The Mega MK7 & MK8 Golf GTI/GTD/R thread - Part II

GustavoFring

On the Leon you can really feel the difference in the firmer settings - every little pebble is picked up. Softer settings it rides really well for a small car on 19s. Having had one on 18s a few years ago it’s definitely not as crashy. If I’m every buying new again I’d probably go for it.

PaulRyan97

carsfan2 wrote: »

He reckons the mark 8 needs adaptive dampers to be a good all rounder.
Surely that's an option few ever spec?

I've ordered a new GTE and optioned the adaptive dampers, they're well worth it from the sounds of it.

Neilw

I had an R with DCC, one of the better options I spec’d on the car. The comfort setting is ideal for daily driving, limo smooth, standard I would compare to regular dampers and sport was stiffer, nice for a quick blast when the mood takes you.

JohnnyMustang22

I recently bought a 2016 R with the DCC option and I find it excellent, especially for Irish roads. My last car was an E90 335D M-Sport which i found harsh but the R in comfort mode is smooth without being lofty. In Race mode the R is as harsh as an M-sport car if not worse. You get the best of both worlds which is ideal for Irish roads.

ILikeBoats

There's two new R's up for sale.
62k and 63k

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Golf/fpa/202012177195075

maddness

ILikeBoats wrote: »

There's two new R's up for sale.
62k and 63k

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/Volkswagen/Golf/fpa/202012177195075

Looks great but I think I’d be having this for the money


https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-m4-competition-pack-m-twinpower-turbo-dct-aut/26155431?campaign=3

SaintsYB

maddness wrote: »

Looks great but I think I’d be having this for the money


https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-m4-competition-pack-m-twinpower-turbo-dct-aut/26155431?campaign=3

You'd certainly buy a lot of petrol for €6.5k

vintagevrs

Not sure anyone that owned an m4 ever really warmed to it. It strikes me as a car that on paper ticks all the boxes but owners seem to be a bit meh about them and Ive seen owners wanting to go back to the V8 M3 after owning one. I think you'd want to be a serious driver to drive one anywhere near its potential. The dump of torque it delivers can make it swap ends easily....from what iv read.

SaintsYB

vintagevrs wrote: »

Not sure anyone that owned an m4 ever really warmed to it. It strikes me as a car that on paper ticks all the boxes but owners seem to be a bit meh about them and Ive seen owners wanting to go back to the V8 M3 after owning one. I think you'd want to be a serious driver to drive one anywhere near its potential. The dump of torque it delivers can make it swap ends easily....from what iv read.

From what I've read, the torque delivery was changed quite significantly around 2016 because they were so snappy. That being said, you'd still want to be a very good driver to be able to use one confidently.

vintagevrs

vintagevrs wrote: »

....... I think you'd want to be a serious driver to drive one anywhere near its potential......

99.999% of drivers can't drive their car to that..... Many won't admit it though

Wailin

vintagevrs wrote: »

I think you'd want to be a serious driver to drive one anywhere near its potential. The dump of torque it delivers can make it swap ends easily....from what iv read.

M4 competition sorted those issues, along with improved damping and handling.

maddness

I suppose I posted the link to the M4 competition really as a reference to how much the new R really is. Is it worth as much as a 3 year old M4? Different cars but as a buying proposition the M4 has lost a lot in depreciation already and will/should be worth a lot more than the Golf R in a year or two.
A Golf R just shouldn’t be a €60,000 plus car.

maddness

vintagevrs wrote: »

Not sure anyone that owned an m4 ever really warmed to it. It strikes me as a car that on paper ticks all the boxes but owners seem to be a bit meh about them and Ive seen owners wanting to go back to the V8 M3 after owning one. I think you'd want to be a serious driver to drive one anywhere near its potential. The dump of torque it delivers can make it swap ends easily....from what iv read.

