Originally Posted by keb370z

I came from an '00 GTI and I loved it while I had it. Fold the seats down and you can haul anything. A pleasure to drive. Exterior and interior all looked brand new even though it was over 10 years old.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the difference of road noise. The GTI is insulated well. You'll hear nice engine sound but that's about it, compared to the Z which has quite a bit of road noise. A lot actually. I had sound deadening installed when I had my stereo upgraded and it made it much better. Be sure to pay attention to this when you do your test drives. Some people can't stand it.

I have two children and my husband's Mazdaspeed 3 is our family car, our Costco car, and our practical daily driver. The Z is more of a second car to me, and we carpool to work. The Z stays in the garage for winter. I keep my summer tires on. I live in the Midwest so summer tires year round is not an option.

If I were in your position, having owned both a GTI and a Z, I'd pick the Z. Because I couldn't go back. Weather isn't going to be a problem for you. You can get a good load of groceries in the Z. Friends and family can help for any bigger hauling you'll ever need to do.

And if this says anything, I had the VW dealer put me on the waiting list for the new GTI R, and I still bought the Z instead. I think your love for the GTI will wear off. You'll love your Z forever. You'll be high every time you sit in the seat, every time you push that start button, every time you accelerate onto the highway. You'll get used to having a GTI. You'll never get used to having a Z. You'll come out of the grocery store, see your Z parked far at the end of the lot, and just stop to drool.

I say go all out. Get the Z.