[GT145]

Originally Posted by graaja

If the rotors are good and you are trying to improve braking, then I would suggest Brembo red pads with stock rotors.

Thank you, rotors are in good condition, so far just 11K KM done. Will try the pads first, red pads cost 3.8K now from carzspares, I can see prices around 2.5K as per update in many posts dated 2014, 1.3K increase in 2 years looks pretty steep. How many KM's you have done with the pads so far ?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by GT145

Thank you, rotors are in good condition, so far just 11K KM done. Will try the pads first, red pads cost 3.8K now from carzspares, I can see prices around 2.5K as per update in many posts dated 2014, 1.3K increase in 2 years looks pretty steep. How many KM's you have done with the pads so far ?

Yes. The price has gone up steeply. I heard this is the next generation design.

I changed the pads around 2.5K kms on the odo, and now the car has done 6.7k kms, so about 4.2k kms done with these pads.

[anshumandun]

I recently read an article titled "It's high time we should talk about Farhan Akhtar's voice". The article was about Farhan's enthusiasm to sing and do concerts all over India despite of not having professional skill level of singing. The article was kind of funny but I could relate to it as I had myself attended Farhan's concert once and found the performance entertaining but not pleasing to the ears. The article title said "high time" because no one ever wrote about it which is probably due to Farhan's 'good boy' image and decent fan following.

That article made me realize that maybe its high time that I too write about the shortfalls of GT TSI which I had been ignoring till now and was scared to share in this environment where everyone is a fan and super happy with their GT (including me if you see my previous posts).

Before I go there, let me be clear that I am a GT TSI fan, big time! I turn twice to check her out everytime I park her and walk away. I find excuses to take her out on the highway whenever I can. I wait for a chance to be first in line at a red signal and engage Sports mode! I’m calling it ‘her’.

But here’s some bitter truth. The GT is not as comfortable as my previous car Etios Liva. The Liva had a very soft suspension which meant that it was not a very confidence inspiring handler at high speeds but daily city commute was much more comfortable. Liva would just absorb small potholes and bumps which the GT does not. This is most pronounced when I have to clear around 10 speed bumps inside my apartment complex to reach my parking spot. I have to ensure that both the front tyres go on the hump together to minimize the movement otherwise the car just wants to throw around the passengers vigorously.

Just before my parking spot, there is a cemented floor which has a small undulation on one side which I had never noticed with my Liva but the GT suspensions ensures that the car has a sideways sort of movement there to make you aware of the undulation’s presence.

Second is the steering. The steering has a heavy feel to it which is amazing for highway runs and in regular routes but it’s a pain in cramped places. Again, my apartment complex is where this problem accentuates. I have to take more than ten 90 degree turns to reach my parking spot and then parking the car in a tight space between 2 pillars again needs considerable steering effort. When I compare this with my previous car Liva or my sister’s i20 elite or my parent’s Q3’s super light steering, I do feel that I might be happier with a lighter steering on the GT.

Third is the space. While the Liva could put some next class sedans to shame in terms of space, the GT puts me to shame when I offer carpooling to my office colleagues.

Is there anyone else who feels the same way about the otherwise awesome GT TSI?

[vijayvelprakash]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

Is there anyone else who feels the same way about the otherwise awesome GT TSI?

This car is in my shopping list and I will be deciding in the next couple of weeks. I agree with you on the suspension and rear space which I was able to make out from the TD.

I did not have trouble on the steering but this is felt only from the TD. You have more experience on this and your observation may be valid on the long run. I will have a watch for this if I make a decision to buy the TSI.

Let us see what other owners have to say.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

Is there anyone else who feels the same way about the otherwise awesome GT TSI?

Hey anshuman, I can share my views of GT albeit it is the TDI variant, that i have had for 2.6 yrs and 36K kms:

- My previous car was Getz Prime and there are no 2 ways about the fact that GT/Polo is a downgrade here with respect to the interior space on offer. The Korean hatch was just too cleverly designed and probably is still the most spacious hatch ever from Hyundai stable.

