u/MammothAd4351

Just throwing this question out there to get ya’lls opinions between these three cars.

I don’t have any “goo-goo, gaa-gaa” eyes for either of these cars, but if I was going to eventually look into getting another sporty car (might sell my MK7 GTI, I might not…still haven’t decided if I should keep it in the fan or sell it for peanut money), these three are possible options.

All three options are 6spd manual, under 60k miles, below $50k price.

We all know about the FL5 CTR. FWD, 2.0T, liftback (not a true hatchback design). It’s very similar to a GTI, but handles better. It will feel very similar to the GTI in terms of it being a “tuner car”. Best mpg’s of the bunch. Most practical.

Next is a C7 Corvette Grand Sport. Best looking I the three imo. Doesn’t need any aftermarket aesthetic mods to look great. Fastest, most raw, reliable. I see fewer of these on the road in my area in AZ than I do FL5 CTR’s. Price is second most expensive.

Then there’s the S550 Mustang GT. Good V8. Good power. The cheapest of the three. But I’m afraid it’s a car I’d get bored of the power pretty quickly. As far as looks go, I like them as long as they have a bit of a drop, wheels, and some other little body aesthetic mods. In stock form, they’re a little “boring” for a muscle car, imo. Price is definitely the cheapest and can find a good example for $10-15k less than the other two vehicles.

I’ve driven both the FL5 CTR and a S550 Mustang GT before. Neither of them gave me a WOW factor. The CTR is just so overpriced and the GT left me wanting a little more “push” on power. I’ve never driven the C7 Grand Sport. I’ve only driven a C7 Stingray, which was fun, but the basic looks of it didn’t get me that excited. That’s where the Grand Sport body comes in…it’s a lot better looking than the base Stingray imo. Power was good though and I enjoyed the sound. It felt long, like Vette’s always have to me, but I could get over that with time.

What’s your choice and why?

I’ve owned my 2017 GTI S 6spd since new. It’s currently IS38 custom 91oct tuned, FBO, full suspension. It also has what I determine to be “extra” upgrades, such as a Wavetrac LSD and shifter components.

The GTI is insanely fun. It handles very good and makes me laugh and giggle when pushing it hard through windy roads and canyons. It’s IS38 power is plenty enough to have “power on tap” whenever desired and to have fun roll races when they happen.

The car is literally set up exactly how I’ve wanted it, but the issue is the clutch. Well, not the clutch itself (Sachs Performance w/DMF) but more so the tob. I just don’t trust the car anymore after having 4 random tob’s fail on me. And if any of you know, the tob and slave is one unit, so if the tob fails, brake fluid gets all over the bell housing, requiring the entire clutch to be replaced, which is not cheap (unless it’s a FCP Euro lifetime warranty return) nor is it a small job.

I literally just replaced my clutch and tob with a brand new Sachs Performance clutch, new DMF (I’ve been running this clutch for a while and love this clutch), and new OEM tob. So the car is driving amazing again, but the thought of “when will the tob randomly fail on me again” is always lurking in the back of my head. Other than the tob issue, the car is perfect.

So, I’m thinking Should I Sell My Car? It’s so hard because my GTI is my baby. It’s so good. It’s been with me almost a decade now and I’ve done almost everything myself. I know it’s not worth a lot of $$, which is why it’s so hard for me to let it go.

So I’m asking you guys…should I sell it? If Idid sell it, what I’m looking for another car is:

1. Manual trans. I’m a manual guy. Auto’s, dual-clutch or not, are boring to me. My fun car HAS to be manual.

2. Handles well. My GTI handles better than a stock CTR, so the new car has to handle well.

3. Reliable. I’m looking for a car that won’t cost me an arm and a leg to repair constantly, as well as as give me confidence that it won’t randomly have something break on me on a trip.

