GTI Waffle thread

[FC]

I'll add that I keep the car in Sport Mode permanently to aid with the responsiveness issue.

[wdc330i]

Interesting write-up. Thanks!

[Jeff_DML]

You should drive my 4runner if you think passing on the freeway in 6 gear in the GTI is bad It is fine for me and if I want additional power then I downshift, beauty of a MT. In some ways I prefer that since it makes you need to do something beside pushing the go pedal. One thing that bugged me when I first got it was the long 2nd gear.

Yeah the clutch is light as hell and do imagine it failing at some point. But it is so easy to drive I give it a pass.

Nowadays I dont really go on drives anymore so it is sort of a perfect car since practical enough that I can take it for my sports(surfing/biking) but still have fun driving it. Driving the turbo around in traffic and crappy roads is not fun for me anymore.

[FC]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

You should drive my 4runner if you think passing on the freeway in 6 gear in the GTI is bad

I did acknowledge that this is probably just being used to the M3.

Admittedly the Miata wasn't great at passing at high speeds either, but with its crazy short gearing, I was always at close to 3.5krpm even in 6th, so it wasn't bad either.

[Jeff_DML]

As for the A/S tires, I actually prefer them nowadays on my street car since I can get to the limit a lot easier without being such an asshole. Also nice that they last forever too

Once I get sell the turbo I might install a stiffer RSB to hopefully give it some lift throttle oversteer.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by FC

As far as power and transmission, this is where I am most torn. The car is incredibly quiet at idle. It's easily the smoothest 4-cyl I've ever driven. You'd think the engine was off at a stop light. This remarkable smoothness is a double-edged sword. It allows the car to drive smoothly and quietly at very low rpms, which is good for (excellent) fuel economy, but at times, when you want to "go," you sort of get caught with your pants down and realize you need to go down at least one more gear. This is particularly the case in 6th gear which is geared spectacularly high. No passing should be attempted on 6th.

That brings me to the actual performance. Around town, or at speeds below ~70, once in the correct gear, it is downright quick, but you do need to let the rpms build. Sure, it may produce a bunch of torque down low, but you really need to be deep in the 3k range to get it to pull properly. At that point, the character of the car changes and gets louder and racier. Not in a bad way, but in an unexpected way because you can really drive around in surprising quiet and comfort most of the time. Passing at higher hwy speeds is a different matter though, with the GTI just not being able to get around a 75mph car all that quickly. 6th gear is useless, 5th is much better but not great, and 4th gets the job done but not exactly effortlessly. I blame the M3 for this, which is of course tremendous at this.

Cynical Summary™:
Man Buys 4 Banger Commuter; Annoyed 4 Banger Commuter Drives Like 4 Banger Commuter

Less cynical, genuine questions:

Why do you seem so surprised that sixth gear is useless for passing? What reason would it have to exist if not for steady state cruising? Fifth gear, too, frankly. To execute a decisive pass around a car traveling at 75mph in any street car, I'd expect to select third or fourth before I start.

It's striking to think that the arguments for manuals are to heighten engagement, feel like you're connected, to do the work, etc...and, yet, here we are.

Or am I missing something?

[Nick M3]

All of the torque band question concerns go away when you have the DSG.

That said, one of the nice things about the 2.0T is that it's a fairly natural feeling motor. Not that it doesn't feel turbocharged, because it feels very turbocharged, but that it's not trying (and failing) to pretend to be a "better" version of a normally aspirated motor.

[Jeff_DML]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

That said, one of the nice things about the 2.0T is that it's a fairly natural feeling motor. Not that it doesn't feel turbocharged, because it feels very turbocharged, but that it's not trying (and failing) to pretend to be a "better" version of a normally aspirated motor.

yeah, I had the precursor to this engine in my 1998 A4, 1.8T. That engine was pretty terrible for MT sport sedan, a whole bunch of initial torque then it feel flat on its face. This new 2.0T is way better since it has a wider torque band.

[FC]

Originally Posted by clyde

Or am I missing something?

Not really. But I probably could have explained things a bit better.

I downshift when I really want to pass someone, but sometimes you want to just get around people non-aggressively. The Miata, for example, could do this fine with its high revs and the M3 does it with sheer power. I don't recall the ZHP being so non-responsive despite similar power, so I am attributing this to the high gearing.

[John V]

And here I am wishing more cars had an uber-overdrive 6th gear. One of my annoyances with the Boxster and the Mazdaspeed is the wonky gearing, particularly 6th gear not being tall enough. Give me a gear to basically put the engine to sleep and make for efficient and quiet 75MPH cruising, please. The Mazda is at something like 3,500 RPM at that speed. Annoying. These modern turbo motors make peak torque somewhere around 2,000-3,000 RPM so it's not like they can't cruise at that RPM.