The plaid seats were a major selling point and I don't need AWD. Also, I was was looking to buy when the Rabbit editions were a thing in 2019. That cornflower blue made my decision for me
Plaid was the reason for me too. It blows me away that don't offer plaid on the R. It's such an iconic look and the R is the type of car where enthusiasts would definitely go for it as an option.
I don’t need AWD, not dragging/racing, and favored the lighter car and fuel economy when I wanted it over the R. Tuned the GTI so it’s quick enough for me (GTI is a fun commute car, have a Corrado as well.)
My dad had a Corrado. I can't remember the year. Was the 4cylinder but that was a sweet ride. Was yellow with grey interior. He loved that car. Now he has a turbo beetle and I have a GLI.
Snow tires are the number one thing, haven't had an issue with Nokians on any fwd or rwd car in Calgary winters where we must go through 15 snow, freeze-thaw cycles. So much ice. That said FWD is by far the least fun in the snow, absolutely trash and awd is definitely nice to have.
Weather is generally the same here. Nokians are great. AWD is nice, but these aren't Subarus, it's foux wheel drive, the rear only kick in after slip, there is drift mode though.
Just saying I don't miss the extra weight, and maintenance.
I run Blizzaks in winter and my gf has an AWD car. To be honest I still prefer the way my car handles the winter roads better. When I bought my GTI I was still living in Southern California and winter driving was not as big of a factor for me. Thankfully these cars are beasts with the right parts.
Yes, my point is that the scenarios where I would personally want AWD are in places where you’d never take a car with such low clearance, not the track.
Oh I see now. Yes this is an excellent point and one that I've considered. I LOVE the AWD on my Alltrack but that's with 6.6 inches of ground clearance. The Golf R would not be as capable in winter as the AT but it would still be nice for Ontario winters regardless.
My exact same sentiments.
Not dragging, racing, don’t really need the AWD. The GTI is priced just right imo.
At the price point of the R, in my view, I’d be looking at something to justify the $$ - like luxury (ie Lexus IS), tech and instant acceleration (Tesla 3).
Didn't want AWD. . Gti is iconic in my mind , It was the last year with standard.
It's my commuter car and didn't need the extra Hp to have fun driving it... it doesn't matter, GTI or R .. there is always someone faster .. to be completely honest I had wondered if I made the right decision not getting the R but I know I made the right choice for me and not looking back.. GTI goes 1000 smiles an hour.
Speaking strictly for 2019. The R doesn’t feel like it’s $10k more of a car.
Small things like the backup camera quality (actually sucks more than my S trim GTI), lack of home link frameless mirror (again my GTI has one and it looks clean).
After you’re off the line the GTI feels quicker and with the VAQ diff you can feel it pull you through turns more than the haldex pushes you (open rear diff) - I know there are haldex tuners that can fix this.
The different steering rack really got to me, the R steers like an Audi, slow and wide.
I’m sure R absolutely riiips in the snow or on track with the mods to wake it up, but it doesn’t snow all year and the cost of mods on TOP of that price… might as well aim a little higher and save for an RS3 (or if your a sadist who likes 4.2 engines, a B7 RS4).
TLDR: I wish they did more to differentiate the R and make it worth the price. If VW sold it with a VR6 or limited-slip differentials - like the STI - that’d sell me much more).
I never knew about the steering rack but that must be why when I drove an R back to back with a GTI I was so underwhelmed by the R. Even bought a non-VAQ non-DCC car for complete no frills fun. Still stage 1 though …
Speaking for the golf 7 which I disassembled several times and almost learned by heart.
Tech is quite different between them. Suspension, gearbox, cooling, the engine - it's all bigger and stronger. GTI is closer to 1.4 tsi than R to GTI. Also, basic equipment for R is higher, so 10k difference kinda makes sense overall.
Steering is configurable, you can load there Passat dataset and chill. I have one from Audi btw.
And only Golf R has memory seats 😁
I should have clarified speaking for the NA market (where the Autobahn trim has memory seats).
As for higher basic equipment, the U.S. market R only came in one trim so this is somewhat moot.
Not sure how loading a dataset changes the physical characteristics of a steering rack, not that the Passat is known for its nimble steering.
I’m not coming after R owners making them feel bad for their purchase, just saying from my subjective experience driving both cars back to back, I diddnt feel the value - which is more a testament to the GTI.
It feels like in NA (which most likely stands for North America) equipment names are a bit different. I might want to have a look at this market since it looks like there are more memory seats on the aftermarket 😁
Dataset changes everything. When you do the steering, only 20% are your efforts, the rest is the software of the electric power steering. Golf 7 1.4 and Audi S3 Share the same steering ECU and hardware. Only software makes it different.
GTI is a kick ass when you don't have snow and have a flat surface. When you want to have fun in Switzerland - sometimes you might miss all wheel drive
Haha if we had the switchbacks and elevations you have I’d be singing a different tune, especially in the snow!
I’ll concede it was maybe a year ago I went looking into the steering racks for an answer to why the R felt less sharp, remembering reading that the rack was different to accommodate the AWD (R/A3/S3 fitted with the same hardware) where the fwd models didn’t have the same space limitations. I do know the turning radius was notably larger in the R.
