Is the 2021 VW Golf GTI the hot hatch to buy with a 6-speed manual?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- The GTI is the original hot hatch from Volkswagen. The Golf GTI brings versatility for daily driving, but also provides a great driving experience. Under the hood is a 2.0L inline-4 turbocharged engine that is producing 228HP & is mated to a 6-speed manual. On the outside you find the traditional lines of the Golf that has evolved over the years. On the interior there are leather seats, high level of fit, and plenty of space. Is the 2021 VW Golf GTI the hot hatch to buy with a 6-speed manual?
**Please click the link to get your Raiti's Rides Merch!
shop.spreadshi...
This channel is 99% perfect. The one percent missing is the timestamps or whatever it's called for different parts of the review on the slider at the bottom. Then I can quit my job, leave my family and just watch Joe all day everyday.
agreed!!
If that's all it takes to quit your job and leave your family, you might want to rethink your life!.....kidding. I like the channel as well. I'd like a...."buy or lease"
summary
Well said. I agree. JR is a great reviewer. I bought a limited Avalon after watching his video where he compared the TRD to the limited.
Maybe Joe should just hire you to do the time stamp breakdown, then you have a job to watch the videos with your family.
I tried to suggest that to joe but he didn't listen
" The Original Hot Hatch!" No car in history deserves this title more than the VW GTI, very well put Joe!
@@TheOffroadCamper ok, let me see which were the best ones from Renault available in the US, their specs and how much did they sell....oh..wait...
@@TheOffroadCamper By decades? That would mean Renault offered a "hot hatch" in the 1950's. And I'm old enough to remember Renaults from those days. The closest vehicle would be a Dauphine, hardly a "hot hatch."
@@TheOffroadCamper Really? In America?
@@stephenhendricks103 the dude aint have a clue of what he's saying..must be a Renault Owner.
@@Lex-Rex exactly..no French Crap here, as far as I know.
I’m so happy with my gti and I learned how to drive manual on it too
Just bought a 2021 SE in White Silver Metallic. I love it ♥️
Same color here. Love it!
Same here! Have a 2016 and drivers just like day i got it.
That white silver metallic is simply awesome.
And 2022 new power is about to be released
This is potentially my next car. Thanks so much for the review Joe. You have a good weekend sir and stay safe 🙏 👍
Have had my 2017 for over 3 years, same color and also manual. What a great little car to drive - wow! I did have a thermostat housing leak fixed under warranty. No other repairs thus far.
Do yourself a favor and get the Jetta GLI instead. I had both, the GLI is just as fast, has more room and is more "friend or family", friendly.
@@goodcitizen7064 The GTI is a better drive and has a better interior. Also, the GTI name has heritage. The GLI does not.
@@vr6gls Well first off, if you buy a car for it's name you're an idiot. Second, the GTI barely handles any different from the comparably equipped Jetta. Third, the interior is the same on all VW's if you have the same trims. The GTI has the red stitching and all that but you can get that on the Jetta as well.
@@goodcitizen7064 Are you kidding dude?? Many cars are bought because of their name. Mustang, Camaro, Corvette, Challenger, STI, Golf GTI, etc. The dynamics of the GTI are better and the interior is slightly more upscale. The GLI feels more toned down than the GTI. Personally, I like the styling of the GTI more and the hatchback practicality. Not everyone wants or needs a bigger car. The GLI being bigger is a negative for me, as well as the cheaper feeling interior. The seats in the GTI are far more supportive than in the GLI.
The biggest reason why some people choose a GLI over a GTI is because it’s cheaper. However, it feels cheaper on the inside.
20:45 ON THROTTLE!!!!!!!!!! Yeahhhhhhhhhhh so awesome
This channel has come a long way! You'll be at a million in no time 😉👍🏼
Great video! My girlfriend hates when I go pee now cause I shout "On Throttle!"
You my friend are a legend! 😂😂
Wow😅
This particular GTI seems to really fit you Joe. I can tell you really had a blast in it. Would be an awesome daily for you. 👍
My GTI is 5 years old with almost 100k miles on it. Hasn’t had a major issue yet. It puts a smile on my face each time I drive it. 🚗💨
Same here, but I only have 43k miles on it 🤪 benefit of living 5 minutes from work. Hoping to pass it on to my son in 7 years.
