Jonathan Gitlin
“They won’t make this for a long time” is a pretty cliche, but it certainly applies to the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The Mk 8 Golf is due for a mid-year refresh, and when it does, VW will simplify things by eliminating the manual transmission option. That means the 2024 model year is your last chance to buy a GTI with three pedals. Yes, it has some shortcomings, but it’s also compact and nimble—two attributes that are sorely lacking from much of what the auto industry has to offer these days.
I’ve been a little remiss in not reviewing the Mk 8 Golf GTI until now. I reviewed the more expensive and powerful Golf R in 2022, but the last GTI I drove was the Mk 7 car, which came out in mid-2020. Back then, the only GTI available was a two-pedal dual-clutch gearbox, which felt poorly matched to its engine. On the other hand, I raved about the old GTI’s infotainment system, calling it “one of the best systems on the market”. Well, it was 2020, remember.
Under the hood is another version of the VW Group’s venerable EA888 four-cylinder engine with turbochargers and direct injection. It produces 241 hp (180 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque at 1,750 rpm. This powers the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG or the soon-to-be-discontinued six-speed manual transmission.
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For this review, we tested both the DSG and manual transmission versions of the GTI.
Jonathan Gitlin
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I don’t know if the multi-generational style of golf is exactly like the Star Trek movies, but I usually prefer the even-numbered models…
Jonathan Gitlin
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VW has decided to discontinue the three-door Golf body style with the launch of the eighth-generation Golf.
Jonathan Gitlin
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With the seats up, you get 19.9 cubic feet (563 L) of cargo space, and with the rear seats folded, you get 34.5 cubic feet (977 L) of cargo space.
Jonathan Gitlin
The demise of the six-speed can be blamed on enlightened Europe, where buyers overwhelmingly prefer the two-pedal version, something that even the US and Canada’s high sales of the three-pedal GTI couldn’t compensate for. (Of course, this goes against popular wisdom that all Europeans take an automatic ‘box’ for granted.) Furthermore, according to VW, the task of ensuring that the six-speed meets incoming Euro 7 emissions regulations was so extreme that they decided to drop the option.
Here in the US, the two transmissions are rated at a combined 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km), with the DSG winning in city driving (24 mpg/9.8 L/100 km) and the manual slightly ahead on the highway (34 mpg/6.9 L/100 km). In fact, we’ve seen as high as 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km) on the highway with the three-pedal GTI.
The GTI gets smarter
A more modern electronic architecture was one of the improvements to the Golf from the Mk 7 to the Mk 8. The upside is clever vehicle dynamics control via the torque-sensing limited-slip differential, the GTI’s stability and traction control, and, if fitted, the adaptive dampers. Sharp drivers may prefer the mechanical limited-slip differential, but for everyday driving you’ll have no problem with the electronic version of the Mk 8 GTI.
The new electronics mean a major tech upgrade inside, too. Gone are the physical analog gauges, replaced by a 10.25-inch digital display with a variety of user-configurable views. The switch to electrostatic control panels instead of individual buttons adds a level of minimalism to VW’s traditionally Spartan interior design, but it’s far too easy to accidentally activate.
