Volkswagen GTI 1.8T

VW's GTI is a darn nice car. It's got a terrific stereo, gorgeous interior and more luxury amenities than a Lincoln Town Car. In other words, the original hot hatch has lost touch with its roots. Remember when fun to drive meant back-to-basics control feel, a simple engine with adequate power and a not-so-embarrassing price tag? Those days ended long ago at VW.

We enjoy a nice interior as much as anyone, but function follows form so closely, it hurts the GTI's performance. We'll start with the seats, which could use some bolstering to save the white knuckling we experienced during hard driving. The steering wouldn't be bad, except it contacts the road through long-wearing Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires. And the throttle. Oh, the throttle. Drive-by-wire is more often a curse than a blessing and the calibration used in the GTI is terrible. The throttle is slow to respond and has a general feeling of disconnect and vagueness. Combine that with an easily heat-soaked intercooler and getting the GTI moving on a hot day is a choice between stalling and wheelspin (or bogging if the electronic stability control isn't disabled).

The engine is certainly respectable, delivering the group's second highest power rating (although we've yet to see a stock customer car make this much power). The GTI scored high marks for power delivery and the tunability that comes with a turbo engine. The power helped the GTI tie with the Mazdaspeed Protegé for third quickest quarter-mile elapsed time but the GTI was slightly faster (91.8 mph vs. 89.4 mph) through the traps.

The luxury theme continues through the GTI's suspension. Carefully increasing the GTI's damping, spring rates and roll stiffness would go a long way toward making the car truly fun to drive. As is, it wallows through hard driving with the grace of a water buffalo escaping a starving crocodile. Turn-in leads immediately to the front tires washing out, followed by a stubborn reluctance to rotate. Throw even the slightest bump into the mix and the whole car will bounce from bump stop to droop stop with sometimes frightening results. Throw in some serious body roll and you end up with the slowest slalom speed of the group. In all, the GTI is a fundamentally good package taken to new lows by an overabundance of luxury.

Best Feature: Power. In a way, it's good the stock tires are so bad. You'll want to replace them anyway, and the GTI's big wad of turbocharged torque will help you destroy them.

Worst Feature: The suspension is so soft and wallowy, we would have sworn the GTI was 300 lb heavier than it really is. The ride quality, of course, is excellent.

First three things we'd modify

1: The entire suspension
Leave no stone unturned. Springs, shocks, anti-roll bars, bushings, tires. Look for a kit that has the first three or four tuned together; there are plenty of them. This chassis can be made to handle well if you try.

2: Limited-slip differential
Yes, every car should have one, but especially every car with 179 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. This car is where Quaife got started in the United States. Call Quaife.

3: Bigger intercooler
It's alarming how many tuned 1.8Ts use the stock intercooler. We heat-soaked that tiny little thing in just a few minutes of hard driving.

Base price: $18,910
Measured horsepower at the wheels: 171 hp @ 6300 rpm
Curb weight as tested: 2,890 lb