The Mk8 VW GTI isn't as good as its predecessor. | Revelations with Jason Cammisa | Ep. 11 - Hagerty Media

This is an in-depth review of the 2022 Volkswagen GTI, delivered by a VW Fan with a close-up perspective on the previous Mk7 Golf.

The Mk7 GTI might have no bigger fan than Jason Cammisa — and in this episode of Revelations, he explains why he thinks it’s a better overall car than the new Mk8. This, after comically admitting that his house looks like a Volkswagen shrine.

Being a fanboy cuts both ways — it can mean blind adoration for a new car based on the previous version, or it can result in unrealistic expectations.

Perhaps both are true this time around.

The Mk8 is quicker than the Mk7 (we include testing results) but the problems start with cost-cutting and questionable decisions that seem to prioritize gimmicks over substance. Things like the overwrought exterior styling, GPS-blocking cell-phone holder, or worse — the fact that the interior accent lighting is infinitely color-adjustable, but there’s no illumination at all for the volume temperature controls; the two most-used secondary controls in any car.

At the end of the day, it’s the Mk8’s UX (User Interface) that lets the car down, not its inherent greatness. The GTI greatness — speed, capability, everyday usability, packaging, efficiency — is all there. It’s just covered in a layer of frustrating software and difficult-to-use capacitive buttons.