no please do NOT make everything all touch with no buttons or dials. So ill be keeping my mk7.5 and hoping the ‘24 model addresses these issues.

[@dwnshft]

gotta agree with you - a very disappointing tech navigation philosophy

[@TraceyAllen]

You have to drive it more than a day. The touch controls are actually pretty great. For starters I use my steering wheel control way more than my last 2 cars, meaning my hands and eyes stay on the wheel more. I very seldom do I interact with the info screen while actually on the road, voice or steering controls. I also live in central Minnesota, and all the sliders and buttons work great with gloves, hasn’t been an issue. And final it’s a nicer interior than my tdi sportwagen. It’s a brilliant car. Mine is a 23 6sp se with the tartan cloth seats.

[@t.k.morris]

@@TraceyAllen Does it have voice control??

[@evilcookiekiller]

The poll wouldn't be "do you want real buttons or are touch buttons okay?" Though. The poll would have been "what do you prefer touch buttons with far more features (heated steering wheel, customizable digital gauge cluster, wireless charging, back seat vents/charging), or do you want real buttons minus many of those extras. I would vote for touch buttons and extra features every time.

[@EmilJonsson94]

What VW are doing with their interior really takes them out as an option for me. The sliders are just sh*t...

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

Those stupid slider controls are definitely a deal breaker. No way would I pay money and put up with that crap.

[@petergarchinsky6737]

You will not find a GTI for around 30k!!

[@TraceyAllen]

Yeah my SE was $37.5k. But no mark ups. Msrp for the win.

[@t.k.morris]

Atlanta, GA dealers have the base 'S' trim for $30k or so.

[@BrewTownBiker]

Want a Golf R, with DSG, Allwheel for the Wisconsin winters but that slide shit, no buttons/knobs would suck in winter, and lame colors too

[@haze1123]

Absolutely horrendous interior controls. VW knows they messed up.

[@hondaftw1234]

I traded in my 2022 GTI. Constant problems I just lost faith in it.

[@dwnshft]

i started getting misfires in my VW around 100k miles

[@bucknut2000]

I heard its hit or miss which makes me a bit scared to buy another one. Mine is OK, i got a 2015 GTI SE manual and the first 180K were great but than things started to happen. Its at 220 now , but I dont know if I would have spent the money to fix it again. Im just trying to for the update. Most people say mine is a good one, but my other car a 08 civic si has 280K ( and I drive it a lot lot harder), and nothing outside of AC has really gone bad.

[@donloesch4432]

What sort of issues? I have a mk8 after having a mk5 mk7 and mk7.5

[@lindiwemaseko3150]

nothing like a Gti

[@opencarry3860]

I'll stick with my MK7.

[@haroldgraham4441]

Fantastic

[@dchrish]

When did they start selling a gti without a engine cover

[@janoycresnova9156]

Because of the VW recall. They were catching fires I think.

[@stevengroddy8482]

Great driving dynamics but the infotainment scares me off!

[@dwnshft]

yuupppp

[@dre32pitt]

@@dwnshft Dave? From Storage Wars... Is that you??

[@BenTroxell]

Uhhh this is not a 2023 lol. This is a 2022.

[@dwnshft]

correct, but they're essentially identical

[@BenTroxell]

@@dwnshft you literally called it out for not having red stitching on the steering wheel but the 2023’s literally have red stitching on the steering wheel. Misleading video my dude.

[@sirredfox8090]

I just picked up my VW Golf R on Friday and made it half a mile from the dealership before getting rear ended at a stoplight, so now I gotta wait 3 weeks for the bumper to be replaced, I know it’s not the GTI but I just thought I’d share since they’re the same car just different trims

[@juelz4516]

Nobody’s cross shopping this with a Hyundai Kona N 😂 wtf

[@dwnshft]

why not?

[@giovanniesau7562]

Him: complains about taking your hand off the steering wheel. Also him: *drives with one hand*💀

[@SmiFF_]

1:00 ... shitty cheap glossy plastic, makes ANY car look horrible. I prefer a different type of material ( matte plastic, carbon fiber foil, honeycomb texture foil, etc etc ) ... anything but glossy. During sunny days u will feel cheated with ALL those reflections inside the car ... mk7.5 is the top of the range of the MQB platform, i would say "pinnacle" but that's too much of a status :)

[@t.k.morris]

So what car do you recommend with a manual transmission and under $35k purchase price?

[@zI0Legend0Killer0Iz]

You north americans totally miss out on the GTI Clubsport from Europe. It has 300 hp and more exclusive tuning. I got one and it totally rips the front axle.

[@someguy2773]

Sounds like fun but with that much power going to only 2 wheels that car must eat thru tires quick

[@Nanne-kn5uh]

I love you more