EDIT: Additional comments and updates farther down in the thread. 70,000 mile update
So I finally got tired of getting nickel-and-dimed by my 10-year-old 170,000 mile WRX. It was a fun car, fairly heavily modded, and it was a blast to own. But I'm 42, and I commute 25 miles to work, and we don't get much winter weather around here these days, and I was getting a bit tired of having a worn/stiff suspension (Bilstein Racecomp Cup) and recurring emissions codes. So with my emissions inspection due at the end of this month, and dealers full of outgoing 2018 models chopped down in price, it was time to make a move.
My requirements narrowed my choices down pretty well: no drive-wheel preference, but had to get around 30mpg commuting (the WRX averaged 23 on premium....), had to have LSD (if FWD/RWD), and since I have enough project cars and don't want to work on my DD it had to have either a good CPO or new-car warranty. Also had to have a manual transmission and sporty road manners. Oh, and it had to be around $25k (if new) or less if used. I have cars for motorsport, so no need for the car to be set up for track or autocross or anything else. Just something that is fun to drive in stock(ish) form.
I ruled out BMWs just due to cost and ones in my range being out of warranty. I'd love a 2-series, but just not practical for my needs. The Civic Si was high on the list but didn't love the interior design (or the exterior look), and there are basically zero 2018s sitting on lots around here at this point. It was fun to drive, but didn't love it. The Elantra GT was a great deal with a great warranty, but with no LSD available, it got crossed off the list. WRXs are still in the low-30s and still get crappy MPGs, so as much as I thought about it, I couldn't figure out a reason to get another one. In the end, the GTI checked the boxes (and the GRM article the week I started to look helped matters).
So, picked up a 2018 GTI SE in night blue metallic on Monday and drove my regular commute all week and some fun road this weekend. So here are my initial thoughts (picture with my new wheels)
(and with my new wheels)
1. Cost/warranty: VW upped their warranty to 6 years/72k limited and powertrain. I don't totally trust VW reliability, but that gives me peace of mind. I paid $26k out the door (taxes, tags, fees, etc etc), which is $2k less than I paid for my WRX a decade ago. I consider it to be a pretty great price for what I got.
2. Engine: Well, no boxer rumble and man is it quiet. I keep finding myself in 3rd going 55mph since I can hardly hear the engine. It has piped-in engine noise that you can "turn to sport mode" which just makes it a bit louder when on the gas. But nary a turbo noise, it sounds like a regular econocar, except it goes a lot quicker. Other than that, it revs nicely and boost comes on almost instantly - no lag like the WRX has. Oddly, for being a 2.0 it has way more oomph oof-boost than my 2.5 WRX did. It doesn't *feel* particularly powerful, but when pushed it really gets up to speed quickly - I'd say it's actually a bit quicker in the mid-gears than the WRX was, even though that car was tuned to over 300hp.... I could go for a bit more exhaust note, but the car comes wiht full stainless exhaust so not even gonna bother.
3. Transmission: Aside from the semi-annoying shift knob, it is amazingly smooth shifting (though still trying to remember there's a 6th gear). Clutch is light but not too light.
4. Brakes: The SE and Autbahn have the same brakes as the Golf R, and they are HUGE and really excellent. I coudl use a bit better modulation but in sheer stopping power they destroy the 4-pots on my WRX, even with stock pads.
5. LSD: It has it. It's electronically-controlled but in some rainstorms I pushed it out of corners and it hooked up well. Happy I got the SE with LSD. Steering: it's electric steering and you can change the mode to get lighter or heavier feel. I like the sport-mode steering, and the shape of the wheel - though I don't love the super-smooth leather (or pleather) wrap on it, which doesn't provide very good grip.
6. Lights: LED lights everywhere. Headlights, taillights, interior stuff. I love the lighting in every respect. The interior lighting is crisp and the right levels. The headlights are absolutely amazing on a dark night. They blow away anything I've ever driven, including the much-ballyhooed TSX. It has nifty LCD red strips on the doorsills and doors which are neat, and all the gauges, switches, etc have good lighting.
