Quiggs
04-15-2006, 11:35 AM
(Ok, this is gonna get way long, so I'll do cliff notes at the end...)
So Thursday was really nice. It was about 80 degrees and sunny. My friend TJ is looking for a sport bike and wanted to go motorcycle shopping. We'd gone to one place the day before, and I'm not really a bike fan so I suggested we go look at some cars instead. He agreed. And off we were.
We drove back to our apartments and got changed. I looked up the nearest VW dealer I could find. See where this is going yet? So we hopped into der Uber Golf and took off. After a few minutes of being lost in Devon, PA, we found the place. I parked and we got out. And then I saw it.
"It" was a red '06 GTI Package 2 with the optional 18's and DSG. "It" was also a customer car. So we kept walking around the lot. Shortly we found probably 10 of them. Oh, they were beautiful... Red, white, black, and silver were all present. It didn't take long for a hawk- er, um... sales person... to approach us. I told him I was just looking at the GTIs and no intention of buying one today, or even in the near future. But he tempted me. He asked if I'd like to take one out. Yes, yes I would like to take one out.
So that guy introduced us to John, the dealer's GTI "expert." John was a nice guy. Especially as far as car salesmen go. He owns a 06 in United Gray with the DSG, and knew a lot about the car. He even had VWVortex up on his desktop when I came in.
I talked to him for a few minutes, explained that I was just looking, yada yada yada, and he grabbed the keys to a white Package 2 with DSG. I was a happy camper just looking at it. Now I was going to drive it. On the streets. Horray. We had to get gas as these cars were fresh off the truck. It had 12 miles on it. "Keep it under 5,000. Anything else is fair game." Awesome. So we got some gas. And then it was off.
Oh. My. God. I was skeptical going into it. I'd read all the reviews saying how it was so great, it handled, this and that. Whatever. Reviewers don't know anything. Especially at 3300+ pounds. But it was incredible. The 2.0T is such an incredibly torquey little motor. And the turbo lag is almost non-existant as long as you stay over 2000 rpm. Which isn't a problem for me. The DSG is smooth. It's really smooth. Even wide open 5500 rpm shifts were barely felt.
But I'm not a DSG kind of guy. There's something about banging out your own gear throws that gives you a sense of oneness with the car... So I asked if he had anything back on the lot that had a regular 6 speed. Of course he did. So next up was a red Package 1 with the optional 18's. Again, he needed a gas slip. So off he went into the dealer. My buddy TJ is now sitting in the driver's seat looking at the dash. He sees a row of buttons in front of the shifter, one of which is labeled "TCS OFF." He asked me what it meant. I told him to press it. Traction control is for the weak. So off we went again. This time with a proper transmission and no TCS. This was totally my style. I'll swallow my manly pride and admit I stalled it. Twice, in fact. But I picked it up pretty quick. And I really can't say enough about the 2.0T. It's a sweet little motor. Quiet at idle, loud enough at cruising and wide open, for a stock system anyway. And the diverter valve dump on shifts. Oi vey... I was hooked. And now with the TCS off, the car was even more excited when I opened it up. In fact, now it'd spin the tires going into 2nd gear. I could not wipe the smile off my face if I'd wanted to.
But alas, all good things must come to an end. We arrived back at the dealer. I got out. We discussed some of the car more. Like its standard Bi-Xenon headlights, the cool feature on the turn signal that will blink 3 times and go off for lane changes. The awesomely retro plaid seats. Even the possibilities of what may lie in the R36. He gave me his card. I told him I'd be back closer to the end of the year, maybe pick up a leave-over 06. Or if 07 has some new gadgets I may want one of those. It's now only a matter of "what color" instead of "do I want one?" or "what options do I want?"
It's a Package 1 with manual. Red or black? To be decided... I'm saving for a down payment, if anyone would like to make a donation.
I drove home really depressed about my Mk3. Maybe it's because I rolled backward into a pole and scratched my bumper. Maybe it's because the Golf is deathly slow compared to the 2.0T. Sigh...
Cliff Notes
-Drove new GTI
-DSG is fun for most people, not me
-Awesome features
-Doesn't feel like a 3300+ lb car
-Audi quality interior
-I want one...
