We've tested the Mk8 GTI in both Autobahn and S trims with six-speed manuals.
, hooligans that regularly come sprinkled with adjectives like enthusiastic, playful, and chuckable. The GTI feels like the grown-up in the room. And that might be your preference, which is fine. But it's also worth mentioning all the cars listed abovetest by quite a wide margin.
If these drive notes about the base car spook you, know the Autobahn GTI comes equipped with summer tires and standard multi-mode adaptive dampers. The fancy dampers allow the Autobahn to ride better on the highway and firm up for performance driving. The summer tires drive quieter and offer more grip than all-seasons. These features, however, are not available on the base S trim.
Predictably, circling the 200-foot skidpad in both directions, the Autobahn offered better grip with an average of 0.92 g in lateral acceleration compared to the GTI S' 0.86 g. Again, you might not feel this, but you can most certainly hear a difference with the all-seasons screeching for mercy. On our figure-eight course , the S managed to come within a half second of the Autobahn with a 26.0-second lap versus 25.5, which is impressive.
A quick aside here: With adaptive cruise control lane keeping assist engaged on an arrow-straight highway , the system warned me to take control of the steering wheel, despite the fact that my hands were on the steering wheel and we were going straight. After perhaps two more warnings, the car briefly brake-checked itself hard enough to toss me into the seatbelt. That was a first, and I had to swerve within the lane for the system to know my hands were on the wheel. Egad.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI S Manual: 0–60 MPH, ¼-Mile Test ResultsGo back to basics as we test one of our favorite hot hatches: a base VW GTI with a manual transmission.
Read more »
The 2023 Mazda CX-50 vs. the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport: Which one is better?They're both comfortable in a grocery store parking lot or bounding down to a kayak launch. Let’s see how these two sport utility vehicles compare.
Read more »
2023 Toyota Prius Prime Review: Style and speed are no longer secondaryThe plug-in Prius Prime is back with 44 miles of range and better design than most of its competition
Read more »
2023 Toyota Prius Prime Gets Looks—and LegsUgly Duckling becomes a swan that can swim 44 miles on a charge.
Read more »
Paulina Gretzky plays caddie to Dustin Johnson at Par 3 event before 2023 MastersThe 34-year-old model supported Johnson on Wednesday during the annual Par 3 event before the 2023 Masters.
Read more »