Every now and again I get to pilot something new. A group of us piled into my buddy’s GTI and headed up to Tahoe one weekend. I “volunteered” to do the driving. Some of the roads up to the lake would have been well suited to my roadster, but the snow and sub-40*F temperatures we were facing would not have agreed with my Bridgestone RE-11As.
I’ve actually been a fan of the GTI since before I got my license, a Mk1 GTI is still on my list of cars to own. Due to the weather and some disinterested passengers, the majority of my driving was just highway putting and slow cruises from point to point, so my assessment mostly addresses livability.
I haven’t driven many hot hatches, unless you group the Acura Integra in that class, so I came into this drive without expectations. Standout impressions were the solid midrange torque, very supportive seats (oof, plaid, yes), and the quality feel of all the touch points in the interior. Less positive were the entertainment controls, which are very difficult to use (long reach for untextured buttons, very cluttered steering wheel), a slightly laggy throttle tip-in (even in Sport Mode), and pedals that require men’s shoes sized 10.5 and up.
I need to go on about the pedals. They’re very pretty, one gets the sense that someone agonized over this detail in a way not every manufacturer does. In the daytime you really appreciate the sculpted metal and inset rubber details, and at night they gleam by the faint footwell lighting.
Just don’t try to use them.
The issue here is something common to many newer cars in that the brakes are so heavily boosted. More brake boosting means less pedal pressure is required. Less pressure means less pedal travel is used. Less pedal travel leaves your foot a little further away from the throttle when trying to heel toe. That little extra distance means having to angle your foot more to blip the throttle on a downshift, making it easier for your foot to slip off.
This isn’t an issue if you’re burying the pedal coming into a hot corner. But if you’re leisurely attempting to slow the car while approaching retarding traffic or an offramp, you may find frustration in finessing the slippery edge of the pedal. Wearing a size 9 Chuck Taylor means I don’t have the biggest footprint, and some of the difficulty could just be me. But I’ve driven a wide enough variety of cars to know it shouldn’t be this hard.
Overall, the GTI made for a good weekend companion. While I would have chosen the 5 door if it were mine, it managed to carry 4 adults in relative comfort, kept us warm even when it dipped below 30*F, never failed to pass semi trucks on uphill stretches, and (as important as ever) averaged near 40 MPGs for the duration of the trip.
My complaints stem from my taste in cars more than from the car’s shortcomings. Even with those, I can completely understand why folks, including the owner of this one here, snap them up for daily drivers. With a relaxed but willing and torquey power plant, a healthy splash of creature comforts, and enough sportiness mixed in, the GTI (as it has for many others) sets my expectation for Hot Hatches.
Now, to take a spin in a Ford Fiesta ST…