# MK6 vs MK7 vs Sportwagen vs anything else?



## ekimp (May 10, 2012)

Hello vortex,

Currently in the market for a new or CPO car. I'm coming from a 16 year old Mercedes 4Matic wagon which is wonderful but is unfortunately getting old and has left me stranded a few times in some very inconvenient places within recent years. The midwest is not an ideal place to own this car. Some considerations/priorities:

- A warranty. I will be putting a lot of miles on the car and I do a fair amount of driving around the midwest and drive back and forth between the midwest/east coast fairly often. VW's warranty seems to be a lot better than the ST, but does that really matter in the long run?

- Cost to own. I'm a college student, so this is perhaps my biggest consideration between a new MK7 and a CPO MK6. Seems like there is a massive difference between these two cars, but is the extra payout really worth it for the MQB?

- Manual trans. I miss it dearly.

- FUN TO DRIVE. This is a big one. I did my first auto-x last fall in a Fiesta ST and loved it. I'd like to do a few events this year, so great handling and toss-ablity is highly encouraged.

- Cargo space. I'm a double bass player and often find myself carrying a ton of gear. I've already been to the dealer to see if my my bass fits in a MK7 4 door, and it does with some room to spare. That said, this is where the consideration of the Sportwagen comes into play. The MK7 S Sportwagen with a 5 speed would fit the bill really nice (although it lacks heated front seats). I'm a bit worried about cargo space between a MK6 and a MK7 GTI.

- Something that isn't an appliance. To afford this car, I regretfully need to pass up my beloved '86 BMW 635CSI, which was a huge joy to own and bring to car shows. While this won't be a car show contender, I still want to drive something I can look back at when walking away.

Go!


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## biturbowagon (Nov 23, 2015)

Here are a few random thoughts. I won't answer all your questions, but I'll try to answer several of them. 

You should figure out what your priorities are in a car. Several of yours are in tension with each other. For example, which is more important: auto-x, or cargo capacity? Gas mileage or acceleration? Etc. 

If you want gas mileage, TDI is the best (except for the Hybrid, but your bass probably won't fit). But Dieselgate throws a monkey wrench in that. But you can get a 6 speed TDI JSW if you look hard, or a 6 speed TDI GSW once Dieselgate is over (at least one hopes).

If warranty is really important, check out Hyundais. Their warranties are for ten years, as I recall. A friend has one, and loves it -- Elantra, I think. But he's not a car enthusiast. If you want a long VW warranty, you'll have to pay for the extended warranty.

A GTI will have higher costs: premium fuel, slightly worse gas mileage vs. Golf TSI, much more expensive tires, probably higher insurance, etc. But it will be fun.

I have a JSW TDI. I traveled from NY to WI two summers ago with my bicycle, my contrabassoon, and my bassoon in the back, with plenty of room for luggage and other stuff, and got 45+ MPG. I think I stopped for fuel twice.


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## ekimp (May 10, 2012)

biturbowagon said:


> Here are a few random thoughts. I won't answer all your questions, but I'll try to answer several of them.
> 
> You should figure out what your priorities are in a car. Several of yours are in tension with each other. For example, which is more important: auto-x, or cargo capacity? Gas mileage or acceleration? Etc.
> 
> ...


Gas mileage is definitely a consideration, but not necessarily a top priority since I don't drive very far when I'm at school. I've already found a few 6 speed JSW TDIs that are appealing. I just hate the look of them compared to the GSW, plus it seems like so much of the car was unchanged from the MK5 model.

Hyundai is an appliance, so that's out of the question.

I'm not concerned about the premium fuel/gas mileage of the GTI (I'm already used to premium fuel/crap mileage in the Mercedes). Cargo space is what mainly concerns me with the GTI, but it doesn't seem significantly smaller than the GSW/JSW. As long as it can fit multiple instruments in the back, I'll have a Thule box I can put on the roof for extra storage.

I'm really curious to see what happens when the '15 TDIs come back on the market...


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## biturbowagon (Nov 23, 2015)

The JSW is a bit of an odd critter -- a hybrid MK5/MK6, with Jetta-ish sheet metal even though it's really a Golf. 

The GSW is an MK7. The TDIs are impounded, as you know, unless you find one of the early ones for sale used. The other engine is the 1.8 turbo, vs. the 2.5 five-cylinder (or TDI) of the JSW. That difference may be of importance to you.

As for comparing the JSW or GSW vs. GTI cargo space, keep in mind that the difference in cargo space is far more pronounced when the rear seatbacks are up, 
vs. folded down.

GTI: 22.8/52.7 cu. ft.
GSW: 30.4/66.5
JSW: 32.8/66.9

So, take all your gear to the dealership, test fit it in each vehicle, and see what fits best to your satisfaction. 

Also prioritize how you plan to use the car. For example, here's a hypothetical: if you can fit all your gear in the GTI with no rear passenger, vs. the GSW or JSW with one rear seat passenger, is that important to you? Do you carpool to gigs?


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## ekimp (May 10, 2012)

biturbowagon said:


> The JSW is a bit of an odd critter -- a hybrid MK5/MK6, with Jetta-ish sheet metal even though it's really a Golf.
> 
> The GSW is an MK7. The TDIs are impounded, as you know, unless you find one of the early ones for sale used. The other engine is the 1.8 turbo, vs. the 2.5 five-cylinder (or TDI) of the JSW. That difference may be of importance to you.
> 
> ...


Thanks for those specs- always seemed like the JSW was much smaller than the GSW. Interesting.

You bring up some very good points. Rarely do I need to carry more than one person with my DB, and that will fine into a MK7 GTI (I've already tested it). The rest of my gear, I'm not sure. I'll have to do find out in person.

I'm against buying anything with the 2.5, which means I'd be forced into a > '15 Sportwagen, which will still have a longer way to depreciate and will likely depreciate more than a GTI. Rarely do I carpool to gigs, so I'd probably be fine with the GTI. That said, it would be useful to see whether all of my gear would fit at once.

Very useful insight, thanks!


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## biturbowagon (Nov 23, 2015)

You're welcome. Happy to help.

The GSW may be marginally larger than the JSW, but they're basically the same size. You can look up the specs. As I recall, the GSW allots more room to the rear seat passengers than the JSW.

Another possibility, if you're willing to wait, is the announced (rumored?) Alltrack. More info: 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7173179-US-spec-Alltrack

Re cost per mile, you can check out websites such as Consumer Reports (subscription needed) for more info.


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