The lucky ones. I kept my 16’ for 3yrs. Was a great car to be in and drive, but man the first 1-1/2yrs of it’s life it lived at the dealer for damn near everything, and on top of that to add insult to injury everything the dealer touched to work on they broke something else. Still miss driving it though.
@@g.donuts3551 I am on my third VW and all of them have gone past 170k miles without issue. All my VW’s have been reliable and they all have been modified. 🤷♂️
@@vr6gls Yeah, figures I’d get the lemon. It was so bad the dealer bought it back. Sucks, cause all the little extra details and engineering everywhere in the car were plain to see, and it should have been reliable, just wasn’t though.
@@vr6gls hoping you see this.. i own a 2019 GTI (automatic), how often did you do your oil changes. As far as I'm aware, it's recommended every 10k miles. Seems like a lot. I used to own a 2005 civic and i would do them every 3-5k miles. I love this car so i want to keep it as long as possible with minimal repairs. TIA
Raiti I have the 2020 GTI base model( the lightest at 3088lbs) with the manual. Love it but hated the Bridgestone tires that came with it. After 1K miles went to Costco and got the Michelin Pilot AS tires. Immediately the car became quieter, much better handling and an overall more refined ride. It hard to believe but with these tires and the front differential the car handles quite well in the snow up here in New Hampshire. On ramps and off ramps I push the limit and as you demonstrated the smiles becomes instantaneous to me. Yes, second gear is long but you get use to it, all you need is first and second gear to hit 60. On the highway cruising at 65 and then dropping it in 3rd gear to pass is figuratively a blast. Only thing missing is more curvy roads. I also had the dealership turn off the soundaker(artificial sound) personally the engine sounds so much better without it. Reliability over 6 months and 5K miles has been perfect. Keep up the good work, I need to buy some merchandise from you to support your channel. Regards Mark Tepper
Love my 2020 Autobahn DSG...for all the reasons you felt...and one of the best platforms for customizing...makes going to work a fun trip and the Fender sound system is perfect for this car....
This is an absolute must-buy. It doesn't get any better than this. Autobahn, 6 speed manual, red color, 10 spoke machined wheels.
This is the only channel you need to get the best reviews.
Thank You for having Lori or Laurie ( sp ) be part of this production, Joe! ❤️
This review is making me fall in love with the GTI. The key backup feature alone is a huge plus. No chance of getting stranded in this one. The power, the performance. And this is coming from someone who is used to, and prefers a lockable trunk. (Yes, there's the GLI. But everyone says that one is not a GTI with a trunk. Similar but not the same.)
This is so very true!
I got a '19 SE manual one year ago and I'm still giddy to drive the car every day. It's a lot of fun and just a great car. Kids fit comfortably, nice tech, and great MPGs (upper 30s on hwy).
Great review Joe. I believe this is the Autobahn trim and not the SE! The SE trim does not have those alloys, fender system and whole other features that this car has!
Autobahn is the only trim they gets auto climate control. Plus those gorgeous wheels are unique to it too. But the Fender system can be specd to an SE (mine has it).
@@JEdmund81 oh man! I wanted the Fender system on my SE and they said it's not possible on the 2021 model 😔 may be I should have checked at a different dealership lol
@@ManojKumar-uw1ep I'm not sure how it works. Maybe they took it away for 2021. But I believe it was part of the experience package on my 2019. I also lucked out in that I got an auto dimming mirror with the garage door buttons.
@@JEdmund81 nice, I think they took it off. In the 2021 SE trim, I got the black alloys from the rabbit edition, blacked out mirrors and the MQB system with wireless android auto/car play. Got the auto dimming rear view mirror and garage opener as well. I am glad I didn't wait for MK8!
@@ManojKumar-uw1ep cool! Those are the Pretoria wheels, right? And the black mirrors look sweet too. Wireless Android auto would be nice. Great options. I love the Mkk7.5. Super happy with it. Not even tempted by the Mk8 so far.
