Anybody go from a MK4 to a MK7 and regret it?

Hi guys, I'm a long time member and have owned my MK4 for fifteen years. My Mk4 is showing some age and I am considering buying a MK7 Golf TDI SEL. My MK4 is fairly well modded and I love the driving dynamics of it. I have test driven a couple MK7 GTI's and also a TDI so I could get an idea what is possible with the latest generation.

I'm not a big fan of all the emission stuff and will definitely tune the new one and do some suspension work to sport it up a bit. One of my concerns is that the MK7's seem to isolate the driver from the road a bit more and am concerned that they may be a bit to refined. I am also curious what the tuned MK7 will be like since the one I drove was a bit flat with excessive turbo lag in stock form.

I'm wondering if anyone has jumped from a MK4 to the MK7 and regretted it. I like the MK7 pretty well and feel there is some good potential for modding it to basically turn it in to a GTD, but am concerned that I'll miss the simplicity, and great road feel of the my modded MK4.

CGR said:

One of my concerns is that the MK7's seem to isolate the driver from the road a bit more and am concerned that they may be a bit to refined.

Click to expand...

Welcome to 2018.........I guess my mothers Ford Focus is a bit more refined than my 64 Galaxie 500 toy/hobby car. Nothin like the raw power of a 427 V8

We've had several MKIVs and currently have a modded 2001 Golf. My wife drives a 2015 TDI GSW (with DSG) and I recently bought a Tiguan with a CJAA TDI (6 speed). It all depends on what you want. I will say the ALH Golf out handles any other VW I've driven, but it's also the most modified. Audi TT suspension arms and an R32 steering rack and the Peloquin diff add to that. The newer cars have electric power steering and it's not bad, but maybe lacks the feel of the 01 Golf. I'll say any car made in the last couple of years vs an early 2000 car will have more refinement. The Golf is very fun to drive, it sticks very well and goes where you point it. The GSW is OK, I don't particularly like the DSG but for what it is it does fine. Maybe with some suspension mods and different tires it would be closer to the Golf. The Tiguan understeers like a pig, but considering it's much taller I suppose that is to be expected. As far as straight line speed, the DSG is 100% stock (with all the current VW emission changes) and if you nail it from a dead standstill goes pretty well. The Tiguan is much quicker, I think maybe quicker than the 01 Golf. You can certainly get power from a common rail. Considering the warranty VW offers, I don't know that I would modify a 2015. As far as refinement, the newer cars win hands down. The phone integration with the radio and cluster is very nice and overall it's just a nicer interior all around. Now you can add a lot of that stuff to a MKIV. I have an nicely integrated bluetooth telephone system with a VW radio and a FIS cluster that has a lot of the features of the newer cars, but not all. I guess one way to put it is the 01 Golf is rougher around the edges. If you are looking for good all around performance with great economy, it's pretty hard to beat a well sorted MKIV. If you want a bit more refinement, then the newer car may be for you. We really don't need 3 TDIs, so I'll be selling the Golf soon. I know I'll miss it, but the Tiguan is a better fit for our current lifestyle. However, I have a Mini that I hope to get done soon, so I'll have a drivers car when the mood strikes. The Golf is fun, but no other car in the world drives like a Mini!

We have both 2005 and 2015 jetta/golf wagons.

When we got the 2015 I liked driving the 2005 better, with RocketChip stage 2, and one step up for the injector nozzles.
Now a year later I like the 2015 (stock) and take it on longer trips, but still pleased to drive the 2005.

Neither is as much fun as the old 98 also with RC 2 and different injectors. Both are more comfortable on long trips.

When I'm done with the second emissions update I'll get a tune for the 2015, and perhaps remove some extra weight.
Otherwise a few VCDS modifications have already improved the driving, like the linear throttle, and removing hill holder function. Possibly a few other little things I'm forgetting.

The 2015 easily gets as good and sometimes better mileage than the 98, and the 05 never quite matched the 98 for mileage day in and day out.

No regrets so far!. The refinement is actually nice. I can still make my 550 mi road trip to Louisville in one tank (doing 75 MPH) with enough range left over to run errands around town for a couple of days, baby tank or not. In daily life, I'm filling every other week instead of every three, but I'm putting in only 35L-40L/9.25-10.5 US Gal each time, instead of 50-55L /13.25-14.5 Gal, so each fill hurts the wallet less.

DPF regeneration is probably the only major downside. I do make longer trips once or twice a week, but sure enough the regen only triggers when you're just going five blocks away to fetch some lunch and nip back to work, and sometimes it lasts a LONG time (I've waited sometimes close to 30 mins at the end of a short trip between the regen finishing and EGT's settling back to safe temps). That is a royal pain in the rear end, but it crops up maybe every other week for me...

The 6-speed and this engine's willingness to trundle along at 1200 RPM do have me shifting a LOT in town. I'm often up to 5 - or even 6 at 70 km/h - as suggested on the instrument cluster for economy, but then the slightest slowdown in traffic ahead has you suddenly dropping gears to keep RPM above idle, and more pronounced slowdowns/stops have me dropping 65432 very quickly à la race car. Thankfully the pedals are (for my big feet) perfect for heel-toe downshifting, which was not true of the mk4. I don't personally see this as a drawback, but it's something to consider before picking the manual, as you're definitely kept quite busy if you follow the suggested upshifts in city traffic, far more so than I recall being in the 5-speed MK4.