- Steering on the Getz was a Hydraulic unit, so the GT steering was so easy to me. However, I agree to the fact that modern Hyundai & Honda steerings are a boon for city/tight parking spots. My brother's I-gen I20 steering almost feels like over servoed whenever I get behind the wheels of his car.

- The suspensions are great for high speed runs but for uneven roads, they can toss you all around. I also run a lower profile rubber on my GT and hence have to slow down almost to a stop to negotiate any crack/fissures/bumps on the road if I don't want that bone jarring feeling.

- Owning Hyundai was almost as easy as my first-gen Bajaj Pulsar. I never once bothered about all the mods, low maintenance to some extent, etc with my Getz as I know it was almost indestructible with that strong A.S.S backup. With the GT however, I am always treading a tight rope and though not consciously, prepared for the unforeseen or unexpected. The journey of the car breaking down to getting it sorted is just a harrowing ordeal to go through !!

All said and done:

Everything is forgotten once that RPM touches 1800-2000 and the turbo spools

[graaja]

Originally Posted by vijayvelprakash

I did not have trouble on the steering but this is felt only from the TD. You have more experience on this and your observation may be valid on the long run. I will have a watch for this if I make a decision to buy the TSI.

Let us see what other owners have to say.

Originally Posted by anshumandun

...
Is there anyone else who feels the same way about the otherwise awesome GT TSI?

Agree with the non-existent leg room and harsh suspension.

But I feel that the steering is actually very light (I have mentioned this as a dislike in my ownership thread). I changed to 205 tires to slightly increase steering weight.

Having said that, maybe the heavy steering that you are experiencing is because of the concrete floor. On concrete floor, the friction is more which will result in a heavier steering. It should become light when you get on road. Have you compared the steering feeling on the concrete in your building vs. on road?

[anshumandun]

Originally Posted by graaja

Having said that, maybe the heavy steering that you are experiencing is because of the concrete floor. On concrete floor, the friction is more which will result in a heavier steering. It should become light when you get on road. Have you compared the steering feeling on the concrete in your building vs. on road?

Yes, the steering is heavier on the concrete floor compared to tarmac. I do not find the steering heavy in regular driving on roads. In fact, it's fun and very confidence inspiring on the ghat sections. It's only during some tight maneuvers that it becomes irritating for me.

I feel that the steering is heavy maybe because all the other cars that I have used/use have lighter steerings (City, Liva, Q3).

Is there any other car in the GT price range which has a steering with as much weight as the GT?

[AbhisheKulkarni]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

Is there anyone else who feels the same way about the otherwise awesome GT TSI?

Well, no car is perfect and the GT TSI is no exception.

What I hate about mine:
1. The constant need to move the gear lever from D to N (and vice-versa) during stop-start traffic. I just loved Mercs' steering mounted gear switch. Or VW could just provide a lever to toggle between S/D and N on the steering console. This takes away from the convenience of using an automatic and feels just like my erstwhile manual tranny car where I used to constantly slot the gear level into N in stop-start traffic (wasn't much of a 1st gear clutch-slip warrior).

2. The steering has become quite heavy after some upgrade to the ECU I think. It was pretty light when I bought the car, and then when I gave it to the service center for DSG jerking issues, they did a SW upgrade. The steering has become quite heavy since then. However, since it is much better for highway driving now, haven't really bothered to fix this.

3. The front bumper's lip is just too low. I've managed to scrape mine several times.

4. The head-lamps. Boy they are bad. I wonder why VW doesn't go for an improvement in headlamps as opposed to providing relatively use-less features like auto-folding ORVMs!

5. The suspension. While it is PERFECT for highway drives and rides like a sedan, it's pretty useless for rough city roads. I have to slow down to an absolute crawl (5 kph) to get through rough roads.