So Thursday was really nice. It was about 80 degrees and sunny. My friend TJ is looking for a sport bike and wanted to go motorcycle shopping. We'd gone to one place the day before, and I'm not really a bike fan so I suggested we go look at some cars instead. He agreed. And off we were.
We drove back to our apartments and got changed. I looked up the nearest VW dealer I could find. See where this is going yet? So we hopped into der Uber Golf and took off. After a few minutes of being lost in Devon, PA, we found the place. I parked and we got out. And then I saw it.
"It" was a red '06 GTI Package 2 with the optional 18's and DSG. "It" was also a customer car. So we kept walking around the lot. Shortly we found probably 10 of them. Oh, they were beautiful... Red, white, black, and silver were all present. It didn't take long for a hawk- er, um... sales person... to approach us. I told him I was just looking at the GTIs and no intention of buying one today, or even in the near future. But he tempted me. He asked if I'd like to take one out. Yes, yes I would like to take one out.
So that guy introduced us to John, the dealer's GTI "expert." John was a nice guy. Especially as far as car salesmen go. He owns a 06 in United Gray with the DSG, and knew a lot about the car. He even had VWVortex up on his desktop when I came in.
I talked to him for a few minutes, explained that I was just looking, yada yada yada, and he grabbed the keys to a white Package 2 with DSG. I was a happy camper just looking at it. Now I was going to drive it. On the streets. Horray. We had to get gas as these cars were fresh off the truck. It had 12 miles on it. "Keep it under 5,000. Anything else is fair game." Awesome. So we got some gas. And then it was off.
Oh. My. God. I was skeptical going into it. I'd read all the reviews saying how it was so great, it handled, this and that. Whatever. Reviewers don't know anything. Especially at 3300+ pounds. But it was incredible. The 2.0T is such an incredibly torquey little motor. And the turbo lag is almost non-existant as long as you stay over 2000 rpm. Which isn't a problem for me. The DSG is smooth. It's really smooth. Even wide open 5500 rpm shifts were barely felt.
But I'm not a DSG kind of guy. There's something about banging out your own gear throws that gives you a sense of oneness with the car... So I asked if he had anything back on the lot that had a regular 6 speed. Of course he did. So next up was a red Package 1 with the optional 18's. Again, he needed a gas slip. So off he went into the dealer. My buddy TJ is now sitting in the driver's seat looking at the dash. He sees a row of buttons in front of the shifter, one of which is labeled "TCS OFF." He asked me what it meant. I told him to press it. Traction control is for the weak. So off we went again. This time with a proper transmission and no TCS. This was totally my style. I'll swallow my manly pride and admit I stalled it. Twice, in fact. But I picked it up pretty quick. And I really can't say enough about the 2.0T. It's a sweet little motor. Quiet at idle, loud enough at cruising and wide open, for a stock system anyway. And the diverter valve dump on shifts. Oi vey... I was hooked. And now with the TCS off, the car was even more excited when I opened it up. In fact, now it'd spin the tires going into 2nd gear. I could not wipe the smile off my face if I'd wanted to.
But alas, all good things must come to an end. We arrived back at the dealer. I got out. We discussed some of the car more. Like its standard Bi-Xenon headlights, the cool feature on the turn signal that will blink 3 times and go off for lane changes. The awesomely retro plaid seats. Even the possibilities of what may lie in the R36. He gave me his card. I told him I'd be back closer to the end of the year, maybe pick up a leave-over 06. Or if 07 has some new gadgets I may want one of those. It's now only a matter of "what color" instead of "do I want one?" or "what options do I want?"
It's a Package 1 with manual. Red or black? To be decided... I'm saving for a down payment, if anyone would like to make a donation.
I drove home really depressed about my Mk3. Maybe it's because I rolled backward into a pole and scratched my bumper. Maybe it's because the Golf is deathly slow compared to the 2.0T. Sigh...
Cliff Notes
-Drove new GTI
-DSG is fun for most people, not me
-Awesome features
-Doesn't feel like a 3300+ lb car
-Audi quality interior
-I want one...