Interesting question. Read more

I guess that's the other thing to consider. I've had CEL flareups on my GTI, but it's never broken down. It gets left at the dealer, light goes off, no cost. Yet, anyway. Read more

Yes. It's actually more mechanically simple than most of the hot hatches now, right? Read more

Check out the NHTSA complaints list. The current Focus in general hasn't been particularly stellar for even mechanical things. Read more

Yes, but a 996 doesn't come with a warranty or space to move furniture. A lot of us need that right now if we can only have one car. Read more

Eco is not. But with the DSG in D and in Normal mode, I wound up in fifth pretty quickly. Read more

More space than a Focus, although I wouldn't call it generous. Read more

Well it's a hatch, for a kick off. Also, as disappointing as the nav/infotainment is on this the Subaru systems are worse. The VW feels like a more solid, more livable car. And enthusiast with the budget for just one car to track and drive every day would probably value that. Read more

My Mk6 has the plaid seats and a sunroof and it's just enough to keep things from being oppressively black inside. VW has discovered colors to keep things from being totally black inside its other models. I don't know why they haven't done it here. Read more

What the hell are you doing to your car? Read more

In general, the Fords appeal to different buyers. I could make the case the Fiesta ST is the better city hot hatch. You can ignore some of its refinement faults by looking at the price – the same way you'd do that for a 500 Abarth. Read more

Honestly, the GTI still feels solid rather than heavy. It strikes that balance pretty perfectly. Not as playful as an Integra GS-R, but then what is today? Something like an ILX 2.4 just feels flimsy in comparison. Read more

Yes, I remember that too. Admittedly, I went in looking at both the TDI and the GTI, but the TDI was easily 100 bucks more per month. But Audi was also running a deal on the A3 TDI for roughly what a GTI cost. Read more

Yes, good Googling. Read more

Hatches are premium in the U.S. It's trendy city types who are skewing the numbers. Ford, Subaru and Mazda all charge premiums for their hatch variant. But yes, they've learned from their decontenting, and the Golf doesn't feel decontented. It's only when you look at the Euro options sheet that you get jealous. Read more

Yes, we're still getting neutered Golfs, but it's much less offensive than before. It's not idiotic like before, when you had to spring for a TDI just to get alloy wheels. If you're looking for gadgets, look elsewhere. It's sensibly packaged and equipped, like most German cars. Read more

VW specs in all the press release stuff say 200.

You should also be really glad you went for a Shadow Blue GTI, because I like anyone who goes with that color. Read more

The difference is that it feels more leather-like than a lot of "genuine leather" seats. Now, if I lived in a really hot area, I might wish for a genuine cloth option. Read more

Notables from: Read more