2022 Volkswagen GTI

They still do make ’em like they used to

- Conner Golden

FIRST TEST

It’s good that cars can’t have panic attacks. For a second, we wanted to throw a weighted car cover over the 2022 VW GTI and slip some sort of vehicular benzodiazepine into its gas tank. If it could, the shapely little hatch might incessantly blare its horn and idle at 4,000 rpm out of pure existential angst.

Could you blame it? It’s a new gas-powered compact car from an automaker whose future is both electric and filled mostly with SUVs. It’s enough to make any car a bit nuts. But we’re probably overstating the issue: The MkVIII GTI is an absolute hoot to drive.

It uses the augmented bones of the excellent outgoing model, but it’s spruced up significantly. The changes include new or reworked suspension bushings, springs, adjustable damper software, and wheel mounts, as well as revised steering software and a new brake master cylinder that modulates pressure based on driving style and mode.