[snaketh]

I know I'm likely to get biased replies, but I'd like your input either way.

I test drove both the Mk7 GTi and the 228i. I was initially going to plump for the 228. I feel like the BMW was a little more engaging, with a slightly better shift and I love the look of it. The recent 4% drop in residuals is what has made me consider the GTI however.

That along with the fact that the MY16 GTI with performance pack is very quick. The torque vectoring diff is pretty amazing. The car comes with a few nice updates like active cruise, apple car play infotainment system, rear view cam as standard etc.

I just wondered if any of you considered getting a GTi over a 228i. I'd also like to stress that I DON'T think GTi vs 235i is a fair comparison. If I had the budget for the 235i I'd be getting that no question. The BMW lease rates are usually so good that they are only slightly more than say the GTi.

[nike001]

Depends.

How would you option your 228? If you're getting a little-to-no option 228i, I'd say go for the GTI. The 28i engines are a hoot to run through their paces though.. VERY fun engine (I like the 28i fun-factor more vs the 35i IMO)

[Merc for hire]

GTI has too much boy racer image to it. And it's FWD.
I would suggest 228i if you value RWD and more mature look.

[MrBimmerM235i]

Originally Posted by Merc for hire

GTI has too much boy racer image to it. And it's FWD.
I would suggest 228i if you value RWD and more mature look.

I actually agree with you but man... I loved my GTI like you don't have any idea.

[2msport]

Are you looking for more of a driver's car? Or an all around/every day optioned car. The GTI will cater to that. (Those are some pretty nice standard options) But if you're looking for maximum enjoyment driving, the 228 would be hard to beat.

[den525]

I'd pick a gti any day of the week over a 228! Mind you I live in Australia and the 228 is overpriced! It's more expensive than a golf R. Gti fully optioned comes in at 50k... R at 60k and 228i at 75k and 235 at 90+

Anyways I think the gti is a better overall package anyway, only the looks and the I6 engine swayed me towards the BMW. In this day and age fwd vs rwd is obsolete, unless you're seriously tracking the car, which you won't with a 228 or gti. Day to day driving with all the high tech diffs fwd is just as good.

I also think the power delivery is better for daily use from the gti, had a base 228 loaner for a couple of days, I found the engine to be pretty weak, interior feels cheap with non of the options, but still more expensive in price.

Easy decision for me

[2msport]

Originally Posted by den525

In this day and age fwd vs rwd is obsolete, unless you're seriously tracking the car, which you won't with a 228 or gti. Day to day driving with all the high tech diffs fwd is just as good.

boy do I disagree with you.

[Mjosh]

I know OP said that Gti vs 235 is not a fair comparison as you are correct. Just chiming in because I sold my 2015 Gti Autobahn (non Performance Pack) for a 235.

Very different vehicles and each does have their advantages. My Gti was slightly modded with APR tune, APR Intake, lowered on VWR springs, AWE Exhaust and aftermarket wheels/tires. Not sure if the aftermarket even matters but both vehicles do have lots of options (if that's something you plan to do). For DD its was a very fun car and quick enough for me. Plus the additional cargo space was nice to have. Sometimes when I pushed the Gti harder I can feel the front tires breaking away quite easily.

I can't comment on the 228 as I've never driven one but only heard great things. Won't go into the 235 since it does not apply to your situation.

I think both these vehicles are great choices and really can't go wrong, just what fits your needs and lifestyle.

Good luck!

[ORIGIN M.]

Not a fan of VW / Audi electrical problems. That said, i'd go for the 228i.

[Goettler_Boost]

The interior of my MkV R32 left me wanting more for the price tag, so unless build quality has changed incredibly in 2 generations, I'd go F22.

[OpenAir]

I just came from a FWD VW and one of the reasons was RWD.

[mfourn20]

When I was looking the mkvii gti was just out and they weren't talking at all. My 228 m sport was worth $12,000 and they wanted the same money for the gti lease at the time. I was looking at a fully loaded autobahn with lighting package and dsg.

That combined with the fact that I didn't feel very excited about the looks of the gti sealed the deal in the 228s favor. The gti was/is a great car though. I also drove the A3 with the 2.0, it was very very bland.

Of the cars I drove the gti and the 228 were my favs.

I have to say after having the 228 for a year, and it being my first rwd car I WILL NOT go back to front wheel drive even in new england. The rwd is so much more fun especially on snowy roads.

[mfourn20]

Originally Posted by 2msport

boy do I disagree with you.

The 228 is my first rwd car. I always loved fwd for its practically and decency in the snow. This guy is right. The rwd is sooo much more fun. People warned me about rwd in the snow. They're wrong. We had an awful winter in RI/MA I didn't miss a single day of work and didn't get stuck once even on unplowed roads. I do have dedicated winter wheels/tires but that's a given since I have summer only run flats.

I'll NEVER go back to fwd. Its got to be rwd or rear wheel bias awd from now on. So much more fun, especially in the snow..I'll was having a blast sliding the rear all over this winter when safe to do so...also taught me a lot!

[SteveInfante]

Free drifting lessons.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by Goettler_Boost

The interior of my MkV R32 left me wanting more for the price tag, so unless build quality has changed incredibly in 2 generations, I'd go F22.

