2010 Volkswagen GTI: Two-Door or Four-Door?

4 door. The 2 door looks odd.

4-door, without a doubt. It looks more balanced, is far more practical, and has only a very minor weight penalty. My old A2 GTI was a 2-door, and I always wished for easier access to the rear seat area, whether for people or for cargo.

I think the 4 doors looks nearly as good as the two door, and since the whole point of a hot hatch is to offer relatively high performance and fun driving dynamics while still maximizing utility, the 4 door just makes good sense.

The only problem with the 4 door GTI is they tend to arrive on dealer lots fully loaded, and I would want a model with fewer options.

how about structural rigidity? The doors in the back would make for a less torsional stiffness, no? Would you actually feel the difference?

@banhugh, there is a marginal difference these days, it's less of a difference than it was years ago. Today's computer modeling lets them recover most of the lost rigidity in the 4-door structure without adding a lot of weight. Twenty years ago there was more of a structural rigidity loss in going to a 4-door in this class of car.

4-door 4 sure.

4 door. Better looking and more practical.

4

Four door gives you power seat recliner and lower insurance premiums, as well as the mentioned increased practicality.

2 doors. Its a hot hatch. The 4 door looks stupid. You want/need 4 doors? Buy a sedan.

Foh' Doh'

I think the four-door is very elegant, while the two-door appears bulbous from certain angles. The one pictured above is also equipped with HID headlights, which make the front of the GTI a bit more menacing.

2 doors. 4 is more practical but 2 makes the car look stylish and cool. 4 doors drain that away. 95% of the time the rear is completely unoccupied so no need to sacrifice looks for minor practicality gain.

4 door. I prefer practicality

4. Hot hatches are supposed to be practical.

Picking a two door car when a four door model is available should be reserved for obese people who need larger front doors or youngsters who got daddy to foot the bill.

Four! They seem to be less common on the road and harder to find on AutoTrader.com. :(

4 door. its only $600 more, and having the extra practicality and convenience is worth it.

I would wait for the GLI Jetta. I have never liked the looks of any Gulf. I like the looks of the new Jetta.

4

Oh, now I get it. Cars like the Lancer Evo must be for wimps because they carry two extra doors.

4 door for sure. It looks good, and its practical.

Gain much in practicality, lose nothing in looks - 4 door all the way. The notion that 2 doors somehow make a car sportier is ludicrous in this particular context.

Jaeger

I have a 2 door GTI and regret everyday : ) I only carry one passenger most of the time but 4 door will be much easier when loading stuff (bikes/snowboard/misc stuff).

When offered the choice, I'd go 2-door every time. I don't have a career that forces me to shuttle clients around, and I don't have children. However, unlike some, 4 doors isn't a deal-breaker for me. Like those people who won't get a Mazda 3 or Fiesta hatch because it doesn't come in 2-door.

I'm with bc1960 in that I wish 2-door cars still had flip-open rear windows. IIRC the 3-Series coupe still does, but I could be mistaken.

i saw 4 people crammed inside a 2 door gti they did NOT look comfertable definently get the 4 door

Definitely 4.

I have a 2 door 08 Rabbit and I miss having rear doors.

2 doors... obviously. The GTI isn't anywhere near hot enough to pull off four doors, no hothatch is. If you have four doors, then you don't really have a hothatch, you have a would-be estate car masquerading as a hothatch. On a car that size, four doors completely destroys any sporting appeal. Not only that, but the supposed practicality gain is mostly imaginary. Having four doors doesn't enhance cargo loading capabilty, that is what the hatch is for. In fact, it could be argued that four doors would actually decrease loading capability at the sides because the door openings would actually be smaller. Anyone who has loaded a box into a coupe that was too big for the trunk or door openings of a sedan will understand what I mean. The only practicality gained is for loading passengers and I say "screw 'em", they aren't what's important here, especially if few are often present. If you are carry so much people and cargo that four doors sounds appealing, you shouldn't even be looking at a GTI in the first place. The bloody thing is already practically twice the size it was when it first came out. That should be more than enough to please today's old folks, who seem to be getting younger and more numerous every year.

At 6'6 I get very bad visibility with the 4 door so I'd go two door.

4 door, no doubt about it.

Four. I have a family I need to put in a car. I don't WANT a bigger car. That's why I've decided to get the GTI in the first place, because it's magically spacious inside and offers me (for what I need in my life right now) the perfect mix of sport and practicality in one nice package. If I didn't need to load a family, I'd be saying "2 all the way". I think your lifestyle largely drives your decision.

4-Door 100%--To me, it elongates the car and makes it look more proportional. After having my MKVI 4-door now for a year. . .This car seems to be the best car for the $$$ that can pretty much do it all. Even if I didn't have to get the mother-in-law in the back I'd STILL buy the 4-Door all over again!!!

Others have asked why I bought a 4-door since my wife and I don't have any kids and I tell them--"Because I like it!!" and I like having easier access to the boot area when the seats are folded down. Heck--the new Golf R will also be offered in 4-door guise from what I hear when it arrives in a couple of months.

