[navsjab]

TEASER


INTRODUCTION

We had decided to move to Canada, a couple of years back. However, with COVID-19 things had changed and we were not sure of what would happen next, since there was no progress on our file. In March 2022, things looked positive. After 2 years of slowdown, the world started moving on. I immediately started my homework to decide on a vehicle we would own once we move to this country. We had sold Quicksilver (our Ford Ikon 1.6 EXT back in 2020), so it had been more than 2 years without owning something decently quick. I wanted to fill in this void. Our movement also meant saying goodbye to Red Rhino (our 2016 Mahindra Thar) and Falcon (Our RE Desert Storm). All in all, a painful moment for any petrolhead. So, while preparing the movement I spent hours watching videos and browsing Canadian websites that would give me some insight on a replacement for the sedan or the 4x4. Since the 4x4 was not what we bought, the points below would be around the hot hatch.

The wants:
- A quick/performance-oriented car.
- Decent on mileage, I know the above point contradicts this.
- Budget to be around 40k to 45k (CAD)
- Decent room to accommodate passengers even with a child seat at the rear - for our 2-year-old son.
- Some premium features like heated seats, heated steering, a sun/moon roof.
- A family car - elegant to look at

Cars Considered:

1. Honda Civic Type R and Golf R - While the specs on the Type R and Golf R were amazing, the factor working against these two was the price. With both of them starting at 10k more than my base budget, it was way too much. Also, while the Type R looked amazing in its sporty attire, I could not image using it for my regular trips to-and-fro my son's day care.
2. WRX STI - For most of the competitors to the GTI - for me, it was mainly the looks that worked against them. Not that they looked bad or anything of that sort. It was just that I could not picture myself in them for my usual daily drive. Something that did not work for me with the WRX was also the fact that no one I knew in Canda, previously owned a Subaru. Though everyone I spoke to say it is a great brand, something in me did not want to take a chance given no first-hand ownership experience.
3. Veloster N - The looks again, especially being pretty small in comparison and tapered a lot at the rear, the boot space would be a concern.
4. Golf GTI - This ticked all my requirements, it's not big, yes, but was not a showstopper in that regard too. Enough space to carry something pretty large, more on that later. With the car seat for my toddler, yes, it is a little tight for 2 passengers at the rear, but for a short drive it is fine. For the usual occupants of the vehicle, 3 of us, including my wife and kiddo the room was sufficient. For a sports car, the mileage is pretty decent too, at 10 - 14 kmpl. Back in India I was absolutely certain to pick the spec that was one below the top of the line - The Autobahn (In US the Autobahn is top of the line, in Canada it is the Performance trim) with the 7 speed DSG gearbox. I always loved VW as a brand and in spite of the CEL that VWs are famous for, the vehicle has been lovely so far. So, while I anticipate surprises, I hope they are not going to ruin my ownership experience.

BOOKING EXPERIENCE

It had not been too long since we landed, and we made our visits to a Jeep showroom for the 4x4 I was talking about earlier. This was back in June-July 2022. The treatment we got there was pretty cold. They had stopped taking bookings for 2022 models and were going to resume orders for 2023 only after a few weeks. Thereafter it would take a minimum of 6 months or more to deliver. We needed something much earlier. Next, we visited a VW dealership. The sales executive was a fan of GTIs himself. He mentioned that getting a GTI would be difficult since they get sold as soon as they are in the factory for production. With production volumes also not too high, due to the worldwide chip shortage, dealerships have been asking for up to 5k to 10k above the market price from desperate customers. He added that he would not be able to help us with a vehicle anytime soon either but recommended that we browse the inventory online for all dealerships nearby. We came home pretty sad.

A day or two later, my sister-in-law, showed me the inventory for Humberview, VW on her mobile and pointed to the 3 GTIs in stock. The only problem was that I was not getting the Autobahn trim with the DSG and some other features I wanted. Also, by now I wanted some of the premium features coming on the Performance trim that included the dynamic chassis control, three-zone front and rear electronic air conditioning and ventilated front seats to name a few. There was a Deep Black Pearl DSG Performance trim in the inventory. Without any wait, I made a call to the dealership and transferred the booking amount online, the tentative timeline I got was 2 months or less as we already had a VIN and the vehicle was in production at Wolfsburg, Germany. And yes, I booked our GTI without seeing one in flesh. During the wait time, I did see one on the road and I loved it. So, no regrets on the decision after having the first look.