The MKVII interior is pretty darn nice for an econobox. Considering the 2 has nearly the same interior as the econobox 116d (plus some sensatec instead of cloth) I don't think either has a big lead over the other, especially if you're looking at the base 228i config.

The GTI is a great car - there's no 2 ways about it. You'll get a lot more content if you're willing to give up RWD. Most of us specifically wanted a RWD car which is why the 2 is one of the only options for a small RWD coupe.

The GTI has more room with the hatchback, and is a hoot to drive - for the same price as a 228i M sport with no options you're in Golf R territory.

Less than that, you can get a fully loaded GTI which is going to have a lot more content then the 2. Rear view cam, navigation, Xenons and an upgraded stereo.

You just have to decide if you care about a rear view cam, or would rather be sliding the ass around like a hoon.

[mfourn20]

I just remembered... drove a mkvi gti yesterday which is pretty much the same as the mkvii. The 228s trunk is actually much larger than the GTIs. This was important as I was transporting our baby and her stroller. It was actually easier to fit all her stuff in the 2 vs the gti

Please note. I am not saying the 2 is more practical. Its just once you use the back seats in the gti storage space is tiny.

[mike@x-ph.com]

I might be biased but i would get the 228
The only thing it might be lacking is power, but thats why you have the JB4

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by mfourn20

I just remembered... drove a mkvi gti yesterday which is pretty much the same as the mkvii. The 228s trunk is actually much larger than the GTIs. This was important as I was transporting our baby and her stroller. It was actually easier to fit all her stuff in the 2 vs the gti

Please note. I am not saying the 2 is more practical. Its just once you use the back seats in the gti storage space is tiny.

The flip side to that I would say is the GTI back seat is more usable, especially if you go with the 4 door. You could split fold the rear seat and have the car seat on one side and then use the rest of the space vertically for storing things.

I'm not a breeder, but I've heard from those with the children that having a back door also helps for putting the kid in and out (Vs leaning in the back of the coupe which requires back muscles).



I would never buy another VW personally. My wife had an EOS which was the biggest POS we've ever owned and the dealer support we got was awful. If I was leasing maybe I'd consider it since I could give it back at the end.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by snaketh

I know I'm likely to get biased replies, but I'd like your input either way.

I test drove both the Mk7 GTi and the 228i. I was initially going to plump for the 228. I feel like the BMW was a little more engaging, with a slightly better shift and I love the look of it. The recent 4% drop in residuals is what has made me consider the GTI however.

That along with the fact that the MY16 GTI with performance pack is very quick. The torque vectoring diff is pretty amazing. The car comes with a few nice updates like active cruise, apple car play infotainment system, rear view cam as standard etc.

I just wondered if any of you considered getting a GTi over a 228i. I'd also like to stress that I DON'T think GTi vs 235i is a fair comparison. If I had the budget for the 235i I'd be getting that no question. The BMW lease rates are usually so good that they are only slightly more than say the GTi.

Unless you have an actual, real, physical, in-the-sheetmetal-in-front-of-me Performance Pack-equipped MkVII GTI in your crosshairs, don't do it. Not only will you be waiting a long time for it, you will almost certainly have a monstrously frustrating dealer experience obtaining it.

I test drove a 2015 GTI late last year and was hot, hot, HOT to get a Performance Pack-equipped version. Do a search for my screen name both here and on VWVortex.com; you'll get the long version of my story that way (and I'm not the only one who dealt with all of this) -- I even had a conversation with VWoA's Regional Sales Manager about this ... But in a nutshell:
- I put money down on a PP GTI in early January. I'd still be waiting for my car if I'd stuck with it. Why?:
- VWoA, VW dealers, and most VW factories are not set up to respond to customer orders AT ALL. They operate on a regional allocation system almost exclusively. In other words: you can't 'order' a car. You have to wait for an allocation.
- VW dealers are loathe to trade allocations with other VW dealers, especially for a relatively low-profit car like the GTI.
- Dealer allocations are almost completely based on past sales of specific models. That means you'll need to find a dealer who's sold a ton of GTIs to have a hope. That also means that VW dealers are set up to move existing stock, as opposed to pre-sold orders.
- VWoA severely underestimated the demand for the PP GTI in 2015, even after the car mags fawned over it almost a year and a half ago. There's absolutely no explanation for that other than VWoA simply not wanting the business.

In early February, word was that VWoA would significantly increase PP GTI production for 2016. I hope that's happened ... but after what I learned about VWoA's current business practices during this experience, I will never buy a VW product again unless its business model completely changes to be much more consumer focused.

[OG///M]

I DD a GTI. No question go with the 228i So done with FWD

[AlpsRider]

If I wanted a new car and I only had 30,000 to spend I would be all over the GTI performance. I couldn't find anything that competed with its sportiness, power, interior refinement and last but not least it is fun to drive. That being said, I've ordered an M235i. It's not comparable and it costs a lot more.

[Cyberdemon]

FWIW if I had gone down my original path of getting a coupe I would have gotten the 228 over the 235.

As a daily driver the N20 is plenty powerful enough to have some fun, and after spending a week with a F30 328 (while my 335 was in the shop) I was convinced I could live with the lower power and not have any real gripes along with putting another ~$50 back in my pocket every month for the lease difference.

The vert has more mass, and since they had my car on the dealer lot already I took the deal.