2022 VW GTI SE (Mk8 Manual Transmission) // Better Than The Mk7.5? // Mk7.5 Owner's Perspective

Interested in a Mk8 GTI? I own a Mk7.5 VW GTI SE with a manual transmission and I went to check out a 2022 VW GTI SE with a manual transmission. There's a lot of hate around it at the moment, but is this hot hatchback a better car than the previous generation?

#mk8 #gti #vw #manualtransmission #savethemanuals #carreviews #cars #ctcars #gtise #GearboxCarReviews

[GearboxCarReviews]

Have you checked out a mk8 yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Edit: I don't know if there's actually a market adjustment on this particular car, but it seems that many cars across the US have one right now.

[Mirror]

I was one of those who was livid at the new screen and buttonless screens….however, I test drove a manual Autobahn and got to play with the screen myself in person, left impressed and got it, in Pomelo yellow, which in my opinion is more of a lime-Lemmon green, very nice (you either hate it or you Love it) i’ve had the car for a week now and I am still learning new tricks to navigate the infotainment, but the car drives awesome and have gotten a few rubberneckers on the road too 🙂 the dealer I Got it from did not have it marked up. This is my 4th VW, my first was a 2000 Golf, then I had a 2007 Rabbit, then a 2015 GTI SE, and now have the 2022 Autobahn, I’m very happy

[wrangler]

The S trim is the way to go, imo. You get a volume and tuning knob! Waiting on my pre sold gti to be delivered to the dealer. Oryx white, 6 speed manual, S trim.

[AntFragale]

Honestly really appreciate you having a review that calls out some of the criticism it got as being unfounded. You seem fairly knowledgeable about the cars a while so, props man. Well done.

[NashKetchum]

Excellent review my dude. You were very thorough and covered a lot of stuff that some other reviewers overlooked. I also appreciate your chill and laid-back presentation style.

[jeffsamples]

Great job on the review!! Nice to have a GTI owners opinion of the MK8!! I’m on my fourth one myself 2010-13-16-21! For the money the best car you can buy!

[xDriftyy]

I took delivery of my MK8 SE DSG today in Kings Red with all options. Your video was really helpful for me to understand what I might be getting into, thank you! In a perfect world, I wish I could have waited for the autobahn to be available near me, but I needed to take advantage of the current trade-in market while my car was still in proper shape and this GTI just popped up yesterday. It's a bummer these are still pretty hard to find, at least around my area currently. I totally agree with your sentiment on the infotainment user experience being overly criticized, though these new style of buttons will take some getting used to. Thanks again for the great coverage, and hello from Connecticut!

[SllyGos]

The best shortcut I've found in my autobahn so far is you can click both the hot and cold side of the temp adjustment under the screen at the same time to turn on your heated seats. Like 2 fingers, tap both sides, and you can turn on the heated seats. Also, it's nice that you can set some shortcuts in the pull down menu you get to by swiping down from the top of the screen.

[brianreardon]

I just got the autobahn trim in the yellow/green color.. my 3rd gti now .. my wife was like let get a mini van lol.. i said I would rather walk than drive a mini van hahaha.. and i tell ya my 2 … boys 12 and 14 fit just fine in the back! Everyone thinks they need crossover! Sorry but I need some driving fun also

[johnyacoub]

Every car does not have a market adjustment on it (maybe at Gengras VW); there are plenty of GTIs listed online at MSRP, even a few that are discounted.

[darrensnyder]

I consider myself a performance junkie… I love driving cars built for a true driver’s experience. When I sold my pro-tuned 2015 WRX manual in 2018, due to repeated clutch issues, I was a bit sad. It was my fourth WRX since 2009. After looking for viable alternatives, I leased a 2018 VW GTI 6 speed; a very capable car with zero clutch issues in the last 4 years… the Golf R and Audi S3 were just too expensive, even though I really wanted AWD. The 2018 GTI was fun to drive, but it missed that true “SMILE” factor. A car, that no matter the distance from A to B, put a big fucking smile on your face every time. Who gave a shit a about the destination, the journey was what you remembered… just a whole lot of fun.

