I’ve joined the GTI+ club!

[SRGTD]

So today I said goodbye to my 2016 Polo GTI - Here it is a couple of weeks ago after I’d got the diamond cut alloys back on and given it a wash. I don’t think it looked too shabby for a daily driver that’s just over 4.5 years old.

I owned it from new (March 2016) and it’s been a really good car - only going back to the dealers for routine servicing and MOT’s, it’s been utterly reliable and has never let me down. In a way I’m sad to see it go . But things move on and here’s the GTI’s replacement that I picked up today - a 70 plate Pure White Polo GTI+ with 18” Brescia alloys.

I opted for Deep Iron dashpads as I’m not too keen on the standard Velvet Red ones. Apart from that, the only option I went for was the reversing camera - not necessary on a small car I hear some of you say. However, I have a long standing back problem that means I sometimes find it a little difficult to twist and turn to look out of the rear screen when reversing, so the camera helps.

It’s the first non-manual car I’ve owned in over 40 years of driving. However, even if there was a manual option I still think I’d probably have gone for DSG this time on ‘medical grounds’ as using the clutch - especially in stop start traffic - can be painful at times with my back problem.

In terms of lead times for my car;

- ordered 13/02/2020.

text and email updates;

- 31/03/2020 build confirmed. Dealer advised provisional build date was end of April, but Covid-19 changed all that and pushed the build week back around 10 weeks.
- 10/07/2020 stage 5a (car built and left the factory). My car was on Glovis Century along with some other forum members’ cars.
- 20/08/2020 stage 5b (at Emden).
- 20/08/2020 stage 5c (en route from Emden to UK).
- 21/08/2020 stage 6 (in the UK).
- 04/09/2020 stage 7 (at dealers).

Collection day; today (09/09/2020), so just shy of 7 months from order to collection.

My dealer has been pretty good and updated me at each stage of the journey of my car - and sometimes just to tell me there was no progress, although I’d been getting the texts and emails, so I usually knew the progress before the dealer contact.

Initial impressions - it seems quite large compared to the previous generation Polo, it’s quieter and more refined and the ride is less firm and more compliant than my previous GTI, even on larger 18” wheels and Bridgestone tyres. I need to spend some time to get used to the DSG. I don’t like the way it seems to change up gears too soon (in my opinion). On the 30 mile journey back from the dealers, I kept it in manual mode most of the time, so I could have control over gear changes.

I’m not planning on modding it - I’m far too old for that sort of thing . Having said that, I’m pretty certain I’ll be changing the wheels though; those forum members who’ve been on the forum for a while - either on this forum board and the 6r/6c board - will know I dislike diamond cut alloys, and I’ve already chosen the wheels I’m planning on getting. I just need to buy them and some new tyres and get them on the car before winter. The plan over the next few days - weather permitting - is to give it a good detail and a couple of coats of protection and then just enjoy it!

[S_94]

Looks great SRGTD. Definitely the best colour choice.

Let us know your thoughts once you've racked up some miles.

[monkeyhanger]

You're a dark horse SRGTD! Kept that purchase very quiet!

Same as the wife's apart from the the rear cam. Any plans to bin the Bridgestones? If yoh think the ride is better than your old Polo, it'll be better again with the Michelins on. Costco have Michelins on offer right now if you know a member.

[SRGTD]

Looks great SRGTD. Definitely the best colour choice.

Let us know your thoughts once you've racked up some miles.

Thanks. Initial impressions are good.

Agree on the colour, although the colour choices for the GTI / GTI+ are pretty limited. It’s a long while since I had a white car (1996), so it seemed like the right time to have white, which also fits my current criteria for paint colour choice;

- a forgiving colour as far a swirls are concerned (although it’ll always get the ‘safe’ wash treatment! )
- easy colour to touch up stone chips
- should be easy to get a decent colour match if paintwork repairs are ever needed.

I’ve got a 55-60 mile round trip journey to do tomorrow, so that’ll give me a good opportunity to familiarise myself with it. Just need to start wading through the manual now........