PRICING

The total price inclusive of tax was around 54k CAD. The major heads apart from the vehicle itself which was at $41.2k were the following:

Vehicle surface protection (optional) - $1,799
Freight and PDI - 1,750
3M Protection film hood/fender edge + door sill/trunk top - $1,599
Admin fee and rubber mats - $399
Tax and others - around $7,000
The vehicle cost included a rebate of $450 since they had stopped producing units with the Harman Kardon audio system either due to few complaints or due to nonavailability of the sound units itself - who knows!

There were no discounts on the GTI, but I was lucky enough to have the sales executive throw in a set of VW tire covers that would be used for the extra set of tyres (summer/winter).

BUYING EXPERIENCE

Around the end of July, the sales representative, Abdo gave me a call and asked me to come in for the paperwork sooner than later since the vehicle would be at the dealership pretty soon. It was in the beginning of August that we went for the same. Robert - our man from the finance department attended to us as Abdo was not around. His words as soon as he greeted us, got me very excited - "Hey Navtej, I guess your GTI is here, its parked at the lot I think, let me check". He went and got the key fob for the GTI - our GTI! I was thrilled, as we were there only for the paperwork and did not expect to see the vehicle! He gave us the key fob and asked us to go have a look. The vehicle was parked at their lot where new vehicle had arrived. I did the PDI to my heart's content, with a smile throughout the inspection. After the Thar, the GTI was next level to me, for starters - a keyless entry, an infotainment system! We completed the paperwork with Robert and headed home, all excited that we would be getting the vehicle very soon.

PDI shot


Alas! All good stories have a bit of a hiccup after all. A few days later we got a call from Robert (since Abdo was on his summer break) saying our financials were approved, but (there is always a but) there has been a recall issued on GTIs for the sun/moon roof switch to be oversensitive. Being a safety issues, the vehicle would not be delivered until it is rectified. Since there was not much informarion on the batch that had the recall the dealerships needed to wait until further notice. For us each day passing by was a long time since we had seen the GTI ready for pickup! I was irritated, to say the least. I sent an email to the sales manager, the service manager, and asked them on confirmation about the recall on my GTI's VIN. To my satisfaction I got to know that our GTI did not have the recall. Robert was back from his holiday and confirmed the same. We were back on excitement mode. We fixed a day and went to pick her up with my brother-in-law. All excited to drive back the GTI alongside his Mustang GT.

We completed the formalities, and apart from the cost of wheel lock nuts that were included in error, it was all well explained (the wheel lock nuts are a part of the GTI and are not to be added as an extra, I made sure I did not pay for it). Abdo was not around but left us a small gift in the truck (wheel covers - the performance trim comes with summer tyres and I would be purchasing a set of winter tyres for the GTI). Another sales representative handed over the vehicle to us with some basic explanations. We were all set!

Happy owners


Change of registration plate - syncing with the handle!


EXTERIOR - Design and Style

The design and style of the GTI Mk8 is spot on. I love the Mk7/7.5 as well but felt the back could have some sort of change to make it look even better. The Mk8 made all the right changes IMO with respect to the design, giving it more elegance. The rear looks even better now with the sharp edges to the rear lights and the spoiler giving the top a good finish at the rear. The rear design is very similar to the VW line up, be it the Tiguan or the Atlas, you can see the same family traits in them.

The low stance combined with the 19" alloys and the low-profile summer tyres make the side profile of the vehicle look incredible. The honeycomb inspired fog lamps have been one of the most talked about plus points in its design feature. I admire the lighting (the DRLs) on the GTI and the design that it forms once the exterior lights are on.

The exterior lighting


The golf ball inspired ORVM welcome lighting


Random shots - to emphasise the fact that it is a stunner














Her first snow


The build quality and VW go hand in hand. The first reaction from my wife after slamming the door shut was a big smile, she was reminded of the Ikon and the satisfying clutching sound the door would make. The vehicle feels absolutely solid and well planted when being driven as well.

Some of the confidence inspiring safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Front Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, Side Assist (Blind spot monitor) with Rear Traffic Alert, Travel Assist (Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist). These are very useful features to have especially in a country where traffic is following lane, strictly.

