Anyway, I recently traded in my beloved '04 VW GTi on a new car. I had my old GTi for eight years and it was a wonderful, fun and dependable car. I loved it and didn't want to get rid of it. That car saw me through college, took me on road trips and delivered me safely from Pittsburgh to Denver without missing a beat. It was a wonderful machine and I wish I could have kept it, if only for nostalgia's sake. You were a dear friend and I'm going to miss you.
But, like all relationships, this one had to end. The old girl was getting, well, old. Before something major happened or before it depreciated too much, it was time to move on. So I went car shopping. I would have rather bought a bike, but necessity trumped desire in this case.
The first stop was to look at the Fiat 500 Abarth, a car I've liked since it debuted in Europe a few years ago. There was trouble from the start when I was wandering around the lot. $24,000, $28,000, $31,000... Are people really paying these prices? I also noticed that most of the Abarths were 2013 models. Hmm, could that be related to the price...
Since I was there, though, I may as well go on a test ride. The salesman, who I think got his fashion tips from Huggy Bear, through me the keys and told me to take it on a nice long drive. Well, if you insist.
You sit up high in the Abarth and it feels vaguely like you're in a van. Also, the interior plastics and overall quality is not that great. I'm sure it would be alright if the car was $20,000. At $28,000, it's poor.
So, on with the driving. On the road, it doesn't feel that quick. According to the magazines, it has equal performance to my old GTi but it doesn't feel it. With my old car, the turbo would spool up quickly and you would feel this rush of power and torque. With the Abarth, I kept waiting for that to happen and it never did. Also, the Abarth had an exhaust that was supposed to sound sporty but it really sounded like the muffler fell off. If I was 16, I would have liked it. Since I'm nearly 30, I didn't.
It held the road well, though, and braking seemed pretty good. I'm sure it would be very fun to throw around a twisty road but I have a motorcycle for that. Yes, I'd like a fun car but I need it mostly for hauling people and stuff. The Abarth had no room for either.
By far the worst thing about the Abarth was the shift light. Dear God, I don't think a more annoying piece in any car exists today or ever. In the middle of the boost gauge, which is left of the steering wheel, is a yellow light that screams SHIFT UP constantly. It's like SHIFT UP, SHIFT UP, SHIFT UP, SHIFT UP! I wanted to rip this thing out of the dash. That alone would put me off the car.
So, that's off the list. On to something else.
I walked across the street to the VW dealer to look at new GTis but all they had were DSG models. I wanted a paddle shift trans as much as I wanted a sex change, so it was on to another dealer.
The next stop was at a Mini dealer. I've driven many Minis over the years and they are fun cars but are very small and very expensive. Since the hatchback model has virtually no room for rear passengers or luggage, I was interested in the coupe and roadster models. The roadster sounded interesting because I'd never owned a drop top before. I walked around the lot and the models there made the Abarth seem like a bargain. One model, a John Cooper Works roadster, was $45,000. For a Mini! To put that in perspective, that's $5,000 cheaper than a Porsche Boxster. Let's see, Porsche or Mini; which do I want more...
Well, that was out. What's next? Lunch.
After that, I walked to the Ford dealer.
I was interested in a Mustang and the Focus ST. I looked at the Mustangs but i couldn't justify paying $30,000-plus for a car that isn't very good. The only real redeeming quality about the Mustang is its V8. Everything else about it is pretty terrible.
The Focus ST was different. It's a hot hatch like the others on my short list. Also, I've driven all the older versions of the Focus (and its cousins the Mazda3 and the Volvo C30) and they were very fun to drive. I walked around the Focus, looked in the windows, sat in it and decided I couldn't do it.
I grew up in a GM family and have never liked Fords. I would feel like a sellout. Plus, the interior was just okay and it had way too many buttons.
Welp, time to look at VWs.
All this time, I had my heart set on a new GTi. These other cars had to work really hard to sway me off the GTi and they all failed miserably. Getting in the new GTi was like going home. All the quintessentially German touches of my old GTi were there: the logically laid out dash, the minimal buttons and the quality of materials. This one also had the plaid seats, which is just the coolest thing ever.
On the road, the car felt even better. The body roll that plagued my Mk IV was gone, as was the numb steering. I was leery of the electric steering but it felt great. It was as easy to steer as a GM car from the 70s in a parking lot and then stiffened up at speed. Also, the clutch was nice and light and the shifter snicked perfectly in to each gear. The shifting was fantastic and it liked to be shifted quickly, unlike my old GTi, which didn't like to be rushed.
The interior was nice and roomy, as well. The trunk area was reduced to make more room for passengers, which I can live with. I like that while everything had changed inside, nothing really changed. The controls for the lights, radio and HVAC were all in the same place as my old car.
So, that;s it, then, i bought the new GTi.
Well, not so fast.
There are issues with the new GTi, too. You see, the Mk VII models are coming later this year, so VW really scaled back on the 2014 models. Only two levels are available: the Wolfsburg and the Driver edition. The only option is the DSG 'box. Also, the 2014 GTi is only available in black, gray or white and only available as a five-door.
I'm fine with only having the choice between two trim levels. The Wolfsburg had all the stuff I wanted (except a sunroof) and was significantly cheaper. What I didn't want was black, gray or white paint and I didn't want a five-door. Five doors are fine for the regular Golf but a GTi should be a three-door. If you want a GTi with more doors, buy a Jetta GLI.
So, what to do? I pondered this as I looked around the Internet that night. Hold on, what's this? A 2012 GTi? With low miles, three doors and a six-speed manual? And it's red? Hmm...
I went to look at the car and to my amazement, it was perfect. I was hesitant to buy used because I got such a screaming deal with my old GTi I didn't think it could happen again. This 2012, though, proved me wrong.
Not only was the car right, the price was right and it's a Certified Pre-Owned VW, which means more warranty when the factory one runs out.
So there you have it. Out with the old and in with the new. Early impressions of the new car are quite good. It's much faster than my old GTi while also being quieter and roomier. It doesn't have a sunroof and a few of the things I liked about my old GTi aren't in this version, but I can live without them.
I think i made a good choice.
This pic from my phone is the only one I have so far. It's not a good pic, I know, but it proves I'm not lying.
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