SVS
Passed Driver's Ed
So, I've had my 2011 GTI just shy of a month, and last evening while parking I scraped the lower end of the front bumper/spoiler against the kerb. Its not easily visible, but I'm pissed with myself regardless!!!
Anway, just wanted to share some more points that I've noticed, in conjunction with observations I've read of other owners in the group:
1) Overall, my appreciation grows for the car. Am loving the way it corners! Waiting to get more miles on it before I start pushing the engine.
2) The Detroit Wheels - I had mixed feelings when I found out they were the only option offered by our dealer here. I did not dislike them, but wasn't a huge fan - kind of preferred the Denvers, a full alloy look. But after having had the car for a while, and more importantly, having washed it myself, I'm a fan. The black paint on the inner section is a stroke of practical genuis as it hides any and all brake dust!!!
3) Love the flat bottom steering, and the steering mounted controls! Maybe I'm behind on modern technology, but how the hell do they manage to light up the "+" and "-" signs on the paddle shifts??? They are so damn thin!!! Cool stuff!
4) Some of the things that are bothersome:
- The damn drippy rear washer nozzle!!! I drove over a bump, it dripped, then I took a sharp turn, it dripped, I accelerated fast, it dripped, I braked hard, it dripped!!!! I even spoke with the local dealer, he said its just the residual in the pipe, between the reservoir and the nozzle, and its normal. Just find it hard to believe, seems a fundamental design flaw. Any suggestions?
- The auto-dim feature of the instrument cluster lighting. If I drive through some underpass tunnels, or around our office parking garage, I can't see the gauges! They also get very dim if I'm on the street in the shadow of a tall building, even though there is sunlight elsewhere. Wish they could stay bright instead of my having to turn the light switch on each time.
- I too hear the doors creak when I drive over uneven ground such as the angled ramps in the parking garage.
- Acceleration lag from a standstill, as noted by some other owners, is also noticeable at times.
- Still not a big fan of the seat cloth texture, a bit coarse when compared to other vehicles. Hope it gets better with wear. Also, something I noted before, the black theme is not so practical. Dust shows easily, and just my luck that one of our dogs is white, every time the kids get in the car, some of his hair on their clothes comes off on the seats!
- One thing which may be common to many cars now, not just the GTI, is the width of the A pillar, in part due to the speaker being mounted there. It can cause a blind spot around sharper curves, and especially when driving around a traffic circle, of which we have a few here.
I'm not trying to be negative here, just pointing out some issues. Overall, I'm still a BIG fan of the car and very happy to have got it!!!
BTW, has anyone changed the horn on their GTI? I took a quick look under the hood, and for the life of me could not see where the horn might be (and I do admit I'm not knowledgeable about DIY work by any stretch).
Will welcome feedback and suggestions!
Anway, just wanted to share some more points that I've noticed, in conjunction with observations I've read of other owners in the group:
1) Overall, my appreciation grows for the car. Am loving the way it corners! Waiting to get more miles on it before I start pushing the engine.
2) The Detroit Wheels - I had mixed feelings when I found out they were the only option offered by our dealer here. I did not dislike them, but wasn't a huge fan - kind of preferred the Denvers, a full alloy look. But after having had the car for a while, and more importantly, having washed it myself, I'm a fan. The black paint on the inner section is a stroke of practical genuis as it hides any and all brake dust!!!
3) Love the flat bottom steering, and the steering mounted controls! Maybe I'm behind on modern technology, but how the hell do they manage to light up the "+" and "-" signs on the paddle shifts??? They are so damn thin!!! Cool stuff!
4) Some of the things that are bothersome:
- The damn drippy rear washer nozzle!!! I drove over a bump, it dripped, then I took a sharp turn, it dripped, I accelerated fast, it dripped, I braked hard, it dripped!!!! I even spoke with the local dealer, he said its just the residual in the pipe, between the reservoir and the nozzle, and its normal. Just find it hard to believe, seems a fundamental design flaw. Any suggestions?
- The auto-dim feature of the instrument cluster lighting. If I drive through some underpass tunnels, or around our office parking garage, I can't see the gauges! They also get very dim if I'm on the street in the shadow of a tall building, even though there is sunlight elsewhere. Wish they could stay bright instead of my having to turn the light switch on each time.
- I too hear the doors creak when I drive over uneven ground such as the angled ramps in the parking garage.
- Acceleration lag from a standstill, as noted by some other owners, is also noticeable at times.
- Still not a big fan of the seat cloth texture, a bit coarse when compared to other vehicles. Hope it gets better with wear. Also, something I noted before, the black theme is not so practical. Dust shows easily, and just my luck that one of our dogs is white, every time the kids get in the car, some of his hair on their clothes comes off on the seats!
- One thing which may be common to many cars now, not just the GTI, is the width of the A pillar, in part due to the speaker being mounted there. It can cause a blind spot around sharper curves, and especially when driving around a traffic circle, of which we have a few here.
I'm not trying to be negative here, just pointing out some issues. Overall, I'm still a BIG fan of the car and very happy to have got it!!!
BTW, has anyone changed the horn on their GTI? I took a quick look under the hood, and for the life of me could not see where the horn might be (and I do admit I'm not knowledgeable about DIY work by any stretch).
Will welcome feedback and suggestions!