The very first Joe Raiti video I ever saw was him reviewing a blue VW Golf R back in 2017/2018. Little did I know he'd come nearly full circle with this 2021 VW GTI. You've come far, Joe.
Not sure if I want a Mk 7.5 or wait for the Mk 8. I know people don’t like the Mk 8, but feels weird buying an old model when the new one is coming in
Save money buy a nice used 2018. I bought mine with under 18k miles for 22 grand.
First gen could have bugs to work out, whereas the last gen is all worked out. Try em both though!
The 2021 will be a sought after collectable as the last year analog gauge mk7.5.
@Tony Camaj True that. My GTI made money LOL. They are selling more than I paid for it.
Joe that’s an Autobahn model not SE. You can tell this pretty easy by the wheels, park distance control in the bumpers, Automatic climate control, and DCC. Those are just some of the things that make it an autobahn.
Huge fan of the GTI as I own one as my daily but anyone buying an Autobahn at that price point is not looking at the market considering you can get a base for 26k USD. Imagine paying 12k more for the same performance and engine. You don’t buy a hot hatch for the luxuries of an Audi.
I've always been a fan of the GTI. I bought my 2014 green envy Fiesta ST with recaros for 17k with only 14k miles on it. I will never get rid of it. Smiles per mile is what I have every time I drive it. I just paid it off.😎
Wow that car is deceptive when it comes to interior space, was not even expecting the trunk space to be the big!
"2 German tin cans and a piece of string...." It's getting to the point where I don't know if I'm watching Joe for the car content or for the laughs. Never change buddy!
Hey Joe.....great review man, love it. Some of the things you say man, must be difficult for Lori not to laugh!! 😂😂😂
My second car was the 2003 GTI 1.8T. I loved that car so much...so fun.
Hey Joe and Lori, you guys are really killing this month. Keep up the great work!
In my neck of the woods an AWD makes more sense. So for me it’s the Golf R :)
not manual on the R if that matters
@@demetrij7120 2022 Golf R available in manual as far as I was aware? NA being the only market getting that option i believe...
those wheels are lit! i just got a 2020 and i love it so far
Me too! My 2020 S with the DSG has been an absolute blast so far. It’s really the perfect balance of practicality and fun.
I feel like everyone is sleeping on the hot hatch segment but there's so many awesome cars. Will you be reviewing the R version? Thanks again for another great video!
Golf R was discontinued until next gen arrives.
Golf R will be back at the end of the year as a Mk8 2022 model. Mk7.5 R was discontinued after 2019 model year.
Please review the 2021 Mitsubishi RVR aka Outlander Sport!!!!
Not in America. There's like only 3 hot hatches in current production and they're really all in one price bracket.
2022 Golf R is gonna be a hoot!
Another fun review., thumbs up. He passed the same orange Lotus with black stripes at 17.49 and 23:36. At least I think it was a Lotus.
Fantastic review. Thorough, informative, and clearly demonstrates how much fun the GTI is. I'm sold. Thank you!!
I am so glad that I can share my car passion with you Warren!
"nobody wants to get their six inches scratched" haha Raiti's so naughty
Thanks for letting me share some laughs with you!
Hi Zonkman, I love the Golf GTI and Oh my goodness I love the 6 speed manual (0 Speed Automati transmission) and it's a dandy!
Thanks Joe for the advice. I’ll have a mirror in each of the map pockets now.
This guy. dude, at 20:44 cracking me up coz he cracks himself up with the tire chirp... gettin' it.🤣
I love it! I'm a huge GTI fan since 1984
The legend, the original hot hatch! Looks great inside and out. Best all around daily driver for enthusiasts. You can pick up groceries and have fun in the twisty bits. Thats what this car was made for. Thanks for the review Joe!
If you're considering getting a GTI, get a GTI!!! LOL I love my MK7.5 in the Tornado Red. Puts a smile on my face everyday and it is everything Raiti said it is in the beginning of the review! It's a GTI. Enough said! Great review as always! Cheers from Toronto!
@@photo4k343 looks like it with the blue dials and the acceleration. Body kit as well.
