2006 Volkswagen GTI

Two major option packages are offered. Package one adds a power moon roof and satellite radio (your choice of XM or Sirius service) for $1,370. Package two is all of the above plus dual zone automatic climate control, leather and heaters for your seats and heated windshield washer nozzles ($3,160). Stand-alone options include several choices of 18-inch rims and the navigation system.


Generation five is the coming out party for a new, independent, multi-link rear suspension, joining a MacPherson strut, independent front setup. A panoply of active and passive safety features ride along with you, including an Electronic Stabilization Program, front, side thorax, and side curtain airbags for driver and front passenger. Brakes have also been beefed up for this effort, gaining size and stopping power. Under the hood resides VW's 2.0T four-cylinder engine. The turbocharged, transverse mounted motor delivers 200 horsepower @ 5,100-6,000 rpm and 207 ft. lb. of torque @ 1,800-5,000 rpm. Buyers can select either the standard six-speed manual transmission, or optional six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox with Tiptronic (DSG) transmission ($1,075).

Performance

What got the GTI noticed in the first place was its drivability. And so it is with the GTI Mk V. Peel off the hatch-boxy body, and what you have essentially is a small, light platform that's highly receptive to tuning. Suitably massaged by the engineers from Wolfsburg, the new GTI steps out with something conspicuously absent from recent models—attitude. The GTI is nicely balanced, making it agile with well-weighted steering and a tossable feel. Presented with a stretch of twisty pavement, it happily digs in, feeling stable and planted. The new independent rear suspension is most noticeable when encountering bumps mid-way through a corner. While formerly this would create a lively handling moment, this V-Dub now rolls through rough road with less distraction. Ride quality is firm but fine, even with the taut suspension and optional, larger rims.


Adding to the GTI's fun factor is its well-matched powertrain. The 2.0T has ample torque to pull smartly off the line, and sufficient turbo enhanced horsepower to get in and out of the left lane in a hurry. VW claims a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds, top speed is governed at 130 mph. Both transmissions have something to offer the enthusiast. The 6-speed stick has an enjoyably snappy throw, though ours was occasionally balky on downshifts. The DSG, programmed to hold a higher rev line to keep the engine on the boil, is a full automatic when you want the car to call the shots, and a paddle shifting do-it-yourselfer when you want to get involved. By selecting a gear above and below the one you're in, DSG allows a near instantaneous response time between paddle flip and shift. Very entertaining. The performance tires are suitably sticky, though our tester's showed a tendency to hunt on grooved pavement.


Although accountable for such grin-inducing driving, the GTI still manages highly respectable gas mileage—at 70 mph in sixth gear, the engine loafs along at an unstressed 2,500 rpm. BY EPA's reckoning, a 2.0T with stick will net 23 mpg city and 32 highway, while the DSG rates 25/31. To their credit, VW not only recognized that recent GTIs had lost their edge, they used it as motivation to help sharpen the fifth generation models and get back on track. GTI Mark V is sporty and sensible, with some serious attitude—just like it used to be. Pass the word; the original hot hatch is back. (www.vw.com)