Is the 2022 VW GTI Mk8 Really Worth $65,000?

[mattbrandcars]

Hey everyone, I recently spent the week with the new Mk8 GTI and I thought you guys as owners / enthusiasts would appreciate it most!

Happy to answer any questions about my time with the Mk8, or how it compares to the Mk7.5 TCR I reviewed last year

Cheers!

 

[SRGTD]

For those who don’t frequent the mk7 forum board where the same video has been posted by @mattbrandcars, here’s what I posted on the mk7 forum board;

‘@mattbrandcars; When I read the title of your post, I thought yikes! $65,000 and then realised you were from Australia, so it’s AUS $64k , not US dollars.

So in summary, great driver’s car but annoying user interface and VW have gone a step too far in removing the conventional controls for basic functions such as HVAC. That seems to also be the view of most reviewers. I disliked the way mk8 Golf looked when it was launched, but like many other cars with ‘questionable’ looks, you get used to it over time, and I quite like the way it looks now.

As for the price; as with most cars in video reviews, I dare say the car in your review has most options fitted (other than 19” alloys) hence the high price. I’m in the UK where most owners wouldn’t option a Golf GTI up to $65k - or whatever price point a car of the same spec as your test car would cost in the UK. It’s interesting that on price alone you mention the Kia Stinger as an alternative. In the UK you hardly ever see one on the road (I’ve seen no more than 4-5 in total) and depreciation on the Stinger is horrendous, which IMO would make the Golf GTI a better choice if you‘re spending your own cash on a car.

Something you may not have experienced in the short time with the car in your review is the numerous software bugs and gremlins that the mk8 Golf seems to be plagued with. These are discussed widely on most Golf forums and are a source of annoyance and frustration to owners. VW seem slow at rolling out fixes and software updates, and when they do, in many cases they’re don’t seem to be entirely successful. That would put me off buying a mk8 GTI or any mk8 Golf for now; maybe I’d consider buying one in 2-3 years time when hopefully VW will have been successful in fixing the software bugs, although in 2-3 years time, I might start looking at EV’s as a option to replace my current car .’