There are few great driver’s cars for the hard-earned dollar than the VW GTI. But the carmaker has announced that 2024 will be the last year for the manual transmission model. OK, the DSG automatic is a great transmission, but still, there’s something special about driving a stick. So, when VW offered us one last dance with a three-pedal GTI, we jumped at the chance.
Kicking “S”
With a refreshed model due in 2025, our ’24 tester has few changes but it’s still a great looking car.
At front, the look is aggressive, with frowny LED headlights, a horizontal red stripe across the front and the traditional VW badge. A massive honeycomb grille dominates the lower fascia, along with five LED on each side creating signature X-shaped fog lights. Very cool.
The profile continues to show the practical 5-door hatchback design that makes the GTI so useful. It’s tasteful yet sporty, with cut-in lines at the bottom and a signature profile line that runs from headlamp to taillight. Being a GTI 380 edition, you get a few nice things, including a blacked-out roof and door mirrors, and most importantly 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels – originally found on the Golf R – that add some toughness to the look. All the better to see the red brake calipers between the multispoke design.
At the rear, the sensible sport ethos continues, with horizontal LED taillights, another large VW logo – this one not only lets you pop the hatch, but it motors up to reveal the rearview camera when backing up. And of course, for that finishing sporting touch, large dual exhaust pipes poke out from below the rear fascia. Powah!!
While there’s a nice variety of colors available, we loved the familiar, but handsome Atlantic Blue paint on our tester – a rich hue that gives off an expensive vibe. It’s interesting where we see vehicles like the new Honda Civic getting more conservative in style, the GTI has always owned that spot.
The Sweet Spot to Sit
The GTI’s interior is the perfect blend of practicality and performance.
Open the door and your eye is caught by the dual screens that create a modern digital display that would be at home in any Audi or VW. But the GTI doesn’t take itself too seriously – yes those deeply contoured front sport seats are superbly supportive in the best German tradition, but we always smile when we see the plaid cloth inserts that VW calls Scalepaper. Sehr Sportlich!
Getting into that driver’s seat is easy, and you’re greeted by a fat leather-wrapped steering wheel and a golf ball-dimpled shift lever. Honeycomb accents throughout the cabin brighten things up.
Facing the driver is a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster that features driver-selectable views for your mood. Our favorite is the one with the large 8,000 rpm tach dead center with digital speedometer in the tach, and turbo boost gauge on the right side.
The info-tainment setup is not without controversy, but you have to read between the lines. On the higher-grade models, the system is entirely controlled by touch controls, and they are difficult to work with.
But maybe the best reason to stay with the lower trims, our 8.25-inch screen worked great, and best of all features volume and tuning knobs. That base system is basic – no Sirius XM radio or wireless Apple CarPlay, but we just plugged in our iPhone, and all our apps including WAZE navigation worked great.
We’d also note there’s been some griping about the capacitive-style touch controls on the steering wheel – frankly we had no problems with this it at all. (Note – a new, infotainment system plus traditional steering wheel controls are due on the refreshed 2025 model, so if it’s a deal-breaker, good news is around the corner!)
While those front seats are ultra comfy, and heated too, along with the steering wheel, that common sense practicality comes through with adult-sized rear seats and a spacious cargo area. Those rear seats fold easily and when down you’ve got a huge hold that’s close to a small SUV. Real world usable? Check!
It’s a Bahn Burner!
While there are other enjoyable hatchbacks like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, it’s the European driving experience that sets the GTI apart.
Under the hood is VW’s familiar 2.0-liter, turbo 4-cylinder and it’s a gem, with a thick “braaap” on startup that sounds rich and powerful. And it is powerful, with 241 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft of torque starting at just 1,7500 rpm.
That low end torque makes the manual transmission model especially easy to drive, there’s plenty of power down low, and you can slow shift it and easily keep up with traffic. And with a light, direct clutch and light, if slightly long throws of the gearbox it’s really not much of a bother in stop-n-go commuter stuff. Even better, at highway speeds, 6th is a long gear and the GTI is a surprisingly quiet and refined cruiser.
But the GTI has a lot more to offer. Lay into the throttle and it pulls hard to the redline and that smooth engine note fills the cabin with an angry snarl and 0-60 comes up in under 6 seconds. It’s one of those cars that’s just fast enough to enjoy without having to put your license on the line. All this fun and the little VW also returns 27 EPA mpg combined fuel economy.
The GTI is a supremely balanced performer, too. Standard adaptive dampers let you dial in a firmer set up for sporty driving, and we kept our tester in Sport most of the time – it’s just a beautiful balance of supple, yet response, firm but never harsh. No one does this better than the Germans!
With a standard limited-slip differential you can put down the power even in turns and the steering stays true, with loads of feel and precision and that light touch that VW likes to serve up.
The large 19-inch wheels with performance tires give loads of grip and this is a car that just begs for that twisty road, curvy on ramp – we’d bet it would even be fun at track day! But just like the power, there’s plenty of enjoyment in the handling around town, just zipping here and there. And the balance between all the controls – a perfect weighting of shifter, clutch, transmission, brakes and steering – it’s the kind of stuff that the GTI legend is made of.
The more we drove the 380, the sadder it made us that the manual transmission won’t be offered any more. VW’s DSG is a great automatic, and much better than the CVT you find in the Subaru WRX and Honda Civic – although they both will continue to offer a manual transmission model. There’s just something special about the interaction of gas, brake and clutch, that perfectly timed shift (or downshift) and the feeling of actually driving the car.
How Much for the Last Manual GTI?
Will the stick GTI become a collector’s item? Hard to say. What we can say, is they are a great value. The GTI S model starts at just $31,965 – nicely equipped with all the goodness of a European hot hatch. That’s a bargain. We’d recco popping for the 380 S model like our tester, starting at $32,485 – heck the 19-inch alloys and performance tires alone would cost you more than that! Our tester had no other options, and adding in $1,150 for destination, we rang the bell at $33,645. Bargain! Bargain! Bargain!
The direct competitor would include the Honda Civic Si at $31,700. Also, a great drive, better equipped, but much less power than the GTI. Enthusiast nod goes to the VW. Same for the Civic sibling Acura Integra A-Spec – and at $38,000 much more expensive. The enthusiast in us says the Toyota Corolla GR is a treat, but difficult to love as a daily driver. At $39,995 you get what a great value the GTI is.
Great performance, practicality and style, and the last year for the manual transmission, we say get the 2024 VW GTI while they last!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.