Daily Driver: GTI or 370Z
 

Great forum,

I'll be test driving these two new cars this week. My concerns are ownership. I've browsed this forum for months. At this point, I'm still on the fence. I'm curious to see if there are any former GTI owners who can offer their thoughts. Please try to be as unbiased as possible. The Z seems like it might be a pain in the *** to own and drive everyday...but I know many of you already do it and still love it. Parking in San Diego sucks, and I'm just worried that the Z will get f--ked up by inconsiderate people. Some of you crack me up on how you handle the attention. You guys really love your cars.

Me:
32 years old next month
No wife/no kids...tubes are tied
Good stable job
Nice apt with garage
Do my own maintenance
Car will be a daily driver...no track days...no mods
First new car

I actually prefer the simple clean looks of the GTI, but I find the Z more sexy, and it looks like it would be more fulfilling to drive. 2 seater is perfect for my lifestyle. Price and power output are not a big issue, but those expensive tires cannot be ignored.

OTD:
28K - GTI
36K - 370Z Base+sport

Insurance (6 months)
GTI - $383
370Z- $459

GTI. Much better for a DD.

GTI would definitely be a more practical DD no matter how you look at it, but since my Z is my DD, I would never say no to the 370. If the weather is nice year-round, about the only thing that would prevent me from DD'ing the Z would be the road conditions (which aren't too bad in Northern Cali). I drive ~60 miles a day in my Z right now and have never been bothered by it. Fuel costs will be significantly different. 18/26mpg in the Z compared to 21/33mpg in the GTI.

Gti...

I really want to hate you for living in a state with cheap insurance.

Other than that, forget price, buy the one you want. That's not enough difference to really matter if you are financing. What, $80 a month difference or something? Seriously. Just get the one you want. You will kick your arse every day you drive your second choice car, if you don't. After driving them both, you'll know what to do.

PS. I assume you are male since you mention "no wife", even though you had your "tubes tied"? Anyway, if you're a guy and you mean "vasectomy", any side-effects at all? I have considered this strongly here as of late.

Ive got both. Neither is bad. One carries more than the other. Im the same, woman, cars, no kids. You wont make a bad decision.

Yeah I have both too. I have a MKV GTI and a sport touring Z. I honestly enjoy them both. The Z has more power and can handle better but the GTI is easy to mod. My GTI is stock though.

My GTI is also fully loaded minus navigation. So if I'm doing any long distance travel I'm going with the VW. Also maintenance can be expensive if you plan on owning it past 90K miles.

It would be hard for me to choose one but if I had to I would go with the Z.

I actually looked at possibly getting the new GTI-R when I was shopping around last month. I am coming from a 2008 STI as my daily driver to the 370. As far as daily driving the 370 so far has been good. I dont have as much room as I did in my STI but the looks of the 370 are much better IMO. I'm single too a tad older than you and no kids so for me the 370 is perfect as a daily driver. If you think you'll need room to carry stuff then you should go GTI.

I actually just switched from the 370z to a GTI due to an unfortunate accident. I personally think the GTI is a much better daily driver compared to the 370z. The city gas mileage is significantly better, it holds a lot more stuff, and it's got quite a bit of neat features that base 370z's don't have. I really like the fact that the base GTI comes with almost everything (with the exception of HID's, which you can easily retrofit). My base GTI came with heated seats, bluetooth phone connection, bluetooth audio streaming (I use Pandora all the time), and built-in iPod cord. The GTI is just as fun to drive as a stock 370z, though I think it could have came with better tires.

I live in San Diego as well, and the roads here are not quite friendly. If you're going to pick this car up and keep it stock to use as a daily driver, I'd say get the GTI, and then get a 370Z in a few years.

Edit: if you use cars to pick up girls, you'd pick up more girls with the 370z. haha. You'd also get a lot of ricer civics/TC's that will try to race you.

just parted out my GTI (MKVI) it made well over 300WHP and 340WTQ, In a straight line it was faster than the Z, but it wasn't as good looking, didn't handle nearly as well, and to be honest I hated the fact it was a DSG (not the cars fault i know). Now if you are looking for big power and all out straight line speed, go with the GTI, buy an APR stage 3+ kit and smoke 99.9% of cars on the road. If, on the other hand, your looking to keep things stock and want a quick car from the factory that looks great and handles like a dream the Z is far and away the better car.

OP: How much junk do you want to haul? when I go to the grocery store, once per week. I can get 8 bags in without struggling, or looking to the front seat.
I can get far more stuff into the car than I thought, but when my large Costco trip comes up twice per year, it is time to take the little ladies car, or rent a truck.

I've rented a truck over the years for lumber and such, but since I've had the 370 no such need has arised.

My buddy has an R32 and he declared "No contest" betwixt the two, head to head.

