I would have preferred a 2 door GTI with the headlights option, but I bought a 4-door 2016 Golf TSI S 5 speed manual instead (all my cars since 1980 have had 3 pedals, and I'm fine with 5 gears instead of 6).
The Golf had all the performance I needed, and I picked it up brand new for $16k (excluding tax & title). With the money I saved I invested $3k in upgrading the sound system.
2 doors would have been impractical for the same reason a Jetta would have been -- my space in the garage is narrow and short. The shorter driver's door makes it much easier to get in and out, and any car much longer than the Golf would make the heavily used passage behind it a constant annoying squeeze.
I'm very interested in the Mk8, even though it will be at least 6 years before I buy my next car (barring unforeseen circumstance). My first new car purchase was a 1986 Golf, and I've had only 2 other cars between that and my 2016 MkVII. 6 years from now I'll be 68 and there's a good chance I'll go electric, finally saying goodbye to shifting my own gears. My wife is even more of a diehard 3-pedaler, not sure what she will do when her 2014 Subaru Outback (she got the last one available with a stick) needs replacing. I told her not to worry because the Golf Alltrack has a 6 speed manual like her Outback, but now I hear 2019 will be the last year for the wagons (at least in the US).
When I'm ready for my next car, the Golf MkIX should be out. Any spy photos yet?
1. Hideous headlight design that does not mix well with the overall design of the car. The headlight "brow" that seems to solely exist to tell everyone its an "IQ" light. The headlight design that doesnt cut into the hood, but instead positioned lower into the bumper...With the current set of bumpers I have seen I cannot get past those headlights, they are simply hideous. Now they do have a bit more flare to them vs the current stock Golf, I will give VW credit there, but overall its a huge failure.
2. The interior dash design. Not only did they make a poorly integrated headunit that weirdly comes off the center dash like an afterthought (far worse than BWM, Audi, MB designs) but they made volume, and heat controls touch capacitive. That will be impossible to dial in right while driving.
Overall youd think they would take pointers from Audi, but they went full retard designing the center dash and headlights. Its such a bad departure in design from the current gen which to me doesnt bode well for future GTI/R sales.
I honestly considered jumping into the next gen R once it came to the US, but from what I have been seeing so far I will either drive the 7.5 until the wheels fall off, or jump into an Audi in a few years.
1. Hideous headlight design that does not mix well with the overall design of the car. The headlight "brow" that seems to solely exist to tell everyone its an "IQ" light. The headlight design that doesnt cut into the hood, but instead positioned lower into the bumper...With the current set of bumpers I have seen I cannot get past those headlights, they are simply hideous. Now they do have a bit more flare to them vs the current stock Golf, I will give VW credit there, but overall its a huge failure.
2. The interior dash design. Not only did they make a poorly integrated headunit that weirdly comes off the center dash like an afterthought (far worse than BWM, Audi, MB designs) but they made volume, and heat controls touch capacitive. That will be impossible to dial in right while driving.
Overall youd think they would take pointers from Audi, but they went full retard designing the center dash and headlights. Its such a bad departure in design from the current gen which to me doesnt bode well for future GTI/R sales.
I honestly considered jumping into the next gen R once it came to the US, but from what I have been seeing so far I will either drive the 7.5 until the wheels fall off, or jump into an Audi in a few years.
You failed to tell us what your design training or expertise is. And this is a vehicle you have not even seen yet. If you look back, you will find that, with every new Golf since the Mk2, some uninformed jerk makes these very same comments.
1. Hideous headlight design that does not mix well with the overall design of the car. The headlight "brow" that seems to solely exist to tell everyone its an "IQ" light. The headlight design that doesnt cut into the hood, but instead positioned lower into the bumper...With the current set of bumpers I have seen I cannot get past those headlights, they are simply hideous. . . . . .
igroock: Your perspective on the Mk8 headlight design takes me back to 1967. That was the year that VW changed the headlight design on the air-cooled bug from the covered headlamp design that VWs had from the 1950s (see the link below) to the upright, sealed headlights that were no longer set back in the fender with a glass cover over the headlights. (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gitC1RJeXT4.) (Footnote here: The moderator states the headlight change occurred in 1968. As stated in the comments, the change was made 1967.)
In any case, in the days before the internet, most magazines that reviewed or commented on Volkswagen bugs back then criticized the new design, even though the change provided much better lighting. It seems pretty funny now that anyone would think something as minor as the headlight design on a VW bug -- not exactly a show-stopping design to begin with -- would somehow impact on the number of cars sold that year. But many predicted sales would be affected. They were right: they increased, and it probably had nothing whatsoever to do with the headlight design. The '67 bugs had a increase in engine displacement to 1500cc and a minor increase in engine power. In short, it was a better car.
