Volkswagen Family Feud

My first car was a 1985 Volkswagen Scirocco. The Scirocco was a wonderful car, which I became quite attached to, despite its average condition. It was by no means a piece of junk, but it had its fair share of blemishes. My current car is a 1991 Volkswagen GTi. It is also a superb vehicle. However this latter car is a much faster, cleaner and better looking in terms of condition. The GTi lacks the charm of the unique Scirocco. They are similar cars but with many differences. Technically speaking, the GTi would top the Scirocco in almost every aspect, but for some odd reason, the Scirocco is the more appealing car to me.

The same company manufactured the GTi and Scirocco, therefore many of the designs and components are the same. In fact, the Gti’s chassis is an evolution of the earlier design found in the Scirocco. The GTi also uses a derivative of the engine that was debuted first in the Scirocco.

The refinements in the Gti’s suspension make it a superior handling car, but the GTi weighs a few hundred pounds more than the older car, and somewhat detracts from this benefit. The same thing goes for the engine; the added power to the engine is sapped up because of a weight increase from the older car to the newer one. The GTi is still faster, but the Scirocco, which has the same basic engine and drive train, could be modified slightly and it would then be the faster car.

Outwards the cars look different. They have very few similarities except for the VW symbol and the door handles. The GTi has excellent illuminating round headlights, whereas the Scirocco’s were from an earlier era, which mandated the use of poor lighting rectangular sealed beams. The Scirocco’s shape was lower and longer. Being of slightly older vintage, it was also proportionately smaller, albeit not by much. The GTi is essentially and Golf with up rated accessories. These amenities however are not necessarily luxury items, but “go-fast” components. They are meant to increase the enjoyment for those of us who like to drive.

Instruments and layout, even components of the interior are very similar in both cars. They have a very Spartan quality to them, which is a good quality in my mind. Simplicity is not a bad thing, and these cars are very straightforward. The instrument clusters are the exact same in both cars, save for the speedometer reading up to 140 mph instead of 120 mph. The steering wheels are very similar and the seats have the same shape, although the seat coverings are a different material. The door handles and the lock buttons are the same design as well as in the same location. Similarly, the way the door had to be shut in order to lock it, which prevented the keys from being locked inside the car, carried over onto the newer model.

To drive the cars is a similar experience with only a bit more heaviness in the Gti’s steering. The Scirocco’s exhaust is bit louder, but then again, it was custom made to do that specifically for my own Scirocco.

With few differences and many similarities, this would be a hard choice. Many people would prefer the GTi because it is newer. Some people would choose the GTi for the more powerful engine, and because it is a bit more refined. On the other hand, the few of us left would choose the Scirocco because of its grassroots Volkswagen sporting character.

The Scirocco is definitely a more unique car than the GTi. After all, it is not based on another cars design. A Scirocco is a Scirocco, but a GTi is also a Golf. Only someone who liked VW’s would know that you were not talking about a hot oppressive wind that blows across the Sahara desert. Everyone else in that situation would reply with a blank stare.

This uniqueness is a far more valuable quality than being faster or nicer. All cars can be made to go faster. All cars can be made to be more unique, but everyone one knows what you started with and that usually is not unique. Despite the Scirocco’s few shortcomings, it would be my prime choice.