nec9
New member
So since I came directly from a Stage2 modded STI, I thought I would shed some light on my experience with both of these cars and how I feel they compare. First, some pics:
MY04 STI
MY10 GTI
Disclaimer: I know a stock GTI can't hold much of a candle next to a Stage2 STI, but this is more of an overall driving experience transition than raw power transition. For me anyway. I will continue to update this as I upgrade and mod my GTI to Stage2 and beyond.
Alright so first lets talk about the obvious. The power difference. When I test drove the GTI, I was pretty impressed. Acceleration is clean and the powerband (while not as aggressive as the STI) is smooth as butter (not hard and stutter-y like the STI). While carshopping, I was looking for a more-affordable/practical-but-just-as-fun-to-drive vehicle. I think the GTI definitely hit that nail on the head in that regard, especially when I tried the other comparable cars (BRZ/FRS, Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Mazdaspeed3, Civic Si, etc). This is my first Euro car and I am pretty damned impressed. I have been a hardcore JDM guy for quite some time and this VW has definitely opened my eyes.
Though, after having the GTI for a couple weeks now and doing a few WOT pulls on the on-ramps, I can now clearly see what I had in the STI. The initial pull from 30 or so MPH is actually great. But the highway cruise torque just isn't there anymore. Passing is just a tad bit more of a chore than it used to be and I find myself constantly muttering "easily could have had that in my STI". Not to mention the absence of AWD. It's really weird being able to break traction so easily. Still getting used to clutch finesse in the rain... But It's a phase and will pass soon, though. Which brings me to the reasons I won't miss my STI.
The interior. Oh my god the interior. First of all, going from any car 6-years older is going to be a significant improvement. But, in my case, going from a 6-year older RALLY inspired bare-bones interior to the GTI is like going from an early 90's civic to a brand new Mercedes. I felt like a caveman discovering fire. Road noise, rattles? Gone. I can hear myself think...and it's scary. Stereo? What is this sorcery?! Touchscreen?! Bluetooth?! Wireless audio playback?! Cup holders?!?!?!
Yeah...the quality of life in the GTI is 1000x better. And I love it. This also goes hand-in-hand with maintenance. People warned me about expensive repairs in Euro cars...but to be honest... I don't think I've owned a car more expensive to maintain than my STI. If I went 3 months without an issue, it was cause for celebration. The STI eats oil, coolant, and just about anything else it can get its grubby hands on. It was a constant uphill battle and in my 3 years of owning it I spent more than $10,000 just in repairs and maintenance. Including a new short block. Didn't have my car for most of the summer of last year.
Being able to eat most other cars for breakfast just wasn't worth it in the end. Especially as a daily driver. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about the car breaking down on my way to work. Stress levels were intense. The price was too high and I was too broke. We had some good times but I'm happy with what I have now and I foresee a great future with this GTI!
MY04 STI
MY10 GTI
Disclaimer: I know a stock GTI can't hold much of a candle next to a Stage2 STI, but this is more of an overall driving experience transition than raw power transition. For me anyway. I will continue to update this as I upgrade and mod my GTI to Stage2 and beyond.
Alright so first lets talk about the obvious. The power difference. When I test drove the GTI, I was pretty impressed. Acceleration is clean and the powerband (while not as aggressive as the STI) is smooth as butter (not hard and stutter-y like the STI). While carshopping, I was looking for a more-affordable/practical-but-just-as-fun-to-drive vehicle. I think the GTI definitely hit that nail on the head in that regard, especially when I tried the other comparable cars (BRZ/FRS, Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Mazdaspeed3, Civic Si, etc). This is my first Euro car and I am pretty damned impressed. I have been a hardcore JDM guy for quite some time and this VW has definitely opened my eyes.
Though, after having the GTI for a couple weeks now and doing a few WOT pulls on the on-ramps, I can now clearly see what I had in the STI. The initial pull from 30 or so MPH is actually great. But the highway cruise torque just isn't there anymore. Passing is just a tad bit more of a chore than it used to be and I find myself constantly muttering "easily could have had that in my STI". Not to mention the absence of AWD. It's really weird being able to break traction so easily. Still getting used to clutch finesse in the rain... But It's a phase and will pass soon, though. Which brings me to the reasons I won't miss my STI.
The interior. Oh my god the interior. First of all, going from any car 6-years older is going to be a significant improvement. But, in my case, going from a 6-year older RALLY inspired bare-bones interior to the GTI is like going from an early 90's civic to a brand new Mercedes. I felt like a caveman discovering fire. Road noise, rattles? Gone. I can hear myself think...and it's scary. Stereo? What is this sorcery?! Touchscreen?! Bluetooth?! Wireless audio playback?! Cup holders?!?!?!
Yeah...the quality of life in the GTI is 1000x better. And I love it. This also goes hand-in-hand with maintenance. People warned me about expensive repairs in Euro cars...but to be honest... I don't think I've owned a car more expensive to maintain than my STI. If I went 3 months without an issue, it was cause for celebration. The STI eats oil, coolant, and just about anything else it can get its grubby hands on. It was a constant uphill battle and in my 3 years of owning it I spent more than $10,000 just in repairs and maintenance. Including a new short block. Didn't have my car for most of the summer of last year.
Being able to eat most other cars for breakfast just wasn't worth it in the end. Especially as a daily driver. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about the car breaking down on my way to work. Stress levels were intense. The price was too high and I was too broke. We had some good times but I'm happy with what I have now and I foresee a great future with this GTI!