I'm 32, about to be married, no kids (tubes about to be tied), and DD the Z. I haven't found any issues with it being a DD.

if dd and only car, i'd probably get the GTI, but the R version.

the Z is something ideal for a 2nd or 3rd car. :)

Probably depends on lifestyle...& personality.

Will you enjoy a sports-car experience day in, day out, or will you only be able to tolerate it? You said you prefer the more modest lines of the Volkswagen, but think the Z is more sexy...the Z will attract more attention..

I live in SD and the Z is not a problem as a DD here. As far as parking pains and door dings, that's not limited to SD or any location, the Z is a wider car so its more prone to door dings. The Z is the better performer if that matters to you, but the GTI is more practical. Take them for a test drive and let us know what you think.

get a nissian base versa with a stick manual or a auto transmission , for $10.5k its a hell of a deal, same room as a sentra and the same engine. You can always dress up a black or a red one up with wheels and tires and still have a sweat ride and laugh all the way to the bank.

Wow I'm impressed by the number of members that currently have both.

The GTI impresses the hell out me not so much the women though until they get inside. Oh well I don't really care at 33, post divorce, with a ten yo daughter.

I used to own a 2 door gti vr6. Cool car, great DD, fond memories. But they aren't really comparable cars IMHO. One is an obvious daily driver, the other is a sport touring car.

Get the Z. I've been running a loaded TDI jetta for 2+ yrs due to megacommute, it's got a GLI nose, tint and metallic black wheels, fun, not ashamed to date in it.....

but I've had a G35 coupe and now have the 370 as my DD, no regrets, you can still put a bunch of stuff in it when running solo. A friend with a pickup will gladly trade rides for a couple hours when needed. the 370 is much better for the soul.... in fact, it's what I went to after i sold my custom big inch bike.

I've got a Dodge diesel but it doesnt go anywhere unless it's towing or hauling.

I wouldn't pay $24k for that gti VW not worth it, you could get an AWD 2012 honda crv for around $23k and it puts out around the same power as the GTI.

Even the nissan sentra spec V ser puts out around 200hp and can be had for around $18K

I'd choose the GTI as a DD.

I'm 30, married, no plans for kids.

I just traded in my GTI VR6 for the sport/touring 370. There's definitely less practicality with the Z. The hatch is pretty shallow, you can't stand up wine bottles in mine if they're toward the rear, the hatch will hit them. That's a little off-putting, but none of that matters when I'm driving it. It's basically my dream car.

My GTI was solid for 7 years, but I was approaching 95k and things were starting to go wrong, and electrical issues were going from "annoying" to "downright aggravating".

One of the first posters was saying something about if you want power in a straight line, go GTI.. but you'll need to dump some money into it to get it, and then again you're dealing with FI. Plus, that sounds like more of a recognition that they're not the best cornering cars around. They come out of the box with 200hp, front wheel drive and a fat serving of understeer. Much different than the Z. Mine was 174 stock, a little over 200 with mods, and a good 2 sec slower than the 370.

I know the new GTIs are FAR BETTER than my old MKIV, but I did everything short of FI to mine (H&R suspension, front and rear sways, chip, exhaust... everything.) and though a ton of fun to drive and own, it couldn't hold a candle to the Z.

Old:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...3/09827cac.jpg

Goodbye:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...3/3d59e2ee.jpg

New:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...3/3e22b61a.jpg

I think the OP means the GTI with the turbo 2.0L not the monster VR6. (I could be wrong...?)

Yeah, they haven't made the VR since like '05 I don't think. A new GTI would be 200hp 2.5L 5cyl turbo.

OP: I had 18" Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires on my GTI, they weren't cheap either, but yes, there are far more affordable tire choices for the GTI than are for the Z. You'll care less about tire cost once you've driven it.

Have you considered a slightly older model? My 09 has every bell and whistle and I picked it up for 29k. Probably could have done better but wasn't too concerned.

I believe the GTI still has the 2.0L turbo....

Crap, you're right. 2.5 on the rabbit, 2.0l turbo on the GTI. My bad.

I think the Z with a cargo trailer handles better than a GTI

Not a fan of 70/30 weight dist. and FWD?

I have seen many GTIs at the track (some actually have competent drivers), they just don't seem impressive to me. It's nice to be able to overboost the hack out of the motor, but there are better cars out there for the price they are charging.

Look at them side by side. Is it still even a question? 370 all the way bro.

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.

Thanks for all of the responses and info. Your feedback seems to split 50/50, which was what I was afraid of. I've scheduled a test drive for the GTI tomorrow, and Thursday for the 370Z. I know now that the test drive(s) will be my deciding factor.

