From Aaron Gold,
Your Guide to Cars.
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The Volkswagen GTI burst onto the scene back in 1984 as a juiced-up version of the Rabbit hatchback. Folks loved it. In spirit, the new-for-2006 GTI is the closest yet to the original; in practice, technology has replaced simplicity to provide a car that's lots of fun and very, very fast. No modifications needed: The GTI is a grin-generator right out of the box. I loved it. $21,990 base, $26,855 as tested. EPA city/highway MPG: 23/32 manual, 25/31 DSG (automatic).

First Glance: Kit vs. RTR

Years ago I worked for a hobby shop that sold radio-control (R/C) vehicles. Back then everything was in kit form -- the car kit came in one box, the electronics in another, etc., which meant several hours of assembly before you could get out there and break it.

Recently, after years of wanting one, I bought myself an R/C truck. I was surprised to find how much had changed. Kits are now rare; everything is RTR, meaning Ready To Run, so you can get out and start breaking it right away.

The modern hot rod scene is a lot like that. Most modern hot rods (aka sport compacts) are kits: buy a used Honda Civic and start swapping parts. The results can be hit-or-miss depending on the skills (and taste) of the owner.

So here comes the all-new 2006 VW GTI -- the ready-to-run hot rod. The GTI is a complete package: aggressive styling, hot turbocharged engine, taut suspension. It even offers the direct-shift gearbox (DSG), perhaps the first self-shifting transmission that won't get the driver laughed right off the starting line. No hit-or-miss here. My test car, silver with the standard 17" multi-spoke wheels, was arguably the blandest-looking GTI made (I prefer brighter colors and the optional 18" wheels as seen on this Jetta GLI), and it still looked good. It looked fast.

Continued below...

In the Driver's Seat: Driving is serious business...

Aside from the flat-bottomed steering wheel with GTI logo, the GTI's interior is typical old-school VW: Dark and purposeful, a serious place to get on with the serious business of driving. The front seats are height-adjustable and have extra bolstering to keep the driver's butt in place while cornering. No complaints control-wise; everything is plainly labeled and easy to use, though the stalk-mounted cruise control takes some getting used to.

Hot-rodding is a social sport, so it's nice to see that the GTI treats back-seat passengers well. The two-door doesn't make getting in easy, but once there the two outboard passengers get a decent-sized seat, ample legroom, and their own cupholders and A/C vents. (A four-door GTI will join the lineup in 2007.) There's a 3-point belt and headrest for a center passenger; he may not be comfy but he'll be safe. (Need more space? Check out the Jetta GLI, essentially a GTI with a trunk.) When not in use, all three rear-seat headrests drop low enough so as not to block too much of the rear view.

Its hatchback body makes the GTI inherently cargo-friendly, and VW adds onto that with grocery bag hooks, luggage tie-downs, and a center pass-through to carry skis. The rear seatback splits and folds down, but it doesn't fold perfectly flat.

On the Road: Man, does this thing feel fast!

The GTI's powerplant is a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine. VW's FSI direct-injection technology sprays fuel directly into the cylinder rather than into the intake manifold just above it, improving response, power and mileage. I averaged 23.4 MPG, very impressive considering how much time was spent foot-to-the-floor (wheee!) or slowly jockeying around for photos. Compared to the previous GTI's 1.8 turbo, the 2.0T feels more responsive with less turbo lag.

GTIs come with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed Direct Shift Gearbox. (For more on DSG and how it works, go here.) The DSG uses a proper clutch, just like a manual, but engages it faster than a human can with minimal slippage. That plus near-instant upshifts mean DSG-equipped GTIs out-accelerate manuals. (See, there's your excuse for buying a sports car without a stick.) The DSG has auto (normal and sport) modes or can be manually shifted using the shift lever or paddles on the steering wheel. I still prefer a traditional clutch pedal, but I have to admit that anything I can do with a manual, the DSG can do better and faster. No surprise that VW's in-house tests show the DSG to be faster to 60 MPH, and city MPG is almost 10% better than with the stick-shift.

Handling-wise the GTI hangs on well during maneuvers sane enough to be carried out on public roads. "Summer" performance tires come standard; rust-belters may need to invest in a set of snow tires. I liked the steering's feel and found the ride to be surprisingly smooth and quiet.

Journey's End: A complete turn-key package -- just buy and enjoy

Let's get back to the whole kit vs. RTR idea. I'm a kit kind of guy; one of my project cars is a two-seat Honda CRX, and I like the idea of picking and choosing my own performance bits. But let's be honest: the only things I've added to the CRX over the past three years are seat covers and gasoline, and frankly the car looks more like something your dog would bury than something that'd beat you at the drag strip. For every beautifully done-up hot rod there are a hundred cars like my CRX that will remain terminally unfinished.

By the same token, had I bought my R/C truck in kit form, it'd probably still be on the workbench in pieces. Buying ready-to-run means you can get right out there and drive -- and it makes as much sense for a real car as it does for an R/C car. There are still plenty of bolt-on enhancements that one can add to the GTI to modify its looks, power and handling, but the 2006 Volkswagen GTI offers quite a lot for it's sub-$22k starting price. And for GTI owners, the smiles start right off the showroom floor.