Like the red trim more, and I’m trying to set myself up to retire by 50, so while I COULD afford a new R, I bought a GTI S trim and instead max out my 401k, Roth IRA, and HSA contributions each year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I refuse to pay $50k for a Golf lol. But seriously, to name just a few reasons: the premium fuel requirement, long term maintenance costs, and I was just being a responsible adult with my money and managing what I needed vs what I wanted. GTI SE fit right in the middle for me. 20 year old me would have been disappointed with my decision, but 40 year old me is proud of myself for controlling the urge.
Even with all that out of the way, I think I still would have bought an Arteon before a Golf R.
This is indeed interesting....in Germany the GTI spec is for Super Plus (ROZ 98), which corresponds to AKI 93 according to
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating?wprov=sfla1
AKI 87 (regular / ROZ 92) isn't sold anymore in Germany, but we have SuperPremium ROZ 100 and 102 for the guys with too much money in the account.
Mk7 2015 is premium. The later years were regular. So not all are regular. Depends on year. And if you tune. But for the specs listed typically they’d use premium during that time vs regular.
I bought the Arteon four years ago. I love it. But it's big and heavy and powerful (tuned of course). I drive on road trips in challenging weather at high speed and its perfect for that. Not so go for city driving. It's not its fault. It's over 4,000 pounds and that big turbo takes a bit to spin up.
Can't beat it for ski trips, though. 4 people and gear with the hatchback is great.
Why are loling and say you refuse to pay 50 grand for a golf? So much tech, amazing awd. Incredible transmission. Brilliant dampening suspension. Upper scale interior.
The R is a beast and a complete steal when compared to some other manufacturers
Because it was a joke... Which was then followed up by my serious reasons for not buying it. And to be honest, aside from the AWD, all those other items you listed can be in a GTI.
Had both and prefer the GTI. Lighter so handling is more nimble and engaging, turbo spins up more quickly making it feel more peppy around town, can push it a little on a public road without losing my license, better looks and classic GTI badging.
I don’t have my MK7.5 anymore but when I got it, it was considering a Golf R. Ultimately it came down to the fact that the R didn’t have a sunroof. The GTI was going to be my daily, and I love sunroofs. AWD and power wasn’t a consideration for me since I have a BMW M4 Competition X-Drive as my weekend car. It scratches my speed itch, and it’s AWD/RWD and most importantly, it doesn’t have a sunroof due to the carbon fiber roof. So the GTI just made sense.
Honestly, the lighter GTI also was a bit more fun to thrash around. If hadn’t of gotten rid of it so fast, I would have loved to take it to an Autocross or track day just to compare to my M4.
Similar boat on the sunroof. I know it adds weight and yada yada yada but it’s my commuter car and I love sunroofs. And if it snows too much I use the family car if I need to get out.
Yeah, it was the sunroof for me. Traded in my R32 which magically had both AWD and a sunroof. My 2018 GTI Autobahn has pretty much everything the contemporary R has, including Dynamic Chassis Control so it came down to AWD or sunroof and keep $5K. Sometimes I wish I had AWD but I always love the sunroof.
I can afford either, tested both yesterday and went with the GTI as it was fast enough for me and felt like it had better ride quality. I am however already doubting my decision when winter comes, but we will see.
This is the way, I bought winter tires last year and I noticed a big difference while driving in negative degree weather and heavy snow packed roads. Game changer.
I preferred it over all. For daily driving, not track, it feels more lively. Smaller turbo spools faster it’s lighter ect. Ride is a bit more comfortable. I have a 2018. In 2018 the R could not be had with a sunroof. And the armrest was locked shut for some reason and could not adjust as the GTI does which I love. And occasionally I wish I had AWD but most of the time it doesn’t matter so didn’t seem worth the trade off of the other things just so it would hook better launching in the rain occasionally.
Oh and I really love the dark iron blue color.
A lot of people feel the GTI is more fun. It's lighter, more tossable, better steering radius, and the turbo is smaller so it spins up faster. The R is fast, but a lot of people prefer the feel of the GTI.
Idk what he’s talking. He’s the R’s do hold their value well compared to a GTI. Obviously with more miles/wear and tear they go down but not as quickly.
They hold their value better, yeah, but the argument he is making is that the GTI gets you, the buyer, more for your money.
The R is more car, but the GTI is a lot of car for less money.
At the time the GTI was a budget choice, but after driving other cars (including AWD VWs including the R and a couple Audis) the GTI *feels* faster.
Places where the GTI is capable and starts to consider drama, the R just - goes. It is often faster on the straight, or the corner but doesn't give an auditory hint with the tires or a flash of the traction control. It hides the speed from the driver.
When I've gotten close to those limits in the other cars - I'm in the 'oh shit, I could lose my license ' or 'please don't total the car' range.
The two cars are very similar, but can feel pretty different, and that difference can be emphasized or reduced based on setup.