So I’m thinking the FL5 CTR fits this list nicely. What I don’t like about owning the CTR is that I can’t stand Honda Fanboys. They’re kind of cringe tbh. I don’t want to be labeled as one (yeah I know, who cares right, but Honda fanboys literally bug me with their thought processes). But a stock FL5 is manual ✔️, it handles great ✔️, and it’s reliable ✔️. A bonus is that it holds its value very well. Yeah, it’s a more expensive FWD, but I personally love very good handling FWD cars, and all that would really need to be done to the CTR is better suspension. It’s quick enough and I wouldn’t really feel a need to add more power to it.

Another option is a Camaro SS. Manual ✔️, handles well ✔️, reliable ✔️. But given gas prices, it’s going to make me cry filling that thing up 😭. But I do love me a good RWD V8!!

FYI, this car won’t be used as a daily. I have a reliable hybrid I use as a daily. This car is only used for fun purposes (usually a canyon or windy road trips). So I would be putting a ton of miles or have to fill it up with gas very often.

So what do you think? Is it worth me selling my beloved GTI that is so dear to me,and def have buyers remorse on, for another platform that I’m going to have to make monthly payments on, but probably have higher faith in its reliability?

I bought my 2017 MK7 GTI 6spd manual brand new. It has 185k miles, but I just replaced the motor with a used motor with 75k miles, taken from a 2019 GTI. It’s IS38, FBO, Wavetrac LSD, full suspension.

I absolutely love this car when ots working properly. But the clutch tob/slave is the nemesis of this car! Such a horrible design from VW. I just had my 4th tob/slave fail.

Other than this issue, the car is absolutely amazing! It’s quick, it’s responsive, it’s economical (just got 36mpg’s on my road trip), it’s lightweight for a modern car, it’s roomy inside, it’s comfortable, and it handles insanely good! It’s literally exactly what I want my fun-sporty car to be! But I don’t trust it because of the dang tob/slave failure issue! My latest road trip back home to Southern California, my tob/slave failed on me on my drive back home. And it only had 3k miles on it!

I run a Sachs Performance clutch with a LUK DMF. The tob/slave is from Sachs, so it’s OE but not the OEM unit. The clutch is amazing! I’ve only had two clutches slip from use (OEM and DKM Stage 2). All the other clutches have been great (another DKM Stage 2, SB STG3 Endurance, XClutch Stage 2 6-puck, Sachs Performance), but each one of those have had the tob/slave fail, contaminating the entire clutch kit with brake fluid, forcing me to buy another clutch.

I love this car. With the lightweight OZ Ultralegerra 18x8 wheels, Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 245/40/18 tires, Koni Yellow dampers/struts, EMD lowering springs, 034 Motorsports RSB, and Moog rear end links, this car handles incredibly good and makes me laugh like a little kid through corners now. It’s so good for a car that’s literally only worth like $8-12k!

I want to keep the car, but I don’t trust the tob/slave anymore. Everything else I trust. But it’s tough to want to take the car on trips when the tob/slave is this unreliable.

So what other cars would ya’ll recommend? I don’t mind FWD, but it’s got to handle as well and have a LSD. I’ve considered an M2, but even the older gen models haven’t dropped in price as much as I’d like (I’ve owned an E46 M3 Coupe 6spd and loved it). What else is out there? Obviously there isn’t anything remotely as good as my GTI for the e price I’d be able to sell mu GTI for…😭

Well, i’m on my way home from Southern California back to Arizona with my MK7 GTI 6spd manual. I’m on Hwy 10 and I go to press my clutch in to downshift to fourth gear to pass a car and my clutch pedal goes straight to the floor. 😭

I’m still on Hwy 10, cruising to maximize fuel economy, hoping to make it all the way home to my house in North Tucson, AZ without having to fill up with gas. Going to be utilizing the clutchless gearshifting method for the moments when I have to shift. I’m super glad this is not my daily anymore.

Wish me luck!

I just love the interior of the MK7 GTI, especially at night. I really do feel like I’m a cockpit. The lighting is very nice and modern, the infotainment is faced towards the driver, the analog gauges feel “special”, the cloth plaid seats hug you, etc. It’s a very nice interior, especially for it being an 11 year old platform now.