[hella356]

I'm starting to plan out the replacement for my 2006 Hyundai Sonata. This time around, I'm going to try to (as much as possible) have stereo sound quality & installation suitability be part of the decision. For my $10-15K budget, the top two contenders are the VW Mk7 GTI and Hyundai Veloster Turbo, both roughly in the 2014-2016 range. Nothing else seems to check the boxes of: compact, quick, automatic transmission, fun, decent gas mileage, and in my budget/age/miles range. I'm leaning towards the GTI based on the vehicle itself. I would definitely prefer to use an aftermarket HU like my Stinger Heigh10 or a Joying-type - something with digital output, so the less integrated into other car functions (like AC) the stock HU is, the better. A couple of things I'm considering doing which I haven't to the Sonata is true IB floor/kick panel midbasses and true IB spare tire well subwoofer. (I may attempt these with the Sonata in the meantime, as it's become my install Guinea pig.) I'll also be trying to be as stealth as possible, which I also haven't done with the Sonata.

Any thoughts on how suitable for my potential install goals, and how good a sound can be achieved with these two models? I'm open to suggestions for other contenders, as well.

 

[OCD66]

I have a '15 MKVII. I love it. Plenty fast. Almost zero torque steer.
Performance pack.
No sunroof.
Cloth seats.

105k on it.
Few sets of tires.
2 sets of brakes.
Lots of oil changes.
Zero problems.

Definitely get the 6 speed. DSG drags on deceleration. Very annoying.

 

[Nemesis87]

Mk7.5 GTi if you can, and a model with the nice big touchscreen/nav/CarPlay and MOST150 out for a clean, full signal.

 

[hella356]

I've had more sticks than automatics, including two column shifts, but this would be a daily driver in Los Angeles area. I just can't do bumper to bumper with a stick anymore. 🙂 I'll keep that in mind when I test drive one, though.

I drove a 2018 Elantra GT for a few months with the same 1.6T & DCT as the Veloster, and I was happy with that. I'm not looking for ultra high performance. Basically something a little quicker than the V6 Sonata, which isn't a total slouch for what it is. The engine is great, the transmission is not. Handles pretty well, but larger, heavier, and surely not as good as what I read about the GTI, and below the Elantra GT in that regard. Although I just read that the Veloster didn't get an independent rear suspension until recently, and in the years I'm looking at, probably is off the contender list. Although I don't like the looks of them, a Mini S could be a possibility.

How have you found the GTI to be in terms of being a good platform for a stereo system?

 

[MythosDreamLab]

You are looking for sound capabilities, NOT the reliability of the vehicle, right?

 

[hella356]

Reliability is desirable for sure. There are many factors - my process is to narrow down contenders by specs like weight, dimensions, performance, comfort, features, etc like any buyer. And then include stereo considerations to the list to form a ranking. Then investigate the reliably, warranty(if any), read reviews. Then test drive.

 

[OCD66]

Mine is just a daily. All the good stereo stuff goes in the other vehicle.
But, I can't see why a GTI wouldn't fit your parameters.
Minis are garbage.

 

[mumbles]

I have always thought that an Infinity Q (coupe or sedan) would make a good platform. They have good speaker locations, have a decent sized trunk, and can fit a 10" driver in the door.

 

[hella356]

I have always thought that an Infinity Q (coupe or sedan) would make a good platform. They have good speaker locations, have a decent sized trunk, and can fit a 10" driver in the door.

The Q is about the same size as the Sonata I'm looking to downsize from. There aren't many cars that fit the compact & sporty niche I'm looking for. It figures I'd want something that barely exists. 🤣

 

[Slave2myXJ]

Midbasses in the kicks/firewall would be a requirement if I was picking...

 

[hella356]

Mk7.5 GTi if you can, and a model with the nice big touchscreen/nav/CarPlay and MOST150 out for a clean, full signal.

I'm not familiar with MOST - does this mean keeping the stock HU, but the MOST unit feeds clean optical to an external DSP? Can the stock HU read FLAC files? Are there limits to the number of files/folders that can be used? (I have a huge 60K+ library of FLAC files that all work great with my Stinger Heigh10.) Would this also apply to a Mk6? A Mk7/7.5 might prove to be out of budget.

