As was talked about in the prior post I had taken an objective view of the decision between the GTI and R and had concluded the GTI would be better suited to my goals for the car.
Previously I had driven the R but now with signs pointing to the GTI being a better fit it was time to arrange for a test drive. A nearby VW dealership had a 2017 GTI S trim with DSG on their lot and I contacted them to take it out for a drive.
Previously I had decided that the minimum trim level I wanted was SE, or Sport if one was available. I did the test drive in the S trim because I was mainly interested in assessing how the car drove.
It did not take a long time during the test drive to conclude that I would be happy with the GTI as a daily driver.
Having determined that the vehicle should be a Mk7 GTI with DSG transmission in Sport, SE, or Autobahn trim and a White exterior I was set to search for one that met my budget for the car.