First GTI, Need advice

I'll be honest and say I did not read the entire thread. I'm sure everything has been said and there is no need for me to chime in. But I will anyway.
Like has been said, get what you want. By now, there are plenty of used mk6s on the market that you can get what you want. I come from mk2s, where (in the US) a GTI is a 2-door manual. And that's what I just so happen to love. I created a little controversy in the past telling people that if they want a 4-door to get a Jetta or something, but that's just the way I see it. Call me a purist. I live and work in Denver where the traffic is heavy. Is it that hard to press the clutch pedal and shift? No. Yes, the DSG can shift faster than you can, but where's the fahrvergnügen in that?

I got you. I have a barely used 2012 GTI - 2 door 6MT with 14,000 miles for 17k.

Many vs Auto = DSG aside from servicing it, it tends to become boring after some time. Still nice though...I live in crowdy San Diego with a lot of traffic. Manual, I still love and I would not get another automatic. Using traffic as an excuse to not get a manual is silly.

riffmcgriff said:

Howdy,

I'm in the market for a new whip, and I've always wanted a GTI. So, by god, I'm gonna get one.

I found a white one I really like. It's a CPO 2011 2-door with 46K miles. Just the base model; no sunroof or nav, etc., which I don't think I mind. They want $16,295 for it. I've also found a 2011 Autobahn 4-door with 39K miles for $16,995. That one has all the bells and whistles, but it has the automatic transmission.

So my question is, should I just go with my gut and get the manual, or should I consider the automatic? Does anybody have the automatic version, and is it any fun to drive? It seems weird to me to get an automatic GTI, but what do i know.

Anyways, any advice is appreciate. Peace.

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I had a DSG rental when my 6MT was in the body shop. I found it tedious and seemingly unnecessary to manually shift the DSG tranny, so after the first day, I never manually shifted it after that, just put it in DRIVE and used the gas and brake and steering wheel. It was good to get my MT out of the shop and really drive a car again. To me, a DSG transmission is only as fun as any common automatic transmission, but hey, that's me. I've driven a manual transmission for almost 40 years and probably always will.

Also, compare the maintenance between a DSG and a MT. MT requires a fluid change 4 times at most through the life of the car. An MT fluid change is as easy as an oil change, and can be done yourself quickly for the cost of 3 quarts of fluid, or about $45 (Redline MTL!). DSG service costs a lot of dough every 40K miles.

If you are going to tune the car, keep in mind that a manual transmission with anything above Stage 1 is going to require a clutch upgrade, as some folks here report slippage at Stage 1 and beyond. (Few people report no slipping through Stage 2, but I think that is a rarity.)

That being said, I like my 4 door because it came with a power seat-back, 4 power windows and all of the convenience that comes with getting people and cargo out of the back seat. Maybe you need to keep looking to find a 6MT 4 door.

robeeeerob said:

Everyone's pretty much said it.

I have DSG, and I LOVE it!!! It is extremely fun to drive still!

And this is coming from a guy who was driving manual for 12yrs before getting a DSG GTI

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Wish i was like you, coming from a manual, i only had my dsg for 4 months and i got fairly bored with it, but there are certainly a few things i dont miss on mk6s manual.

As to the door issue...On this car i am 4 Dr all day... while the 2 Dr's arguably have cleaner lines, the utility of having easy access to the entire cargo space to me is huge. Not to mention that the back seats are surprisingly roomy for a pocket rocket....I have taken my teenaged kids on long trips with nary a comfort complaint.... .it's not a sports car, it just drives like one

go drive both. I drove nothing but manuals for my whole life and went with a DSG. It find it to be quite a hoot.

So drive both, get the one you like more.

riffmcgriff said:

Well at least there's a clear consensus

I'm kinda surprised how many people said DSG. I'll definitely have to check that out. The one I found is about an hour and a half away, but I'll try to find one locally to drive first. I don't know that I'll do a whole lot of modding. It's going to be my DD. Anything that makes it more fun to drive, I might give it a go. And I don't hit a whole lot of traffic. I've just always really loved driving stick, but I'll have to give the DSG a whirl. I'm really curious now.

Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

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I would look for a mk7 personally. If that's NOT in your budget, then I totally understand. If you do get a mk6, make sure it has a sunroof. and be careful with tuning it. It's addictive!

So I drove up to check out that DSG, but somebody was in the middle of buying it when I got there. Didn't end up driving that one obviously. Wasn't meant to be, because today I found the exact car that I wanted, so I jumped on it. 2012 manual GTI w/ the convenience package. Not sure what a convenience package is, but I guess that's the sunroof and the touchscreen stereo. 27K miles. I put a deposit on it, and I'm going back to pick it up tomorrow. This is a pic the dealer sent me on his cell. I'm super pumped. Behold:

Congrats!

Nice!!! All the best!

Congrats! I believe the convienence is heated seats and the RCD 510 stereo. Sunroof isn't technically the same package. When you going to slap a stage 1 tune on the sucker?

Edit: I wonder if the person who bought the DSG will post up in here soon?

There was another member in the same situation of auto vs manual but always preferred manual more. He went with the auto and hated it probably within a month. Had the regrets and knew he was stuck with it. Go with your gut, you won't be disappointed!

brinkmen said:

Congrats! I believe the convienence is heated seats and the RCD 510 stereo. Sunroof isn't technically the same package. When you going to slap a stage 1 tune on the sucker?

Edit: I wonder if the person who bought the DSG will post up in here soon?

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Heated seats were standard across all trim levels. The Convenience package included sunroof, RCD 510 stereo, and steering wheel buttons.

Grats, OP!!