Not a big VW fan but it looks like a fun car. Thanks for the ride Joe. Nicely done! Lori as well! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
That notch in the front tip of hood looks great, that VW logo fits right in neatly, nice job Veedub😎
After 6-7 years this GTI still looks very good unlike some other cars that their desing gets old very quick
Personally, I love the interior of this generation more than the coming 2022. The interior has tech without being too techy; I think it’ll age much better than an interior that is all screens.
The GTI is so much fun to drive! I love my 2018 Autobahn!
I totally agree with you! I hope you and Frank are doing well.
This car is my first six speed after learning how to drive a motorcycle. I agree with pretty much all of this review, slap on some better tires and this car is an amazing daily driver
Oof that Lotus Elise @ 17:49 thoooo ;)
Again, well done! A hot hatches with a manual is well its at. Great job with the camera work Lori! These little cars really do it all at a great price. Keep up the great work and I hope you and Lori continue to stay safe and healthy!
Lol, I always seem to be late to the party on some of your videos. I've always enjoyed the Rabbit/Golf GTI, fun little cars.
I made my own little 'hot' hatch, back in 1982. Sad base vehicle, but I added a better suspension and wheel/tire setup. Absolutely loved driving it, but had to sell, due to the market for softwood lumber drying up in the early 80's.
Still, fun to reminisce. Thsnks for staying on task, Lori! Awesome video!
When you add off the wall content to the review “ITS JUST THE BEST”
That means so much Christopher!
Yes!!! 4K uploads!!! Thank you 🔥🔥
You are so very welcome!
8:35 woah it sounds awesome just like a Mini Cooper S and John cooper works
My first car I bought was a 2011 Mk6 GTI. Owned it for 8+ years and sold it at 120,000 miles. Loved every minute of that car (except when it was in the shop)
Looks good. I look forward to test driving one for my channel too in the near future. Had fast Golfs in all their versions over the years so interesting to see how this one lives up to its family history
Been awhile since i've been watching youtube .I miss your reviews Joe! especially when it comes to hot hatches and turbos! Hope you and the missus are well
Agreed... more fun to drive a slow car at max speed then driving a fast car at 1/3 its potential
I just purchased an SE model (I believe this is the Autobahn you are testing) with the manual a few days ago and love it. I will drive this when I want to switch up from driving my Stinger or want to go on mountain drives. I feel like my automotive world is complete now lol.
Nice to see there are still hot hatches in America I wish we could get the Yaris GR
Have always been a huge fan of the GTI. Had a friend who bought one of the 1st back in 83'/84' in VW's version of red which was actually more orange. We used to tease him about it. Anyone remember that color? Great review as always Mr. Joe..!
Nice Orange lotus at 17:47! I am really digging that Red color on that GTI too
Great video.....I owned a 1983 GTI....a nightmare I nicknamed "Hitler's Revenge"....everything went wrong including the hood flying up driving on a highway, just like in the movies...HA HA HA
Joe! I love your videos and this one was awesome. I really love the videos with the “undisclosed locations”. I have to ask, how many times have you been getting your twinkle toes on through some twisty bits and had some red and blue lights find you?
Looks way better than the MK8 in my opinion. I'll get one of these in 2 years for cheap lol.
I was thinking the same thing, but people tend to dump these as soon as the warranty expires.
Jeezus, finally some nice looking wheels.
I agree with everything reviewed. One thing not shown is the wonderful interior lighting at night. All of the red stripes on the doors and doorsills light up in a red glow when it is dark out.
I drive a 2018 GTI SE MT with APR stage 1, dieselgeek shortshifter, clutch stop, impeller-less clutch bleeder, CTS cold air, AWE touring exhaust, and Pirellis w/Neuspeed wheels - the car is perfect and exactly what it should have come like from the factory, for a total out of pocket ~$33,000.
Great work Joey Bag O' Donuts, Da' best on the Tube. Almost traded in my 18 Accord 6MT but couldn't do it. Gonna keep and give it to my son. 2018 Sport with 7500 miles on it. Bazinga!
Love the hatchbacks. The GTI and Veloster n are top of the list. German interiors are the best though. Shout out to Lori for the great camera work!
Thanks for letting us share it with you CJ!