All in all though, I'm very happy. It rides smoothly, corners okay, accelerates acceptably, shifts nicely, acts like it has a tiny flywheel, has a nice progressive clutch engagement, and the pedals as mentioned make downshifts easy. Oh, and I can pile endless loads of cargo in it. We transported a King size IKEA roll-packed mattress, along with a King size flat-packed bedframe, all with the hatch closed. Can't beat that!

Around town the 2015 just about coast in a high gear sipping fuel, but when you're ready to get up and go, or stop, you may be a couple gears higher than what you need next.

I often skip a gear down shifting, or sometimes two, 6th to 4th or 5th to 3rd.
Occasionally skip 5th on the up shift getting on the highway, you can get to the speed limit easily in 4th, sometimes necessary with a short on ramp. Then slip it into 6th and continue on.

Grigg3 said:

Around town the 2015 just about coast in a high gear sipping fuel, but when you're ready to get up and go, or stop, you may be a couple gears higher than what you need next.

I often skip a gear down shifting, or sometimes two, 6th to 4th or 5th to 3rd.
Occasionally skip 5th on the up shift getting on the highway, you can get to the speed limit easily in 4th, sometimes necessary with a short on ramp. Then slip it into 6th and continue on.

Click to expand...

Similarly I will also skip past 5 entering the highway, and likewise more abrupt slowdowns I’ve gone 6-432 or 6-4-2. I don’t like skipping gears in principle but in practice they’re closely spaced enough in the mk7 that it just makes sense sometimes. I won’t skip a gear without double-clutching, but that’s just my OCD...

I went from 2009 [MkV] to 2015 [MkVII] and have no regrets. Better power, lower RPMs at highway speeds, better fuel usage, and I'm comparing stock to stock instead of heavily modded to stock. As far as I can tell even the torque arm rear suspension is nothing really significant in the handling so far. Were I to change one thing, it may be the size of front brake rotors. That seems a bit less refined than the brakes on the 09 JSW. The sound system upgrade alone on the 2015 makes me smile. So yeah, no regrets!

nkgagne said:

Similarly I will also skip past 5 entering the highway, and likewise more abrupt slowdowns I’ve gone 6-432 or 6-4-2. I don’t like skipping gears in principle but in practice they’re closely spaced enough in the mk7 that it just makes sense sometimes. I won’t skip a gear without double-clutching, but that’s just my OCD...

Click to expand...

My Beetle came with paddle shifters. Shifting up or down a gear or two is very easy and very quick.

Here's mine:

I still love my MKIV, drive it more than any other car. But when I want to carry other people I use the MKVII. Yes it's quieter, and that's good. I love the gearing (mine's a manual), and FE isn't bad. I don't like the small fuel tank. I think the ride and handling is far superior to a stock MKIV. My MKIV has Konis and a rear bar, so I like how it handles better. And I'd lose 5-8 MPG with the VII. I have RC2 in the VII, which is a huge, huge, improvement over stock.

MKIVs are wonderful. I have two, and my two sons have one each. I have no plans to get rid of mine. But the VII is a better car, I have to admit. Time marches on.

Can not compare the Golfs, have a Golf Mk4 TDI and had a 2013 Passat TDi. Refinement is better with newer models as has been said. Things that would keep me from getting Mk7-
1) VW has given up on diesels, so you better have someone local who has the know how to work on them. Not just now, but years down the road.
2) I did not like the DSG, it would hunt for gears at the worst time. Had some scary moments when trying to accelerate after hesistating. The computer can get confused.
3) I know they have improved the warranty but the common rail diesels are more demanding on fuel quality and more costly with maintenance-repairs.

1. Just because they have given up on diesels here right now doesn't mean it will continue or that existing mechanics can't still work on them. For most things they are pretty much the same as gassers. For the few important things a knowledgeable mechanic is handy or can be sought out. Some have to do this already for timing belts for older cars. Educating yourself helps too. I also own VCDS and can trouble shoot my own issues to some extent or at least be aware of what is going on.

2. I have had no issues you speak of with my DSG when driven normally. There is also tuning available for those who think they need better shifting parameters.

3. Fuel quality has gone up over the years. I haven't had any issues due to fuel at all. Additives are available if you think you need them. All new cars cost more to maintain. As long as VW is covering the cost I pretty much don't care about costs. They are on the hook for a long, long time for me. The 2015 improvements and the warranty were the main reasons I bought my car.

I have had several MK 4 Diesels and 13 VW's overall. My last one was a MK4 Golf TDI and I miss her, a lot. That said, I think my 2015 TDI GSW SEL is, by far, the best VW I have owned. The ride, the handling, the power and the appointments are a huge step forward for VW. Hell, they even look good.

That said, the thing that annoys me about my car are those damn seats !! I despise vinyl and, at that price point, real leather should have been the norm. I wish for leather on every long drive I make, every hot day I drive in.

