2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI SE Car Review

Volkswagen’s Golf GTI is the perfect machine for couples trying to decide between performance and practicality. It started the “hot hatch” segment. It remains the one to beat.Tom Voelk reviews the Volkswagen GTI SE, and put it into the ditch too. Too much fun.

About Tom:
Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award. He also married way out of his league. Now, stop reading this promotional copy bragging about Tom's photography and editing skills and watch a couple episodes. It's much more interesting.

[OsirisPL]

Respect for admitting to the error and not editing out the accident clip.

[Someguy]

This is probably the review Volkswagen is most proud of. Went into ditch, and STILL loved the car.

[gmman]

Tom I really enjoy the work you and your friend put into your videos, I know it's never easy sometimes as it seems but y'all do good.. Thanks!

[sanityinaseaofmadness]

I like that you kept the off-road adventure in the video.

I'm in love with my GTI (only 2013). Sad about the loss of the 3-door version here in the US, a life-long standard transmission guy who's now a solid DSG convert (full time paddle shifters? Who WOULDN'T), fantasizing about an R but probably will save the money to pay for rent.

Great review!

[nicogi]

I sincerely think you make the best reviews out there, Tom! A perfect balance between fun and accuracy. Keep up the good work, you have a true follower and fan from Québec, Canada. :)

[piercescantlin]

Thanks so much for featuring this car. I just purchased one (although with the classic plaid seats/manual trans) about 4000 miles ago. Great fun to drive, whether to work, running errands or carting the kids around. Love the show, been a big fan since you were featured more often on the NYT webpage.

[codyellis]

Tom?! I've owned a 2015 GTI S for two years meow, you know the one without the diff, and have never felt an ounce of torque steer! Great review none the less!

[williamk]

GTI really needs the Lighting Package.  Really weird to see this car with halogen headlights.

[tmh]

Have had several GTIs, fantastic cars in all respects. Nice video as always!

[Porschedriver]

That was an amazing review ha. Very well produced down to the mud! Subscribed.

[seinsmeld]

These are great cars. My 07 GTI has 280, 000 km on the odometer and still going strong. It's my 3rd car now behind my S2 and Boxster S. If the GTI was still made in Germany I would have bought a 2016 model instead of my S3. Life goes on.

[cyberwithsami]

Glad everything went well in the end. Keep up the good work!

[housepianist]

That GTI was equipped with Bridgestone Potenza S 04 Pole Position tires which are ultra performance summer tires. Even though they should perform well on wet roads, my guess is that because the temperature was probably cold (snow on the GTI toward the end), the sticky compound on the tires got hard which reduced your traction pretty significantly.

I once owned a 2003 GTI (20th anniversary edition) with Michelin Pilot Sport summer tires. As long as the temperature was moderately warm, they handled wet roads quite well. I even drove it in the winter on cold, non-snow days but kept the speed down to a moderate pace. I even took it out on a couple of snow days but just around the neighborhood just to see how I could drive in it. Well, it was pretty bad but lots of fun as long as I allowed LOTS of room for braking! But I did cross that crazy experience off my bucket list. I wouldn't recommend it, however.

[usernameisusername]

That was quite a calm look for sliding off the road. Bravo.

[jazzen]

Thank God it was not a big accident.Like always, thanks for the awesome review.

[Arcticarc]

I own a 2015 GTI MT and I love it. Reliability is okay (2 minor issues in 2 years but still), except that, I'm having plenty of fun with it.

[vince-qbsu]

Of course. Just got one. It's my third one. Best car IMO

[Jordan-weeu]

My favorite car and favorite reviewer! Ahhh! Still have my 09 fit sport with 125K...until then Vdub, until then.

[rreichar]

Nice review! I have spent a lot of money on cars (and trucks) the past decade or so. Next fall I will have 2 kids in college for the next several years so I've decided to drive something a little cheaper for the duration. The GTI looks like the answer for me.

[evang]

Test drove one recently (6MT with PP) and really enjoyed it. Great steering, so nimble and ready power, plus nice tech. For me--the seat bolsters seem a bit tight! Wish they were adjustable.