You went hard with the innuendos today I like it
Thanks
I bought this car!
I agree with this review. I have a 2021 GTI SE and it does everything I ask of it and want of it. The only thing I dislike is the pumped in engine sound which I disabled in custom mode. I would prefer to hear the actual exhaust which I can to a point and will soon resolve that with an AWE exhaust. You can't go wrong with this car at all. It is a perfect balance of grown up and unleashing your younger soul.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one.
442K subs already? I remember when I subscribed when you had 5K subs!
Great review ! You made me laughing a couple times, and now I feel like I am gonna go test ride one of that bad boy!!!
Hey Joe great review. Save the Manuals!!! For anyone that is looking for a great overall car this is the one. Not only could the hatch hold my snow tires to get swapped but also came in handy transporting items to storage when selling the house. Great car.
You are so very right Bill!
"2 german soup cans and a piece of string" lmao! You make me laugh every video. Your videos are so much more than just about the car. You make it really fun. Turn up the great work is always you too. Cant forget credit to the camera worker:)
Iv’e had a MK 7 gti performance model loaded, with DSG for years they are excellent, prefer it to the 8 interior, only thing is road noise from 19” wheels poor or concrete roads could be less, but not unacceptable, ensure you have a good road test to see it for you, still the best all purpose round gti hatch for sure.
pretty decent package there, love the golf ball shifter! Joe getting his race face on!
I’m curious why it has MI manufacture plates when VW USA is headquartered in VA.
I work at the national sales hq in Auburn Hills, MI. Mainly IT operations, warranty and sales there. It's a sizeable hq. We get tons of fleet vehicles coming in all the time from Herndon, VA and Chattanooga, TN (manufacturing plant).
@@1219DSmith Well, here in Northern Virginia , I drive by the VW/Audi building & see for myself.We pay annual property tax on our vehicles... can be expensive! It makes economic sense to license ( manufacturer vehicle ) elsewhere ) . That’s what the Michigan plate says.
Definitely one of the more fun cars for the money! Only zonk to me is front wheel drive . Have a great Friday night Joe!
Awesome review 👍 !!! Next the 2021?trackhawk please 🙏
Joe seems to loves this more than mustang ecoboost. Wow, GTI is a good family car ;)
Yeah until it breaks down
@@nd2170 i agree, then have something to protect yourself - warranty. The only cars worth keeping beyond warranty period is Toyota/Honda. Have fun and get rid of it before it becomes money pit. German cars have 4yr warranty anyways.
@@nd2170 yeah that's why you lease. Don't have to worry about that and in 3 - 4 years just get a new one.
I love my Mark 6 version GTI and they tell chirping is fun in any version my Mark 6 version is the first version with the exhaust system being on the corners
I traded in my 2016 MKVII six speed manual GTI for a Stinger...and as cool as the Stinger is, I still think about grabbing one of these again used as a second car. That transmission is BUTTER; I had so much fun whipping that car through the mountain roads.
Joe, loving that beautiful Mk7 version of the GTI. I had a 1983 Toyota Corolla
GTS hatchback when I was a young man. Essentially, the competition for the original hot hatch. A friend of mine had the GTI. Thanks for bringing us this great review of this iconic car. One handsome machine even without a bulge! 😂
I had a white silver 2018 GTI Autobahn for two years. I had so much fun with that car as a daily. Sadly I had to get rid of her because it was no longer ideal as driving in Michigan is a nightmare (snow, potholes, etc). I'll miss that car forever.
Infrastructure is the demise of sporty cars. It really sucks. The amount of taxes we all pay, these damn roads should be plated in gold.
Enjoy the physical controls while you can because the Mk. 8 uses a mostly digital interior. The controls are touch capacitive. I also don't really dig the front end of the new GTI. The Mk. 7.5 looks better.
Joe. What is the best midsize SUV that has a turbo engine that has a sporty, peppy drive but still gets good MPG??? As a realtor I had to trade in my Awesome VW Jetta because it was too small. Now I have the VW Tiguan but have been disappointed and hate the auto shut off at stops. I know you can turn it off every time you turn on the engine. But as a realtor I turn my car off and on a lot during the day. I want a sports car driving midsize SUV but I drive a lot in the city so need high MPG. Help! ❤️
My first car was a 1984 Rabbit GTi and I loved it. Shame we can't get the 2-door here any longer.
