7,500 Mile Observations

• Getting coolant for the car is a challenge. It's really a dealer only option, so hope you don't need any on a Sunday or after hours. You can also get it online, but shipping is as much as a bottle. My coolant is at the "normal low" level at the moment with a road trip planned for the end of the week, so I need to visit a dealer (probably in Walnut Creek, since I vowed not to go back to Oakland).
• Scootability sneaks up on you. There are fast cars and there are small cars, but if you haven't had a fast small car before, it can be a bit intoxicating. It's true that the GTI isn't as small as it once was, but it is still the kind of car that doesn't require that you suffer fools gladly. The word "squirt" is often used to describe how cars like this can easily jump out and pass at will. There's a reason why this car is a top ten acquirer of speeding tickets. As I've mentioned when comparing it to my Mazda 6, the question becomes "why not" rather than why. It's just that easy.
• Tire rotation is on my mind. It's often recommended you rotate them at 10,000 miles, which for me is in a couple months. However, those who rotate often report serious road noise problems afterwards. I'm inclined to not rotate them, as crazy as that sounds, and just replace the bad ones as they wear out. 
• APR Stage 1. If I had the money, getting the car chipped on my first oil change would be a no brainer.If APR or an installer wants a detailed review in exchange for the upgrade, let me know. I'm your shill.
• Pioneer. Also on the list of stuff I want but can't afford is probably the Pioneer traffic monitor system that integrates with the navigation. It's about $100 plus installation. For some reason I thought there was a monthly fee, which is why I didn't get it on installation (there isn't). I would also re-route my iPhone cable to the center console while the work was being done. No more problems with the Pioneer, by the way. My general feeling is the connections were loose from the installation.

My nav splash screen.