And, IMHO, the same will be true of the Mk8. I predict the minor changes in the overall appearance of the Mk8 will have minimal impact on sales. What will make an appreciable difference will be the digital instruments, the much-changed interior design, and the hp increases. These will be well received. And history repeats itself; the engine displacement of the basic Golf will be increased to 1500cc. Finally, there's the fact that all the GTIs and R's will all be imported from Germany. This, too, will be significant factor for many potential buyers.
1. Hideous headlight design that does not mix well with the overall design of the car. The headlight "brow" that seems to solely exist to tell everyone its an "IQ" light. The headlight design that doesnt cut into the hood, but instead positioned lower into the bumper...With the current set of bumpers I have seen I cannot get past those headlights, they are simply hideous. Now they do have a bit more flare to them vs the current stock Golf, I will give VW credit there, but overall its a huge failure.
2. The interior dash design. Not only did they make a poorly integrated headunit that weirdly comes off the center dash like an afterthought (far worse than BWM, Audi, MB designs) but they made volume, and heat controls touch capacitive. That will be impossible to dial in right while driving.
I will wait to see in person and drive before I make my final opinion. Pictures are never a substitute for the real thing, and the drive is the most important thing to me.
I like it a lot but Scott Keogh doesn't want it because not enough people buy it to make it worth his while. So we don't get the base Golf 8 in America but we do get the more expensive GTI and R models? I am not happy with that! And Canada won't get the base Golf 8 either! We have to fight back and make sure VWoA (VWC wants it) reverses course and brings this car here!
I like it a lot but Scott Keogh doesn't want it because not enough people buy it to make it worth his while. So we don't get the base Golf 8 in America but we do get the more expensive GTI and R models? I am not happy with that! And Canada won't get the base Golf 8 either! We have to fight back and make sure VWoA (VWC wants it) reverses course and brings this car here!
I like it a lot but Scott Keogh doesn't want it because not enough people buy it to make it worth his while. So we don't get the base Golf 8 in America but we do get the more expensive GTI and R models? I am not happy with that! And Canada won't get the base Golf 8 either! We have to fight back and make sure VWoA (VWC wants it) reverses course and brings this car here!
Well what I see here on my local roads in North Carolina, there are many GTI's, Golf's are really in the minority. So from a business perspective it seems to make sense that VW decided only to bring the GTI and the R to the North American market. Sad but true
I'm just going to keep my Mk6. It only as 51,734 miles on it as of today, I only need to make a few cosmetic repairs (and also fix the foam on the edge of the driver's seat), it has a lot of new parts courtesy of my dealership making seventeen tries to fix a constant engine stall, and it has an in-dash CD player while all of these new cars have streaming devices. I don't stream. Heck, I still use a flip phone! But I'll still be VW customer for the parts. I just won't buy a new VW anymore, or at least until this damn SUV era is over.
I'm just going to keep my Mk6. It only as 51,734 miles on it as of today, I only need to make a few cosmetic repairs (and also fix the foam on the edge of the driver's seat), it has a lot of new parts courtesy of my dealership making seventeen tries to fix a constant engine stall, and it has an in-dash CD player while all of these new cars have streaming devices. I don't stream. Heck, I still use a flip phone! [emoji14] But I'll still be VW customer for the parts. I just won't buy a new VW anymore, or at least until this damn SUV era is over.
I won't buy a new VW ever again because I don't like the MK8 and this is likely Vdubs last attempt at a proper GTI..as in not glorified electric golf cart. (No pun intended)
After watching all the European reviews on the upcoming Mk8 I just traded my '16 Base GTI in on a new 2021 Autobahn DSG in Cornflower Blue. I hate electronic dashboards and every reviewer had issues with the quality as well as the controls, the performance doesn't seem much better if not worse. I only have 100 kilometres on the new car but am glad to have the last year of the Mk 7.5. Our '19 GLI 35 Edition performs well but no hydraulic hood strut, no height adjustment on the passenger seat, trunk hinges that interfere with luggage etc...Do not like the direction the "bean counters" are taking VW.
I will wait to see in person and drive before I make my final opinion. Pictures are never a substitute for the real thing, and the drive is the most important thing to me.
I don't think the digital instrument panel is the issue with most people, but rather the gawdawful capacitive touch sensitive controls for everything. That includes the steering wheel which makes it near impossible to learn the steering wheel controls without looking and concentrating every single time.
Works for me on our '19 GLI but keep changing media when adjusting the volume apparently the Mk8 is worse. You are right, it does work well, my new '21 GTI is still analog and has winter fun e brake still...
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