2012 Volkswagen GTI DSG Test Dive & Car Video Review
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- čas přidán 19. 04. 2012
- www.autobytel.com/volkswagen/g... The 2012 Volkswagen GTI is just about the most fun you can have in a car for around $25,000. A compact performance car is judged based on its engine. And the GTI has one of the best all-around 4-cylinder engines in the world. In fact this engine powers numerous Volkswagen and Audi vehicles. But the 2012 Volkswagen GTI is not just a car with a wonderful engine; the GTI is also a good looking car that is well balanced, and quite comfortable. In fact you can get the Volkswagen GTI in both a 2-door and 4-door hatchback body style. The base price is $23,995 with the top of the line Autobahn model costing $31,695.
The 2012 Volkswagen GTI is powered by a direct injection turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft. of torque. While this may not seem like a ton of power, it is more than enough for the everyday driver. Power is transmitted through a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels. The automatic transmission is called the DSG which stands for Direct-Shift Gearbox. This double clutch electronically controlled transmission can execute a shift in mere milliseconds. This helps performance figures such as 0-60 MPH as well as adding to the fuel economy of the GTI. The manual transmission model gets 21 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway while the DSG automatic transmission model gets 24 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway.
On the inside of the 2012 Volkswagen GTI you have 2 choices when it comes to seating material. There are the cloth seats that are very unique and serve as a tribute to the first GTI from the 1970's. On the other hand you can get your GTI with top sports seats that are finished in leather and provide a comfortable yet firm feel. The rest of the interior of the 2012 Volkswagen GTI is accented here and there with awesome red stitching on the shift boot and steering wheel. Speaking of the steering wheel; this flat bottom unit has integrated controls for the stereo. The pedals are also very sporty and race inspired.
The GTI also features a ton of technology built in. On the outside the daytime LED running lights are a standard safety feature that not only looks great but also makes you more visible to oncoming traffic. Bluetooth comes standard on the GTI and you can upgrade to a touch-screen navigation unit. On the safety front the GTI sports 6 airbags, Electronic Stability Control, and an Intelligent Crash Response System. The attention to safety has resulted in the Volkswagen GTI being picked as a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.
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I have black 2011 gti, base manual, first manual car and once getting the hang of the manual I love it. feels very high quality and is refined fun. not for the drag strip but on windy roads it just grips and pulls, great car I'm happy with mine! plus great shifter, good on fuel (unless you put the foot down and get rpms up... then glug glug ;)
The cloth seats are actually amazing, better then leather seats big time plus the GTI cloth seats keep you in place at tight turns at high speeds. For example at a 60 km/h turn I went 140, the GTI handled it perfectly and I didnt move at all in my seat but could feel the force of the turn big time. It was amazing.
It is a perfect balance of comfort & fun. Add stage 1 chip for more fun & even better fuel economy assuming you don't always put your foot down.
I love the look with the Golf R tail lights.
Best review on this model.
Nice video. Manual or DSG it's nice to have a choice for the type of driving and how involved you want to be. I have the DSG and while it doesn't provide the "raw" driving experience, it is easy to drive when you want it to be and provide some shifting control when you want that.
well the DSG transmission knocks off half a second from the 0-60 MPH time....so whats better fast or fun?
Love the video!
@Ray b The DSG is a dual manual clutch gearbox with automatic actuators. So it's bit of a hybrid of both Auto and Manual .
Ron please do a review of the 2013 mustang GT !! I love your reviews.
I test drove this and a fiat abarth man they are really fun cars I think I want an abarth and just mod it a little for even more fun.
Once you upgrade this thing with a Stage 1 APR, its damn near perfect
autobytel, what can you say about vw reliability? ive been searching a lot and only found bad stuff, even in reliability pages or "tests"
The Intercooler sits in behind the bumper grill in between the A/C condenser and radiator. So no hood scoops needed.
what is it like driving dynamics and comfort wise, i have been driving a focus since i was 16 now i'm 20 and i'm upgrading and i am deciding between a GTI or a WRX
I'm not young and I have one and I love it!! mine is red too!!
Does anyone know what kind of gas the 2012 gti takes?
I just got a certified pre owned 4 door Red GTI MK VI. And I freaking love this thing. Way way better than my old WRX. im being honest the interior is much nicer and it does infact handle better. Who needs a ton of power or AWD on these streets. Other than snoe this car is better in every way. Plus a loaded WRX is $29.000 much cheaper, to that guy below me.
Drive shaft? Clutch? Do you know people or have any experience about these two components after 50K Miles after a Stage 1 tuning?
