MK5 vs MK6 GTI body roll

[donjuandl]

Hi, i just got my new MK6 Gti 2 weeks ago and i really love it. It is in almost every point better than the 2007 MK5 GtI i had before. I test drove my new MK6 and my old MK5 one after the other and feel that my new MK6 have more body roll in slalom than my MK5. I dont feel this body roll when i take curves. The car really sticks to the road even though i have the all season P zero nero's. I only feel this body roll when doing tight slalom on the highway. Feels like a loose in the steering. It's not that bad compared to other car but i see the difference with my old car. Is this normal?? My dealer told me that it is normal because it's a completely new suspension.

thanks

 

[Diego Armando]

Hi, i just got my new MK6 Gti 2 weeks ago and i really love it. It is in almost every point better than the 2007 MK5 GtI i had before. I test drove my new MK6 and my old MK5 one after the other and feel that my new MK6 have more body roll in slalom than my MK5. I dont feel this body roll when i take curves. The car really sticks to the road even though i have the all season P zero nero's. I only feel this body roll when doing tight slalom on the highway. Feels like a loose in the steering. It's not that bad compared to other car but i see the difference with my old car. Is this normal?? My dealer told me that it is normal because it's a completely new suspension.

thanks

Is what normal?

Doing a slalom on the highway?

No.

 

[pyro h4cker1]

same suspension setup was your car lowered or anything?

 

[donjuandl]

Is what normal?

Doing a slalom on the highway?

No.

I don't mean slalom between cars. :lol: i mean turning left and right really quickly to see if the car car sticks to the road

i have the stock suspension setup.

 

[NoCaution]

I had an 08 MKV that I totaled in CA last month.

I have about 800 miles on my new MKVI and have also noticed that it feels a bit, umm.... loose, during hard cornering. I feel more body roll, especially when, as you put it, "slaloming". A quick jerk of the wheel to go around someone and I feel it big time. Also, when hitting a nice winding turn, I feel like the car wants to float a bit. In my MKV, I never felt any slip in corners, unless I really pushed the envelope. In the MKVI, I hit a corner and find myself braking more than I thought I would, cause it feels like I'm losing traction.

I have 3 thoughts on the subject right now:

1 - I am feeling the XDS kick in around corners and don't know what to make of it yet.

2 - It may actually be a bit looser than the MKV. In this case, I may invest on some after-market parts to tighten things up a tad.

3 - I am simply not used to the car quite yet. I eased into the MKV and pushed it little by little until I found my comfort zone. With this car, I have kinda just picked up where I left off, and may need to ease up till I know what my limits are.

Anyone else come from a MKV? Same? Different?

Cheers-

 

[SMkVGTI]

I've owned two MkV GTI's prior to my 2010 GTI: an '07 4-dr and an '09 2-door. My 2010 fishtails in tight corners when driven hard (oversteer). My MkV GTIs never did this, in fact, they understeered. Does anyone else have the same conclusion coming from a MkV GTI?

 

[donjuandl]

I had an 08 MKV that I totaled in CA last month.

I have about 800 miles on my new MKVI and have also noticed that it feels a bit, umm.... loose, during hard cornering. I feel more body roll, especially when, as you put it, "slaloming". A quick jerk of the wheel to go around someone and I feel it big time. Also, when hitting a nice winding turn, I feel like the car wants to float a bit. In my MKV, I never felt any slip in corners, unless I really pushed the envelope. In the MKVI, I hit a corner and find myself braking more than I thought I would, cause it feels like I'm losing traction.

I have 3 thoughts on the subject right now:

1 - I am feeling the XDS kick in around corners and don't know what to make of it yet.

2 - It may actually be a bit looser than the MKV. In this case, I may invest on some after-market parts to tighten things up a tad.

3 - I am simply not used to the car quite yet. I eased into the MKV and pushed it little by little until I found my comfort zone. With this car, I have kinda just picked up where I left off, and may need to ease up till I know what my limits are.

Anyone else come from a MKV? Same? Different?

Cheers-

This is exactly that i'm talking about. Maybe, with time we'll get used to the new suspension setup.

BTW, what kind of mod would really help for this?

 

[gunmetal5]

This is exactly that i'm talking about. Maybe, with time we'll get used to the new suspension setup.

BTW, what kind of mod would really help for this?

I think sway bars would help.

 

[Falchon]

I think sway bars would help.

This.

Also, i understand the car feels like it doesn't handle quite as well, but the skidpad numbers on the mk6 is higher than the mk5, at least from what I have seen from Motortrend and other magazines.

Personally, I think there's something deeper behind all this. I remember when the mk6 was first coming out, everyone was talking about the adjustable suspension. Of course we didn't get this stateside, but VW said they were going to set it a little softer than the hardest setting in Europe. So, perhaps the mk5 was at a more aggressive setting than the mk6, which is why the mk6 feels a little looser in corners (but more stable at high speeds, imo), but it's overall grip is actually slightly higher due to the XDS?

