I bought my first car in 1986. Today I bought my 1st new car

[Mark in Toronto]

A GTI thread!

Bought my first new car in 1984, a MK 1 GTI. Looking back, kind of ahead of the curve.

[austin8753]

I had an '86 GTI with euro bumpers, a built 2.9 VR6, Schrick cams, Quaife differential...that was a really, really fun car. I now have a big bumper, '91 GTI with a mostly stock VR6. Not quite as fun, but it makes neat noises, at least...

Congrats on your new purchase, hopefully they get you what you asked for here shortly...

[rodpaine]

I have threatened to buy a new practical DD for what seems like forever but just couldn't make myself do it. Having grown tired of the endless used car buy/sell I finally pulled the trigger. VW offering heavy discounts for 2017 models. Purchased a white/plaid GTI with DSG. $22,000 plus $300 doc fee. Not driving it for a few weeks. Waiting until I sell my current DD.

I bought a new 2015 white Golf 'R' DSG and now have 23k miles on it, with half being fast West Virginia back road runs that I used to make with my modified '83 528e. http://bit.ly/1jlIYbL Having driven stick shifts since 1957, I went with the DSG which has been a great transmission, as is the whole vehicle. Got rid of the 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza and Cadez wheels, replaced with 18-inch Michelin PSS on Enkie alloys which made a BIG handling and noise improvement. Will upgrade to a new 'R' if the configuration sold in Europe actually comes to the U.S. for sale. In the meantime this 2015 'R' is an amazing vehicle!
-Rod

[Mark in Toronto]

I had an '86 GTI with euro bumpers, a built 2.9 VR6, Schrick cams, Quaife differential...that was a really, really fun car. I now have a big bumper, '91 GTI with a mostly stock VR6. Not quite as fun, but it makes neat noises, at least...

The built VR6 sounds like a nice motor. After I sold the MK1, I bought a 93 16V GTI, off lease. The car came equipped with real Recaro's and BBS wheels. Pictured is a G60.

[cjarvis99]

First problem. I called the dealer to make sure they didn't install a front plate thingy. Car was in the back lot when I looked at it and didn't have plate installed. He called me back to apologize and say they had already done it. I asked him to find me another car. I know I am unreasonable but I am not running a front plate nor am I buying a brand new car with holes in the front bumper. I might accept a repaired and touched up bumper if it is indistinguishable from new. Otherwise they can find me another car.

The salesman went on to explain that they usually don't install plates on GTI and GLI but a new mgr decided that was stupid.

I feel your pain. Same thing happened to me at a Chicago VW dealership last December. Told them no front plate (MI doesn't use one). Getting ready to close the deal, and find they installed the plate. Initial offer to make it right was $500, worked its way to $1200. Still said no, went back to MI and ordered the same car from a local dealer.

[T_C_D]

Word from the dealer is that my car is being transferred from another dealer.

[bigwave]

The GTI is the first fwd car that I haven't gotten tired of in the first few minutes of driving. A trip to rally school in NH and learning the ins and outs of left foot braking certainly helped to step up the fun level. We have had our 08' for seven years now and it's still my daily. While I far prefer 3 pedals, the deal on ours was too good to pass up and even after all these years, the DSG has proven to be a really solid piece of gearbox engineering. About 124k mi on it at this point and no real plans to get out of it unless the Golf R sportwagen makes it to this side of the ocean.

Enjoy it, the new ones are obscenely quick.

[Adam W in MN]

unless the Golf R sportwagen makes it to this side of the ocean.

Please tell me more!

[euro635gas]

Oregon law requires front plate. I never ran one since getting my license in 83'
Did get grief when pulled over for other infractions but no ticket.
Couple years back was Parked in Downtown Portland and came back to a $175 ticket.
I run front plate now.

[T_C_D]

Got a call at 4PM today that the dealership secured a car. Pick it up tomorrow. Just in time for winter.

[wkohler]

The local VW dealers here cannot install the rear plates on the Beetles in the center. Don't know what the hell is up with that, but every beetle I see has the plate offset in the indentation. Very frustrating. I even asked a couple owners about it and they were oblivious.

[oldskool]

The local VW dealers here cannot install the rear plates on the Beetles in the center. Don't know what the hell is up with that, but every beetle I see has the plate offset in the indentation. Very frustrating. I even asked a couple owners about it and they were oblivious.

VW owners speak coherently?

[T_C_D]

[wkohler]

So it didn't work out?

[T_C_D]

So it didn't work out?

I brought it home yesterday. White GTI with no front plate.

[adrian in florida]

Looking good Fernando!

[T_C_D]

Looking good Fernando!

Would you believe they still put the dealership sticker on it. Salesman removed it before I left the showroom.

[Tammer in Philly]

Looks great. Seems like a steal for what you paid!