I have a 2010 and just keep up with oil changes and it is very reliable. Only thing I have had problem with it is you need to by better than OEM Coilpacks.
UGH, before I bought my 2012 Fit Sport Manual I test drove a GTI 4 door Autobahn and I LOVED IT. After we got back I literally asked where do I sign, then I saw the numbers and I ran away lol
n my main point is that this is a good car regardless of its transmission. and people shouldnt hate on auto or semi auto which is better in a lot of PROVEN ways
Ron you're one huge guy.^
i'm debating over dsg or manual and thats my problem dsg is faster but manual makes u feel more involved and thats fun aswell
FUN, without question!
Yes it has that younger feel, but I believe this two door design model can have a more mature feel to it also. It depends on the driver of course and I can drive like a turtle at times cause cruising with a manual is how I roll.
the wheels are nice
Isn't it 93 octane..?
I'm looking at a gti, mazdaspeed and Civic si looking for more then just speed not sure what I should get
+MrBigcheif69 Si is no longer the car it was. The Mazdaspeed or GTI will be more practical because they are hatchbacks so you can carry lots more stuff than a sedan. The GTI will have a more premium interior than the Mazdaspeed. The Mazdaspeed has more power. Really it's up to you in what you want out of a car,
Don't knock it until you try it. The DSG smokes any manual, and the gear changes are so fast, it IS fun. All the forward weight shift and deceleration involved in up shifting is gone with a DSG transmission.
Bought 1 today
Nice car
I think 93..?
How is this a competitor to wrx? Wrx costs way more!
Why not the Subaru WRX? They are sporty, come in a 5 door hatch or 4 door sedan, Come with 265Hp, and one of the best awd systems out there. It also starts out at 25 Grand. They are super fun to drive and love bolt on mods. Its super easy to get 300hp at the wheels with a WRX, and with AWD it will easily put that power to the road rain or shine.
Definately manual. I've never been a big fan of VW's automatic transmissions....had a '99 New Jetta that had an automatic, and it was a misfit from day one. Still, VW turns out some of the best 5 speed boxes ever made. And how good that 4 cyl engine does sound....that distinct high torque "VW growl".
You couldn't be more wrong, the DSG is every bit as good as the manual, if not better, and I drive manual cars too. In fact more GTIs are ordered with DSG then manual last I heard.... Sorry, it had to be said.
@ supernova: are you sure you want order the "old" current golf GTI? The new golf 7 GTI is coming next year, mid 2013... I'm waiting on that one myself... unless you did a good bargain, to buy one now... congratz anyway!
You missed my point. What I meant was that manual is, of course, more fun, BUT when you live in a city where traffic is too much, then manual becomes a hassle and having an automatic makes being stuck in traffic for 2-3 hours less frustrating. Plus, only teenagers want manuals to show-off. Once you reach a certain age you'll say f-it, and go for an automatic with paddle shifters.
fun!!!
It beats the WRX comfort wise for sure, test drove one and in my opinion the GTI was way better comfort wise for sure and truthfully I also prefered it driving wise, but thats just my opinion.
do I have to go to college to buy one car like that???
no, this car is very cheap for a great performance car.
I think I'd rather buy the Civic Si
I think I’d rather buy a 1999 no turbo civic hatchback😍
You always read comments regarding unreliability of these cars. Yet these select are far less than the majority of gtis out there. You only ever hear the bad things not the good things. I'v had mine for 105k km and never had a problem. Tuned and modded as well
I am not sure you're right. In Europe, some Japanese and Korean cars cost the same or sometimes even more than German cars. Take the Honda Civic hatchback, with a 1.8 NA petrol engine it is almost the same money as Golf GTI (!). Mazda CX-5 costs almost the same as VW Tiguan, again 2.0 NA engine vs. 2.0 turbo petrol or diesel.
maybe its a canada type deal
89+ Octane
Believe me. You would have hated the manual in the 99 jetta even more -.-
It's a fantastic car, but I rather choose FRS or BRZ now.
I won't argue that brands like Honda, Toyota, Mazda are more reliable than VW. However they do not make cars as good as VW does (engines, interior, exterior, comfort/handling balance), they don't let you option-order your car. I'd say I am fine with lesser reliability but a much better car overall.
Mine is a POS. The roughest ride of my life.
I agree to the engine fact but I think there is a big difference regarding the quality of the interior. Subaru will run forever, good engine and quality but the materials.....I don't know. Matter of taste.
Essa geração golf nunca foi produzida aqui no Brasil 🇧🇷🇧🇷👊👊
It's actually made in Wolfsburg Germany.
Try living in LA with a manual car. Damn traffic all day.
