Generally, I find my GTI (PP equipped, as it became standard in 2019) to be a lot more insulated than my old Mazdaspeed3, which would've felt less insulated stock, let alone before I added a turboback exhaust, intake, big sway bars, poly trans/motor mounts, and Koni Yellows. The GTI steering feels about as good as I'd expect it to on the mediocre stock grand touring all-season tires (Potenza RE97AS), let alone the winter tires that are on there now. FWIU, the feel in the MK7 GTI's electric power steering was generally regarded as much better than the F30 3-Series' steering feel when they were both newer. Torque steer is considerably less pronounced than in the Mazdaspeed3; it won't punish you for skipping the gym. The clutch feels vague compared to my old Mazdaspeed3, but there are some commonly done cheap fixes.
Overall, when pushing the GTI hard enough to make the tires howl, it just kind of goes about things with less drama than the Mazdaspeed3 did. When you want to drive the Mazdaspeed3 hard, it chugs a Monster, slaps you in the face and says, "GO TIME, FUCK YEAH!" The GTI, OTOH, says, "Ja, ve shall go for sporting drive."
My understanding about 'weak clutches' on MK7 GTIs is that they're weak once you add 80-100 wheel horsepower via tune and downpipe. I haven't heard much of anything good or bad about how they hold up to stock power levels on the track or autocross.A little research is showing me the MK7 GTI Performance Pack can be tracked with just brake pads and fluid, which is a biiiig plus. On the other hand I wonder how much fun I'd have with FWD on track, destructifying front tires at an alarming rate... but as a do-it-all car for $15k used it seems like a solid proposition. The PP cars have a proper LSD, which is a must must if I'm to consider anything FWD. And the non-defeatable ESC can be defeated via the aftermarket. The interior looks nice. The power and fuel economy both look strong, a real enticing combination especially with a tune. But then there's the weak clutch, making a DSG seem tempting instead, but then I've heard it doesn't behave the way a performance driver wants until you give the DSG itself a $600+ tune. No car is perfect, but all cars have too many compromises. I think mainly what I'm after is something comfy like my BMW but more nimble feeling and more track-worthy should the desire arise. What we need is a GTI shape with RWD and a NA V6. Basically a 350Z shooting brake with useful rear seats and 20lbs extra noise dampening material.
How quiet is it on the highway? My BMW is the first car I've had where you can have an easy conversation at 75, in person or on Bluetooth. I like that. And can I just put my BMW's seat in everything from now on?
What you've heard about the DSG agrees with what I've heard. Sure, the DSG can take more power and shift faster, but tune the ECU, you need to tune the DSG. Since I bought new, the $1700 a DSG + tune would cost would go a long way towards a new aftermarket clutch. Buying used, you really want to make sure that the 40k DSG service wasn't skipped. It's about $140 in parts and fluid, or ~$400 at a dealer.
Getting decent fuel economy while still being fun and quick is nice. I'm averaging 29.6 mpg, much better than the 22.1 mpg I averaged in my Mazdaspeed3. Heck, my best tank ever in the Mazdaspeed3 was 26.5 mpg.
I wouldn't call the GTI Lexus quiet, but it doesn't seem too different than my CX-5 when it comes to wind noise. Pre-Mk7.5 facelift GTIs may be slightly quieter, as they had more insulation in the hatch area, and the hood insulation was deleted entirely for the MK7.5. As for seats, Audi A3/S3/RS3 seats can be made to work. I was pleasantly surprised that the GTI seat side bolsters fit me fairly well. I remember sitting in a MK5 GTI and finding the seat bolsters to be a bit widely spaced for me (5'7" and 145 lbs).