Golf GTI 1.8 turbo

You will feel it! If you don't then maybe it isn't. I have to be careful on quick left hand turns from a stop sign. The turbo kicks in about half into the turn and the sudden increase in power can be troublesome.

Hi Ringo,

Yep, you can certainly feel it! There is a *slight* lag (despite assertions to the contrary) but it isn't bad at all. The throttle response is definitely different than my 1998 GTI VR6... the HP and torque numbers are nearly identical in both engines, but at least the perceived acceleration is greater in the 1.8T. I've only had mine for a week, but I have no doubt about the turbo working!

The torque curve of the 1.8 T is better than the 172HP VR6 -- because it does not peak but it stays identical between 2000 and 5000RPM. This is the reason why the 180HP 1.8 T is even faster than the 200HP VR6 when considering 0-60mil/hour acceleration. The only problem of the 1.8 T is the too small torque at 1000RPM.

Hey Frank,

This is the only problem I've had adapting to my new 1.8T from my old 173 HP VR6. The first few times I started out, I tended to lug the engine at low RPMs. A simple adjustment: a bit more pedal at startout and all is well!

I really like my new car... although I was loathe to let the old 1998 GTI VR6 (w/only 52K miles) go. The dealer I traded it to said it sold immediately.

- Jim K