When I first saw the 2022 GTI, I was skeptical… very modern looking and no buttons. I don’t like electric cars, which it did remind me of, in terms of the interior. I need growl, turbo whistle.. the visceral aspects of driving you FEEL. I thought, maybe I will consider the new 2022 WRX when it comes out…the new 2.4L with uneven headers might be awesome. Then the 2022 WRX then debuted… WTF Subaru?!!? Looks like the spawn of hate sex between a Honda Civic and a Subaru Crosstrek. The interior is awful too… that big screen in a WRX… UAF, so out of place. That said, now the new 2022 GTI seemed like the only real performance choice for the money I wanted to spend. The Veloster N was almost 10k more than the GTI and nothing else really appealed. The Car and Driver review then came out for the 2022 GTI and I looked at the performance numbers. I was floored… the DSG was almost identical to the MK7 Golf R in every category, and even better.

2022 GTI 5.1 sec / 13.6 @105 MPH / 5.5 sec roll / .98g / 151 feet
2019 Golf R 4.9 sec / 13.6 @104 MPH / 5.9 sec roll / .95g / 159 feet

I then thought, would I buy a essentially a FWD Golf R for under 40k? Yes!! Yes, I would. But… what about that fucking infotainment system?
I don’t like iPhones, touch screen phones.. I like physical buttons, which is why I still have an archaic 10 year old BlackBerry that still works, in spite of carriers saying they will no longer support Blackberry phones. I am also a traditionalist too, in that I have NEVER owned an automatic car in my life. I also have had white cars for 32/37 years of driving.

Two weeks ago, I did a test drive of a black 2022 GTI DSG… WOW. The new steering wheel is thicker than MK7 and is weighted perfectly. The suspension is an absolute fucking engineering masterpiece! In sport mode or above (performance trim) this car is so planted… I have NEVER driven a car that feels so planted, and that’s on my winter tires-rims! What can it do on the 19 inch rims with summer rubber! I can’t wait to find out!! 🙂🙂

I ending up leasing the black 2022 DSG GTI (never, ever thought I would get a black car), but it was just too good and my white GTI on order might take months to get here. Take my opinion or leave it… is strongly recommend a test drive… you’ll know what I mean.

[donjohnson]

I agree with your stance on the infotainment. I sat in and test drove one a couple months ago. Went in, much like you, expecting it to be horrible based on what YouTube reviews say. I was pleasantly surprised by it. The one I had was snappy and fluid. No lag at all. The menus are intuitive and the customization makes navigating around super easy. The only hesitation I have about it has nothing to do with function, but more so appearance. All of the touch points would get covered in fingerprints in a short amount of time and you’d have to constantly wipe it down with a microfiber cloth. Not the end of the world, but I’m kinda OCD about keeping my interiors clean, so that would bother me over time

[mkygod]

I'm waiting to see whether or not they bring the volume knob back on the refresh. Most manufacturers that do away with the volume knob eventually bring it back (such as 11th gen Civic)

[JCTiggs]

I still feel the S trim is the best value and more in line for what a GTI has always been about: an affordable hot hatch. The SE and Autobahn prices are difficult to justify and bring the cost of the GTI that much closer to the R.

[NGMonocrom]

It's other reviewers on YT complaining about the info-tainment system. Guys who were supplied with GTIs from VW.

As far as trims, best version is the base S trim. No you don't get to customize the chassis. Sport mode is good enough. Plus, you get two real buttons! Yes, real ones. You lose the nice looking thin light bar across the front. Oh well. Honestly, if you're an enthusiast, you lose out on nothing with the base S trim. The only annoying thing you have to live with is while you still get push-button start, you have to use the key-fob to get into the S trim GTIs. Those don't come with remote proximity lock or unlock by just having the fob on you. Still, you save $5K by not getting the SE trim. That's a lot of gas money. As for the Autobahn trim, why?! For a few thousand more, you can get a Golf R.

[itsurabus]

Great review and like the Mk7 perspective you bring. With the steering wheel controls, if you brush/graze over them do they activate? Or do you need to press down to feel that haptic click for them to activate? Thanks!

[RussianProduCer]

Bought a 40th MK8 two weeks ago in manual. For the money, it is the best trim for sure. Excellent daily.

[JCTiggs]

I've seen some Autobahn trim levels lately not coming with the Harmon Kardon sound system due to supply issues (the MSRP gets a -$350 discount).

[cyclistman]

After watching this video I’m more impressed and content with my MK7 2017 GTI SE with full leather interior with real buttons and an analog tach & speedo. Simple, effective and timeless the MK7 is perfect for me.

[BobaAddict]

How did you like the clutch? I bought my Mk8 about a month ago, and I'm still not used to the high engagement point haha. I'm not able to consistently shift from 1st to 2nd gear smoothly. It's a bit difficult for me. I need to ride the clutch for a bit when I change from 1st to 2nd. Would love some tips. TIA!