Revenge of the GTI
Wheels Magazine 
July, 2005
Decades of disappointment end here. It takes just five minutes of hard driving to discover that Volkswagen's all-new Mk5 Golf GTI is far beyond the mediocre efforts of all its predecessors (never-sold-here, 1976 original excepted). It's the first Golf GTI sold in this country that goes as hard as it looks and, more importantly, actually fulfils your expectations of the badge.
But is the best Golf to wear those three magic capital letters the best small/medium hot hatch in Australia?
Audi, too, has re-entered this combative arena, wielding largely the same tools as the GTI. The new A3 Sportback 2.0T FSI shares its platform, suspension and driveline with the hero Golf, but it's packaged differently, drives differently, and looks substantially different.
Mounting a challenge from way beyond leftfield is MG's new ZS 180 - included here before MG Rover bit the dust. Ours is a sedan, not the dated-looking hatch available overseas, mixing Honda-derived underpinnings with Rover's own KV6 engine and a newly facelifted MG body. The ZS's lineage might date back 10 years, but its muscular visual appeal helps shunt it straight into 2005. Likewise its reputation for involving handling.
Next, the inimitable 1 Series. It's BMW's first-ever Golf-class competitor, and, as the only small rear-driver in its sector, it holds a sizeable theoretical dynamic advantage over highly powered, front-wheel-driven adversaries. But the Sport-kitted 120i comes with a relatively high pricetag rather than high power.
Rounding out GTI's key rivals is Renaultsport's Megane 225. With twin central tailpipes, intimidating front chin with cavernous air intake, and delightfully lurid metallic-orange paintwork of our test car, the saliva starts to flow even before depressing its start/stop ignition button. But beyond its boosted Clio 182 engine, does the 225 share its baby brother's dynamic talents?
If you liked the MG up until now, grit your teeth. Its cabin might look okay, but its plastics are bloody awful, especially the door bins and scratch-prone handbrake surround. Its dash is hard and hollow, and many switches pre-date all high-school children. Its seats are fairly accommodating, though, despite the close proximity of the roof lining, the lack of rear kneeroom, and restricted toe room. But it's better in the rear than the Renault. The MG's voluminous boot isn't bad, either, if cheaply trimmed. What hurts most is the ZS 180's $39,990 price, relative to its shallow equipment count (no cruise, awful stereo, cheap feel).
For that money, you could have a VW Golf GTI, and that says it all. The MG might be surprising fun, surprisingly quick, and a decent looker (considering its mongrel origins), but its cheaply finished cabin and disappointing road noise undermine its good points. Despite its great chassis and strong engine, there's no denying the narrow appeal of the ZS - especially since MG Rover has gone tits-up. We don't like to kick someone when they're down, but the feeling-its-age ZS 180 licks the wooden spoon in this comparo.
The Megane is a frustrating mix of brilliant and bloody awful. I love its looks, searing performance, great brakes, and essential difference. But the 225 lacks the fluidity of movement that makes the Clio 182 such a hero, while its steering can be obstructive on our unpredictable roads, compounding the Megane's patchy driver appeal. And, with LX pack, the 225 costs a relatively steep $47K. You could live with it and ignore the flaws, but surely a quieter, better-handling, better-riding car was achievable?
The 1 Series is a difficult car to pigeonhole. In its favour are standard-setting dynamics and driver communication, impressive safety credentials (like all cars here bar the MG), and a cut-above image. But the BMW 120i works best in base form - without the Aerodynamic Package bodykit, without the Sports suspension that only magnifies its firm ride, and without the 18-inch wheels.
As a two-plus-two hatch, you'd hope it performed more like a sports coupe, which it doesn't. As a BMW, it drives as well as anyone could expect, and serves up near-limitless dynamic appeal, plus quality and resale. But check out the price, son. If daddy's paying, wait for the 130i.
The A3 is similarly expensive, thanks to the premium demanded of its four-ringed badge, but has greater sporting appeal than the BMW, mainly because it's such a gutsy performer. The way its front wheels sometimes scrabble for grip proves it can never feel as pure as the 1 Series, but in most areas the Sportback 2.0T proves Audi knows how to build a hot hatch, albeit one with relatively sober wrapping.
But the Golf GTI conquers all. At just $39,990, the manual GTI is surely the bargain of the moment. It's a deeply impressive, hugely capable performer. It's fast and great fun, but also effortless, wonderfully comfortable and amazingly practical. It performs day-to-day tasks with aplomb, yet has enough up its sleeve to keep satisfying almost every driver's desires. It seems like eons since we drove a VW boasting performance, class and character, but, at long last, the time has come.
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Note: this is an abridged version of this story, which first ran in Wheels' June 2005 edition. If you'd like to read the full story, please download it here in pdf form free of charge, or contact Wheels' backdates department on 136 116 to order a copy by mail. (For those with slower internet connections, please note that on account of its size, downloading the pdf may take some time).