[Andy Beats]

I'd have liked the GTI+ too, just for the LED headlights as I'm expecting the standard GTI halogen headlights to be just as woeful as the ones on my 'Beats'.
Reversing camera, not bothered by lack of that.
I've got a bad back too, but with side mirrors and reverse sensors there's really no need to twist around in your seat.

[monkeyhanger]

If you think the box changes up too early then leave the gearbox in S-mode (at every ignition cycle it'll revert back to D even in Sport mode, but you just pull the stick down against the spring to flit between D and S). You will notice a fuel economy penalty leaving it in S.

[monkeyhanger]

I'd have liked the GTI+ too, just for the LED headlights as I'm expecting the standard GTI halogen headlights to be just as woeful as the ones on my 'Beats'.
Reversing camera, not bothered by lack of that.
I've got a bad back too, but with side mirrors and reverse sensors there's really no need to twist around in your seat.

Yep, you'll have the same woeful halogens. I really don't know why VW offer the GTI and GTI+. It's almost criminal how little equipment the GTI has.

[SRGTD]

You're a dark horse SRGTD! Kept that purchase very quiet!

Same as the wife's apart from the the rear cam. Any plans to bin the Bridgestones? If yoh think the ride is better than your old Polo, it'll be better again with the Michelins on. Costco have Michelins on offer right now if you know a member.

Yes I did, didn’t I . I have dropped a few subtle hints every now and then, but no one seemed to pick up on them.

I received one of those ‘exclusive, VIP-only‘ invites back in February from my dealer. That type of junk mail normally goes straight in the recycling bin but as I knew I was planning on changing my car sometime this year, I went along to see them to see what sort of deal they would do, thinking it would be a waste of time. Surprisingly, they pretty much matched the Drive the Deal price, and gave me a good trade in price for my 16 Plate GTI, which they subsequently increased last week when I pointed out to them that used car prices were currently very strong for ‘in demand’ models. Looking at the PCP figures, they also seem to have absorbed the April VED increase, so all in all, I’m very happy with the deal and the car. I need to phone up VWFS in the next couple of days and give them notice of withdrawal.

I will be binning the Bridgestones, but I’ll be waiting until I get my new wheels. The Brescias will then be put into storage. I stored the diamond cut alloys on my 2016 GTI and when they went back on the car around three weeks ago, they were pretty much indistinguishable from new.

[monkeyhanger]

So are you selling the Bridgestones or leaving them on the Brescias in the loft/shed? I got £160 for my partially used ones and £220 for my wifes unused ones.

Why option Brescias to just swap out for aftermarket wheels? I'd have just gone for Parkers to stick in storage.

[Andy Beats]

Yep, you'll have the same woeful halogens. I really don't know why VW offer the GTI and GTI+. It's almost criminal how little equipment the GTI has.

Still no cruise control is a major blow, I was shocked enough to find out my 'Beats' doesn't have it.
But seeing as Covid will be with us for years to come and travelling anywhere will be pretty pointless, I'll suffer it.
The wife doesn't like taking my 'small cars' on long distances anyway, she'll insist on her car.

[SRGTD]

So are you selling the Bridgestones or leaving them on the Brescias in the loft/shed? I got £160 for my partially used ones and £220 for my wifes unused ones.

Why option Brescias to just swap out for aftermarket wheels? I'd have just gone for Parkers to stick in storage.

I’ll keep the Bridgestones on the Brescias.

I’m not a big fan of the 17” Parker’s and the Brescia’s will be on the car for 2-3 months, so I’d rather have a style of wheel on the car that I prefer over the Parkers, even if they are only on the car for a relatively short period. Also, the (low) cost to spec Brescia’s made them pretty good value IMO. I’ve also got the option to use them as summer wheels too.

[PhilArnold]

Congrats on the car, welcome to the white polo gti club!

[OomStu_ZA]

Congrats mate, many safe miles ahead!

[lancslad1985]

Congrats, you kept that quiet!

[Teee]

Congratulations on your new car, best colour and wheel combination (hint of Biased lol), I feel the same about the red dashboard I personally think it’s an eyesore, there’s lots of cars With the red dash pads on the second hand market so I think it might be easier to shift a car with the deep iron dash pads in the future & Your old car looks really good for a 2016 I’m pretty sure you’ll look after the new car just as well.