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The turbocharged engine in the GTI has a higher compression ratio than a standard run of the mill 4 cylinder engine. In order to achieve the higher working pressures in the engine, a higher octane is needed to prevent early detonation. Use regular gas and cylinders may fire too early, throwing off the engine timing and introducing engine knock. This scenario leads to high stress on internal engine components and leads to premature engine wear.
If the car was designed to run on 91 octane - so just give it 91 octane. I'm not a big fan of people running regular gas in a higher compression ratio engine till it pukes. If the extra 2 bucks per fill is too steep, then get a Golf...errr... Rabbit.
With the fluctuations in gas prices over the past year in my area (Washington DC) premium gas (91 octane) has remained steady at 15 cents above the regular grade (87 octane) price. When regular gas increases in price, premium gas has been going up in parallel - always costing about 15 cents more. I don't think one has to worry about premium fuel costing outrageously more than regular (unless there is a big time fuel shortage).
The turbocharged 4 cylinder engine gives you the performance of a V6 with the economy of a 4 banger. Since most of my driving is city/suburbs I save quite a bit on gas operating the GTI as opposed to a V6 mustang which runs on regular.
I am amazed too -- the manufacturer makes octane recommendations for a reason. I don't really see why everyone cares so much about that $100 a year considering a $22-28k car purchase.
One reason to avoid buying used cars, heh.
-TA
An interesting thing to note is that octane is a linear additive. By mixing equal parts 89 and 93 you get 91. But don't take my word for it, check out this website:
http://www.repairfaq.org/filipg/AUTO/F_Gasoline6.html
It has basically everything you ever wanted to know about octane. To save you some trouble here is the blurb about mixing octanes...
6.15 Can I mix different octane fuel grades?
Yes, however attempts to blend in your fuel tank should be carefully planned. You should not allow the tank to become empty, and then add 50% of lower octane, followed by 50% of higher octane. The fuels may not completely mix immediately, especially if there is a density difference. You may get a slug of low octane that causes severe knock. You should refill when your tank is half full. In general the octane response will be linear for most hydrocarbon and oxygenated fuels eg 50:50 of 87 and 91 will give 89.
...or in our case 50:50 89 and 93 will give 91... check out the last paragraph in my post number 1159 in this forum. I'd show you the link I based that on but I can't find it...
On a separate note I gave my GTI some gallop time past 100 mph. Felt solid, but it was still quite exciting. For some reason my ride is like a wildlife magnet...I've inadvertantly run over 3 squirrels and had near misses with three rabbits and a few birds. I guess I'm getting the drop on them or something. Stupid wildlife, my fast doesn't like to stop!
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part1/preamble.html
part 3 is what I posted in the previous message, but this link has a few more questions/answers.
Enjoy
I used to fill only 93 to my VR6 for the past year, now I will try to mix the 93 and 87 using the formula of (miles driven X 0.033 to get the gallon of 93 to be filled, then I fill 93 first, and the remaining tank I will fill 87 until its full, this is the cheapest way to ge 91. This is based on the fact that I always get 20-20.5 mpg for every tank. I have not noticed any difference in power output or fuel efficiency for using 93 or 91.
:shades:
I hear there are lot of nice places on the MD eastern shore as well.
I plan on leaving it stock. For normal daily use I doubt I'd notice any changes in the brake/suspension/airflow. On my last car I put in a cold air intake. I noticed a small increase in performance but overall I'm not sure it was worth it. I've noticed a lot of mods end up being transparent - you install them and you forget them. The only thing I might add would be a boost gauge. I need to check to see what that does to my warranty...
i just bought the consumer reports summer car buyer's guide, and it predicted that overall reliability would be below average. it looks like it was based more or less solely on its electrical issues.
being a non-vw owner, i have no idea what kind of electrical issues vws have. i've heard that the worst of it actually is only that the check engine light comes on when you don't tighten the gas cap enough, for some reason. do any of you new MkV owners have any similar issues with your GTIs yet? i know it's only been out for like three months stateside, but i was wondering if you've had any problems at all.
i was also wondering about the real-world gas efficiency of the vehicle. there probably has been a lot of posts about this already, but consumer reports' june issue gave them 25 mpg in mixed driving. given that i drive roughly 75% hwy, could i expect the same kind of performance? would it be worthwhile to own this car?
thanks!
