Catch the Hot Hatch

Buttery? Yup. Creamy? Sure. Muscular? Undoubtedly. Smooth? Like James Bond.

On their own, these words might sound a bit strange.  These are four words that come to mind when I try to explain the 2010 Volkswagen GTI. I’ll see if I can get the point across.

The Volkswagen Golf, which has been around in various guises since 1974, was the first truly successful car to follow the iconic VW Beetle. The GTI is Golf’s sporty little brother, and was born in 1976. It has also been a huge hit. When I say successful, I mean successful; the Golf is the world’s third best selling car, thanks to greatly varied selection of trims and models, as well as a stupendously long model run. Production passed 25 million units in 2007, and, as I was told by a VW representative, the GTI is always either first or second on VW’s current best-selling list.

               So what does it take for a company to sell roughly 750,000 cars per year for 33 years? VW’s GTI is a great answer to that question. The recipe, though in a constant state of evolution, has stayed fairly true to its roots over the years. The GTI has always been a sporty hatchback, but the engine has jumped from about 108 horsepower in 1976 to 200 horsepower for the 2010 model. Yes, the weight has jumped too, but that’s what you get for asking for such ridiculous extravagances as airbags, traction control, built in GPS systems, and moonroofs. You people…

The focus of the GTI, which is often praised by GTI lovers as the first car in the “hot hatch” segment, has always been nimble speed and fun in a reasonably practical design. In over three decades, some changes have come to the GTI; has it retained its original character?

               Alright, put the pencils down, history lesson’s over. The big question, at least for me, is often about how a car behaves when you take it out in the real world. Technical specifications are sometimes helpful indicators, and motor-heads generally lap them up like a kitten might drink warm milk. I’ll probably shoot a few numbers at you here and there, but from here on, it’s mostly experience speaking. And a healthy dose of prominently-planted right foot.

               Walk up to a Carbon Steel Gray Metallic GTI…and you’ll hate yourself for being so pretentious. We’ll call it gray, and try that again. Walk up to a gray GTI, and you’ll immediately notice a much more aggressively-styled front end. It’s more horizontally-oriented, with two, not-so-subtle red lines running above and below the classic VW logo. The headlights are interesting units, too, with a sort of stacked, two light orientation. The back end has been slightly restyled, and now has the dual exhaust pipes split in an appealing, left-and-right symmetrical manner. The taillights are now thinner, and more flatly-oriented than the previous gen (the Mk5) car’s taillights. This fits well with the horizontal front end. Aesthetically, everything seems more crisp, and a little less playful than the Mk5. The upshot of this is that the Mk6 also seems more grown up. The little guy just got Dockers, and he’s dressed to impress.

               Inside, you’ll be greeted by an initial blast of retro. Yes, the plaid seats of GTIs of yore are back, and they’re bad. Or are they? I can’t quite make up my mind, though plaid generally isn’t my style. Oh those Germans…if you spring for the authentically named “Autobahn package,” you’ll get some fancier sport seats in the front of the car, as well as a sunroof. The sunroof is different from conventional sunroofs because it uses a dial to allow the operator to get precise amounts of sunlight. If you’re picky, you’ll like this feature. There are features for everyone in the GTI’s well plaid out…sorry, well laid out interior. It’s plenty roomy, too; cargo space, front and rear legroom, and easily-reachable controls are on par with the rest of this little VW’s features. Close a door, and you’ll hear a confidence-inspiring level of deep yet muffled German THUNK. It’s just another way that the VW reminds you of its quality.

               Another awesome feature that I liked? The standard six-speed manual. Unless they’re stuck in a city, any real car enthusiast will generally take a manual transmission over what might otherwise be a “slushbox” automatic. The GTI actually has a very nice automatic DSG transmission with paddle shifters, quick shifts, and good overall refinery. Still, I’ll always take the manual transmission, and my GTI didn’t disappoint. The clutch is one of the best that I’ve ever used. It’s light enough, but provides fantastic feel, and ultra-linear engagement. The shifter was quite impressive as well. In my day-to-day driving, I don’t have the option of driving a car with a manual transmission. The Camaro SS, when I drove it, beat me until I was sore. I hoped it wasn’t just my driving, and I was right; I’ve seen complaints from owners to other car reviewers. The GTI was a willing and playful puppy to the pissed-off wounded elephant of a Camaro. Yeah, the Camaro is a fair bit faster, but which one would you rather spend the day with?

