my comparison to a turbo diesel is purely for the fact max said it would need a turbo within 200k...i wouldn't expect the gti to run for 200k knowing that people drive the piss out of them....if it were a normal dd not tuned or moded then i could see 200k being accomplished...but heavily tuning the car is going to kill motor life....
moding is like smoking, we all know its bad, expensive, and hurts your chances with some women...but its addiction
See, this is my point - I've got just under 30k miles right now, when I had it in the dealership at 25k (I get oil changed every 5k no matter what) the tech who I know there from owning my 07 FH were talking about the majority of GTI's that come through - most are owned by 20 somethings & most are beat on within an inch of their life. He commented on how my car looks & drives like it's brand new. I attribute this mostly to NEVER over boosting or redlining as I go through the gears, I always allow several minutes of cool down after spirited driving (before shutting off the engine) - the roads here in Vegas that I regularly drive are very smooth & pothole free so my suspension is given an opportunity for long life as well - no snow = no salt to corrode parts & weekly car washes & (engine bay wipe downs ) ensure nothing is getting loose or excessively dirty.
My wife drives a 2005 dodge durango with 194k miles on it right now & it runs like a top - it's paid off & she is waiting for the R20 to arrive to make that her DD & retire the Durango to road trip duty (vacations & utility as well as first car for our now 14 yr old daughter)
So ... If the current logic is that because GTI's are most often beat on (every day they are driven) and that's why they never reach 200k miles then I feel pretty confident that I could break that stereotype. A few of you are probably asking why I'd want stage 3 then? And not just stay stock for the mileage ...
I'm an enthusiast just like all of you, knowing I could be on the highway & avoid being cut off (we get that A LOT here) simply by rolling on the throttle is worth the price of admission alone to me but only because that's the pet peeve I experience every single day on Vegas freeways. Track days of course is the other reason - fun, we have opportunities galore out here for that.
Beyond that, knowing a car is built but also reliable is important to me - I'd rather spend 10k BP'ing the engine knowing I'll only have to replace the turbo down the road rather than spending 5k & throwing a rod on the side of the road (I would think a failing turbo would give some warning signs) I'd hate to think such a big investment wouldn't/couldn't net me at LEAST 175k miles of enjoyment, it would be my first car that didn't make it to 175k.
For the record, when the drunk driver totaled my 07 Fahrenheit it had 84k miles on it, it was stock except for a BSH pendulum mount & K&N intake - I didn't mod that one because the FSI motor (cam followers) seemed too problematic, however my follower was stock at 84k miles & still good so I believe that to be a testament to how I drive & care for my vehicles.