Prefer Austin to Detroit - 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Prefer Austin to Detroit - 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI Long-Term Road Test

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI marks a new generation for the original hot hatch, and punctuates its new look with a slick-looking new wheel.

Read the full story here

legacygt

I like 'em both. Over the past few years it has been well documented how VW has missed the mark with some vehicles. But the one area where they're consistently good is with wheels. These are nice. The Beetle also has some nice choices.

fandsw

The wheels on the right in the picture above are not Detroits, they are Hufeisen. Detroits are 17" and completely painted, while Hufeisen are 18" and have a polished face. Looking back at the pics of your previous long term 2010 GTI it definitely had Hufeisen wheels installed.

fordson1

Those are Detroits. Detroits are a Mk6 animal...black inlay. Huffs are a Mk5 animal and Inlays are dark gray.

The LT 2010 GTI was a Mk6, of course.

fordson1

And both Huffs and Detroits are 18" - Denvers are 17" and same color grey overall.

fandsw

My bad, I thought the Huffs carried forward from the Mk V to the Mk VI. It was the Denvers that were 17s.....I stand corrected.

miata52

When you rotate the tires from one side to the other, won't the wheels then be "backwards"?

kyfdx

miata52 said:

When you rotate the tires from one side to the other, won't the wheels then be "backwards"?

The new GTI doesn't have left and right wheels.. If you look at the "tail" of the spoke, you'll see that they point in two different directions, depending on which side of the car they are placed.

saulster

One thing about ALL of these VW wheels, they are VERY heavy! I also like the looks but after blowing out two low sidewall 18" tires on my Mk. 6 GTI on some rougher streets, I switched to some nice OZs from Tire Rack, over ten pounds less per wheel. Also a very nice looking wheel and you don't see this combination on every GTI rolling down the road. Total cost, including new Continental DWs, was under $2K.

For the performance drivers, that's a lot of weight, unsprung weight, and rotational mass easily eliminated. Also with the less weight should be a better, nicer ride quality although my less sensitive butt ride meter didn't notice much difference.

fordson1

Saulster is right...Detroits are 29 lbs. each. If someone made a forged wheel that look like these, I'd be on them.

darex

Both wheels are so vulnerable to curb rash, neither one is really suitable for city life. KIA does the same thing. I'm "done" with low-profile tires and flush rims. A fad -- and a bad one!

ducky10

On my 2010 GTI, I went from 24 pound 17 inch Denver wheels to the 29 pound Detroits (taken off a 2011 GTI with 500 miles)recently and noted no change in drivability aside from a better ride afforded by the Pirelli all season P Zero tires . The rims get positive comments. I have avoided curb rash-so far.