[DaveA]

Originally Posted by F20MAW73

Regarding small German hatch backs

I think Audi have done a good job with the styling of the new A1. A hot hatch version could be interesting but it would have to be s-tronic for me to consider one due to the millaege I do.

I agree with you... The new A1 is a great step forwards from the original... There is a 200hp version you can get with s tronic(essentially the same engine as the Polo GTI, I believe)...

I doubt whether they will go for more "hot" than that, but, hey, what do I know... But based on they would not want to steal sales from other models... Like S3/RS3

The 200hp Audi would be about £30k... Roughly £3k more than the Polo GTI to a similar spec...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by 1966-TR4

To be fair, even my MkV GTI was like this, in comparison to the F3x. I appreciate the power, ability to put the power down, and economy of my F31 - which are essentially all the reasons I wanted to buy one - but it is not rewarding to drive in the way the GTI was.

Right... and the F31 has a huge amount of carrying capacity over the Golf...

In many ways, having owned three F30's, the F31 actually makes more sense than the F30 if you need that step up in capability...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by gr4z

Looks like a great GTI. I am waiting to see what they do with the Mk8 GTI and it may well go on my list to replace my F36 440i.

My bet is it will feel more an evolution from the Mk7.5 than, say, the new 1 series will, which I think will make some steps in new directions...

I also suspect that you may already be seeing some of the styling cues and interior feel in cars like the new Polo and Tiguan...

This is the latest Polo GTI... So will Mk8 Golf GTI be a larger sibling...?????



This is the Mk7.5 GTI from a similar angle...

[F20MAW73]

A group buy then in the future for the Mk8 GTI's as we all ditch our BMW's

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by F20MAW73

A group buy then in the future for the Mk8 GTI's as we all ditch our BMW's

I'm sure you've all seen them but just like the G20 strip show month by month revels VW forums have the same. I see the interior as the bigger change, the screen goes up and connected ... rather like the direction BMW is now taking.

[scotgc]

What an interesting post, I am in a similar position to the OP - my 440i pcp is coming to an end soon and I'm looking at my options.

The wife has an S3 and it's really thrown me back to hankering after a hot hatchback, that and the costs being less....

I'll be taking an R / GTI and an A35 for a test drive when it's time to change.

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by JustChris

I'm sure you've all seen them but just like the G20 strip show month by month revels VW forums have the same. I see the interior as the bigger change, the screen goes up and connected ... rather like the direction BMW is now taking.

Aye.. I think we will see styling cues from the Polo into the Mk8 Golf... The grille treatment seems to be a common change that is going on with the VW's...

... and, yes, then inside we will see (I expect) a greater integration of the infotainment... Possibly a move to the integrate the connected services more closely with the car itself (using the inbuilt sim) rather than the pick-n-mix approach presently...

There is no doubt the new Golf and BMW 1 series will be resetting the bench marks for this class...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by scotgc

What an interesting post, I am in a similar position to the OP - my 440i pcp is coming to an end soon and I'm looking at my options.

The wife has an S3 and it's really thrown me back to hankering after a hot hatchback, that and the costs being less....

I'll be taking an R / GTI and an A35 for a test drive when it's time to change.

I guess, if I wanted to distill much of my thinking over the last months, it is this... That I could no longer justify spending he sorts of money that I would need to be spending to remain in a 340 (new or keeping mine)... or even a new 330... and, then, looking at the 1 series, I felt that the Golf was a better, more resolved solution to the hatchback sector than the 1-er was...

I have no doubt that the new 1 series will be an interesting car... and much more a direct competitor to the Golf... Whatever sales it loses to the RWD fancier, they will more than compensate by appealing more directly to the Golf buyer...

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by DaveA

I guess, if I wanted to distill much of my thinking over the last months, it is this... That I could no longer justify spending he sorts of money that I would need to be spending to remain in a 340 (new or keeping mine)... or even a new 330... and, then, looking at the 1 series, I felt that the Golf was a better, more resolved solution to the hatchback sector than the 1-er was...

I have no doubt that the new 1 series will be an interesting car... and much more a direct competitor to the Golf... Whatever sales it loses to the RWD fancier, they will more than compensate by appealing more directly to the Golf buyer...

I get where you're coming from and when I eventually change my F31 I suspect it will be far more likely to be for something like a Mk 8 Golf than a G21.

In truth the only 3-series Touring which really appeals to me is the M340i but that will, I fear, be very serious money when it arrives (list price almost certainly over £50k with options and probably not much in the way of discounts either, at least in the short-term). That means a Mk 8 Golf GTi will probably be around £20k less and, to be blunt, I would get more benefit using that money on other things than I would sinking it into a car (nice as the M340i will undoubtedly be).

