2015 VW GTI C&D Review

[Bob]

This actually seems like a decent car that could be quite satisfying as a daily driver. Unfortunately, it probably still has electrical issues.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/201 ... est-review

[kevm14]

Yeah. It's not slow and they got 26 mpg. It's a little heavy for what it is but so is everything else. I've never driven any of these.

220hp and 3100 lbs = 100 mph trap, if you are German. That's at least 5 mph high, if not 7 mph. Crazy.

[Bob]

I think the power rating is very conservative, as with many German cars. The performance is on par with the Mazdaspeed3 and Focus ST, both of which have much higher power ratings. I do like how it is more conservative looking than those cars.

[kevm14]

This is like the Chevrolet SS of the hot hatch segment. Or, to be fair, the Chevy SS is the GTI of the fullsize performance sedan segment. Affordable (relatively speaking), comfortable, performance when you want it (on every axis), well balanced, great ride/handling, it feels good (high limits yet accessible performance) and overall refinement when cruising. Conservative looks.

[Adam]

This is like the Chevrolet SS of the hot hatch segment. Or, to be fair, the Chevy SS is the GTI of the fullsize performance sedan segment.......Conservative looks.

I don't think the GTI looks like a Malibu.

[kevm14]

Your joke is a 5/10 at best.

It would be more like saying the Polo looks like an R32 GTI.

What's confusing for people is that the SS exists only as itself, not as a mass produced Caprice with an SS option. That's what's causing the issue, imo. Then the obvious discussion would be about base model Caprice vs SS trim, not some arbitrary model to model comparison.

[Bob]

I got the chance to check out a SS in person at Cars and Coffee in Charlotte last Saturday. While it is plain looking, it at least looks decent, which I think would make it somewhat analogous to the GTI. I think the owner was somewhat surprised to see me walk around it twice since most people were probably passing by without a second glance. This car was more interesting to me than the sea of Corvettes that surrounded it.

[kevm14]

Yeah I get that. I mean the 911 is an excellent car, obviously. But I wouldn't want to see a parking lot full of them. I agree the SS looks nice in person. You should have sat in it. Front and back...

[kevm14]

Here's your award-winning GTI engine...

http://backfires.caranddriver.com/forum ... age?page=4

On a surprising note, my own Audi almost suffered something horrendous. While on a call with the Audi dealer concerning another customer's CVT nightmare (it's a CVT that's slipping at 77k miles, so no real surprise there), I was advised that my cam follower needed to be replaced since my car has 102k miles on it and it was never done before. This little guy, when it finally explodes, usually ruins the high-pressure fuel pump for the direct injection system and will also very often ricochet around inside the cylinder head to create all kinds of damage. According to Audi no updates have been made on this part, and as one can see in the picture I have attached below it will be a good item to replace about half as often from now on. It's a relatively simple fix: remove the engine cover, undo some fuel lines, unbolt the high-pressure fuel pump and replace this follower along with the seal for the pump. Make sure you do not open the driver's door while all of this is being completed like I did however, as it will prime the fuel system and squirt fuel all up under the hood.

It primes when the driver's door opens. Now that's cute. I wonder how common that is.

and

Let me guess, that cam follower is from a 2.0T with the FSi engine? the GTI guys usually replace them every 30-40k miles. The good thing is it's a 50 dollar part. Yours is punched straight through. Yikes. It doesn't end up in the cylinder head though. It just wears a hole straight through the follower. When that happens the little piston inside the high pressure pump starts riding directly on the cam lobe that operates the pump. It slowly starts carving out a groove in the lobe itself, The really bad thing is that the only indication you will get that there is something wrong is the eventual check engine light for low fuel pressure. The lobe will get worn down so far that the pump can't create enough pressure anymore. Once that happens you have to replace the entire camshaft and the HPFP too. It's probably a few grand worth of repairs. If that is your cam follower, I would pull off the HPFP and take a look inside at the camshaft. inspect it for damage.

Worn cam lobe:
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/imag ... kN4zq5dtU7

Cam follower examples:
http://slinemotorsports.com/wp-content/ ... 8203_n.jpg

This makes me think thoughts like a German car is the last thing you want to own if your goal is 100k of problem-free service with nothing but oil changes. An enthusiast can help mitigate these issues (i.e. the "maintenance"), which is something.

[Bob]

Seeing all these comments makes me think the Focus ST would be a much wiser choice.