I also realize that they are totally different cars, but they are the only ones that I'm interested in at this time. I want to buy new. I don't have any junk to haul around. This dream car is for me...not for girls. I rarely have a single passenger.

Import Convert - As for the cheaper insurance rates in Cali, I have a clean driving record and I'm 32...but I'll never consider buying a home here. So there is a tradeoff. BTW, if you don't want kids...get a vasectomy! Best decision I ever made. I was 26, and the procedure was easy and $350. Parenthood just isn't for me.

hdskull - Yes I know our roads are not the best. And you're right about the nice features on the GTI. I like fog lamps, sunroof, heated seats, plus those other features you mentioned. The GTI will also allow tire rotations. But when I add more options to the GTI, I get closer and closer to the Base price of a 370Z.

rxdo - I know the GTI has potential. But the money it takes to make the GTI as fast as the 370z...I could use that money torwards a 370z. I have a bike to go fast on. Both of these cars are quick enough for my needs. Besides, I want to stay as far from the RICE scene as possible.

elmz - I did not take the width of the 370z into consideration. Thanks for bringing that up. Parking the 370z will cause me much anxiety, I think.

gsxr750 - I couldn't tell if you were joking or not. I'm only considereing the GTI & 370z at this time. How the weather in NY? We're riding all year here.

Thanks guys. I'll report back...

Thanks for your feedback KEB! It's hard to argue with that! LOL

Coming from my GTI and being a serious VW fanboy, I too was considering the Golf-R, but it's just too much for too little. It was hard getting the last few personal items out of my glovebox when I traded her in, but once in the driver seat of my new Z I didn't look back when pulling out of the lot. I just went for a joy-ride for the first time in 12 years and it was like I was 18 all over again. I seriously get a ****-eating grin when I see it. I've had a hard time sleeping because I can't wait to drive to work in the morning.

Good arguments for both choices, intersted to see what you choose.

Im single with no kids in the near future, and I DD my Z with no issues or complaints!

Choose wisely... :tiphat:

The road noise is about the only real complaint I have with the Z. I've got a tick over 500 miles driving mine now. However, the stereo sounds pretty good and has adaptive volume that gets louder as you speed up, so I don't really notice it now.

I don't ever plan to have any kids, and use the Z as my daily driver. I do have other vehicles to drive though if I need a back seat. I'm not sure it could be the only car I own, but man is it a blast to drive to work!

Yes--I have ONLY owed VWs. A serious fangirl here too. I don't know what possessed me to get the Z. But now that I have my Z, I really look back and can not understand how I could have been happy driving anything but a Z. It has truly become an extension of my body the way a sports car should, and yes for that ****-eating grin, and yes for the "I can't wait to drive it" thing. You'd think after a year that would be gone, but no. Still in full force. Having a Z is like... every day is your birthday. Every time you go out to the garage you've won the lottery. I loved my GTI as much as I thought I could love a car. I was dead wrong.

You like the stereo? This is something I should have mentioned in my first reply. I thought the stock stereo was awful. Weak, tinny, just awful. I think a stereo upgrade is a must. The GTI stereo, on the other hand, sounded great on my test drive. I think the only money you'll have to dump into a Z is a stereo upgrade and winter tires if you live somewhere with winter weather. And tint. :)

Yours have the Bose Audio? My Touring came with that stereo and I think it sounds quite good.

Hey OP, do you have to put lots of stuffs in your car/trunk all the time? Or you like to do crazy grocery shopping?

Lots of ppl think the trunk space is a problem for the Z, but actually it is good enough for regular grocery shopping. Especially you are single, I wonder how much trunk space do you need from your car.

As for a DD, do you have heavy snow in Winter? I used to drive my 350z all year around even in Winter, as long as you put on a set of Good snow tires and drive carefully, you'll be fine in Winter, it's 70% depends on the driver, it's clearly like that when you see how many SUV jump into the ditch during snowstorm.

As for the ride/drive, I will put hands down on the Z!!!!

HOW COULD YOU COMPARE A FWD-BOXY TO A RWD-SEXY?????

But if you prefer torque-steer, of cos that's a different story!! LOL

Style wise it's really personal, when I look at a GTI, I'll say 'ok, a VW', when I look at my 370z, I'm like 'Yea.... sexy... I'm coming in now...!'

Also, don't you worry about reliability issue of VW?

Z only has one famous Screwing-Lock Failure, but for VW, my past experience is..... Screw-You-Anything-Failure.

Have fun test driving both and look forward to hear from you!!!

:tup: :tup:

Yeah, I had the Monsoon stereo in my GTI and thought it was great, but the Bose stereo with my nav/touring/sport whatever package sounds friggin' amazing. A subwoofer bolted to the spare tire? Brilliant! lol I'm really pleased with the quality and loudness and clarity.