After a Year With the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI, Were We Happy to Say Goodbye?
We had plenty of fond memories with the hot hatch, but it’s time to move on.
Known for its performance and fun-to-drive character, our yearlong review 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI brought a smile to our face every time we got behind the wheel. Although it’s far from perfect, this hot hatch was a practical, exciting vehicle that always surprised us with its roomy interior despite its compact body. But although we were always happy to get behind the wheel, we were constantly aware of its stiff ride, particularly when driven over broken pavement. Even so, our GTI brought many happy moments, and while we look forward to our next vehicle, part of us wishes the GTI could remain.
Only a Handful Can Deliver This Kind of Performance
After driving our long-term 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI for 18,283 miles, several aspects stood out, particularly under its hood. Volkswagen’s mighty 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 generates 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and delivered exhilarating performance whenever we demanded it. The relentless torque pressed us back into our seats, while the exhaust note filled the cabin with a symphony as the revs soared. Although we had lingering regrets over not opting for the six-speed manual transmission, our GTI’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic was always quick to respond, perfectly complementing the engine's character. On long road trips, we appreciated the swift acceleration that made overtaking slow-moving vehicles a breeze, and during spirited drives, the powertrain consistently impressed. On winding roads, its hot-hatch spirit truly came alive. Despite a firm ride, the VW’s suspension gave it great body control, and it felt nimble on twisting mountain passes, with the summer tires providing excellent grip.
The Golf GTI’s compact body style was perfectly suited for navigating its home city of Los Angeles. Fitting into tight parking spaces was a snap, and although the cabin felt cozy with four adults aboard, we were pleasantly surprised by its impressive cargo capacity, thanks to the hatchback design. With the seats folded down, the interior transformed into a spacious area capable of accommodating multiple suitcases and boxes. On a trip to the airport, we managed to fit three large suitcases and one carry-on, all while carrying three adults. That was certainly pushing the limits and required a bit of Tetris to arrange, but it was remarkable to see how much the Golf GTI could hold.
We Had Fun, But It Wasn’t Perfect
One of our biggest complaints was the Golf’s ride quality on the optional 19-inch wheels (18-inch wheels are standard). Although it’s natural that any hot hatch delivers a stiffer ride, the GTI’s ride quality is affected by the big wheels, and that became a constant criticism. When driven over L.A.’s poorly paved roads, the ride quality suffered, even when we selected the adaptive suspension’s most comfortable setting.
Our 2023-only 40th Anniversary Edition model, positioned between the S and SE, came equipped with the small 8.3-inch touchscreen, which is too small for today’s standards. (The 2025 model will have a larger screen for all variants.) The lack of keyless access meant we had to take the key out of our pockets every time we locked or unlocked the vehicle, and we had occasional issues with the infotainment system, although we enjoyed having Apple CarPlay.
Overall, our GTI’s interior design was unimpressive. We appreciated the digital driver’s display and having four USB ports (two in the front, two in the back), but there wasn’t anything that really stood out about its cabin design. We’re fans of the plaid sport seats but missed having a real shift knob. For a $35,246 sticker price, the cabin felt spartan, but we clearly saw Volkswagen invested its budget in making the GTI a fun-to-drive hot hatch first and foremost.
Like the interior design, the GTI’s tech game was subpar. Although we liked having the small screen in favor of volume and tuning knobs, there were a few instances when a song or the radio would play but no sound would come out of the speakers. Volkswagen recommended we delete all the Bluetooth devices from the infotainment system and to try to use only one for some time; that helped some, but the problem eventually came back a few months later.
