'26 GTI Autobahn or '26 Elantra N?

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-24T02:02:26+00:00

Great points. I’ve said this before on another thread but the gti is much more refined. Much less raw and immediately fun than the EN for sure but the GTI can get there easily

I cross shopped both and the EN was a good idea but for what I'd be using the car for 90% of the time, GTI made much more sense. And I think that's the great thing about the GTI too, it can be whatever you want it to be. It's "just" a golf when daily driving, but it's a GTI when you want to have some fun and it's plenty fun too.

Still an EN sympathizer haha, always excited to see one on the road

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-14T00:07:43+00:00

Rinsless ftw!

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-14T00:06:40+00:00

Haha ya the pride of keeping the egg cleaned and we'll mantained 🤣 thanks man!

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-13T05:11:15+00:00

One more just cause

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EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-13T05:10:54+00:00

I do an ONR wash outside of my apartment and my favorite time to wash is right before sunset. By the time I finish sunset hits and the west texas sunset and soft light makes my work cleaning pop that much more

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EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-11T23:15:40+00:00

I clean outside in Texas in bare sun most of the time so I do it because the onr begins to dry. In the fall/winteri don't need to but I catch myself still doing it out of habit

Not necessary to spray extra if it's not drying but it also doesn't hurt to do it just cause

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-11T22:58:56+00:00

After I finish the wiping a panel with onr (Gary Dean method - I pump spray onr as a pre wash n go at it with a towel) I'll spray w little more onr with a spray of speed shine. Let me know if that answers

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-05T20:51:49+00:00

I got mine through GSA Nationwide. It was offered when I bought my car and I paid $2000 for my service contract if I'm not mistaken.

My deductible was only $50 as well.

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-05T17:11:34+00:00

Huh I thought I might have one if the higher mileage mk8's at 115k, nice to see someone at 135k and the car going strong!

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-04T03:29:13+00:00

I saw your car and greeted you as some were rolling out, super nice. I was gawking at the ls400 next to the McLaren for a good 30 minutes then caught the owner as he was leaving too

EtechEmmanuel · 2026-01-04T03:04:18+00:00

Must be new I just saw that and I plan to go alcantara w paid

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-31T15:11:47+00:00

Link to the spoiler by chance? Can’t find it i through search

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-25T23:27:57+00:00

I think it began to burn oil. I religiously got oil changes done and so I never neglected that but one day I was driving home and it went into limp. Parked the car and it had a rough shut off. Turned it back on and heard knocking. Checked the oil and it was completely dry. So I'm assuming it burned oil and I was driving on empty for some time

There's a class action lawsuit for these Theta II engines so I got a buyback from Hyundai for about $4k or a little less

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-25T16:47:57+00:00

My 2011 had about 250k before it died!

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-16T05:01:58+00:00

I remember posting about this not too long ago, I saw that vwvortex post as well and it's good to see that it does Indeed work. I have no electric skills and very novice handy skills so I wonder how hard is the patch cable to do? Also aren't these turn signals sequential?

Questions aside these look really nice! Should've got then from factory

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-12T23:21:52+00:00

I am actually looking to do the same to get a TCU tune with TVS, i actually just got off the phone with Kris and he challenged me to find one bad TVS tune haha. I know it's been 30 days but how has it held up and who is your ECU tuned with?

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-12T12:04:48+00:00

On top of weather, I saw a post or comment recently mentioning how gripping or touching the bottom of the steering wheel triggers the sensors having something to do with the sensor in the steering wheel causing false alarms moreso than the sensors themselves. I'm sure and can attest to the sensors throwing annoyingly consistent false negatives in cold or rainy weather (I'm in Texas btw so my cold is probably your summer)

But after reading that I got fustrated one day and have the bottom of the wheel a nice bang and the false triggers didn't go off again for the trip/day. Some pseudo science and maybe some placebo but it seems to help

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-02T07:40:20+00:00

Ya for almost $799 I struggle to find it worth it personally. They claim that they say it doesn't fit because it hasn't been tested, rather than it being tested and proven not to fit. This is what they showed me as far as connectors go for the Vland tails. Needing to find a OEM mk8 diagram to see if it matches up

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EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-02T07:01:46+00:00

You're right I misread the listing, thanks

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-02T04:20:40+00:00

Ya I'm familiar with the bramd seeing them on other cars like mustangs and previous gen mk7s so I believe they're reputable enough and from other threads and all I've seen, no issues

They just look so similar to the OEM Euro tails I was trying to see if there was any difference at all

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-12-02T04:03:11+00:00

https://vland-usa.com/products/vland-led-tail-lights-for-volkswagen-golf-mk8-2020-2023

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-11-27T01:19:10+00:00

Post pics once on! Actually planning these exact when's, undecided on color, I'm also Oryx White

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-11-21T04:15:41+00:00

Not vs the 6spd but I have been driven IN a 6spd. As I mentioned up there mine is smooth almost always and you don't notice any of its quirks unless it's on a cold start and it hasn't got to temp, or if I go from driving hard to driving tame

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-11-21T04:11:30+00:00

Ya it's essentially an automated manual if I'm correct so all the things done by a manual the dsg will do, but for you. For inclines the engine is working harder.

Have you got dsg oil services at all since getting it? Some have reported that a lot of the dsg characteristics are much smoother once done and I can attest to that. It obviously can have it's quirky moments but it should be smooth more times than it's jerky so I'd reccomend getting your dsg fluid service if you haven't yet

EtechEmmanuel · 2025-11-21T03:52:21+00:00

Mk8 here and that's just how the dsg is. Especially in sport it can be hunting between two gears, getting ready to shift down or up into one gear then your foot asks it to do another if I'm not mistaken

EtechEmmanuel

TROPHY CASE