Ace of Base: 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI S

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

Ages ago, the GTI was a trim level of the Golf, bringing the heat to a funky little hatchback and virtually creating a segment. Now, there are actually three different flavors of GTI: S, SE, and Autobahn.

Given the vast gulf in price of the three, and my love for affordable yet fun wheels, your humble author naturally thinks the base model leads the way.

Wolfsburg dug around in its offices and backrooms a few years ago, finding a few extra ponies for the GTI. It now produces 220 horsepower out of its turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four along with 258 lb-ft of torque, so long as you feed it a diet of premium unleaded. A tasty six-speed standard is, well, standard at the reasonable sticker price of $26,415.

Snazzy LED lamps jazz up the front and rear of the S, belying its cheapest-of-the-trio stature. Inside, Bluetooth and (finally) a USB port appears, as does a backup camera. It does have the smaller infotainment screen, though. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and the heated front seats are covered in natty Clark Plaid.

This feature alone is one of the many reasons why I prefer the GTI to the R, as the R – while an absolute rocket of a machine – continually comes across as taking itself far too seriously. Driving one is like having a really hot date … but you know they’re just not that into you. The GTI doesn’t feel like that at all.

The S gets what VW calls a Cross Differential System, an electronic substitute for a mechanical limited-slip differential. It monitors data from sensors for each wheel and, by gently applying the brake to the inside wheel during a turn, can help reduce understeer. It’s no substitute for a true mechanical diff, but it’s a heckuva lot better than plowing straight ahead into the weeds.

An expected alphabet soup of safety assistants are on board the S, including ESC, HBA, ASR, EDL, EBA, HBA, ABS, WTF, and LOL. Save the last two, they all apparently work together to keep drivers out of the ditch by working the brakes and keeping things shiny side up. Barring all that, there are enough airbags to briefly turn the interior into a marshmallow.

Much to this author’s delight, a full septet of colors are available at no charge, include the bizarre but beautiful Great Falls Green shown above. Night Blue Metallic is also tasty, but this is one car in which I would pass on a red shade. Here, it neatly cancels out the GTI’s signature red grille trim. Contrasting colors are better, full stop. Every 2018 VW, except for the e-Golf, also gets a new sorry-about-those-diesels warranty that extends comprehensive coverage to six years or 72,000 miles.

The SE and Autobahn trims of the GTI are a $4,055 and $8,655 walks from the S respectively, no small amount of change. While it is true the more expensive trims have a better set of brakes and diff, I can’t help but notice the amount of performance kit one could buy and install for those amounts at my local VW speed shop.

This is one case in which I’ll gladly say yes to the S.

[Image: Volkswagen]

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make our automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you’d like to see in our series? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selections.

The model above is shown with American options and is priced in Freedom Dollars. As always, your dealer will probably sell for less.

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

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  • Jbookwitness Jbookwitness on Mar 02, 2018

    6 years/72k warranty. Don't want to sell them short. I wonder how long VW will offer this warranty?

  • Mike Mike on Mar 02, 2018

    Was shopping leftover 2017 GTIs and found an amazing deal... in Atlanta. Went to the local dealer and asked if they could compete, or even just come down to negate the cost to transport the car or go retrieve it, and was told if I could get such a great deal in Atlanta then go buy it. Somebody else will buy this car for what we're asking. Alright then. So that's what I did. Should be here next week. VW dealers. Ammirite?

  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
  • SCE to AUX "...the complete Mustang model lineup to peruse"Will the fake Mustang show up, too?
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