The New 2022 Volkswagen GTI Is Terrific, But Flawed

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New 2022 Volkswagen GTI review! Today I'm reviewing the new 2022 VW GTI, and I'm going to show you all around the new GTI. I'm going to take you on a thorough tour of the new GTI, and then I'll show you all the quirks and features of the GTI. Then I'll get behind the wheel and review the driving experience of the new 2022 Volkswagen GTI!

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DOUGSCORE CHART:

[lj]

In an era so focused on the dangers of looking at your phone while driving, automakers sure seem hellbent on making simple functions as distracting and needlessly complicated as possible.

[drshaws]

Most important aspect of the rearview camera being behind the rear logo that Doug doesn't mention : It keeps it CLEAN. In New England, on both of our current vehicles, the rearview camera is a salty mess 4-5 months of the year.

[AndrewAviles]

As a UIUX Designer myself, I understand the draw to going more digital, but they definitely did not do enough user testing on the controls; this is a symptom of the designers working inside a bubble and not be challenged by critical review. Not a terrible start but they have A LOT of improving to do as user feedback comes in. When it comes to cars, they need to find that balance of digital and physical controls, some of these changes are borderline unsafe.

[DudeAwesome]

Doug the type of rapscallion to say "jeez louise"

[DOOMLORDHOKAGE]

Doug: “The infotainment isn’t that bad”
Also Doug: *Proceeds to explain the most annoying, frustrating and distracting way to turn on the AC, adjust temperature and to turn on heated seats EVER*

[TheVaasalainen]

Love it when Doug converts the units to metric for us European viewers. Great content as always, keep up the good work Doug!

[zachhansen]

I've owned my Mk7 GTI for almost six years now, and sitting in the Mk8 at the dealership recently was a huge disappointment. It's dripping with cost cutting compared to the previous generation, maybe more than most people realize if they haven't spent six years behind the wheel of the Mk7. I also love how driver-focused my car is. The ergonomics are so German in how little focus they take off the road. But no longer with the Mk8. Hope VW can find their way again with the Mk8.5 or Mk9, but I'm beginning to think the Mk7.5 may have been the last true GTI.

[Yellow_Flannel]

Doug: “The infotainment isn’t that bad”
Also Doug: spends the next 10 minutes complaining about the terrible infotainment

[Sean-nhur]

Quick question Doug? Does having capacitive screens everywhere mean that in the winter, to adjust my temperature and heated seats mean I have to take off my gloves every time ?
If so, looks like this is a non starter for those of us who live with snow. You spend 95% of the time enjoying a car from inside the car, cheap materials and sub par screens are just not worth the money compared to competitors offerings.

[Polletross]

My mk 7 has softer plastics, hydraulic hood prop, damped and lined glovebox, a volume knob, and climate controls. Guess I’ll just keep it for a little longer. Also still fun to drive

[markallen]

It's funny to me that VW has abandoned their "premium interior" advantage, especially since Mazda has used that same feature to move upmarket. The other concern I have is that VW is well-known to be plagued with electrical Gremlins....with all the screens and haptic touch buttons/ sliders I just think they are inviting a whole new source of consumer dissatisfaction

[Seanathan]

Yikes. As someone who has owned 5+ VW's, it is disappointing to see how cheap the dashboard, seats, and random trim looks just on camera. I can't imagine what it looks and feels like in person. I could tell there was some cost cutting in my MK6 compared to my MK5, but damn. At least they kept the manual and raised horsepower.

[connorc]

The 7.5 golf R interior is by far the pinnacle of VW's design. Perfect mix of hard buttons and screens and everything feels top notch quality

[jcsrst]

I bought a MK 7.5 because I knew all these issues with interior quality UI with the tech was an issue. Every time I see a review of the MK 8 I feel very happy about my choice!

[mr.chocolatehazelnutspread]

Doug: “Be sure to check out CARS AND BIDS!“
me: *taps right side of screen 10 times*

[mat]

The capacitive touch controls are a disaster in the making. Won’t be able to use in the winter if wearing gloves, and how long before these bits stop working and you lose control over virtually every function in the car? Definitely a car to lease for three years and then immediately return IMO

[boganpainter]

With the current lineup of VW, I would go with a Jetta GLI Autobahn manual. It has most of the features of the GTI but still has physical buttons for climate control and on the steering wheel and is about $7000 cheaper with nearly as much power.

[cmawhz]

What a polarizing car. Some of the most brilliant design features that really blow my mind, as well as the worst I have ever seen. I really want to love this car, as I have for previous models, but I cannot tolerate it at all. What a shame.

[riccochet]

I absolutely HATE piano black or chrome ANYTHING on the dash, especially in the gauge area. These surfaces reflect light, usually right back in to your eyes. It's very annoying and there's nothing you can do about it.

[mikerintzler]

In my 2012 GLI, I swapped out the US-spec headlight switch with a Euro-spec one that let you turn on the fog lights separately from the headlights. It was a $20 part and a 30 second swap