Are you listening VW, vinyl is out and has been for decades, get with the program and give me some leather (that may not should right, LOL). Oh, and while your at it, change up the damn color palette a bit !! Put some cool color choices out there.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Thanks for the input so far guys. I think the electric steering is what puts me off about the MK7's. I test drove an 2018 GTI on Friday and the steering feels dead to me. It goes where you point it, but there isn't much road feel. I think I need to drive them a couple more times before I make a decision.

ritsco said:

That said, the thing that annoys me about my car are those damn seats !! I despise vinyl and, at that price point, real leather should have been the norm. I wish for leather on every long drive I make, every hot day I drive in.

Click to expand...

Couldn't disagree more. Love vinyl seats in my '14 Jetta SE still look like new after 40K mi. Leather seats would be starting to crack my now. The vinyl seats in the VW are super high quality. Plus they're not hot and super comfortable. Most people think they're leather.

Ditto for my '15 Golf TDI.

CGR said:

Thanks for the input so far guys. I think the electric steering is what puts me off about the MK7's. I test drove an 2018 GTI on Friday and the steering feels dead to me. It goes where you point it, but there isn't much road feel. I think I need to drive them a couple more times before I make a decision.

Click to expand...

It's not going to get better. I strongly dislike electric power steering. The GSW is the only car I have with it, but that's only because all my other cars are old. My BMW is the last year of hydraulic steering in the 3-series. Lots of reviewers say that electric steering is improving, but it's got a ways to go.

I believe there are steering adjustment available with VCDS

Not gonna help. It's not an adjustment issue, it has to do with feel. Electric racks take it out.

However, people had the same complaints when going from manual to power steering. And we adjusted. We will, again.

Went from MKIV 1.8T 5MT Golf to MKVII TDI 6MT GSW.

I miss not having a car payment. Still stock everything on the MKVII so also miss the Eibach suspension setup my MKIV. Everything else is better on the MKVII.

I am in the same exact boat as you. This topic is actually what brought me to this subforum. It is hard to let go of a car I feel is going to be the best car I have ever owned. Plus not having a car payment for the past 10 years, the car owes me nothing. I have me eye on a 2015, manual, Nav, fender audio, pano roof (which I have heard mixed reviews on) and am wondering if it's time to move on.

It gets harder and harder to keep it up when parts go NLA (no longer available). Mechanical parts are still around but a lot of those interior and other plastic parts can no longer be had. Switches and other control items may fall into this group as well. I just helped someone local with VCDS and he was needing window and door lock switches and controls and said he couldn't find what he needed.

I've yet to find any part for my MKIVs gone obsolete. In fact I just ordered a headliner for my '02 Wagon, got one for my '99.5 Golf last year. I thought the headliners were obsolete, but no. Windshields can still be ordered, too, with a VIN. I suppose this won't last forever, but my '99.5 is approaching 20 years since its build date and so far so good.

I was rehabbing a 2003 Beetle. Door cards in particular along with some other interior parts.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

I've yet to find any part for my MKIVs gone obsolete. In fact I just ordered a headliner for my '02 Wagon, got one for my '99.5 Golf last year. I thought the headliners were obsolete, but no. Windshields can still be ordered, too, with a VIN. I suppose this won't last forever, but my '99.5 is approaching 20 years since its build date and so far so good.

Click to expand...

Can I ask where you sourced the headliner? I need one too.

From my local dealer. Ordered with VIN.

I'm in the Asheville area visiting friends this week. I debated which car to drive down here, the GSW with 10K miles on it or my MKIV Wagon with 368K miles. I drove the MKIV. Why? First, I'm comfortable in that car. Second, I could drive from MA to VA on Wednesday on one tank. 729 miles, low fuel light wasn't on when I filled it. Can't do that in the GSW. A/C is super cold, and the car cruises happily at 75-80 MPH, getting 48+ MPG while doing it.

The GSW is much quieter, tracks really well, and has better features. But the MKIV is hard to step away from. I'm sure I will, eventually. But for now I'm happy to put miles on the older car.

One other consideration. If you were involved in an accident, which would you rather be in? I would imagine the newer car would provide more safety. I would imagine 16 years has yielded some safety improvements.

We’re headed to Maine next week, similar thoughts trying to decide which car to drive.
The 05 will get to Maine on one tank, but not the 15.
The newer one will get slightly better mileage though.
The old one with back seats removed (they have been for years) will fit more stuff. Not easy to remove seats from the new one.

Grigg3 said:

The 05 will get to Maine on one tank, but not the 15.
The newer one will get slightly better mileage though.

Click to expand...

Why is this how far you can go on a tank such a big deal. Doesn't anybody eat or have to use the restroom? Is refueling really all that time consuming or difficult

It’s not a big deal, but once accustomed to how far you should be able to go anything less is sometimes frustrating.
For some trips it’s nice to drive through all the states with high fuel prices and fill up when it’s cheaper. The flexibility that comes with the extra range is nice.

On a long trip if you want to cover ground the fewer stops the faster you get there.