I believe the GTI threads are contained in the Golf MkV forum area. You can also check out the 2006 jetta forums here on insideline since many of the components are shared between models.
Yeah, it's no secret VW reliability has been a turd in the last decade. However I think the company has been working to shed that reputation. I guess I'll find out if I was right in the next 5 years.
As for the mileage, I'd say if you have an efficient driving style (i.e. if you get close to epa numbers in your current car), you should get around 27-29 mpg with 75% highway.
My last half tank had 55% highway and 45% suburban driving and I got 27.5 mpg. The GTI (like all cars) will get really crummy mileage with a cold engine. The only time I see below the epa numbers is when I do a trip less than 5 miles.
what does the "reliability" issue entail? besides the obvious things, such as doing my preventative maintenance on time, using the right octane fuel, and not crashing it, what else should i worry about? i don't know what previous GTI models are like - everyone loves their VW, but they consistently seem to get the same reliability issues. how often can i expect to have to bring it into the shop?
Happy to report that I'm now an official MkV owner! Now I've been studying my manual carefully these past few days but have not found any explanation of the valet key. Are there any restrictions when using this key or is it essentially the same as the main owner keys? (Minus the switchblade and remote arm/disarm features.)
Thanks in advance,
Tulio
The GTI, which is a sporty version of the VW Golf, is now the top-ranked sporty car under $25,000 among the 11 different coupes and sedans recently tested by Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports also does not define what they consider to be a 'serious problem'. The reader when filling out the survey decides what he/she considers to be serious.
Here is a pretty good article by some good 'ol boys at allpar:
http://www.allpar.com/cr.html
1995 VW Cabrio
1998 Passat 1.8T
2001 GTI
2003 Passat 1.8T Wagon
We have had no significant electrical problems with the 4 cars.
The GTI had the electric window lifts fail @ 18,000 miles, inconvient, but warranty repaired. Passat Sedan had a fuel pump problem, covered. Passat Wagon had heated seat and fuel pump problems, covered under recall program. Overall, I find the cars to be reliable, but there is wear over 45k and the ride is not as tight at turn in.
As to MPG, the GTI can get excellent mileage if you use the trip computer and try real hard. But, it is simply too much fun to drive. I accelerate entirely differently in my 2005 A4 1.8T. I actually get 3 MPGs more than the GTI despite > weight and the quattro AWD. But, it is a smoother luxury ride and I just don't have the impulse to hop on it like I did in the GTI.
And, I missed the POWER. I got a great deal on the last of the small mouth, 1.8T, A4s. My next car, if I was shopping today, would be a 2.0T GLI and the lease would be $50/mos higher than the Audi. I'd miss the AWD, but the car would be approximately the same size and I expect I'd enjoy the additional 10% HP.
There have been 3 instances where all of my Sirius presets have been completely erased and reset. Has anyone else experienced this issue?
Meanwhile, WARDS AUTOMOTOVE announced VW has announced the R32 with V6 and around 256 HP will be reappearing on our shores in July 2007. That is the only major VW introduction for 2007.
Get your checkbooks bulked up...your smiling VW dealer's in heaven with the ADM they'll get for this one!
:lemon:
maybe in '07 ? :shades:
OK - I just checked the J.D. Power site - they have no rating yet for the MkV GTI because the model "is too new". From previous reviews, VWs had at most twice as many complaints as the best rated cars. Even that I find acceptable, given what you get in the total package. I guess it depends on your priorities...
Also, when we shut the engine off, there was a sound like a fan or something running down. Turbo? Something else? I have no experience with vw or turbos, so this is all new to me.
Thanks for any help.
I would phrase it as "... between a great package of luxury, comfort, attention to design detail, performance, and handling --- and a small, but liveable decrease in reliability, on the other hand". YMMV.
PS:
Getting close to a combined 250,000 miles on my current two VWs. Only (combined, two-car) problems in the past 80,000 miles: a small oil leak covered under warranty; and a failed windshield wiper motor and wheel bearing that both were fixed for very little money (plus got a free oil change on top). Got a free loaner for the oil leak; the other stuff took little time to fix.