6. The last and the worst: the GT label. VW stop kidding me. This is no GT. It's not even a warm hatch. The Ford Focus RS is a hot-hatch. The Porsche Cayman GT4 is a GT car. The Polo GTI is a true GT. But seriously? Polo GT TSI? They should cease the pretense and just change the name to Polo TSI DSG, like the Vento. It's a great petrol automatic hatchback and nothing more.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Probably a silly question, but for those experiencing heavy steering: tyre pressures? Polo steering soon becomes heavy as they drop. It's the thing that tells me I need air!

[lHarpreetl]

Can someone suggest the best outlet in terms of Volkswagen sales and service in Pune based on their experiences. Thanks in Advance.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by lHarpreetl

Can someone suggest the best outlet in terms of Volkswagen sales and service in Pune based on their experiences. Thanks in Advance.

VW B.U. Bhandari is your best bet. Many bhpians from Pune have got their VW's from them and are happy about their service too.

[lHarpreetl]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

VW B.U. Bhandari is your best bet. Many bhpians from Pune have got their VW's from them and are happy about their service too.

Thanks Mate. How is TSI DSG been working for others here?Apart from regular issues such as suspension and steering has there been reports of DSG gear boxes issues. All DSG TSI owners please shed some light on recent issues that you might have faced or have been facing. I am one of those stuck in serious dilemma of buying TSI or not and Reliability is haunting me, not to mention that it's one heck of a gearbox.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by lHarpreetl

Thanks Mate. How is TSI DSG been working for others here?Apart from regular issues such as suspension and steering has there been reports of DSG gear boxes issues. All DSG TSI owners please shed some light on recent issues that you might have faced or have been facing. I am one of those stuck in serious dilemma of buying TSI or not and Reliability is haunting me, not to mention that it's one heck of a gearbox.

Go for it.
Torque figures of 1.2 TSI are way below the ratings of the 7 speed DSG. I don't know a single Polo GT owner who has complained about a crashed/failed DSG.
The same gearbox is now plonked in a Ameo Diesel, which has much more torque.
I think VW is pretty confident about the 7 speed DSG. They won't risk putting it in Ameo (volume player compared to GT) unless its been thoroughly tested.

[lHarpreetl]

Originally Posted by freedom

Go for it.
Torque figures of 1.2 TSI are way below the ratings of the 7 speed DSG. I don't know a single Polo GT owner who has complained about a crashed/failed DSG.
The same gearbox is now plonked in a Ameo Diesel, which has much more torque.
I think VW is pretty confident about the 7 speed DSG. They won't risk putting it in Ameo (volume player compared to GT) unless its been thoroughly tested.

Thanks freedom, I have also been reading and issues are more related to diesel units as compared to petrol. That's something that gives me confidence. I was just reading the unreliable Vento thread and this is how you start moving away from the brand after reading so much pain from the users about the issues they have faced all these years. I have in my mind that maintenance cost will be a little on a higher side as compared to other counterparts however haunts me is getting stranded in the middle of no where. In my 6 years of ownership of Hyundai I20 I have never faced any such issues apart from regular ones so such stories haunt me when I plan to keep the car for 6-7 years.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by lHarpreetl

Thanks Mate. How is TSI DSG been working for others here?Apart from regular issues such as suspension and steering has there been reports of DSG gear boxes issues. All DSG TSI owners please shed some light on recent issues that you might have faced or have been facing. I am one of those stuck in serious dilemma of buying TSI or not and Reliability is haunting me, not to mention that it's one heck of a gearbox.

Have a Vento TSI just about to complete 3 years and ~31000 km. No noticeable issues with the DSG. D mode has become a little sluggish, but that is probably because it has become conservative as the car is spending a lot of time in traffic. A reset should fix it. Maintenance has been the regular service visits. I have summarized the 30,000 km ownership in this post. Covers all major highlights of the ownership experience so far.

But whatever said and done, it is a Volkswagen DSG, there will always be a small fear. Whether you do not purchase based on the fear or whether you can live with it and enjoy what is an excellent car is basically the decision you need to take.