The Itty Bitty NOVA VW Committee

[RawrImAMonster]

I don't blame you all at all. Congrats on the purchases everyone.

As it turns out, I was also talking to Joey about going to test drive some MK7 GTI's last week. This was before I knew any of you were buying them. I didn't get around to it over the weekend because I was out of town, but I did make it there yesterday evening.

I test drove two cars yesterday:
2015 GTI SE (lighting package, fender audio, keyless everything, leather seats, sunroof) w/ DSG
2017 GTI Sport manual (lighting package, bigger golf r brakes, electronic mechanical LSD, keyless everything, base audio).

I was as impressed with the MK7 GTI as I was unimpressed with the MK6 GTI. The motor is really torquey and fun to thrash, the suspension is way more lively and handles great and the car just feels a lot better to drive in every way.

I was also surprised to find out that I actually like the DSG better than the manual in this car. VW clutches are way way too light for my liking. I've described it like this before, but it feels like something is wrong with it because there is so little pressure. It wouldn't be an issue if that was the only manual I ever drove, but even switching back into my stock WRX felt weird because of how different the clutch pedals were.

Long story short, I'm now looking for a 2015/16 2 door MK7 GTI rather than a MK6 Golf R. And seeing how just a stage 1 tune on stock hardware will put these in the 12.9@110 mph range for the quarter mile, I think it will be more than fast enough for a daily driver.

[Deceus]

Oh lord here it goes.



I'm a big fan of letting someone else eat the depreciation of the first 10,000 miles or so but that thing should put a smile on your face for many mornings to come. Can't really put a price tag on that.

[.RJ]

Long story short, I'm now looking for a 2015/16 2 door MK7 GTI rather than a MK6 Golf R.

Told you so

[Jake]

I almost bought a 2017 Tacoma.... In the end, Jake and Joey talked me off the edge of that financial suicide

The whole day, Joey had reminded me that I needed to drive the GTI ...Before I know it, we're driving a Black 6 speed SE, at Joey's suggestion.

New Toyota:  Financial suicide
New VW: Good idea.

because someone else told me so?

Because the price of a new Tacoma (that is an ancient vehicle with new nose grafted to it), even moderately equipped, is well into half-ton truck money, and he's not doing anything trucky but wants a fun and practical daily driver.

So yeah, we set him straight.

[SlimKlim]

2018 Great Falls Green GTI Autobahn w/DSG. 

i'm in love with that color.  i really hope green paint makes a comeback on new cars, because on the right ones, its so choice.

Thanks man, I had some late night qualms about it after getting it home last night, but I went down and took one last peek at it before bed and it all went away. 

It's a lot darker in person than the photos and online configurator. Kind of a dark teal, but when the sun hits it it's got some pop. We're going to do a new car prep detail day on Saturday and I can post some good photos of it.

[.RJ]

might look better with some vinyl on the red bits

[WRXtranceformed]

I almost bought a 2017 Tacoma.... In the end, Jake and Joey talked me off the edge of that financial suicide

The whole day, Joey had reminded me that I needed to drive the GTI ...Before I know it, we're driving a Black 6 speed SE, at Joey's suggestion.

New Toyota:  Financial suicide
New VW: Good idea.

because someone else told me so?

Haha man, I miss you dude.  Please update the Exige thread?  I want to keep living vicariously through your awesome ass

Anyone else notice that both of these dudes kept the front license plates off?  Well done...I didn't even know you could buy cars up in VA without the abomination Scarlet Letter of a front plate frame on them.  What a dumb law, I somehow got away with no front plate for the last few years I lived up there.

Edit: Also - that GRG (German Racing Green) is an epic color on that car

[SlimKlim]

I'm liking the Christmas motif. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That being said the Alltrack looks sexy as hell in this color with all of the silver accents.

[ScottyB]

green and red CAN coexist.  i never thought of Christmas when i saw this:



i think the red GTI accents are low-key enough that it looks fine and just makes the enthusiast in me immediately understand that its a higher trim level.

[Jake]

Anyone else notice that both of these dudes kept the front license plates off?  Well done...I didn't even know you could buy cars up in VA without the abomination Scarlet Letter of a front plate frame on them.  What a dumb law, I somehow got away with no front plate for the last few years I lived up there.

Edit:  Also - that GRG (German Racing Green) is an epic color on that car

You have to ask them to not drill/mount the front plate but they'll leave it off. Nicer to use a tow hook mount if you can.

I straight up told the Ford dealer that if my FoST had a front plate or any dealer badging on it, I wouldn't accept delivery. Made all our lives easier

[Senor_Taylor]

I almost bought a 2017 Tacoma.... In the end, Jake and Joey talked me off the edge of that financial suicide

The whole day, Joey had reminded me that I needed to drive the GTI ...Before I know it, we're driving a Black 6 speed SE, at Joey's suggestion.

