This car is a great blend of daily driver and fun. It's quick and nimble while maintaining a decent fuel economy. The DSG transmission is very smooth and the availability of standard automatic, automatic-sport, shift lever, and paddle shift modes allow for very varied driving styles. It really is a pleasure to drive. The ride isn't exactly luxury-smooth, but that's to be expected with this type of car. Both the interior and exterior styling are great. It has a sporty but not over-the-top look to it that I love. Other than two significant mechanical issues, both of which VW at least partially reimbursed me for, I have had zero problems with this car. Older ones have a tendency to burn oil, but the newer TSI engine in my GTI burns almost none. It does have a full-size spare tire instead of a silly donut. There's a surprising amount of cargo room in the back, especially if you lay the rear seats down (they lay at an angle, not all the way flat).