I Did a Bad Thing...

[Lonnie]

Nizmo:
Congrats on the car!
Looking forward to a full report with photos when you get around to the full detail.

Since you`ve already owned a VW, you are probably aware of the (supposedly) high cost of maintenance-and-parts. I`m just wondering if that is true in your experience. But like my late father used to say (I`ve used this before), "If you want to run with the big dogs , you`ve got to pay like the big dogs."

[PRND[S]]

I`ve had my MK7 R since March 2015, it was the first allocation car that my dealer received (though a few of the Lapiz Blue Launch Edition cars went there too).

The only issue I have had with the car was a problem with the radio sometimes forgetting which station was selected when I turned the car off. That was fixed by the dealer using a software update.

[Nizmo]

Nizmo:
Congrats on the car!
Looking forward to a full report with photos when you get around to the full detail.

Since you`ve already owned a VW, you are probably aware of the (supposedly) high cost of maintenance-and-parts. I`m just wondering if that is true in your experience. But like my late father used to say (I`ve used this before), "If you want to run with the big dogs , you`ve got to pay like the big dogs."

Honesty, if you have any mechanical ability and like to DIY, then you`re golden. I owned my MK5 Jetta for 4 years and 30k. Other than tires and a battery, nothing special needed fixed. Always used a VW 502 approved oi and oem filters. I hve bought a couple special tools, but that`s about it. German cars gotta be run, not abused, but run hard. There are alot of online vendors that sell oem parts for great prices. IMO VW`s need oem parts.

[PRND[S]]

Oil changes are super-easy on the Gen 3 E888 TSI engine with the oil filter conveniently mounted on top. It helps to have a oil extractor unless you have ramps though.

[Nizmo]

Update:



That is all....

[hot_h2o]

Love the new gti

[Nautical]

Congrats and nice hot hatch, the mk7 GTI/R are the best looking new model hatches out there in my opinion. I even considered the GTI before my ST, but I found the perfect ST before I found a perfect GTI. Now you just need to tint and lower it to really set it off!

[Nizmo]

Congrats and nice hot hatch, the mk7 GTI/R are the best looking new model hatches out there in my opinion. I even considered the GTI before my ST, but I found the perfect ST before I found a perfect GTI. Now you just need to tint and lower it to really set it off!

Thanks! Our strict tint laws kind of limit what I can put on there, it would pretty much look like nothing is on there. Lowering is honestly not an option. The roads here are not put together well and even my Rhino Ramps are now useless since the lower valance hits it

[Nautical]

Thanks! Our strict tint laws kind of limit what I can put on there, it would pretty much look like nothing is on there. Lowering is honestly not an option. The roads here are not put together well and even my Rhino Ramps are now useless since the lower valance hits it

True on both points I guess. I just can`t have a car without tint anymore, feels weird inside the cabin. As for lowering, if the roads are anything like Ohio`s than I can`t say I blame you, although I had a lowered car before up there and it did alright. Either way it won`t make or break the car, turbo hatches are still fun, except when it comes time to replace the front tires.

[PRND[S]]

I have 3M Crystalline tint (70% visible light transmission) on my car and it has been very good at dealing with the Southern California sun while retaining a stock look that doesn`t get me hassled for violating our tint laws, which are actually quite strict. Even if your air conditioning can keep up with the summer heat without the tint, with the tint it won`t have to work nearly as hard, keeping the cabin both cool and quiet.

[Accumulator]

Nizno- Just wanted to give you props for not dark-tinting nor lowering. Sensible, practical and functional are good IRL.

[Nizmo]

Nizno- Just wanted to give you props for not dark-tinting nor lowering. Sensible, practical and functional are good IRL.

It`s really going to look funny next winter on 16" steel wheels with snow tires

[Nautical]

Nizno- Just wanted to give you props for not dark-tinting nor lowering. Sensible, practical and functional are good IRL.

Not calling you out, but I fail to see how tint isn`t sensible, practical or functional? And the same for lowering to a certain degree, although that more or less depends on if it`s done properly and to what extreme. I have had no ill effects from doing either to my car versus when it was stock.

[Accumulator]

Not calling you out, but I fail to see how tint isn`t sensible, practical or functional? And the same for lowering to a certain degree, although that more or less depends on if it`s done properly and to what extreme. I have had no ill effects from doing either to my car versus when it was stock.

Good topic for a discussion I kinda enjoy having, even when the end-result is just agreeing to disagree

And FWIW, my Tahoe has (of course) oe dark tint on the rear door/luggage compartment windows.

And FWIW#2 (here`s the kicker considering what I`m gonna post ) my Crown Vic has *DARK* tint on everything except the windshield. Even the backlight. It was like that when I got it, done by the Govt. back when it was an in-service vehicle in TX.

So in the spirit of Do As I Say, NOT As I Do....

Dark tint makes it harder to see out. Doesn`t matter until it does, and if there`s a nighttime wreck aftermarket tint can fuel a lawsuit (BS or not). Heh heh, no...I`m not gonna post on the internet that my tint compromises my outward vision

Dark tint makes it harder to see *in* too. People have encountered [malevolent individuals] hiding in their vehicles and it`s harder to scope that with dark tint. OK, people will dismiss that as nonsense (hope that works for ya...) so I`ll move on to my #1 reason for not liking dark tint:

It makes it hard for LEOs to see inside the vehicle. Every LEO interaction with an unknown subject in a vehicle is fraught with peril for the officer. Not being able to see what they`re approaching when they go up to the vehicle puts them at elevated risk and they quite sensibly respond to that by being *especially* on-guard and ready for (violent) trouble. Huge increase in the potential for things to go sideways and *not* the way I want the interaction to start out (if only because there`s less chance of my LEO-friendly demeanor getting me off with a warning), especially if/when I have a (big) dog or two with me.

So every traffic stop in such vehicles means: ignition off (no more climate control)/windows down (hello precip, hope dog(s) doesn`t jump out to meet the new friend)/dome light(s) on/keys clearly visible on dash ("no sir, I will not hand them over")/open, clearly empty hands palms-up on steering wheel. Awful if the weather`s bad, worse with dog(s).

So *for me*, the bottom line is that the cool appearance and lowered interior temps can`t (here in Ohio) come close to balancing out the downsides, both realized and potential.

And if somebody with dark tint does *NOT* put the windows down prior to an interaction with LE, then sorry but I have zero sympathy if things go bad as I`m basically all about the LEO`s perspective.

Now if I lived in an area where it was always hot/sunny, and the LEOs were accustomed to the dark tint (not sure how that`d work, but I gather they do become desensitized and hey my Crown Vic doesn`t look like a "bad person`s car")...then I`d probably have a different opinion. IF I could see out of it easily. IF I weren`t generally paranoid about lawsuits. But here in Ohio, if I get written up for excessively dark tint I`ll redo the front windows with zero regrets and some day I might even see about having it taken off the backlight too (good luck not disturbing the defrost grid though) so the LEOs can see the dog(s) to some extent and not be surprised.

[Nizmo]

600 mile update.

Initial "break-in" stage is complete so I am finally able to take it to the redline. Full throttle pass to the redline will set you back in the seat, even running mid grade fuel. Average fuel economy is 28-29 according to the computer. In a car with 220 whp and 270 ft lb tq to the wheels, that is very respectable. The 5 cylinder Jetta would struggle 28 driving like grandma (not my grandma though, lol....) through the mountains. Already itching to do an APR stage 1 tune, which adds about 100 hp and tq for only $700ish. Will report after about 1500 miles when I change out the factory oil.