7. Interior: I got the cloth (with the plaid, which has totally grown on me). I don't love leather interiors and wanted a seat that felt as close to the WRX as possible, which had great seats. These are a bit firmer, but arguably more supportive and better-bolstered. And definitely with more adjustments. My only issue is my right knee hits the center stack (had the same issue on our Mazda3 years ago), which is kind of annoying but I'm learnign to adjust my seat position to accommodate. Pedals are perfectly-spaced, switchgear is in the right place, intuitive, and has a quality feel to it (unlike the VW-sourced stuff in my old Porsche!). Mine came with both regular floormats and all-weather floormats, which are really nice, including a trunk liner. The center console is pretty tiny compared to the WRX, but does adjust to about 5 different heights for your right elbow, which is nice. Dash is soft-touch materials and looks nice, as well as the tops of the doors. Stuff below that is mostly hard plastic, but it looks classier than the all-hard-plastic in the WRX for sure.
8. Electronics: still learning all the stuff the touch-screen display system can do, but it links up great with Android Auto and is easy as hell to use (I'm not a huge electronics guy), so phone, text, pandora, google maps, etc are all automatically there any time I get in the car, and can all be voice-activated. Overall it works well and is simple/intuitive, but there are a few annoying things about it that I'll have to get used to - mostly just button positioning or too many "notifications" of stuff. The USB and AUX ports in the little pocket below is a total pain to get plugged in unless you have small fingers, so that's a bit annoying. I got the regular sound system, and it sounds pretty good for a stock system but nothing special. There are also two power ports (i.e. cigarette lighter without the lighter) between the seats. Cupholders are great, and hold any kind of cup/bottle easily and firmly. Door pockets are huge. I did find it funny that with all this electronic stuff, the car has a traditional rearview mirror. My 15-year old truck has auto-dimming. Not that I really care, just found it amusing.
10. Sunroof is pretty cool (tilt up, and opens above the roof all the way back. It has a mesh screen thing that you can keep closed even when the roof is open to shade from the sun. The sunroof controls are not the greatest but whatever.
11. Wheels/tires: I'll be honest, I hate the Dallas wheels that it came with. In fact, while shopping I was already browsing for something else. Those wheels are simply cheesy in my opinion and it drives me crazy that they are directional - but going opposite directions on each side of the car. The GTIs on the lot had 3 different tires on them: a mediocre Bridgestone (I forget which), Pirelli Sotto p7 (yuck, it's a grand-touring tire, not even a performance A/S), and mine had Hankook Noble S1, which seemed decent in the dry, ok in wet, and I hear they're awful in winter weather. Also for some reason even on a 7.5" wheel the 225/40s seemed too small - both in sidewall height and in width, like they were stretched.
So I sold them (took 2 hours!) for almost $1000. And spent the money on some repro VW Interlagos (CC wheels) that have a more adult look to them and a bit more flush offset (and 8" wide), and some 225/45 BFG Comp 2 A/S, which I've really liked on the Porsche since they have winter ability and feel like a performance summer tire in the dry. Plus they have a beefier-looking tread. So even on a wider wheel, they just appear to "fit" better. Anyhow, the wheels are not super-fancy, but I like adulty/low-key for my DD so they work for me. The 5% higher sidewall really fills out the wheel wells better (since I don't plan to lower this car).
This car doesn't use in-wheel TPMS, but uses the ABS to figure out when a tire is flat. Which is nice, frankly. When yo uchange tires or want to use a non-stock pressure, you can reset the default right on the dash display.
12. MPGs. On my commute, for a decade, the WRX averaged 23.4-23.7 mpg consistently in mixed city/highway driving. In the first week with the GTI, driving the same speeds, same style,it returned 32.1 mpgs (calculated at the pump - the trip computer said 31.7). With the slightly larger tires on it now it will read 3% high, but that's negligible. The car can run on regular or super, so I'll probably do a few tanks of each to see how it effects performance and MPGs.
13. Looks: I'm adding some mudflaps, and some tint, and that's about it. I think with the new wheels the car looks pretty nice. I'm not totally in love with the whole "GTI stigma" but then again, I did the "WRX stigma" for a decade so.......I think the car looks fairly nice if not exciting, and that's fine with me. I like blending into traffic and not getting tickets (in 170k miles I never got pulled over in a tuned WRX with exhaust!!)
Anyhow, that's my take. I like the car a lot so far. Not a raw or rowdy or athletic as the WRX was, but in terms of feel/quality/manners it blows the WRX away.