On the GTI, a four door for sure. I too think that the current gen GTI looks better as a four door than a two door.

The 18 year old version of me would be horrified.

4 door--I prefer the proportions. Easier rear seat access is a big plus.

@85se: "The 18 year old version of me would be horrified."

HAHAHAHA!!! I totally agree with that. 18-year-old me is like "you chose four doors AND a hatch? Are you insane??!"

4 door for me. I actually own one. Most of the time the back is unoccupied by people, however I do like throwing my crap back there. Easier to get to after the fact with 4 door. Practicality aside, I actually do prefer the 4 door look too

4 door for sure. It's actually a really good layout for babyseats as the back doesn't slope and the roof is tall. I am always torn on what might have happened had i gone for a 2007 GTI 4 door instead of a 2007 Cooper S. I'd probably still have it, unlike my Cooper which got the boot after the kid was born and then led to a bunch of bad car choices...

Definitely Four.

2 door! Keep it small and light.

4 door.

It's easier to get into the back seat to sleep while you're waiting for the tow truck.

4 seats = 4 doors

Period. End-of-story.

Had to make this choice recently when buying my gf's GTI. I strongly preferred the look of the 2-door, but she liked the practical aspects of having 4-doors. Went with 4-doors obviously!

Too long, it looks like a van. It needs larger trunk area, but then it would be a wagon.

The way it should be:
2 door hatch
4 door sedan/ wagon

"2 doors... obviously. The GTI isn't anywhere near hot enough to pull off four doors, no hothatch is. If you have four doors, then you don't really have a hothatch, you have a would-be estate car masquerading as a hothatch. On a car that size, four doors completely destroys any sporting appeal. Not only that, but the supposed practicality gain is mostly imaginary. Having four doors doesn't enhance cargo loading capabilty, that is what the hatch is for. In fact, it could be argued that four doors would actually decrease loading capability at the sides because the door openings would actually be smaller. Anyone who has loaded a box into a coupe that was too big for the trunk or door openings of a sedan will understand what I mean. The only practicality gained is for loading passengers and I say "screw 'em", they aren't what's important here, especially if few are often present. If you are carry so much people and cargo that four doors sounds appealing, you shouldn't even be looking at a GTI in the first place. The bloody thing is already practically twice the size it was when it first came out. That should be more than enough to please today's old folks, who seem to be getting younger and more numerous every year."

Wow, dude - you're on decaf for the rest of the day.

4-door, obviously - and I bought one.

The rationale that you get a 2-door because it's better looking is doubtful, and is reserved for cars in which the 2-door version actually has different body panels - like a G37...or even a Civic Si, for that matter.

The GTI 4-door is exactly the same shape as the 2-door, except for the b-pillar - c'mon with the styling comments.

I bought a 2011 4 door. I like how squat the car looks, and the 4 door enhances this look to me. Its easy to live with with the 4 doors. Love it.

I think the 2 looks better, but I'd buy the 4 for practicality and deal with it.

Got a '10 4 door. I think they look better, and I needed the extra doors for kids. Out of all of the coupe/sedan/hatches out there, the GTI doesn't penalize you for the convenience of 2 extra doors, style-wise.

i wanted a 4 door that nobody can tell it's a 4 door till theyre told... a la juke! :P single male so only carry backseaters maybe once a week or so

4 door. It has shorter doors which are easier to open in tight spaces. Oh yeah, and I don't have to get in and out everytime someone needs to get to the back seat!

As for looks, meh, hatchbacks aren't really elegant looking cars regardless of how many doors it has.

The B pillar in the 4 door is really really really far forward in the GTI. For tall drivers, it completely blocks the view out of the side window.

I got the 2 door because I am 6'3" and wanted to be able to see out of the side window. I'm usually the only one in the car so the 4 door is not required. I would have preferred the 4 door for the versatility of getting cargo back there, but being able to see out the side window is more important to me. Yes it sucks getting stuff stored back there, but I am tall and have long arms.

I bought a 2010 two-door because 1) no kids and 2) the cleaner lines give it a sleeker look, imo. Rear leg room is equal (right?), and I'm young enough that my friends aren't going to break a hip climbing in the few times a year the rear is used. Only drawback: Long doors a pain in tight parking ramps.

Pull up this picture and compare: http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/assets/GTI_hairhouse_1600.jpg

I think the 2-door looks better on the MkV, and that's what I ended up getting when I bought my '08 GTI. However, if I was in the market for a replacement, I'd get the 4-door MkVI. Aside from the fact that I now have a toddler to transport, the 4-door actually looks good in the MkVI. I think it's a wash between looks for the 2- and 4-door in this gen. The slight exterior tweaks for the VI help make it so, such as the shoulder line and taillight revisions.

If I could afford it, I'd get the 4-door Golf R with 6-speed stick, though I think my next car purchase, and many more afterwards, will be a used car, as the expenses of caring for a child is now part of my reality.

Hey Brent,
I was wondering if this picture was taken at the Organic Fruit Jubilee??? in Fresno. If it was I would like to thank you for immortalizing my car in your post.