My M140i is the same, it is a real handful when you are pushing on. Part of the attraction for me though.

hooch-85

maddness wrote: »

Looks great but I think I’d be having this for the money


https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-m4-competition-pack-m-twinpower-turbo-dct-aut/26155431?campaign=3

Prob be cheaper to buy the new R on 1.9% PCP. Not an issue for cash buyers obviously. I think these new R's will be rich men's toys.

carsfan2

I have a feeling that most of us on here would be quicker, more relaxed and confident driving the golf R on most roads than in the M3//4 regardless of whether it’s the revised version.
The R is a daily driver that has massive performance and overs huge grip. The M4 is not so good at the daily stuff by most accounts and is lot more lairy especially if the road is at all damp. Looking at the various forums especially in the U.K. where the M cars are a lot more attainable than here, you regularly see guys moving on a few months after buying. They don’t seem to be great daily drivers and yet are too civilised for the guys that want a real raw driving experience.
Morrison’s in cahir tried to interest me in a 2017 competition model recently. It was bought new on pcp and hardly used as the owner didn’t really like it as it was too hard day in day out and he gave it back at the end of the pcp. I think it has 8k up on it.
Running costs here would be a different league to the R too I reckon.

carsfan2

maddness wrote: »

I suppose I posted the link to the M4 competition really as a reference to how much the new R really is. Is it worth as much as a 3 year old M4? Different cars but as a buying proposition the M4 has lost a lot in depreciation already and will/should be worth a lot more than the Golf R in a year or two.
A Golf R just shouldn’t be a €60,000 plus car.

I probably am completely wrong but I suspect we may see a price realignment coming on the performance golfs like happened with mark 7. They are too expensive across the board.
The sister car the Audi S3 is 55k basic and with options is same as the R whereas it should be a fair bit more than the R traditionally.
They may introduce dealer contributions and zero finance plus a few free packs as opposed to a straight price cut?

maddness

carsfan2 wrote: »

I have a feeling that most of us on here would be quicker, more relaxed and confident driving the golf R on most roads than in the M3//4 regardless of whether it’s the revised version.
The R is a daily driver that has massive performance and overs huge grip. The M4 is not so good at the daily stuff by most accounts and is lot more lairy especially if the road is at all damp. Looking at the various forums especially in the U.K. where the M cars are a lot more attainable than here, you regularly see guys moving on a few months after buying. They don’t seem to be great daily drivers and yet are too civilised for the guys that want a real raw driving experience.
Morrison’s in cahir tried to interest me in a 2017 competition model recently. It was bought new on pcp and hardly used as the owner didn’t really like it as it was too hard day in day out and he gave it back at the end of the pcp. I think it has 8k up on it.
Running costs here would be a different league to the R too I reckon.

Everyone would be faster and more comfortable in a Golf R than any M car I’d imagine. Ok so the link to the M4 was a poor example of what I was trying to get across. I just had a quick browse on DD and there are a lot of big name sports cars available for 60 grand which just makes the new R price a bit ridiculous.
It’s a lot cheaper than an AMG 45s I suppose!

Toyotafanboi

Yeah, i think at least some of the question should be where is it relative to other new performance cars? Sure you can always find something used that may be nicer for the same or less money. It's done to death how it's working out relative to audi alternative. I dont know the answer btw.

moleyv

I was just looking at the standard golf on VW website. The 150hp 1.5 isn’t listed, only the 130hp. A victim of VRT and trying to maintain list price it seems.

I’ve gone from considering a club sport (to me it seems too much for a ‘golf’) to a 330e touring. 128ti and M135i seem a better value, but still seem too much with the VRT increases.

Toyotafanboi

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Yeah, i think at least some of the question should be where is it relative to other new performance cars.......

Yeah but VW doesn't have the brand appeal that BMW or Audi do. A 50k GTi and a 60k Golf R are a tad WTFish at face value. I'd agree with maddness's point 'A Golf R just shouldn’t be a €60,000 plus car'.
The comparison to the s3 is done to death as it's so valid.
There's no longer a Focus RS so the R is the only kid on the block.

i30n is a solid GTi alternative for 41k N 2.0L TURBO 271BHP BRAND NEW FOR JAN 2021 HERE AT MOONEYS HYUNDAI ...


https://m.carsireland.ie/1914730

5 year unlimited mileage warranty is huge IMO on a car like that.

