btl@mtunf.UUCP (Bernie Lee) (01/07/86)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I have been looking around for a new fwd 'sporty' car and the new VW Golf GTI looks attractive. Does anyone out in the netland has real world experience with the car? Are there any major changes or improvements expected in the near future? All pro and con comments are much appreciated.
rwb@cher.UUCP (Bob Beveridge) (01/10/86)
In article <506@mtunf.UUCP> btl@mtunf.UUCP (Bernie Lee) writes: >*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** >I have been looking around for a new fwd 'sporty' car and the new >VW Golf GTI looks attractive. Does anyone out in the netland >has real world experience with the car? I bought a '85 GTI in October of last year and I love it! It handles great, it accelerates quite nicely, its comfortable to sit in (even in the back seat), it even has a "trip computer" that tells you your average speed and driving time, as well as the outside temperature. I've been getting about 28-32 miles per gallon. My only real complaint is that the trip computer doesn't display the average mpg correctly; my dealer says this will be corrected "soon"... Bob Beveridge
fritz@phri.UUCP (Dave Fritzinger) (01/13/86)
> I have been looking around for a new fwd 'sporty' car and the new > VW Golf GTI looks attractive. Does anyone out in the netland > has real world experience with the car? Are there any major > changes or improvements expected in the near future? All pro and con > comments are much appreciated. I have been driving the "old" version of the GTI for the last 3 years, and I think that it is just a great car. Good acceleration, economy, and great handling. The new GTI is supposed to be as good or better. It does improve on one failing of the old GTI, it is a bit bigger inside and has, I think, a nicer looking interior, though I find the styling of the old GTI a bit superior. As far as improvements in the near term, VW is set to introduce a 4 valve version of the GTI engine in a year or so. This will result in a car with about 20-25% more power than the current model, which should make it a rocket! I think I'll check one of those out myself, once I've finished the payments on my current GTI. -- Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY {allegra!phri!fritz} "I think. I think I am. Therefore, I am,...I think." Moody Blues
tohaapanen@watrose.UUCP (Tom Haapanen) (01/17/86)
In article <506@mtunf.UUCP> btl@mtunf.UUCP (Bernie Lee) writes: >I have been looking around for a new fwd 'sporty' car and the new >VW Golf GTI looks attractive. Does anyone out in the netland >has real world experience with the car? Are there any major >changes or improvements expected in the near future? All pro and con >comments are much appreciated. We finally got our new 1986 GTI yesterday! After looking for one for two weeks, I think it was worth the wait. We didn't want to wait for a special order, and the cars are scarce. Found it in some obscure place though: Tornado Red with sunroof, cruise and power steering. The 102 hp engine is excellent with great flexibility. With less than 200 km on the car I haven't really pushed it hard yet, but it feels great. The power steering is really power *assisted* steering; the feel of the road is still there, but the effort is reduced at low speeds. The new P600 tires stick well, and the handling is predictable. The car feels German (despite coming from Westmoreland) and looks sharp. The seats are a bit wider than in my brother's 1980 Rabbit GTI but offer good support. The gauges are analog, and back to the German-style VDO design. There is a "trip computer" that allows cycling between oil temp, outside temp, fuel consumption, average speed, and elapsed time and distance. The rear wiper has an intermittent setting (nice!) and the door chimes are not obnoxious. We got the dealer to install the tape deck from Audi 5000 (same one used in the 944 as well) and the sounds are good as well. In summary, the car is everything I expected from a GTI, and even a bit more. Looks are subjective, but if a Golf looks OK, the GTI is positively sharp with the red trim and the huge aero headlights. It's even possible to get a decent discount from the dealers! Oh, a sixteen-valve version (with 120-130 hp) will be available sometime within the next year. My guess would be that it'll become available late next fall. \tom haapanen watmath!watrose!haapanen I'm all lost in the Supermarket I can no longer shop happily I came in here for that special offer Guaranteed personality (c) The Clash, 1979