211 hp !!!!!
I prefer my 05 rsx type S :D
if people have no issue they would never post anything, most of the time people post things because they got issues. This is why when you make a research you would rarely find good stuff.
I don't like the cloth interiors in the GTIs. They have a hideous cloth pattern on the seats. I'd just take a step up and get a higher end model with leather, or a jetta GLI or a golf R.
Why is it that when I first see or hear someone mention top gear I think of Jeremy when he screams POWER?
The wheels are FUGLY! Bring back the classic 'Monte Carlo' wheels!
lol 40,000
fully loaded they are 30000
i had one that had everything except leather and navi for 26000
My friend owned this car fully loaded and had sooooo many problems.
Adrian Anguiano BS. I have a 2012 and haven't had anything wrong with it
Test drive the car, like really, I can tell you know nothing about this car so please stop commenting. I test drove it and you actually can't really notice it.
whats the difference.. u can still up and down shift with the semi and its faster.. you lose
....well if we are talking about a car primarily used for daily driving, I would say it DOES NOT matter. Does a half second really separate speed & fun, really? Probably not for a daily driver. DSG = grandma/girlfriend/mom/you
Is this why Honda is going to use German ZF transmissions in their cars? :-) Come on man, the difference in reliability is not that big, if you don't thrash your VW and service it properly, it's great.
Leather seats? Where? I cannot find a GTI with leather anywhere!! In Canada, after taxes and fees this is a $40,000 car. Cloth seats are unacceptable in a car this price.
GTI was a great car. till to mk4s. mk4 GTI was too big and too heavy to carry the GTI soul. looking at the mk6 Golfs. I can clearly say that GTI is never enough. we need R.
ha... ha... ha.. that was sooooo funny.. how long did it take you to think of that? ;)
how about instead of jail time.. criminals can listen to you for a couple of hours.. wait that would be cruel and unusual punishment.. lol
My dad got a 2012 326 hp camaro for 20,000
Jackson Coates *306
It's a 3 door hatchback argh !! As the hatch is also a door.. and it's a GOLF GTI..
He should've taken better care of it.
The only thing that is laughable is you saying that Asian car manufacturers constructing better ones than Germany.
VWs GDIs are very inefficient... That engine with only 200hp and a high pressure turbo and the DSG should be getting 37MPG hwy
but it is on the wrong side.
steering wheel so sexy mmmmhmm lol
He just looks. Like the type of dude that wouldn't let his daughter date a black dude
Jullz Ninetyseven that’s every dude.
WRONG! i pay and have paid since i bought my car in 09 $100 a month for car insurance and i bought the car when i was 20 with a clean driving record, on my own insurance plan not sharing with my parents.
COP (;
the point i was trying to make is that you run into less issues with auto's.. PERIOD. and that was'nt the only POINT i made if you bothered to read everything. my beef is with people that think everyone HAS to have a manual. it's not for everyone. i've already had 3 cars so i do have experience obviously. not everyone agrees with you so get over it.
Oh the DSG faulty gearbox car !
no not true. i live in miami, it crazy. i love stick and trust me i love driving but to have one in the city is ANNOYING! trust me.
haha well im not from venezuela gasoline is far more expensive here,
Mickey Mouse wheels.
...Hey bulatok1...There is a new law for car thieves...
..in lieu of jail time they can choose to drive cross country...
...with YOU...But that would be Torture,so maybe not...etc.......
Is this kind of uninformed opinions that make people sound uneducated... i live in florida and my friends and i drive manual cars, IMO that's where is at because of the connection you have with the car. Don't bet if you are not sure of what you're talking bout .
torontoguy should be ashamed of himself and his ignorant comments
Scion frs is better
It is on the wrong side!
You've got to be kidding me! Japanese cars more reliable than German cars??
70% of the cars who drive on highway, suffer from breakdowns are these Japanese brands like Honda and Toyota. and definitely on first place are those French froggies of PSA ( Peugeot and Citroen).
Super unreliable, i have a scirocco with the same engine and transmission, giving me problems since 13,000 miles, the so called "tecnological masterpiece" dsg transmission is very problematic even with all the years that has in the market, and here in mexico is not a cheap car cost me 53,000 dlls.
$7000??? are you kidding the cheaper car in my country costs around $15000, oh my god sometimes i hate southamerica
I don't think I have ever seen a girl driving a GTI in New York, but i have seen many chicks driving the Civic Si, which IMO is ugly as shit. Obviously, you have never been to a VW/GTI meet from your statement. Lolz
'99 Land Cruiser... yuck. Get a new job and a real car.
fun!!!