2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review: 40 Years Of Hot-Hatch Greatness
The first Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch was a new take on the humble hatchback when it first arrived in the US in 1983 called the Rabbit. The recipe was simple - take a Golf 1, strap it down with sports suspension, give it fat tires, and fit a feisty engine to create a fun and affordable car that performs and handles like something more expensive. Fast-forward 40 years and the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI we review here has grown in size, stature, and price over eight generations. Built on an evolution of the MQB platform that also underpinned Golf 7, the latest model's 241 horsepower is nearly three times as much as the original's 90 hp. How times have changed! One thing that hasn't changed is the GTI's fun-loving character, its hatchback practicality, and its relatively affordable price tag. But it now sits in a niche below true hot hatches like the Honda Civic Type R and its AWD Golf R sibling. People will also cross-shop the milder Honda Civic Si sedan, but its biggest rival is arguably the superb and similarly priced new Toyota GR Corolla - a manual hot hatch with a rally-derived AWD system. Does the GTI have an answer for that? Let's find out.
What's The Price Of The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI?
The price of the Volkswagen Golf GTI S starts at $30,530 this year - a modest increase of only $650. After that follows the new 40th Anniversary Edition at $33,055, the SE at $35,330, and the Autobahn at $39,070. These prices are for the car in its default configuration with no-cost paint and the six-speed manual transmission. Upgrading to the seven-speed DSG automatic will cost you $800 on any of the trims. Take note that these prices for the Volkswagen Golf GTI are MSRP and exclude the $1,095 destination charge.
2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI Handling And Driving Impressions
Not every GTI has been a handling champion but the Mk 8 serves an ace. It makes you forget it's not the quickest or most powerful in its class and is a timely reminder of the pleasure to be had from a properly balanced chassis in this age of excess. A bit like a FWD Miata, the GTI is light on its feet and eggs the driver on to push harder and harder, squeezing every last bit of fun from the package without ever feeling like you're courting disaster. The balance is neutral and the suspension is superb at rounding off the hard edges when hitting road scars, while keeping lean in check. The brakes and steering are expertly tuned and responsive too, but the manual's shift action and clutch takeup both feel a bit vague. Thanks to that electronic LS diff, the GTI puts its power down deftly when bolting out of corners and the engine pulls with enthusiasm from low down in the rev range and never runs out of puff. The latest GTI does its legacy proud and still offers accessible, exploitable fun in the quintessential hot-hatch tradition.
Verdict: Is The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI A Good Car?
If you enjoy the relative simplicity of a FWD hot hatch and you remember the fun-loving character that endeared previous Golf GTIs to their owners, you'll love the Mk 8 GTI. It's everything that makes the GTI great and while it's not the best at anything, it still offers what GTIs always did - a superbly balanced hot hatch with accessible and fun performance mixed with great handling. All of that comes at a substantially lower price than a Type R. But that gaping maw bearing down in the rearview mirror belongs to the GR Corolla and it's spoiling for a fight. Far closer to the GTI in price, the 300-hp Toyota has a stick shift too, but its real party piece is that adjustable AWD system and superb suspension that allow you to make use of all those horses. Chances are you've already made up your mind if you're a GTI person, but except for its tighter second row and smaller trunk, the Toyota is arguably now the best hot hatch at this price level.
What 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI Model Should I Buy?
The GTI SE strikes us as the best deal in the lineup. It specs up the base S with just the right features, such as a sunroof, a bigger touchscreen, navigation, and a premium audio system. It takes what's great about the GTI and specs it with the best nice-to-haves at a hefty $8k saving over a Type R, so it looks like good value too. The more expensive Autobahn treads on the toes of the quicker competition and has a tougher job to make a case for itself. The fly in the ointment is not any of the GTI trims, but that GR Corolla that costs exactly the same money as a GTI SE.