The GTI is faster but has less up-front torque. The issue was not hurtling down the highway at high speed (both can do that perfectly ably), but the feeling we

The GTI is faster but has less up-front torque. The issue was not hurtling down the highway at high speed (both can do that perfectly ably), but the feeling we both got that the combination of early torque and turbo lag just begging for the car to surge forward unexpectedly and rear end someone. The GTI gets rid of one of those problems, and is a spectacular car in its own right.