When one visualizes Volkswagen’s history, images of their semi-circle shaped Beetle or the curvaceous Microbus often come up. While both possess a significant amount of style, the concept of “Leistung” (German for performance) only entered VW’s dictionary until the launch of its Golf’s athletic twin.

Recently, we got to take the Volkswagen GTI for a spin, and here’s a list of what we liked and didn’t like about it. Let’s start off with the specs.

• 3-door, 5-seater
• 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine
• 200 horsepower
• Manual transmission with available DSG automatic transmission
• Bi-xenon headlights with adaptive lighting system
• LED daytime running lights
• Dual-zone climate control
• 6 airbags
• 17” alloy wheels
• Priced at $29,375

The vehicle we drove was the Wolfsburg Edition, and comes with some tasteful upgrades.

• 5-door, 5-seater
• 18” Watkins Glen alloy wheels
• Navigation
• Premium audio system
• Keyless access
• Priced at $32,775

Like: Design
When one spends a lot of money getting the performance version of a stock car, they most-likely would like to be recognized for having done so. In many cases, automotive manufacturers make dramatic visual upgrades to the vehicle’s interior and exterior so the car looks fast even at a standstill. The GTI achieves just that. Although the GTI’s design shares similarities with the regular Golf, it looks like a completely different car altogether. The GTI resembles a crossbreed between the Golf and the Scirocco, a popular VW hatchback sold outside North America.

Like: DSG Transmission
One thing that determines a car’s speed off the line is its ability to rapidly shift gears. In fact, this is exactly why people consider manual transmissions to be faster than their automatic counterparts. Our GTI featured a Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), which is commonplace at Volkswagen. 

DSG gearboxes have two separate manual gearboxes and clutches that shift electronically, working in harmony to deliver fast shift times. In many cases, because it’s electronically controlled, the shifting can be better than a standard manual transmission. DSG systems are normally found on high-end and performance cars, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to find it in the GTI.

Dislike: Navigation
The navigation system on the GTI, although dependable, is not the most user-friendly. First, it is possibly one of the slowest systems we have used in 2013. Also, for some reason, it gives you the option to pick between three different routes, even though in some cases the routes are exactly the same. Oh, and it doesn’t care to speak street names. On the plus side, the system has one of the best natural voices we have heard on a GPS system. If you turn to your GPS to get you from point-to-point, I would recommend using a TomTom or Garmin device.

Dislike: Taillights 
Okay…so you spend $10,000 extra to get the GTI landing you one of the fastest hatchbacks in the world. As you zip past others, shouldn’t they know they’re getting passed by a GTI? 

Unless they spot the small GTI letters or chrome exhaust tips, they are likely to mistake your car for a regular Golf. VW should have done something to add more drama to the taillights – maybe gone with an LED array? Unfortunately, the GTI shares the same taillights as the Golf, and the back of the car in general doesn’t have too many distinct features to distinguish it from just a regular Golf.