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equ · 01-29-2011, 10:02 PM

Lots of shopping today...

Drove Golf TDI. Wow! Not the peppiest engine, but the best sorted vw I've driven since the '04 r32. Nicely weighted controls, steering/brakes/shifter/clutch, excellent ride/handling compromise... Great car. My a4 felt synthetic to drive after the TDI. Slow, but a real option for gf who does 75mi/day and who values chassis feel.

Drove a used MCS. Only 10k miles but it was crap. Wondered if there is something wrong iwth Mini if it can become that worn in only 10k miles. But that's not fair to the mini.

Drove a new '11 GTI. More pep than TDI. Pep/pull/sound was identical to b7 a4, so not bad... BUT, the control inputs SUCKED compared to the TDI. Looser steering, worse ride (on 18's) without more grip and much worse shifter (pinky shifting). Drove another '11 TDI. This one felt really good too (and the engine wasn't that bad either, you just have to learn to work with it and not expect too much speed). Steering/suspension balance is way better than regular GTI, to my great surprise. Might have to do with boat anchor 18's being standard on the GTI for '11 onward. Ride quality deteriorated over rough pavement (though not quite to mini levels).

Drove a bare bones '10 MCS. It was ok, but nothing special in mini-world. Price is good, but color/options may not be top choice.

Drove JCW MC again. This time we both distinctly preferred it over the regular MCS. Did not notice extra noise. There is no ride penalty either. The 16" all-seasons conticraps on the regular MCS are the worst tire I have been on, bar none.

So for now, it's between the new dark horse, the TDI, and the couple JCW deals that happen to be around. I still haven't gf to test a 128i.

01-29-2011, 10:02 PM	#51
equ Alphanumeric Join Date: Aug 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: 981S, 340i Posts: 9,584	Lots of shopping today... Drove Golf TDI. Wow! Not the peppiest engine, but the best sorted vw I've driven since the '04 r32. Nicely weighted controls, steering/brakes/shifter/clutch, excellent ride/handling compromise... Great car. My a4 felt synthetic to drive after the TDI. Slow, but a real option for gf who does 75mi/day and who values chassis feel. Drove a used MCS. Only 10k miles but it was crap. Wondered if there is something wrong iwth Mini if it can become that worn in only 10k miles. But that's not fair to the mini. Drove a new '11 GTI. More pep than TDI. Pep/pull/sound was identical to b7 a4, so not bad... BUT, the control inputs SUCKED compared to the TDI. Looser steering, worse ride (on 18's) without more grip and much worse shifter (pinky shifting). Drove another '11 TDI. This one felt really good too (and the engine wasn't that bad either, you just have to learn to work with it and not expect too much speed). Steering/suspension balance is way better than regular GTI, to my great surprise. Might have to do with boat anchor 18's being standard on the GTI for '11 onward. Ride quality deteriorated over rough pavement (though not quite to mini levels). Drove a bare bones '10 MCS. It was ok, but nothing special in mini-world. Price is good, but color/options may not be top choice. Drove JCW MC again. This time we both distinctly preferred it over the regular MCS. Did not notice extra noise. There is no ride penalty either. The 16" all-seasons conticraps on the regular MCS are the worst tire I have been on, bar none. So for now, it's between the new dark horse, the TDI, and the couple JCW deals that happen to be around. I still haven't gf to test a 128i.