Some from summer - Notice the summer tyres




The transition from summer to winter


The wheel covers in use - for storage

[navsjab]

INTERIOR

Cabin Design

Coming from a 2005 Ford Ikon and a Mahindra Thar, I found the interiors out of the world. Though people talk about the interiors of the Mk8 not being premium enough and has been in common hate for the change from buttons to all capacitive touch. I have not had an issue with the capacitive touches on the steering apart from mistakenly switching on the heated steering a couple of times. One downside that I would call out is the lack of illumination on the touch controllers for the temperature and volume adjustments that are housed just below the infotainment system. While driving at night I find it difficult to control the temperature from those shortcuts and see myself using the climate control system on the screen to make the changes. Another point is the piano black finish all around - being a fingerprint magnet. However, the elegant cabin that one is welcomed to, when the infotainment and all these piano black areas are kept clean, is wow! With all controller's driver oriented, you really feel in control! There are a lot of options and customization available for the cockpit screen with respect to the colour and displays, making sure you will never get bored of the same look, if that can really happen. The customization in ambient light with a whole lot of colour options is also a nice touch, I especially like the dual colour mode.

Cockpit


Multiple views for the dashboard


The much talked about poorly designed shortcut controls for the infotainment system - not back lit (marked in red)


Menu shortcuts, type C connectors and the wireless charger


Reverse camera view is great with dynamic steering path markers


Capacitive touches on the steering


Dual color ambient light


Heads up display


Neat center console - short toggle that comes for the DSG


Rear seat climate and heated seat control


Interior Spaces

Starting from the rear - the boot is not too tall, as you see the roof line taper backward for that hot hatch dynamics, the boot does loose height but is pretty deep giving a decent 374L. The stroller along with grocery fits comfortably.

Extended boot space - not bad


The middle row seats 3 normal built people easily. The leg room for a tall person is also pretty good for a small car. I am 6 feet and can sit in the rear with my driver seat settings for the front seat. With my son's car seat installed in the middle rear seat (he gets the view of the road from there and we found that worked well for him), two people can still sit, one at either side (maybe not for a long trip though). With the car seat in the middle the rear does not feel as spacious.

The front sport bucket seats with integrated headrests are very comfortable, especially because you can adjust it 8 ways and also has lumbar adjustments. The seats restrict your accessibility to the rear by virtue of the sport design. In case we need to hand over something or reach out to our son at the rear, we find it difficult. This is the primary reason for him to be seated in the middle seat. Additionally, the rear-view accessory we bought, that clips onto the cabin's rear-view mirror to view the toddler sitting behind cannot cover someone sitting on the outer rear seats. The auto extension feature on the driver seat is a good touch. It is activated when the car is turned off and the driver door is opened, helps easy ingress-egress.

The rear view accessory


Some smart engineering:

• Rear camera hidden inside the boot opener - Opens up only when required and keeps the lens clean. Due to the dynamics of the car, the rear does get very dirty especially on a rainy/snowy day. This smart tech ensures good visibility at all times.
  
  The rear catches a lot of dirt on a rainy day
  
  
  How design engineering keeps the camera clean
  
  
  
• Wipers are tucked deep into the windshield and engineered in such a way that it does not play with the dynamics of the car. To lift the wipers off the windshield during a thorough cleaning job one needs to enable the service position on the infotainment system. This allows the wiper to stop on the extended position and one can then lift them off the windshield. One needs to make sure they are retracted back onto the windshield before using the wipers/disabling the service position, if not they will rub against the hood before retracting causing some heart pain.
• The right ORVM tilts downward slightly to give you a view of the curb when you engage the R gear while the ORVM adjustment lever is directed towards the right ORVM.
• Blind spot monitoring - The design is so unusual from the cars I have seen - with the yellow illuminated car symbol within the ORVW, VW made it differently in a clever way on the GTI - the brightness for this can be adjusted too.
  
  The section marked illuminates when there is a vehicle on your blind spot
  

DRIVING EXPERIENCE

This section is absolutely the vehicle's forte. Equipped with a 2L 4-cylinder turbo making 241 bhp and 370 Nm, managing a 0-100 kmph at 6.4 seconds, the GTI is fun to drive, to say the least. The top-of-the-line GTI comes with a dynamic chassis control and a driver select mode, you can change the stiffness of the ride, make it stiff and sporty or soft and comfortable depending on your usage preference. There are pre-sets that make adjustments for you as well. With the sport pre-set, not only does the sound, steering and chassis change, but the vehicle can also do pops and bangs without any tunes.