I was looking forward to this one all day since I saw the Tweet. I’ve always liked these but never bought one; maybe this year. I like the red better now with the 2021 change to black mirror caps and spoiler but I don’t like the black wheels on the regular 2021 SE. Looking forward to your MK8 review!
Just wish you could get the plaid interior in the SE and Autobahn level trims (They stopped doing that after 2017 or 18 I think).
Still have my 2018, made sure I got the SE trim with cloth. Leather in cars are 👎
I've driven the mk7 plenty of times and the first thing that I did was smoking those tires. It brought a smile to my face. I even test drove the mk7 GLI which also shares with the hatchback. I'm still considering the GLI but I am very curious on the mk8 and I'm gonna test drive one when it becomes available. Can't wait.
If you can find the 35th anniversary GLI, i would go for that over the GTI anyday. It's the same car same handling same performance but it's more unique and more rare. Also the 35th anniversary edition seems to be faster than any other version of the GLI although advertised as the same, so i would try find one if you go for the GLI.
Loved the MK7 so much fun driving that thing. I highly recommend people to go with the automatic version, the duel clutch shifts lighting fast and 1 pull on the gear shifter will get you into sport mode faster than you can imagine. Once met a person with manual Golf R but he wasn't even aware of the sport mode in the car and the fact that you have to tap a button to change into sport mode that also comes with a slight delay in the manual version.
My first car was an original 1984 VW Rabbit GTI my Dad co-signed for me in 1989. I was still in High School and learned to drive stick in it and shortly thereafter got my Driver's License. Car was an absolute blast with many "On throttle" action. A true hot hatch and didn't even have A/C. Definitely a car I regret selling. Great review of the MK VII but do you think it still captures the spirit of the first GTI?
Nice car and nice review. Was that a viper you kept meeting on the road ?
You are correct! Summer tires really wake these up even more
I know you said that this was an SE, but this car is the Autobahn Trim (can't get the two-tone wheels, automatic climate control or Fender audio on the SE). Also, no ventilated seats available on any trim.
Can't wait to see your review of the 2022 Golf R. Good stuff!
Even though I’m a veloster guy, the answer is yes yes and yes
How does one become a Veloster guy when German cars exist? Not to mention that Hyundai’s brain trust are all former BMW designers and engineers.
@@thefives7ar because we own velosters
I had a 2012 VW GLi 6 speed. Was a great car with zero issues but as soon as it hit 80000 miles it started to come apart. Water pump broke and needed new manifold as well. Got rid of it 1000 miles later when clutch started slipping. I want to get another VW but reliability scares me. I do have a class action lawsuit check coming for the blown water pump. Was looking to get a Mini JCW next which are pretty unreliable as well. Maybe a I'm a glutton for punishment. lol
I'm sure you're confused about the trim. You're reviewing the Autobahn the SE. Autobahn has the dual climate control with the upgraded wheels. It also doesn't have the cooled ventilated seats.
Surely this is the Autobahn trim, not the SE as you say. It has the wheels only standard on Autobahn in 2021.. and some of the other options mentioned as well, I believe. I have a 2018 SE and love it, but I'm upgrading to these 2021 Autobahn wheels because they're much lighter, and look really great as well.
I didn't see anyone else mention this in the comments section so I just want to point out... you mentioned at 8:51 that this is the SE trim but you are actually in the Autobahn trim ^^;. The Autobahn comes with those wheels (SE comes with black wheels), the sensors on the bumpers, auto climate controls, and the Fender sound system. The 2021 SE has none of those options.
Who doesn't like the Golf??
I was looking at the Golf R back in 2017 and almost got one BUT the price in my opinion was too high (45-47K). Red, quad exhaust and beautiful sexy RED plus the fact that I kept hearing bad things about the brand....who knows.
Excellent review as always
I really hope they finally fix the leaky speaker seal issues on the mk8 because 2 year old cars shouldn't be moldy.