[RoyW]

Awesome car Todd, you are going to really enjoy it! Had several over the years and would love a new one like yours one of these days. Love those GTI... all models/years

-RoyW

[jhh925]

Love GTIs. One of my first cars was an 84 GTI built out of wrecks. Long story short, my parents owned an 84 GLI (Jett version of the GTI) which I totaled late one night. Insurance company paid off, then offered to sell us the wreck. I accepted the offer, but before picking the car up from the yard, some douche-nozzle had gone into the car, slashed the seats and stolen the radio. The insurance policy was still in effect, so we filed a claim on that damage. I ended up getting the GLI wreck for something like a $1300 purchase price, plus an insurance claim check for around $1700 (yes, you're doing the math correctly - I got a free wreck, plus $400) ... plus a visit from the local cops, who may have been a bit concerned that I had broken into the yard to vandalize the car. As it turned out, they were there more at the urging of the insurance company. The cops apparently were familiar with this yard and had had many complaints of towed cars having parts and what-not disappear. Apparently one or more of the drivers was under suspicion. And no, I had not done the damage or stolen the radio.

Anyhoo, bought the wreck, started buying & selling old Mk-I diesel Rabbits (much cheaper, same frame) till I found one that was a good enough starting point. Swapped all the parts, and ended up with a Rabbit GTI with a Jetta GLI interior (which mostly meant I had better seats and the nice Euro dash, given that the GTIs were made in Mexico and the GLIs were made in Germany).

The Golf R is now high on the list as the next car, though it will likely have to wait till the kids are out of the house.

[T_C_D]

After 50 days and 2800 miles I can say that I bored with it. I don't have anything bad to say about the car. It does everything well. It's not offensive. It's quick and gets good mpg. That's all folks.

[Kyle in NO]

Haha. You sound like me with every relatively new car I’ve driven.

[Mike W.]

If you're half as touchy as I am, saying it's not offensive is a huge complement.

[krhodes1]

Congrats! I bought a white '17 GTI Sport in January, just had it in for it's first service the other day. No issues at all, and I like it better than the M235i it replaced. Just more "me". Needed something more practical to keep at my winter place in FL, the M235i could haul @ss, but not stuff.

[garageboy]

After 50 days and 2800 miles I can say that I bored with it. I don't have anything bad to say about the car. It does everything well. It's not offensive. It's quick and gets good mpg. That's all folks.

This does not really surprise us. Should it surprise you?

Every time I get into the E28 after not driving it for awhile, I worry that I will be bored with it. In 30 years of driving one E28 or another (supplemented with E39s), that has never happened.

I am kinda surprised the direction this thread went in -- I thought it was gonna be a treatise about new cars, not license plate laws. But seriously, I have driven and ridden in a lot of different new cars over the years, and most are getting less interesting, not more, even BMWs. I can barely tell which is which if you take off the logos. I cannot afford any Porsche, old or new, so I guess those are the only remotely obtainable cars out there that I think might inspire some of us...

Bored or not, I hope you get many serviceable miles out of your NEW car!

ps. only new car I ever drove as "mine" was a company car. a 1986 316 when I was 23 doing computer chip software in Europe. Only had it less than one year. Drove it everywhere and loved every minute of it.

[T_C_D]

Update. Last week a friend of mine who owns an indy euro repair shop called me. I bought an audi a4 avant from him this time last year for my oldest son. It was super clean and has been a trouble free car so far. At that time I told him I would buy all the cars he sells that he personally drives. His wife had just purchased a new car had her Mini Cooper S was for sale. Specs = 1 owner, 2006, 6MT, mint condition, silver/black, 110k miles, second set of wheels with Michelins snows, $4200. I purchased it and removed the insurance from the GTI. I'll drive the Mini this winter and see how I feel about the GTI come spring.

[RoyW]

Update. Last week a friend of mine who owns an indy euro repair shop called me. I bought an audi a4 avant from him this time last year for my oldest son. It was super clean and has been a trouble free car so far. At that time I told him I would buy all the cars he sells that he personally drives. His wife had just purchased a new car had her Mini Cooper S was for sale. Specs = 1 owner, 2006, 6MT, mint condition, silver/black, 110k miles, second set of wheels with Michelins snows, $4200. I purchased it and removed the insurance from the GTI. I'll drive the Mini this winter and see how I feel about the GTI come spring.

Todd... you've lost your mind. A Mini Cooper S over a GTI... no comparison. I've owned both and would take a GTI over just about any modern hot hatch.... and a Mini would be way down the list. The Mini is a nice chick car thought (my wife liked it) What seems to be the problem?

-RoyW

[T_C_D]

Roy,

It’s about the best tool for the job. I didn’t really want to drive my new GTi through a Midwest winter.

[Tammer in Philly]

I have some 15" wheels and Michelin X-Ice tires on the Fiesta ST and I am still loving it.

[T_C_D]

I have some 15" wheels and Michelin X-Ice tires on the Fiesta ST and I am still loving it.

I have the same setup. 185/60/15