I have 200k on my 2011 GTI that I've owned since new. It's been my daily since Jan 2011.
It's a 4 door Manual with Cloth and lighting package.
The car has held up surprisingly well and I drive it hard every single day. Other than the water pumps going bad and timing chain tensioner (under warranty) I've had no serious issues that ever left me stranded. The OEM factory clutch was replaced at 190k. It still had life left in it and would grab gears no problem but the dual mass flywheel started making noise so I decided to replace it with a new OEM kit.
I've made a few small tweaks to get the car to a level that I think is just the perfect level of comfort and engagement for a daily that leaves many people shocked at how much fun the car is to drive.
I'll list my tweaks below as a reference for anyone curious:
Sound system:
VW Drivers Gear/Helix spare tire sub + 5 Channel Amp ~$300 on clearance + $130 Install by local dealer
OEM headunit coded for pre-amp output with VCDS. I'm an audio engineer - the audio quality produced by this setup beats some of the best OEM systems available today. Very accurate and nicely time aligned right out of the box with the included Helix 5ch amp - Considering the amount spent on this setup - I'm extremely happy with this. There is room for improvement but it will take a good amount of money to make a significant improvement beyond this setup.
Suspension:
OEM Audi TTRS solid rubber front control arm bushings installed at 60k and redone at 190k ~$25 for both bushings.
Superpro "street" rear trailing arm bushings Installed at 190k ~$100 for both bushings 110k
I was able to do these in my friends garage with a lift.
Bilstein B6 Dampers installed with Audi TT shock mounts and OEM Drivers Gear linear springs. Installed at 110k
I initially installed camber plates since I was wearing out the outside shoulders of my tires but it was terrible on SoCal roads so I went back to the OEM shock mounts and went with the Superpro ball joints for increased camber.
H&R Big rear sway bar on soft setting. Installed at 115k (tried both the small and big bar)
Swift 5k rear springs. Installed at 160k (I will eventually upgrade the fronts to a 3k Swift spring) - Swift springs are magical - Suspension Wizard Joey Seely seems to be using Swifts exclusively after my friend mentioned them to him a year ago.
Chassis:
Audi Subframe Bolts installed at 20k - I would go straight to the subframe deadset kit if I had to do it again (I'll probably do this when I replace motor mounts and trans mount)
Stern rear chassis brace installed at 150k
VCDS XDS strong setting (uses the rear brakes to help the car rotate better under throttle)
Brakes:
Endless MX72 Pads
Endless RF650 Fluid (endless brake products are the ****)
Centric Solid Cryo treated rotor (installed at 110k)
Tyrol Sport Caliper stiffening kit
VCDS brake threshold tweaks
Alignment:
Joey Seely gave me these settings and they were also a big part of the transformation that made this car what it is.
F Toe: .5mm total toe in (magic setting)
F Camber: Maxed out at -1.7 deg
R Toe: .75mm total toe in
R Camber: -1.1 deg
All in all, I think once I replace the front springs with 3k swifts I think I'll have created the perfect daily driver for me. I had a former BMW engineer help me through the years with all the changes. Every time he and others drive the car, they are always pleasantly surprised. It might not be the fastest thing out there but oh man is it a blast to drive. So far, the only car that I've driven that made me not want to get back in my GTI has been a 991.2 with RWS - I think that says a lot.
My wife has a mk7 for her daily, great car but I feel it is more Audi than VW in terms of feel. Which is a good thing for many but leaves me wanting more.
I've driven a few mk7 Rs as well. The AWD and power when tuned is great but again, the chassis doesn't speak to me the way my GTI does even though they are much more capable. This is a daily for me so I just want something fun to drive, not just faster.
I try to tell anyone that is interested about how awesome these cars are. One of the best buys in the used car market IMO. It's a lot of car for the money.
EDIT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZKFd-SNp8s - Yuri and Jakub think so too!