GTI 3 door vs 5 door

[Corey_R]

and it was a looong reach back to the seat belt.

That's why you leave the seat belt over the side bulster of the seat back. No need to reach Plus, on 'lesser' cars than the Golf, it stops the passenger seat belt from banging against the side of the car when there is no one in that seat.

[dave_r]

I've never fully understood releasing the EXACT same car in both 3 and 5 door. Get a 2 door sports car if you want it - I've personally owned one - but why sell yourself short by buying a 3 door car that can come with 5 doors, just because it has a couple less lines on the side?

Opening a can of worms but this thread has gone so long why not hehe. I Disagree. I think its good they give people the choice. I have no need for 5 doors, as I'd never open the 2 rear ones. Don't like being a taxi and think it just looks better in general without them.

On the flip side, if people need a decent family car they can still grab a 5dr GTI and have some fun, just doesn't look as nice

Much better to have a choice than be dictated to.

[Mk6 GTI]

I've never fully understood releasing the EXACT same car in both 3 and 5 door. Get a 2 door sports car if you want it - I've personally owned one - but why sell yourself short by buying a 3 door car that can come with 5 doors, just because it has a couple less lines on the side?

Yeah.. if i wanted a two door car i wouldnt be buying a golf GTI! More like z4 or TT or something along those lines.

everyone to their own i guess!

[Lima]

A 3dr GTI is a great compromise, unlike a TT or Z4 it can still be used to ferry small items of furniture etc around, it can still seat up to 5 people and it does all that by looking better than the 5 door (my opinion, of course).

Sure, there are times that a 5 door would be a better solution, but for us (with 3 x 3door cars, haha), those times clearly are not sufficient enough to warrant the visual compromise.

[elisiX]

I've moved house twice using the Mazda 3... larger hatches rock and certainly have their place.

[Corey_R]

Yeah.. if i wanted a two door car i wouldnt be buying a golf GTI! More like z4 or TT or something along those lines.

everyone to their own i guess!

Hence why we're not discussing 2 door sports coupes! We're discussing a 3 door sports hatchback! With a 3dr GTI I an still have something 'sporty and sleek', which doesn't look like a "family hatch", yet I can still lay the rear seats down, open the 3dr door, and put a large Mesaboogie 4x12 guitar speaker stack, the head unit (amplifier), and a few guitars in the back.

Can't do that with a Z4 or TT


Hell, like elisiX stated, I've moved house using my old Toyota Echo Sportivo (3 door) from 2001. It fit my 42" Sony plasma, 130kg 'home theater rack', Fisher and Paykell twin 'drawer' dish washer, etc etc. Sure, not all at once, but it could still fit even though it's MUCH smaller than the Golf!

[MurphyTheElf]

Hence why we're not discussing 2 door sports coupes! We're discussing a 3 door sports hatchback! With a 3dr GTI I an still have something 'sporty and sleek', which doesn't look like a "family hatch"....

But it's the SAME CAR as the 5 door! It IS a family hatch. You just have less openings! It looks exactly the same from the front. It looks exactly the same from the back. To most people, it looks the same from the side.

It sounds like you want a sports coupe but have settled for a family hatch. All the proponents of the 3 door have basically agreed that they want the convenience of a family hatch - the space, the rear seats - yet they don't want to be seen driving one.

VWA should simply offer the Golf as a 5 door and the Scirocco to fill 3 door sports hatch niche. The rear seats are less useable, but the profile of the car is certainly more sporty. But we've been over this argument before.

[Corey_R]

VWA should simply offer the Golf as a 5 door and the Scirocco to fill 3 door sports hatch niche. The rear seats are less useable, but the profile of the car is certainly more sporty. But we've been over this argument before.

But you don't understand. If VWA did that, then they'd lose my business and the business of others.

The notion of 5 door only Golf and 3 door only Scirocco is about as rude as all GTI's 5 door and all Golf R's 3 door. Although I have no interest in a 5 door R, I certainly wouldn't want to deny anyone else that choice.

When they originally released the MKV GTI in this country it was 5 door only. I, and obviously many others, were interested in the car but would not purchase it as it was 5 door. So then they decided to release the R32, they also started bringing in the 3 door GTI from Germany.

I mean lets face it guys, you have one opinion, I and many others have another opinion. If 3 door hatch backs were truly as silly as you think, then why is there such a demand for them that so many companies make them?

[POLARBEAR666]

It shoudl be determined by how often you take 3 passengers. If you are by yourself or a couple then 5 doors is not needed and you might as well look a bit slicker in a 2 door and have less NVH, weight??? and possibly better handling due to a stiffer shell.

The other major consideration is resale. 3 doors are going to be a more specific market and could command a higher price but be harder to sell. This is like Black cars. It is well documented in the car selling industry that black cars -particularly black mercs or bmw's - are harder to sell but when you do sell one they sell for a 10% premium on the silver/white/other colours.

[Lima]

...It sounds like you want a sports coupe but have settled for a family hatch...

I don't have a pony tail and I'm not balding, so, genetically, I am not able to buy a sports coupe, haha.

We wanted a nice looking hatchback and had a preference for a 3dr. VW Aus kept teasing, yes, no, maybe... As soon as we got confirmation from VW Aus that Mk5 3dr GTI were going to be available we put our money on the line and reserved one.

I can see the reason for 5 doors, and in fact, I used to think 3drs were a dumb idea. But after seeing the Mk4 R32 and then having my MINI and seeing that a 3dr hatch is not as impractical as I first thought (yes, even a MINI) I was converted.

But like others, if there is a market for them, I can't see why anyone would care or not if 3dr Golfs were offered.

I don't mind the Scirocco theory, but still reckon a 3dr GTI will always be where it's at. That's the only configuration they were made in for almost a decade, so that's just the way it is.