 

[hella356]

Midbasses in the kicks/firewall would be a requirement if I was picking...

Yes, I'm looking at the next car as a (as nearly as I can get) no compromise install. I've never actually heard kick midbasses, but based on the reading I've done here, it seems to be the top of the line solution, so that's what I'm planning.

 

[Slave2myXJ]

2019 Mazda 3 Has Firewall Mounted Woofers?

Found this interesting and thought I'd share. I was just reading a Jalopnik preview on the new 3, one tidbit was that the woofers are not door-mounted, but apparently firewall-mounted behind the dash: "One of the more interesting changes was removing the low-frequency bass speaker from the...

www.diymobileaudio.com

 

[hella356]

2019 Mazda 3 Has Firewall Mounted Woofers?

Found this interesting and thought I'd share. I was just reading a Jalopnik preview on the new 3, one tidbit was that the woofers are not door-mounted, but apparently firewall-mounted behind the dash: "One of the more interesting changes was removing the low-frequency bass speaker from the...

www.diymobileaudio.com

Mazda3 in my price range is slower than my V6 Sonata. The 2.5 turbo wasn't introduced until 2021, and is $10K+ out of my price range. Had that engine been introduced back in 2014 or so, it would be very strong competition for the GTI, I would think. Dang!

 

[Nemesis87]

I'm not familiar with MOST - does this mean keeping the stock HU, but the MOST unit feeds clean optical to an external DSP? Can the stock HU read FLAC files? Are there limits to the number of files/folders that can be used? (I have a huge 60K+ library of FLAC files that all work great with my Stinger Heigh10.) Would this also apply to a Mk6? A Mk7/7.5 might prove to be out of budget.

Yes. I connect my phone to the HU via USB cable for a digital signal from phone to DSP. The car/HU also has a CD player and an SD card slot, where I assume you’d have all your files loaded. Not sure what extensions it can play but if you share a song I can load it on a card and try it in the car.

I don’t know if the older cars have a digital signal out of the HU. @OCD66 or @nadams5755 might be able to answer that. The device I use to get a Toslink connection from the vehicle’s MOST150 connection is a NavTV ZenV and it doesn’t list the older models as being compatible, but there might be other devices for those cars.
OCD is pretty OCD and nadams’s car is a comp car so I assume they’ve found a way to get a very good signal.

 

[Ravendarat]

A MK6 is definitely easier to change the HU out in compared to SOME of the MK7, I know my friends had a bunch of vehicle settings in the stock radio and at the time Maestro didnt support the vehicle to move them to a new head unit, not sure about now. I had a MK6 and audio wise is was a breeze to work worth although I am not sure you are gonna have room to do anything in kicks without seriously compromising the foot space although if you are a smaller fella it might be ok.

 

[nadams5755]

No MOST on mk6 golfs. Integration with the idatalink maestro and aftermarket radios is lacking.

 

[Kpierce1986]

I agree with @OCD66 . Minis are crap. My vote is for the GTI. I might be a little VW biased haha. But my wife has a Kia optima hybrid that is a relatively decent car. There seem to be a lot of issues with Kia/Hyundai engines though. The 2.0 in the GTI has been around for a while and is a great little engine. Just maintain it, change the oil every 5-7k miles, not 10k, and you'll be fine.

 

[hella356]

Sounds like the Mk6 is probably a better choice for me, as I'm leery of stock head units. FLAC support can be hit & miss, but mostly due to the number of files/folders supported. The Heigh10 has no troubles with this. Also I have a lifetime subscription to SiriusXM, but limited times I can switch devices, so I'd like to keep it tied to my existing unit. (I only use it for Howard Stern because the music sound quality is horrid.)

I'm 5'-8" & I like a more upright seating position with the seat back a bit more, so leg room probably wouldn't be a problem. I'm not worried about passenger room, as 95% of the time it's just me in the car.

I'm glad to hear some thumbs down on the Mini. Was kinda hoping that wouldn't end up being the logical choice.

 

[TurdCrapley]

I've driven both(and owned an Alltrack, so almost a Golf lol), the Veloster was noticeably louder inside and I got way more NVH through the seat and steering wheel than the Golf. It's more of a "raw" driving experience. I'd say for everyday commuting, the VW would be a good choice compared to the Hyundai.