Review: Volkswagen Golf GTI 8.5 – are we having fun yet?

Review: Volkswagen Golf GTI 8.5 – are we having fun yet?
(Images: Driven/Supplied)
David Linklater
ProsEven more perky with the power bump.Love the retro design references.Still a pleasingly practical everyday car.ConsCan't help lamenting the loss of the manual option.Infotainment initially a bit daunting.Still $6.5k than GTI 8.0 at launch, despite a $2k price drop.The new Golf 8.5 represents a bit of backpedalling on the part of Volkswagen. The 8.0 was the first VW to have a cabin that relied almost solely on haptic-touch controls and no physical buttons (followed closely by its electric ID models).There was a huge backlash from cu...

More The Life

Quote Unquote: The best of My Net Worth from 2024
The Life

Quote Unquote: The best of My Net Worth from 2024

Pearls of wisdom from some of NZ's most perceptive business leaders.

Toyota GR Yaris & GR Corolla automatic first drive: D delivers
The Life

Toyota GR Yaris & GR Corolla automatic first drive: D delivers

There’s nothing quite as focused as these brace of GRs.

David Linklater 19 Jan 2025
How Te Arai Links became a South Pacific golfers' paradise
The Life

How Te Arai Links became a South Pacific golfers' paradise

The resort's two 18-hole golf courses feature breathtaking views of the coast.

Duncan Bridgeman 19 Jan 2025
Part 3: The best of My Net Worth from the past year
The Life

Part 3: The best of My Net Worth from the past year

Pearls of wisdom from some of NZ's most perceptive business leaders.