Having driven both cars, I would say that the mk6 has a more civil ride and is more stable at high speeds, but it does feel a little soft during hard acceleration, but it doesn't break loose easily, probably due to the XDS kicking in and an ESP system that can't be fully disabled. In contrast, the mk5 felt much tighter in the twisties, like it cornered a lot flatter, but it's limits didn't seem to be as high as the mk6.

In other words, the mk6 ACTUALLY handles better, but FEELS worse while doing so IMO ... if that makes any sense at all .... :iono:

 

[mmm def]

Do the MKV and MKVI use the same tires? Tires make a noticeable difference, and you will really feel the faults on the highway. Did I mention the stock dunlops are crap?

 

[DanielStevenMKVI]

This.

Also, i understand the car feels like it doesn't handle quite as well, but the skidpad numbers on the mk6 is higher than the mk5, at least from what I have seen from Motortrend and other magazines.

Personally, I think there's something deeper behind all this. I remember when the mk6 was first coming out, everyone was talking about the adjustable suspension. Of course we didn't get this stateside, but VW said they were going to set it a little softer than the hardest setting in Europe. So, perhaps the mk5 was at a more aggressive setting than the mk6, which is why the mk6 feels a little looser in corners (but more stable at high speeds, imo), but it's overall grip is actually slightly higher due to the XDS?

Having driven both cars, I would say that the mk6 has a more civil ride and is more stable at high speeds, but it does feel a little soft during hard acceleration, but it doesn't break loose easily, probably due to the XDS kicking in and an ESP system that can't be fully disabled. In contrast, the mk5 felt much tighter in the twisties, like it cornered a lot flatter, but it's limits didn't seem to be as high as the mk6.

In other words, the mk6 ACTUALLY handles better, but FEELS worse while doing so IMO ... if that makes any sense at all .... :iono:

I agree with this entirely. The American MkV was much more set to euro spec than the American MkVI. I still don't have mine but went and drove the MkVI for the 4th time today, with a DSG, and took on a nice roundabout-on ramp. It stuck, didn't pull out, and sat down while I accelerated through the generally tight, slightly banked turn. I could feel a considerable Body Roll, but nothing that worried me of losing the rear, and FAR from any sort of understeer. The body is a bit squishy, but all in all it still sticks like flypaper. After all, it is a GTI.

 

[TZSGTI]

I've owned two MkV GTI's prior to my 2010 GTI: an '07 4-dr and an '09 2-door. My 2010 fishtails in tight corners when driven hard (oversteer). My MkV GTIs never did this, in fact, they understeered. Does anyone else have the same conclusion coming from a MkV GTI?

Interesting. I have found the opossite. My MK5 oversteers like a bitch. Most people will kill to have a FWD oversteer so i am quiet happy about it since its controlable and is not snappy at all. Then again i have a 24 MM H&R Rear sway bar. But before i put it on i still had crazy oversteer. It was so much fun when i went autocrossing.


Also OP have you tried putting more air in the tires. Sometimes to little air in the tires can cause some more oversteer and body roll.

 

[callmevil]

I had an 08 MKV that I totaled in CA last month.

I have about 800 miles on my new MKVI and have also noticed that it feels a bit, umm.... loose, during hard cornering. I feel more body roll, especially when, as you put it, "slaloming". A quick jerk of the wheel to go around someone and I feel it big time. Also, when hitting a nice winding turn, I feel like the car wants to float a bit. In my MKV, I never felt any slip in corners, unless I really pushed the envelope. In the MKVI, I hit a corner and find myself braking more than I thought I would, cause it feels like I'm losing traction.

I have 3 thoughts on the subject right now:

1 - I am feeling the XDS kick in around corners and don't know what to make of it yet.

2 - It may actually be a bit looser than the MKV. In this case, I may invest on some after-market parts to tighten things up a tad.

3 - I am simply not used to the car quite yet. I eased into the MKV and pushed it little by little until I found my comfort zone. With this car, I have kinda just picked up where I left off, and may need to ease up till I know what my limits are.

Anyone else come from a MKV? Same? Different?

Cheers-

i feel this 'float' feeling too on my R20.. and the car does feel like its coming of the tracks every now end then during corners... :iono:

 

[PandaGTI]

I think the MKVI has a thicker rear sway bar than the MKV GTI's... the thicker rear sway bar gives it more oversteer... but the XDS will still let it keep tracking well though the turns.

The combination of the XDS and thicker rear sway bar will make the car feel more awd like as it gives a nice transition from neutral handling to oversteer through the turns if you want... like a 4 wheel drift... for me this makes the car very fast through the back roads & canyons.

OTOH... Toyota has a recall on their SUV's because with the traction control on you can induce a nice 4 wheel drift in them... which for the experienced driver is great fun... but the inexperienced can be dangerous so Toyota is doing the recall... sux!!!

The loose feeling on acceleration might be due to the torque steer cause the turbo motor has a nice torque band... I know that I have to hold on tight everytime I hit the fun pedal...