2007 Volkswagen GTI 4-door test drive -- and what's your opinion of 4-door sports cars?
Years ago, a friend told me that he would never buy a 4-door sports car, because proper sports cars had just 2 doors. Today, 4-door sports cars are becoming more and more common. One of my personal favorite hot-rods, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, is only available as a 4-door.
But now something different is happening: Hot rods that are available as two-door coupes or hatchbacks are being offered in four-door form. Examples include the 4-door version of Honda's Civic Si and today's test car, the Volkswagen GTI, which I tested in two-door form last year.
A few weeks ago I drove the 4-door GTI on the racetrack at Willow Springs and found it gave up nothing to the two-door version. Now About.com test-driver and minivans guide Jeff James has spent a week with the 4-door GTI to see how it works as a family hauler. The answer? Check out his test drive report.
What's your opinion on 4-door sports cars? Are you a 2-door purist, or do you think a 4-door car can be considered a proper sports car? Click the "comments" link and tell us.
Photo © Jeff James
I think the 2 doors look way nicer, but a 4 door can be a sports car. BMW has felt that way for years. Personally, I would stick with the 2 doors. The Evo and the WRX are fun cars, but just don’t have it in the looks dept. I have a Mustang GT and my wife has a BMW Z3 – and we have two kids.
My problem is they are calling everything ’sport’ now. So if you keep to the 2 door tradition, you’d have to remove 2 doors from everything, including Hummers and Tahoes. Everything is getting sport suspension. Sport utility van, sport utility car, sport sedan, etc. Everything seems to need to have ’sport’ in the name someplace. Maybe it has to do with the fact that kids can’t go out and play anymore because of predators and guns? Kids grow up with TV and video games and never use their imagination. So when they grow up, they bring that lack of imagination with them. Can’t think of a new name, give it an old one. Doesn’t matter if there is tradition linked to the name or not. The 4 door Corvette can’t be too far away. Can’t think of a new movie? Re make an old one no matter how bad it is.
I don’t think it should matter how many door it have. The important thing is that it should be true to the idea of a sport car. It should be fun to drive.
Have you guys heard about the 4 door Mustang derivative?
I love four door sports cars. I can be young and carry my family around in an Evo. If I could ever afford one.
I’ve always thought that 2-door sports cars are hot. Now I think the 4-door sports cars hot, too. Not only are they hot, they are practical (when not mid-nite street racing!)
I did like 2-door sports cars but then I got the Evo. I like the fact I can put more people in the rear seats easily and watch their facial expressions when I open it up a bit.
A “Sports Car” has two seats and no roof. A 4 or 5 door would be a “Sports Sedan”. A 2 or 3 door with a roof is a GT car.
Those are the definitions. No exceptions!
a small low car with a high-powered engine; usually seats two persons
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
A sports car is type of automobile designed for sporting performance. While opinions differ as to the exact definition, most sports cars have two seats and two doors, and are designed to excel at a combination of acceleration, top speed, braking, and maneuverability. Great emphasis is often placed on handling—the ability of the car to remain in the control of the driver under challenging condition such as when the car’s tires begin to lose their grip on corners.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_car
I would only buy a 4 door sports/sporty car. I have two giant dogs and a wife, and lots of sports gear to haul around. Two doors is dumb.
Jeff the Purist says:
December 27, 2006 at 4:24 pm
“A “Sports Car” has two seats and no roof. A 4 or 5 door would be a “Sports Sedan”. A 2 or 3 door with a roof is a GT car.
Those are the definitions. No exceptions!”
Actually that is a Roadster, get your definitions right. A PURE sports car is generally aa 2 seater, but I would call the RX-8 a sports car. Not a sports sedan.
Sporting performance is never limited by the number of doors on a vehicle. I’d like nothing better than a 5-door wagon with the punch and handling of my Taurus SHO. Hmmm . . . anything available in a turbo Volvo?
I loving it its so cool doed
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Turbo (boxer engine 250 hp), 4 doors and I have not lost a challenge. Volkswagons are crap, even with a make-over. It’s not all about looks but performance.
as another purist or probably just stuck in the past 2 doors is the only true sports car no matter performance.. as a corvette and miata owner i regard the miata a sports car. a corvette is truelly a roadster its a size issue a 4 door hemi get real!
People just have too many choices today. The 2 door GTI is just fine, if you want a 4 door, buy a Jetta GLI.
If it doesn’t have 2 or fewer doors, it’s not a sports car. That said, when I’m buying a 4 door, I look for a car with sports car characteristics.
You can have a 4 door that out handles and out performs a sports car, but the 4 door still isn’t a sports car.
I have a four door 2007 GTI and love it.
It’s not the doors that make a sports car….it’s the spirit and attitude of the car. This one is pure sport!
i just bought a 2007 gti– dsg, 18″ wheels, black, plaid interior. its the best car i’ve ever owned- incredibly fun, fast, roomy and looks amazing. not the most expensive car i’ve ever owned, but definitely the most fun i’ve ever had in a car
To me a roadster is a small, convertible without any concern for utilitarian issues like trunk space, rear seats, etc. Now a sports car is a car dedicated to high performance driving, mostly in the handling vein, two/four door alike, as long as the mission statement is the same(bmw 3 series or civic si, now also in 4 door). A pony/muscle car is orientated to hot starts, screeching rubber and bad gas mileage. but that’s only my opinion.
I just bought a four door GTI after driving it and the two door. I prefered the look, feel, and convenience of the four with no sacrifice of fun.
As said before – 2 or 4 doors, its not that what matters.
Take the example ot the new Porsche Panamera, wich in its top version (Panamera GT) will have about 700 hp (!!!!). If that isnt a Sports car, what is it?
Oh, and Panamera will have 4 doors…
In the 1990’s, Nissan created the concept of the 4 door sports car (4DSC) and advertised the Maxima as one. Using the theory of less doors = greater sportiness, I guess the ultimate sports car would be the Duke’s of Hazard General Lee, which had no functional doors.