I once owned a VW GTI and I won't go into the litany of issues I had with that car. But I still liked it when it wasn't making me scream at it, so I understand the dedication to this brand. But you need to stop pretending the world is against poor little VW for no reason. Your experience may be different, but VW earned it's reputation fair and square - by making cars that broke far too often for far too many people. It's not a bias, it's a fact. Even VW's management has said they need to cut warranty related costs by 50% to be competitive! If not for a relatively small core of diehard buyers, they might have left the U.S. market years ago.
And it's not just CR. Nearly every car mag review of a VW product I've read recently ends with something like "If VW can address their reliability issues..." It's common knowledge.
VW has been selling cars in the U.S. for a MUCH longer time than a company like Hyundai. Hyundai's early cars were a sad joke in terms of quality and reliability. But with a dedicated focus on making better cars, they have vaulted past VW in a few short years. Why? They build cars that people like, can afford, and recommend to others. Are they as fun to drive? No way. But that wasn't the priority. VW has had ages to build a reputation here and yet they sell a fraction of what Hyundai does. They have no one else to blame - and neither do you.
I hope VW gets it's act together because they build cars for enthusiasts. I look at every new model. That's why I'm looking in this forum. But even the most dedicated enthusiasts expect basic reliability for more than a short time. Having the flatbed guy on speed dial is something most people won't tolerate - and shouldn't have to. That's why VW is still on the fringe. It's not because of Consumer Reports.
Here is, withouth a doubt, the best perspective on VW that I've ever read, anywhere.
Mechanic’s Tale: VW, Heal Thyself
Here is, withouth a doubt, the best perspective on VW that I've ever read, anywhere.
Mechanics Tale: VW, Heal Thyself
Luckily, as in politics, nothing good ever comes out of smearing your competition with unfounded, poorly-researched, transparent campaigns --- especially, when the source of money is easily traced.
The author of that article is an auto mechanic. If anything, he has more to gain by having more VW's on the road.
Perhaps I'm missing your point; what, exactly, are you implying? Please be specific.
Without trying to sound like too much of a wise-guy, I'd say it's because VW has had a lot of problems over the years.
Do a search for "defective coil pack VW" on Google - you'll get 16,600 hits. Change it to "bad coil pack VW", and you get 83,000 hits.
Do another search on "broken window lift problem VW" - I get 175,000 hits.
Scroll up to post 1264, and follow the link "Mechanic’s Tale: VW, Heal Thyself".
Regarding the other brands you mention, well...this is a VW forum, so I won't comment on them one way or the other.
:shades:
"Do another search on "broken window lift problem VW" - I get 175,000 hits."
So what does that prove? Type in "Toyota sucks" and you get 680,000 hits. Better yet, type in "Toyota bad transmission" and you get 1,450,000 hits. Type in "bad transmission Toyota" and you get 1,460,000 hits. You know Google picks out any site that has a combination of those words right? In fact, a site doesn't even have to have all the words in the search to show up as a hit.
Now I'm not one to be blinded by brand loyalty. I tried that once with Dodge and it got me two bad transmissions. VW's problem is they, like all the other automakers, are putting too much gimicky, electronic crap in their cars.
Plus VW shouldn't be trying to move up-market. The Phaeton, while a supurb automobile and a bargain in it's class, is proof of that.
But in terms of actual people I know, hands down VW people are the most pleased with their cars and none have experienced problems. So far relying on that type of data has been working for me and I'll stick with it. :shades:
Your limited sampling of "actual people I know" probably isn't valid, statistically-speaking. Check Consumer Reports. Check enthusiast websites like VWVortex - even there, you'll see tons of posts on the coil pack and window lift problems.
I TOTALLY agree with you about the "electronic crap" in cars!
It's going to be sad, in 10-15 years, that nobody will be able to restore these things, because they won't have all the parts available to make all that stuff work.
I read an article about a guy with a 2002 Chevy Venture van, who can't get it fixed, because GM can't supply a replacement catalytic converter!!! link title
Can you imagine how hard it'll be to track down some really obscure part in a few years??
Re: the Phaeton - I've only seen a few on the road - I saw one last week, as a matter of fact. From what I've read, they're nice, but overweight. VW should never have made them, at least as a VW. Perhaps sold them as Audis?
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