When it comes to deciding what is the best enthusiast car for the money, the answer is always GTI. The Mk7 GTI specifically that is. Back in 2016, I was fortunate enough to be able to cash in on a post-dieselgate priced GTI at the dealer. At the time, I was just happy to get my first brand new car and that it had a turbo. I had a low bar for what I was looking for. Little did I know that this would be the most important car choice I would make in my life. Fast forward 5 years and not only am I still driving it, but it makes me ill to think about selling it. But with the Mk8 GTI being released, I can’t help but think that the Mk7 is still the better car. Let me tell you why I think everyone should be driving one.

Cost

Cost and availability of new cars is a certified joke in 2021. With high demand driving prices through the roof, the Mk7 is still relatively affordable in this market. At the time of posting, there are numerous examples of clean models with under 100k miles going for between 15k-20k. Now, where else can you find a 220hp car with a turbo and 6-speed for that time of money. Surprisingly, the Mk7 is also cheap to insure. I currently have no accidents and am paying $120 a month for full coverage on this and a 2020 Tiguan SE R-Line. Cheap to insure performance variant cars are hard to find as anything in this class tends to be higher, like WRXs or Mustangs. Another often overlooked area is mileage. Most people who drive a performance-based car are generally not concerned with mpg, but it sure helps when your car is on the higher side. I recently drove my GTI from Portland, OR to Reno, NV and I averaged 34 mpg with Michelin Pilot 4S tires and a Stage 1 tune. That is brutally unbeatable for the HP to MPG ratio. The tune is from APR and has my GTI sitting at 321 HP. That’s WRX STI territory horsepower with Honda Civic mileage! As you’ll see, the best parts of the Mk7 GTI are hidden in the details. 

Engine Performance

Despite being a nerdy hatchback with very adult styling, the GTI has it where it counts. In stock form, the Mk7 pack a punch that is hard to show on paper. In 2016, I attended the Portland Auto Show looking for a Subaru WRX. After sitting in the GTI with its noticeably nicer interior, I decided to look into them more. What I found was very interesting article on Car and Driver. The article explains that in a 0-60 mph test, the WRX smokes the GTI every time with about a .7 second gap. However, the 5-60mph test was much closer. With the AWD system taken out of the equation, the gap was only .2 seconds. In my eyes, the 5-60mph test is much more “real world” as I have only 5k rpm launched my car like 5 times ever. After seeing this comparison, I was astonished. My mind was blown that the “whippy” hatch could hang with the WRX. I decided to go down to the dealer and test drive one. 1.5 hours after that I was heading home with my new GTI. The smiles-per-dollar value in the GTI are unmatched. It handles like a go-kart and the tight geared 6-speed makes it feel so much faster than it is. Maybe it’s just me but I would rather have a huge shit-eating grin on my face when I drive than be the guy at the car show explaining why my car is “actually .2 seconds faster than (insert car here)”. If you are looking for something AWD, then I have no argument. The WRX is a great car. I think it’s been put on a pedestal of performance benchmarks and it’s hard to see different options. Being 2^nd place makes the GTI the underdog, but its underdog-ness is what makes the GTI so fun and loveable.

Handling

You hear a lot of people describing something as “handles like it’s on rails” but rarely do you experience a car that does. I was so pleasantly surprised by the GTIs handling for such a heavy front wheel drive car. When in Sport Mode, the electronic limited slip differential starts to do its thing. It minimizes understeer and makes torque-steer virtually nonexistent. When struck me was the smoothness and feeling that you were still in control. Many modern cars handle much better, but at the cost of heart and soul. The original Mk1 GTI is the OG “Hot Hatch” because of its mechanical rawness. The feeling of being in control of a car is what modern cars are losing with every new model. Modern enthusiast cars are starting to become more track weapons and less fun. The Mk7 GTI walks the line between too many computers and not enough performance. 

Practicality

The most underrated part of any performance car is its practicality. When you are in the market for something sporty, usability is generally at the bottom of the list. However, it is the most welcome attribute when you can get it in a performance-based car. The Mk7 is at the top of the top when it comes to everyday usability, especially the 4-door models. There is ample legroom for 4 adults and the rear seat folds flat so you can almost fit a twin mattress in the back or in this case a 65 inch LG flatsceen. Hard to say that for a Scion FR-S or Nissan 370Z. Combining great mileage, tons of room, a turbocharger, and a 6-speed seems like there should be no other choice in my mind. I know it’s not the most looked at part of the car buying experience, but practicality truly is the most important if this is going to be your daily driver. While the GTI is a high-production vehicle and many people swear by them, I still find myself as a GTI Messiah walking the street converting car people to Volkwagenism.

If I Was Buying Today, Which One Would I Buy?

Now comes the important part. 5 years into my ownership of a GTI, would I still buy the one I have. The short answer is no. But I would still purchase a Mk7 GTI if I was to do it again. Let me explain. I’ll start with what I have. My GTI is a 2016 GTI SE with the Performance Pack and LED lighting upgrade. Both upgrades are must-haves for the GTI, no questions asked. The SE part is where it gets tricky for me. Basically, the SE model in this year gets you a sunroof, Fender stereo, and leather interior. While I love all those things, I sure wish I could have gotten the plaid seats and my need for a sunroof is non-existent, but I wanted the Fender stereo, so it was all of nothing with the SE model. However, in 2019, VW released a special model called the Rabbit edition. Effectively, it is a base-model GTI with upgraded LEDs, the Performance Pack, better stereo, 19-inch black wheels, and exclusive colors. This is the model I would buy now. Specifically, the Cornflower Blue one. I have almost traded my car in twice at a huge loss just for this color alone. I believe the Rabbit edition is the best by far as it comes with everything you need and nothing more. Also, having little tags on the seats with rabbits on them keeps you remembering that you shouldn’t take life too seriously.

Overview

At the end of the day, you need to make a choice of what you want to drive. With that, you need to make decisions on things you want, things you need, things you can live with, even things you can live without. When looking at the Mk7 GTI, you don’t have to make any substantial sacrifices. To be super cliché, it is what it is. The GTI is unashamedly itself. A boxy hatchback that has the performance where it counts but doesn’t try too hard to get noticed. If you buy a GTI, the only thing you’ll regret is not doing it sooner. As the Mk7 begins to age, let’s just hope its reliability can continue, or I may be the one regretting it.