Enjoy your new motor, the picture confirms to me white's the best colour for the Golf GTi!

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by ciscopete822

You can disable soundaktor by selecting Individual profile and setting Engine Sound option to Eco (keep all other bits in most aggressive modes).

Yes indeed. But I like the damn thing off permanently!

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Yes indeed. But I like the damn thing off permanently!

Looks like coding would be the best way for me to do that as I don't fancy the "pull out the cable" option...

In the meantime, I have the individual profile set up with the eco sound setting and the more day-to-day settings at normal... Not sure I want to drive around normally with the sports settings...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I get where you're coming from and when I eventually change my F31 I suspect it will be far more likely to be for something like a Mk 8 Golf than a G21.

In truth the only 3-series Touring which really appeals to me is the M340i but that will, I fear, be very serious money when it arrives (list price almost certainly over £50k with options and probably not much in the way of discounts either, at least in the short-term). That means a Mk 8 Golf GTi will probably be around £20k less and, to be blunt, I would get more benefit using that money on other things than I would sinking it into a car (nice as the M340i will undoubtedly be).

Exactamundo... and, what I found was, is that the GTI is not a bad place to sit your bum down and drive around in comparison to the 3...

A 3-er with 5-er quality interior, maybe that would seem nicer and less easy to compare...

Originally Posted by JNW1

Enjoy your new motor, the picture confirms to me white's the best colour for the Golf GTi!

For me, it was that or Tungsten Silver... and now I have it, I am glad I chose white... It was going into a dealer and seeing a GTD in white that made my mind up... Just looked so clean in white...

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by DaveA

Exactamundo... and, what I found was, is that the GTI is not a bad place to sit your bum down and drive around in comparison to the 3...

A 3-er with 5-er quality interior, maybe that would seem nicer and less easy to compare...

As well as the financial aspect, for me one of the attractions with something like the Golf is the smaller size and reduced weight which in turn give greater agility. My F31 335d is no doubt worse than your old F30 340i in this respect but get it on a twisty road and to me it feels just a bit heavy and ponderous and not in the least engaging or fun to drive; I can't afford to go too small (need to be able to carry a couple of dogs!) but I just think a Golf GTi or similar would strike a better balance for the driving I'm now doing.

Of course it would be nice to have the extra performance and refinement of something like the B58 engine but once the M140i ceases production that's not going to appear in a Golf size car (and personally I don't think the engine on its own is sufficient reason to buy a current 1-series which, in my view, is a decidedly average package overall). And being brutally honest, a Golf GTi with the 245 bhp engine would probably be quick enough for me for the vast majority of the time anyway...

[JD6]

Originally Posted by JNW1

I get where you're coming from and when I eventually change my F31 I suspect it will be far more likely to be for something like a Mk 8 Golf than a G21.

In truth the only 3-series Touring which really appeals to me is the M340i but that will, I fear, be very serious money when it arrives (list price almost certainly over £50k with options and probably not much in the way of discounts either, at least in the short-term). That means a Mk 8 Golf GTi will probably be around £20k less and, to be blunt, I would get more benefit using that money on other things than I would sinking it into a car (nice as the M340i will undoubtedly be).

Enjoy your new motor, the picture confirms to me white's the best colour for the Golf GTi!

The M340i is probably the only 3 Series I would consider as well, but unlike you, I do expect there to be decent (20%+) discounts available pretty quickly. So my guess would be a £12k difference between a Mk8 GTi and an M340i, both with a decent spec (perhaps £30k vs £42k).

I could justify that kind of additional cost for the M340i, but if it was more like £20k, I might have to take a good look at the Golf.

The last GTi I tried was a Mk6, and I was really impressed.

[JNW1]

Originally Posted by JD6

The M340i is probably the only 3 Series I would consider as well, but unlike you, I do expect there to be decent (20%+) discounts available pretty quickly. So my guess would be a £12k difference between a Mk8 GTi and an M340i, both with a decent spec (perhaps £30k vs £42k).

I could justify that kind of additional cost for the M340i, but if it was more like £20k, I might have to take a good look at the Golf.

The last GTi I tried was a Mk6, and I was really impressed.

Don't think I'll change my F31 until next summer so I'll see how the prices are looking then! If the M340i ends-up at mid-£50k's list with a decent spec that will still put them at well over £40k even if discounts as high as 20%+ appear quite quickly. However, the Mk 8 Golf will also be more expensive than the current version so if the post-discount prices are early 30's against low to mid 40's you might not be far off with your £12k.

Would that be worth it for the M340i? I'm sure it would for some but when I look at my current mileage profile I'm not convinced it would be for me; would have to drive both before making that decision!