               The steering is precise and manageable at all speeds, and the bottom of the steering wheel is flat, for added legroom and that race-bred feel. The rest of the interior feels quite luxurious, with a touch-screen nav system and a 30GB hard drive for all the music you could want. Interior plastics are generally rare, and they don’t stand out as low-quality or harsh.

               Alright, now for the drive. Twist the switchblade-style key once it’s in the ignition, and the subdued growl of the turbocharged engine winds into life. Before the drive began, I was told by the VW rep that this car could get me a speeding ticket quickly. I scoffed, because my dad’s car is faster. Bad call. I don’t have official test equipment, but I do know that my dad’s car puts down good numbers when it comes to speed. The GTI, though slower on paper, will cannibalize its own tires in a cloud of acrid smoke at any speed in first gear. Get to second, and the GTI’s molten shoes hook up with the pavement, and launch you far away from wherever you were before the turbo boost hit. All of this is accompanied by a hint of turbo whine, and a refined engine note. At the top of the redline, the GTI only really tells you of its potential with the plaid imprints on your back from the seats. Yeah, it’s so fast that colors make patterns as they press you. Of course, you’ve just used only a third of the gears. On to third, and the acceleration is still quite strong. Wow, look at that…you’re doing somewhere between 70 and 90 miles per hour, so we won’t go into detail with fourth. Sixth gear is excellent for fuel economy, but gives very little thrust on the average back road.

               Straight line speed is clearly not a problem for the GTI, then. No surprise, I guess, for a car whose name can be rearranged to spell “GIT.”  After enjoying just a little more of that power on some back roads, I headed for the highway, enjoying the on-ramp excessively. The GTI is surprisingly muffled at speed, and it’s easy to have quiet conversations at 70. The off-ramp that I took a few miles later was more excitement than I bargained for. Having already chucked the GTI through some fast curves, I thought I had a pretty good idea of its turning capabilities. The GTI, with all of its cute retro-ness, had a surprise waiting for me. The sign for the off ramp said 25 miles per hour, and though I appreciated the suggestion, I thought the GTI could do a little better. Taking the exit, and doing…faster than 25, I started to turn with the ramp. The front end turned, but the back end decided to wait a while. I’m still not quite sure how, but the GTI, which is front-wheel-drive, went into a little drift before trying to bring the back end up and even with the front. Obviously, I wasn’t ecstatic about that idea, so I quelled it with a jab of throttle and a wheel twitch. No harm done, but the GTI proved that even one of the most driver-friendly fast cars out there will still bite back if you harass it too much.

               Thankfully, the brakes will haul you down from speed quickly, if you ever get into trouble, as I did for a moment.

               With a base price of under $25,000, the GTI is a great candidate for nearly any new car shopper’s list. It’s practical, liveable, and my favorite, lively. Really, there isn’t much it can’t do. Unless you’re “Octomom”, this car would probably make a great family car, too. There aren’t many cars that I’d just generally recommend to nearly anyone, but I feel pretty confident referring a friend to a car like the GTI. The numbers don’t lie; this thing sells for a reason. 

For those of you who have been searching for the numbers during this read, worry not, I haven't forgotten you. The engine is a 2.0L turbocharged inline four, and puts out a healthy 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft. of torque. That torque is available through a large portion of the rev range, so it's a bit more potent than it may sound. Zero to sixty will pop up in between 6.5 and 7 seconds, depending on your choice of transmission. Curb weight for the three door model hovers around 3,000 lbs, with just over 3,100 lbs of pork for the five door model. Fuel economy ranges from low twenties to low thirties, depending on driving style and terrain. The reason these numbers aren't included in my review is this: the numbers just don't add up to how the GTI performs in the real world. The GTI is far better than it looks on paper. It's an overachiever.