Sentimentality can be a big problem when it comes to cars.
Sentimentality can lead you to make a foolish purchase, one that could end up coasting you a lot of money. Like the time I bought a 40-year-old Alfa Romeo…
But sentimentality can also lead you back to cars you haven’t driven in a very long time and have nothing but fond memories of, only to discover the world has evolved and things are very different than you remember.
Like visiting your favourite restaurant from years ago, only to find out it has changed chefs. Or that former holiday spot from childhood that is actually not as exciting or glamorous as you remember.
I bring this up because I recently drove the Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8.5, the first time I’d been in the iconic German hot hatch in more than five years. When I first started driving Golf GTIs it was the undisputed King of Hot Hatches, with all other pretenders to its crown.
But a lot has changed in the last decade, Ford and Renault have disappeared but Toyota and Hyundai have arrived. And Honda has continued to evolve the Civic Type R into a modern masterpiece of engineering.
I didn’t drive the Golf GTI Mk8, but from all the discussions I have had with peers, it was a backwards step. The quality, as well as the infotainment system, coming in for the majority of the criticism.
To its credit, Volkswagen took that feedback on-board and have tried to correct it with this Mk8.5, a mild update that retains the core attributes from the previous model.
This includes the same basic formula that the Golf GTI has had since the very beginning – a small hatch, powerful engine, front-wheel drive and loads of fun.
The Golf has obviously grown up a lot over the years and is no longer a basic small car, but rather a quite premium offering in a small package.
Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that makes 195kW of power and 370Nm of torque, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
On paper, that doesn’t sound a lot in this era of 200kW and up hot hatches, but in reality it packs more than enough punch to do what any good hot hatch should do.
Taking 5.9 seconds to run 0-100km/h sounds positively slow in this period of sub-4.0 second electric cars, but the Golf GTI isn’t about acceleration or top speed, it’s about engagement and enjoyment.
But this is where the Golf GTI’s evolution really kicks in. The engine and transmission are paired with an extended electronic front differential lock, which is one of a number of hi-tech solutions to make the GTI even more dynamically capable than ever before.
It works, because this GTI lives up to the experience I had in previous examples over the years – which is both good and bad. There is no doubt the Golf GTI is an incredibly capable, dynamic and rapid hot hatch.
The problem with it for me is, and maybe this is where sentimentality becomes a problem again, is that it doesn’t feel as fun as I prefer my hot hatches. The trick diff, the clever gearbox and all the other various suspension settings are all really clever things and no doubt make it faster (and easier to live with too) but they also remove some of the rawness, the excitement.
This is an area where both the Hyundai i30 N and Toyota GR Corolla excel, being not only fast but also making the driver feel like the centre-of-attention, rather than playing second fiddle to technology.
Honda does it better than anyone else, but that comes at a steep cost for the Civic Type R. But that’s also an issue for Volkswagen, with the Golf GTI now starting from $59,890 (plus on-road costs).
To be fair, that’s a lot cheaper than the GR Corolla, but the i30 N is nearly $7k less and, to be frank, is more fun to drive.
Of course, like choosing any car it all comes down to personal preference, dare I say sentimental reasons too, so if you just want efficiency of quickness the Golf GTI is probably the pick for you. But its claim on the hot hatch crown is no longer undisputed and Volkswagen faces a tough test against the current crop of rivals.
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