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by DaveA

Looks like coding would be the best way for me to do that as I don't fancy the "pull out the cable" option...

In the meantime, I have the individual profile set up with the eco sound setting and the more day-to-day settings at normal... Not sure I want to drive around normally with the sports settings...

For coding, you will need to buy one of these things:

https://obdeleven.com/shop/en/home/1...423005103.html

and I'd recommend the Pro licence:

https://obdeleven.com/shop/en/home/1...423005165.html

Gives you an idea of what the costs are for coding.

The app for the phone is free. Its available on Android, but iOS is coming soon.

[TodmordenLad]

Congrats on the new Golf, Dave.
How do you find handling and ride comfort on the 19" wheels you opted for? Did you opt for Dynamic Chassis Control out of interest? Cheers

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by JNW1

As well as the financial aspect, for me one of the attractions with something like the Golf is the smaller size and reduced weight which in turn give greater agility. My F31 335d is no doubt worse than your old F30 340i in this respect but get it on a twisty road and to me it feels just a bit heavy and ponderous and not in the least engaging or fun to drive; I can't afford to go too small (need to be able to carry a couple of dogs!) but I just think a Golf GTi or similar would strike a better balance for the driving I'm now doing.

Thinking about it, each of my F30's was great when driven like a limousine.. albeit quite speedy ones, some of them... but if you tried getting a little enthusiastic with the drive, then I started to feel less enamoured, shall we say... I'll just go back to what I said earlier, simply I expected better from a (list) close to £50k saloon/sedan...

Perhaps the whole thing works much better in countries with smoother roads...???

Originally Posted by JNW1

Of course it would be nice to have the extra performance and refinement of something like the B58 engine but once the M140i ceases production that's not going to appear in a Golf size car (and personally I don't think the engine on its own is sufficient reason to buy a current 1-series which, in my view, is a decidedly average package overall). And being brutally honest, a Golf GTi with the 245 bhp engine would probably be quick enough for me for the vast majority of the time anyway...

Yes, I think the 1-er will be 3 cyl and 4cyl engines... and I'm going to guess that the G20 will be the last 3 series to get a six cyl engine...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by JD6

The M340i is probably the only 3 Series I would consider as well, but unlike you, I do expect there to be decent (20%+) discounts available pretty quickly. So my guess would be a £12k difference between a Mk8 GTi and an M340i, both with a decent spec (perhaps £30k vs £42k).

I could justify that kind of additional cost for the M340i, but if it was more like £20k, I might have to take a good look at the Golf.

The last GTi I tried was a Mk6, and I was really impressed.

Over 4 years, you'd have to add close to £2k for the extra tax, also (assuming the Mk8 golf GTI stays below £40k)... I shall be interested to see the discounts as they develop on the M340... and also how the new 1 and new Golf shape up..

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by dopper99

For coding, you will need to buy one of these things:

https://obdeleven.com/shop/en/home/1...423005103.html

and I'd recommend the Pro licence:

https://obdeleven.com/shop/en/home/1...423005165.html

Gives you an idea of what the costs are for coding.

The app for the phone is free. Its available on Android, but iOS is coming soon.

Looks interesting.. I would need an iOS version... and, I am assuming, the pro version is needed to change the settings/coding for the soundaktor thingy...

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

Congrats on the new Golf, Dave.
How do you find handling and ride comfort on the 19" wheels you opted for? Did you opt for Dynamic Chassis Control out of interest? Cheers

So, first things first, ride and comfort were way better after I reset the tyre pressures from the (close to) 50 psi they were at on delivery..!!! I thought my fillings were going to fall out…

I have the normal passive set up and it seems to be OK… I am not the best person to advise on handling and whatnot, but ride comfort is pretty good, considering it’s sportier setup and skinny tyres… it is certainly not too crashy over the crappy surfaces (although some catch it out) and nice and firm and confidence inspiring when you start on the twister stuff… I’m guessing there would be slightly more compliance on 18”s…

I cannot comment on the Dynamic setup…

[dopper99]

Originally Posted by DaveA

Looks interesting.. I would need an iOS version... and, I am assuming, the pro version is needed to change the settings/coding for the soundaktor thingy...

With ObdEleven there are two ways to use it to code, both are using the phone app:

1) Buy credits and you use a number of credits each time you code anything - but the interface is very easy and simple to use. I think you can change pretty much anything with this option, but it does cost you extra.

2) Buy the Pro license and you can code anything as many times as you like at no further charge. But you cant use the simple screens from above. However it is still pretty easy to code with the Pro version, but you need to know the modules to go to to change the settings. There are loads of resources/vids on the net to help with this as all VAG cars are covered by ObdEleven. And the Pro version keeps history so you can change stuff back easily if needs be.