JoeA3

Don’t agree with the “brand appeal” angle. BMW nor certainly Audi hold no greater appeal to me than VW. The R has long been regarded as the far better driving tool, overall better package than it’s audi cousin. As has already been mentioned, yes the Audi appears to be cheaper at first on paper. But compare the specs. It’s obvious that VW are trying to create more of an R “brand” this time round, more exclusivity etc. We’ll see if that backfires or not but I think they’ll still have a big following. The YouTube influencers love them

Cars have gotten very expensive across the board. For those wondering if VW will trim back their prices, I don’t see it happening. They’d have to do it across the entire range! You can spec up a 1.5 TSI R-Line to 40k very easily!

I bought a new MK5 GTI in 2007 for high 30k’s. Manual. 3 door. Very Spartan spec-wise compared to what’s on offer today. Think I paid extra for an armrest.

Max Q

JoeA3 wrote: »

I bought a new MK5 GTI in 2007 for high 30k’s. Manual. 3 door. Very Spartan spec-wise compared to what’s on offer today. Think I paid extra for an armrest.

I remember having to pay extra for the 'highline trip computer' just so you'd get the full trip computer screen between the 2 dials. If you didn't spec that you got a half screen!

SaintsYB

JoeA3 wrote: »

Cars have gotten very expensive across the board. For those wondering if VW will trim back their prices, I don’t see it happening. They’d have to do it across the entire range! You can spec up a 1.5 TSI R-Line to 40k very easily!

That's true, you can spec one up to 40k but you could a similar engine and trim to the same price on a 7.5 too. Not many people would have done that of course though.

JoeA3

JoeA3 wrote: »

Don’t agree with the “brand appeal” angle. BMW nor certainly Audi hold no greater appeal to me than VW. ......

That's your view but most would disagree, VW themselves for one no doubt. I've rented a c class, 1 series and a GTi in the not too distant past and the GTi had the just a golf vibe off it whereas even the 1 series had a more premium feel to it.

Driving tool R v S3 I couldn't comment on but the S3 looks far more premium.

They'll sell fnck all 50k GTi over here I reckon. Most looking for a fast, comfy car will go 330e ..... Dunno what those looking for a driving tool for 60k will go for but that's a handful of buyers.

I'll apologise TBH as I'm in the wrong thread really with my views.

moleyv

I was just looking at the VRS on the Skoda site. They manage to have 19 inch wheels as standard and the c02 figures are lower.

The interior looks a bit more special to me than the golf.

L-M

moleyv wrote: »

I was just looking at the VRS on the Skoda site. They manage to have 19 inch wheels as standard and the c02 figures are lower.

The interior looks a bit more special to me than the golf.

“Looks” being the operative word in that sentence.

L-M

L-M wrote: »

“Looks” being the operative word in that sentence.

How would you rate the VW to the Audi offering?

L-M

Augeo wrote: »

How would you rate the VW to the Audi offering?

Im not familiar with Audis unfortunately so I can’t comment. All I could ever say about an A3 is the seats seem to be designed for the more slender bottomed folk.

I'm quite petite myself :pac:

eggy81

So I took the plunge last week and bought myself a mk7.5 gtd. it’s a uk model with 40k miles on it. Black with standard gtd alloys and I reckon standard spec. Has heated seats, acc and dynamic headlights. I chickened out of buying a gti because I drive a lot of motorway miles every year. I’m delighted with it so far. So much pull in 2nd 3td and 4th gear compared to my previous mondeo. Seats are also much more supportive than the Ford ones were. Be interesting to see does the size of the boot annoy me over time but so far delighted with it. The artificial engine noise in sport mode is a bit naff and I find the touch screen a bit distracting to use while driving on anything other than motorway but I’m sure I’ll get used to all that. Is there anything in particular to watch out for with these cars.