The paddle shifters are extremely thrilling to use. Be it D or S mode, if you want the adrenaline rush, just drop the gear and disappear. The response is quick and satisfying. Cornering, even while giving power into the front wheel is confidence inspiring thanks to the VAQ Limited Slip Differential

Pros:

• Looks sleek.
• Fun to drive car.
• Feature rich - Heated ORVM, Heated steering, Heated front and outer rear seats, ventilated front seats, wireless charger, whole lot of type c slots, parking assist, Android Auto and CarPlay, adaptive cruise control is a bliss on the long drives, emergency collision avoidance, cornering lights, rain sensing wipes, automatic headlights, parking assist and the list goes on.
• Five-star overall and side crash rating and four-star frontal crash and rollover rating.
• Market full of performance mods available. The tunes for the Mk8 have recently started rolling out.

Cons:

• Recalls - The infamous radiator clamps loosens, resulting in the coolant hose touching the v-belt causing coolant spillage and rendering the car immobile - I had been checking out the radiator myself even before the recall notice came in for my model. The radiator has come loose a couple of times. There is a particular clip at one corner of the radiator which seems to be the problem. I have pushed it in and it has been as good as new, but opens up again after a few weeks of driving. Went for the recall check and VW has been told to do the same. No parts are changed until anything is damaged. They have been told to only check if it is secure, and if not clip it back on. I wonder what would happen in case I drive it for months without correcting this. Wait for a damage to occur? I will be speaking to VW care about this.
• Another recall much earlier in the mk8's life was related to the engine cover. The problem was that it could come in contact with a hot engine component and catch fire. The remedy from VW was to get rid of the engine cover. My Mk8 was much after this recall so it came without an engine cover. VW had not planned to redesign the part for future vehicles produced.
• No remote start, not even on the VW carnet app.
• The scare that it's a GTI and that any problem can arise at any time, going with different forums that I am following. Fingers crossed.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Aakash]

Hello there.

Congratulations on your baby! Golf is on my radar ever since I moved to Ontario myself. But used ones go anywhere upwards of $15k CAD. I'm just waiting until I get my G2 and get one for myself. But in manual transmission.

Again, being a student, it would take a while. But the wait should be enough to make the final day, snappy.

Cheers!

[Rajamass]

Congratulations on owning an excellent car. GTI is one of my favourite VW cars. Wish you happy miles and safe driving.

[scarecrow]

Thank you for the details and great write-up of one of my favorite cars. Given your experience with SUV's & the Indian car scene, can you also please elaborate on
1) Given the climatic conditions in your region, why you still opted for a sports hatch-back?
2) How is the used car scene in Canada?
3) Cost wise, is it more expensive to own and insure a car in Canada?
4) From a driving license standpoint - how was your experience / what are the steps for new comers?

Thanks in advance
Regards
Ronald

[navsjab]

Originally Posted by scarecrow

Thank you for the details and great write-up of one of my favorite cars. Given your experience with SUV's & the Indian car scene, can you also please elaborate on
1) Given the climatic conditions in your region, why you still opted for a sports hatch-back?
2) How is the used car scene in Canada?
3) Cost wise, is it more expensive to own and insure a car in Canada?
4) From a driving license standpoint - how was your experience / what are the steps for new comers?

Thanks in advance
Regards
Ronald

1. If you are referring to the snow. FWDs with snow tyres have no problem in Ontario, especially on days when the snow is fresh and not salted/cleaned. Else, even all season tyres are pretty okay, not ideal. With the performance variant having summer tyres from the factory, I bought myself Bridgestone Blizzak snow tyres and have liked them.
2. They are an ideal choice for many. You need to find a dealer with a defect rating/feedback and you should be good. With direct purchases from private seller you need to take care of getting the vehicle certified and if you are looking for financing, its on a higher rate with used cars.
3. Insurance - Yes, especially for the first year - is crazy high for someone who comes from India. Ownership - Nope.
4. My experience was pretty good. The licensing has 3 stages - G1, G2 and full G. To get a G1 you need to pass a written test and is like the learners license. You pass a road test after you have the G1 and you get a G2. This has almost all privileges as a G apart from blood alcohol tolerance, number of persons aged 19 and under accompanied by a G2 driver and a higher insurance for a G2 driver. After 12 months or so you pass a G road test to get the full G licence. With proof of driving experience from your home country you do not need to wait as much. I got my full G less than a month after I landed.

Let me know if you are planning to come down and need any more information around this. Happy to help.