2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI S Vs Sport Vs SE Vs Autobahn
If you desire to add a little pep into your daily drive but still need some practical versatility, then the 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch is a great choice. If you've decided that it is the right model for you, then it is now time to compare all the trim levels it comes available in. That's why we're here to help you compare the S vs Sport vs SE vs Autobahn models, making it easy for you to find out which features you need. Before we do that, though, let's talk about what is similar between trim levels. Regardless of which GTI you choose, it will come powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that pumps out up to 210 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That's a lot of power for a little hatchback. But, really, the hatchback's compact size is somewhat of an illusion. That's because all 2017 Golf GTI models can deliver up to 52.7 cu ft of cargo space once the rear seats are folded down.
It is, shockingly, a car that鈥檚 realistically attainable for the masses (a very keen 拢13,750 for the three-door hatch, or a smidge over 拢14K for the five-door) and yet promises to be flipping brilliant on the public road. A simple, yet oddly quite rare breed of car. A Renault Twingo GT, Smart Brabus, or perhaps the forthcoming Suzuki Swift Sport, are about its only direct rivals. But is it everything that we all want it to be? Well, it certainly looks the part - inside and out. It looks just as good - if not better - on the outside. How Does It Drive? We鈥檒l start with the engine. What a cracking little thing it is. Floor the throttle and the 113-horsepower, turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder warbles its way throatily up the rev range, delivering real vigor to this baby GTI. Sure, the 0-62-miles-per-hour time of 8.8 seconds sounds fairly pedestrian, but it doesn鈥檛 feel it - not even a little bit, as you slingshot from corner to corner, or rollick around town. So let鈥檚 get to the point - the Up! GTI is great fun in corners.
Maybe not the mobile, throttle-adjustable, light-footed entertainment of bigger and faster hot hatches - even stuff like the Minis and Fiestas of this world. But proper, no-frills, chuck it in and get involved without fearing for your life sort of fun. It delivers a very friendly handling zing, that means you can steer the Up! 鈥檒l understeer a bit, but given the generous grip and reasonable steering feel, you鈥檒l probably find the line you were aiming for. If you don鈥檛, lift off the gas and it鈥檒l be right back to where you want it. If anything, because it lacks any fancy drive modes and adjustable stuff, it feels a bit more gritty and raw than the Polo or Golf GTI. It doesn鈥檛 quite do it all for you like that oh-so-slick, oh-so-grown-up Golf GTI. And we like that about it very much indeed. Especially given that the ride, while firm, is well damped and controlled enough that it鈥檚 not going to rattle your bones over patched-up U.K.
We do have one quibble, and that is the pedal placement. There鈥檚 a big enough gap between the brake and throttle - in the left-hand-drive cars that we tested, at least - to make it very tricky to heel-and-toe. Which is doubly annoying since this is a car that warrants that sort of treatment and would benefit from it very much. At least the brake feel and response is very good, so there's no issue there. Hopefully the right-hand-drive U.K. 鈥檒l have to wait and find out. While we鈥檙e nitpicking, the Up! GTI is pretty buzzy on the highway, too, but then you don鈥檛 buy a fiery little car thinking that you鈥檙e getting a continental cruiser, so it鈥檚 hardly likely to bother you. Should I Buy One? Yes, yes, and yes again. 拢750 less, so you鈥檇 be mad not to make the jump to the GTI from there, and you can easily see the perky little VW stealing sales from bigger cars like the Ford Fiesta and Seat Ibiza. It鈥檚 just a stonkingly entertaining car that鈥檚 bob-on perfect if you want something that looks great, doesn鈥檛 cost much to buy or run, and will put a smile on your face every day without being a pain to live with. It鈥檚 also ideal for U.K. Light (a mere 2,359 pounds, in fact), narrow, easy to drive quickly, and great fun whether you鈥檙e doing a roundabout in Milton Keynes or Wales鈥?finest driving nirvana. What more could you possibly want?
