Volkswagen GTI

WHERE WE WENT: Most long-term updates begin with what we like, but we’re starting this one with a road trip from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Los Angeles, California. The Ann Arbor office, in a display of largess, took the long-term Subaru WRX back to Michigan and sent us the long-term Volkswagen GTI for the fall and winter. Since the GTI arrived in September, the West Coast crew has kept the VW in constant motion. When it’s not sluicing through Los Angeles traffic it has traveled to San Francisco three times and to San Diego four times. It’s an incredibly comfortable highway star, and with the cruise set at 80 mph, the GTI’s fuel economy rises into the low 30s.
On these long hauls, seat comfort has been praised. But it’s not just the tartan-covered front chairs that garner compliments, as rear-seat riders have found the back seats to be spacious, supportive, and easy to get into thanks to the square roofline and large door openings.

Headquarters has started asking about when we might want to swap out the GTI. We’re reluctant to give it back, but their promise of the long-term Mazda Miatamay assuage the loss.

WHAT WE LIKE: In L.A. traffic we’ve come to appreciate the light clutch-pedal effort and the effortless throws of the GTI’s six-speed manual transmission. A good manual is a pleasure to use, even when the freeway comes to a grinding halt. While the traffic tries to convince us that autonomous cars are the future, the GTI keeps us comfortable until there’s a break in the gridlock and we can properly exercise the 2.0-liter turbo.

Southern California has more than just traffic, so we’ve taken the GTI out into the mountains both as a photo vehicle for comparison tests and for fun. Outside of the city, the GTI never fails to delight. The chassis, supple in normal use, tackles mountain roads with complete ease, and the turbocharged engine never runs out of breath at altitude. We’ve yet to encounter an environment that doesn’t suit the GTI, but we haven’t taken it off-road. Now, how far is the Rubicon from L.A.?

WHAT WENT WRONG: Hard runs through the canyons may explain why the front tires wore out after 24,181 miles. We replaced them with the same Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires. Ordered from the Tire Rack, they were $253.75 each. With installation and shipping, the new rubber set us back $579.30.

The GTI calls for service every 10,000 miles. The first service is free, but you’ll be reaching for the wallet when the 20K job rolls around. At 21,330 miles, we took the GTI to Volkswagen of Downtown L.A.; a glorified oil change, with a host of inspections and a new cabin air filter, totaled $269.95. The tires were supposed to be rotated, but the dealer didn’t do the work. Plus the service cost was padded with items like battery cleaner ($8.67), a charge for washer solvent ($1.87), and a $13.45 fuel additive. Volkswagen doesn’t require these extras, but dealer service recommendations and manufacturer recommendations rarely agree. We’ll have to be more vigilant in the future to make sure the dealer does only the work recommended by VW.

The GTI rang in the 2016 New Year with a broken driver’s-side front window. In addition to the loss of a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, the break-in cost us $235 for a new window and installation. The only other car broken into on the street happened to be one of the GTI’s platform-mates, an Audi A3. Clearly the thieves were drawn to Volkswagen’s MQB architecture.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: There’s not much in the logbook as far as complaints. One shorter driver complained about her knee hitting the steering column, but moving the steering wheel up and the seat cushion down alleviated the problem. After spending 2800 miles with the GTI, technical assistant Zeb Sadiq had only one complaint: that he didn’t own one. Everyone who has driven the GTI since it arrived in California feels exactly the same way.

Months in Fleet: 11 months Current Mileage: 27,625 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 29 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Fuel Range: 385 miles 
Service: $269.95 Normal Wear: $579.30 Repair: $0 
Damage and Destruction: $235