C U AT 9K

Don't go for the GTI. Go for the MazdaSpeed3. the GTI is very underpowered (IMO) for the price. You get the size of a full hatchback, 263 hp/280 tq, 6 speed, etc.

Onehots2k

I'd wait for a 135ti!! Trust me on this one its coming.

dav9515

Hey man, i went from an 04 S2k to an 06 GTI, so i thought i can help. Let me tell you the GTI is certainly no replacement for a droptop RWD roadster with amazing handling, but for the use of daily driving in traffic and cruising on road trips, the GTI is one of the best for the money. You can get great deals on them, the interior is fantastic, the 2.0t is an amazing motor, and the car handles amazingly compared to the last gen GTI. Also, a note on the reliability, the GTI's are built in Germany which is why they have a much better reliability rating then previous models.

Also, i had my car chipped with a custom tune, and with NO OTHER MODS i put down 228 HP and 271 LB.FT of torque, add back the drivetrain loss and compare thise numbers to the mazdaspeed3. It is a great car and i am completely satisfied. The MK5 R32 is due out this year, and although it only comes in DSG, it will be a fantastic car.

viper_driver

Pilot KD,

my prediction is you'll join the many S2KI members that sell their S2k only to buy another one a year later when they realize what a great car it was. After living in the year round snow of Grand Forks, you move to McGuire and don't want the drop top anymore???

I have USAA insurance on mine too. it's $700 a year in Columbia, SC. I think I have all the same coverages as you do, except my deductable is $500 for everything.

I've owned a bunch of sports cars and I still can't believe how good this one is. If you want something with similar performance, get ready to spend a lot of time, money, and hassle on repairs.

Best of luck.

vader1

[QUOTE=PilotKD,Jan 18 2007, 08:28 PM] What kind of coverage and deductables do you have?

DesertRat

I have a '01 S2000 and a '07 GTI with DSG.

The GTI is a very nice car to drive and use daily. The DSG tranny gives you the option of comfortably driving in stop'n'go traffic and "comfortably, safely take the children to school and then drive home like you've sat on wasp" (J. Clarkson on Top Gear).

The engine is strong and you can cover ground really really quickly if you want to. That said the GTI is not however a "fast" car imho.

I drove the MK5 R32 Golf before buying the GTI and was very impressed by the engine power delivery and sound, but it felt heavier and did not feel that much quicker. In the end the additional power was not worth the money for me - ymmv.

The interior of the GTI is nice and to be honest it grows on you so much that when I'm now looking for a car for my wife I am often disappointed by other car interiors.

Green Tea

with the pricetag of around $30k minimum if you want the 335i engine. Either way, you will be looking at another year or two

Green Tea

The reliability issues of the MK IV had more to do with the products used from the vendors. That really has nothing to do with the people installing it since they were not the ones that created the coil packs, engineered the electronics, etc. So really, people need to stop blaming country of origin for the reliability issues.

CG

I spent some time driving an 07 GTI 4dr DSG yesterday and was very well impressed. Sure it's no S2000 or Boxster S but it is very good for a sporty car. I might even go for the DSG although I think after a while I might miss truely shifting myself. The DSG works very well and doesn't take all the fun away.

PilotKD

I only spent a year and a half in Grand Forks and was "lucky" enough to be deployed to a much warmer place (if you know what I mean) for half of my first winter there, so my car spent that time in my garage with only comprehensive on it.

North Dakota car insurance wasn't as cheap as you'd think it'd be. My insurance actually went up about $200 a year when I moved from Columbus, MS in UPT to Grand Forks, ND. Maybe it's the bad weather? I dunno.

Well I went and test drove a new GTI tonight. I had almost forgotten how much of an ass pain it is to deal with car salesmen. It was actually motivation to not want to buy a new car again. I wound up having to walk out on the guy and just about pull a Night Rider back up U-turn to get out of the lot, but that's a long story.

Anyway... I drove a base model, 6 speed (about $24k) and also sat in a loaded model in the showroom with leather/DSG tranny ($27.9k). I was actually able to spend about 10 minutes in the showroom inspecting the one in there without anyone bothering me and fit and finish was very good. The doors slammed solidly, interior materials were definitely better than Honda's and the backseat was suprisingly roomy for such a small car. One of the first things I noticed, which I wasn't crazy about, is how high the car is. When I pulled up next to one in the parking lot, the top of the S2000's roof is about midway up the GTI's side window. Quite a difference in height and it's obviously noticable when you're sitting in it as well as driving it. I did love the steering wheel and classic style gauges. It was weird actually having analog gauges to look at again while ripping through the gears (which I made sure I did alot of!). I wound up stalling the car out 3 times because the clutch grabbed so damn low even though the clutch travel seemed to be twice that of the S. I also went to put it in reverse and ended up in 6th because I didn't realize you had to push down on the stick and go up and to the left. That's a little backwards VW. Why not be like the rest of the world and put reverse back and to the right? Anyway, pulling out of the lot I immediately laid into it and got a bunch of front wheel spin. The tires were a bit wet because I drove through a puddle in the lot, but this definitely concerned me. Of course I'm not used to having 200+ ft-lb of torque either. I went right to redline, which from what I can remember was less than 7,000 RPM. The car was "quick" and had the typical turbo-charged rush you get as the boost builds, but it seemed like it took forever to get to redline in the thing, whereas the S revs so quickly. The idiot salesman that came with me didn't believe me when I told him the S2000 was significantly faster when he insinuated that the GTI was a better car. I told him that if he wanted a ride in a REAL sports car, I'd take him for one, but of course he quickly changed the subject. I did manage to make him keep his hand on the "oh $hit" grip most of the time. I looked over and laughed and told him not to worry and that I wouldn't kill him. I'm used to keeping the revs high and staying in a lower gear, but with the GTI, it'll pull pretty hard at even 2,000 RPM, which is pretty nice. The thing I worry about though is that I can't imagine chipping this car and getting 250hp/300ft-lb torque in a FWD car. I'm thinking it'll spin the wheels at will and spinning the wheels I steer with does not leave me with a warm fuzzy. I think I could get used to the GTI and live with it, but I'm not sure I can live without my S. Decisions decisions....