Once the Mk8 arrived, Mk7 auction threads filled with a consistent refrain: the Mk7/7.5 is the last GTI with real analog gauges, physical knobs and buttons, and (through 2021) a manual with a conventional cabin. Commenters call the Mk8's haptic interior a disaster and cost-cut, predict the Mk7.5 'will be the one to have in years to come', and describe the platform as peak GTI, with one noting VW de-contented the interior afterward. …
The last analog GTI: Mk7 sentiment versus the Mk8
Volkswagen GTI (Mk7) · community-sentiment