New Toyota:  Financial suicide
New VW: Good idea.

because someone else told me so?

First off, I value the opinion of my friends. So if Jake or Joey give me some advice, I tend to give it thought at the very least.

So, a new Tacoma would be $40,000 out the door, and I would still need a "fun" car to be happy. I was also looking at these 3 months after graduation with all of the stress of a new job, new place, and no savings.

OR

A $30000 GTI out the door with twice as many features, twice the gas mileage, 3 times as fast, a fantastic 6 year, 72,000 miles bumper to bumper warranty (and the GTI has less common issues within 20k miles than the Tacoma), and this car can do 99% of the car things I want to do by itself. 

The payment on the GTI is the same as I was making on the 4runner. Makes sense to me. 

[SlimKlim]

Yeah Linsday doesn't drill the bumpers as a rule unless the customer explicitly asks for it. Given that our cars are dealer transfers there's no knowing whether or not the dealer that originally got the car drilled it, but I got lucky with this one.

I was planning to do the tow hook thing, but I have a front parking sensor RIGHT there, and I don't think any of the tow hook options are going to work. I'm probably going to get some 3M double sided tape over lunch and stick the OEM bracket on there, that option seems to have worked for some people and I think it'll be strong enough.

[JPolen01]

might look better with some vinyl on the red bits

I was thinking about this last night, but the continued the red into the headlight housing. Not sure how it would look if you covered up just the part on the grill.

[.RJ]

front parking sensors? maybe you need a front parking camera too....

[SlimKlim]

Yeah I'm not cracking open my headlights to try and get all custom. I like the red.

Further forum thread skimming makes it sound like people are able to fiddle with the tow hook mounts and get them positioned just right so they don't interfere with the sensors.

Not sure what I want to do, what does the peanut gallery think? Spend $80-100 on a good quality tow hook mount and hopefully get it positioned right so I can use the parking sensors?




Or save the money and just stick the OEM bracket on in the center of the bumper? 

[D_Eclipse9916]

I was wondering what all the light coming from the Sterling area was last night. VW should turn down the brightness on their CELs.

Great package guys, hope you enjoy them. Great runabouts and the DSG is key. If I didn't buy mine specifically for autox I would have gotten a DCT on my e92.

[Jake]

The actual front plate bracket doesn't look all bad on them, I think either is a fine option if you can not actually drill the bumper for the bracket.

One thing to note with the tow hook mount - make sure you keep whatever tools you need to remove it in the car. The one I had on the E46 M3 didn't "just" unscrew and it was a royal pain when the fuel pump died. Ended up using the rear hook to get the car onto the tow truck because I didn't have the proper allen key or something to pop the plate off at 1 AM in DC.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Yeah I'm not cracking open my headlights to try and get all custom. I like the red.

Further forum thread skimming makes it sound like people are able to fiddle with the tow hook mounts and get them positioned just right so they don't interfere with the sensors.

Not sure what I want to do, what does the peanut gallery think? Spend $80-100 on a good quality tow hook mount and hopefully get it positioned right so I can use the parking sensors?




Or save the money and just stick the OEM bracket on in the center of the bumper? 

I must be the only person in the world that thinks the Tow Hook license plate brackets look like ass.  It's offset and sticks out much further.  Much prefer OEM.

[JPolen01]

I must be the only person in the world that thinks the Tow Hook license plate brackets look like ass.  It's offset and sticks out much further.  Much prefer OEM.

Nope, I am with you Dj. I don't get doing this on stock cars. The offset is uglier than having it in the center IMO. I also don't get why you don't want to drill the holes? Odds are you are trading in the car when you're done with it so what do the holes even matter?

[WRXtranceformed]

Yeah I'm not cracking open my headlights to try and get all custom. I like the red.

Further forum thread skimming makes it sound like people are able to fiddle with the tow hook mounts and get them positioned just right so they don't interfere with the sensors.

Not sure what I want to do, what does the peanut gallery think? Spend $80-100 on a good quality tow hook mount and hopefully get it positioned right so I can use the parking sensors?




Or save the money and just stick the OEM bracket on in the center of the bumper? 

I must be the only person in the world that thinks the Tow Hook license plate brackets look like ass.  It's offset and sticks out much further.  Much prefer OEM.

I kind of agree, seeing the pics side by side the front looks better (which I use loosely)

If it was me and I really felt like I had to run a front plate, I would spend the money for one of those devices that mounts underneath the bumper and it slides out and up from the bottom with a button.  I think this is the route my brother is going with his new S3.