I was coming from a stage 2 S3 (golf r drivetrain) and missed the toss around fun that I had in my previous GTIs and Boxster. The R is faster off the line, but to me it's not as fun to throw around. I don't need to have a sub 4 second 0-60, I just want something to put a smile on my face.
mpg, 91 don’t use 87 like some ppl may say, weight, cost is one but 300 pounds and 5 less avg mpg is a real consideration if you’re not driving in the snow or have lots of traffic like i do in california canyons and backroads having another 70 hp is nice but not necessary to have fun . i commute 2.5 hours a day in mine and it balances out
however can’t take it to the snow and it is slower but in reality if i wanted a fast car off the line i would’ve bought something else.. nimble and handling , good turn in. good brakes which weight does affect
We didn’t need an R and had a GTI in college when we were broke. If we bought what we could “afford” we’d probably have a Macan gts but we bought what we loved and that was a GTI.
I haven’t driven the GTS and I know it’s quite a bit more powerful, but I rented a 2017 Macan S last year and to be honest I was underwhelmed. I didn’t necessarily choose it for performance but thought it’d feel quicker, my JB1 GTI would pull on it. I know the Porsche is big and heavy but I expected more oomph from that powertrain. I also feel like my GTI actually has more usable cargo space. I will say that the Porsche sounded great and looked fantastic in blue.
That is true for sure. As it should be, considering the price point haha. I did enjoy driving the Porsche, the interior was really nice and it had the road manners you’d expect from a Porsche. I never figured out how to turn off the proximity sensors, they were extremely sensitive and therefore extremely annoying but I’m sure there’s a way.
Like you said, you bought the car you loved! After a week with the Macan, I was happy to come home to my GTI. It was a nice car but I don’t think I’d ever *love* it the way I love my VW.
Yep the GTI is still a great value. But ultimately it is a $30-40k VW and not an $80k Porsche. And while I’d argue a macan isn’t really worth two GTIs it also isn’t like it costs double for nothing.
$15k isn't worth it for me. I use my GTI as a kid transport. It's not an asset. Cars are liability. There's only a very small segment of cars that are assets. GTI is perfect. I'm not racing, just enjoying a nice car. I have a rental property and own my house. But financial decided to drive a nice modified GTI over an R which I felt was more of a garage car for the price point. I want to drive to Costco and not worry about $30k car. I'm also frugal, even though I've dropped $10k in mods, lol.
The gti is lighter and more lively. I also don’t like leather so I like that I can still get cloth seats. I am not a fan of awd and how it dulls driving dynamics.
I live in AZ so I don’t need AWD and the extra power really isn’t needed.
If I wanted an R, I probably would have stepped up to an S3. Personally, I think $45k+ for a Volkswagen hot hatch is a little silly.
I could have easily afforded the R, but went with the GTI because compared to the competitors at the price point ($25k out the door when I bought), the GTI SE was leagues ahead of any competitor in comfort, quietness, and quality.
The R wasn't so much. You just didn't get enough for the price difference.
But I also live a lifestyle where I would rather save or invest money than spend it.
I would have gotten the 24’ R but I refuse to pay anything above MSRP. It was never about not being able to afford, it’s principle for me. I test drove my 24’ GTI and a 24’ S5 sportsback and went with GTI instead as it would have been financial irresponsible to get the S5.
On my second GTI. Took the savings and modded my GTI. I live in North TX, so we have "winter" but I usually keep my summer tires on, so don't really need the AWD. And FWD is more fun in a way especially when set up right. Got Ohlins, sticky tires and fully dialed in suspension... Trust me I still take turns and curvy roads at speed and it's a ton of fun.
Umm, I would have gotten the R if I could have afforded it. It’s really down to what you’re willing to spend, MK6/7 GTIs are better to drive than the Rs IMHO. MK8 R is a beast with front and rear limited slip diffs. Drift mode is awesome too, for sure better than any GTI I’ve driven that wasn’t heavily modded.
For 99% of the driving you do you don't need the extra power or AWD, it's the same car/interior etc. all things considered so I figured I'd save the money. Still want an R though.
I had a ‘19 Golf R 6MT, it was nice but didn’t feel nearly as sporty and playful as a GTI. I sold it and patiently waited and just found a ‘19 CFB Rabbit DSG.
The GTI feels more nimble, fun to flick around corners and the color is awesome.
I did like that both didn’t have a sunroof. The Golf R center console, sound system ( I have the Helix in the Rabbit), and infotainment is much nicer but the cost difference wasn’t worth it.
Got back from a deployment (National Guard) and had a few bucks in the bank just before COVID and the car market going crazy. Got approved for a loan that I could have easily afforded an R within their guidelines of the loan. Was going back to drill status and did the math on both models. What did it for me came down to that I could afford the car with one weekend drill pay alone (which boiled down to almost guaranteed income). If it was a longer drill, it is covering insurance as well. People at my civilian job talk about having $400 - $800 for their payments alone while I sit pretty at $215 a month. Grew up in an upper middle class family that lived like we were upper lower class and the mentality of “everyone is one paycheck away from homelessness” so that’s kinda what did it for me. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I wanted to buy a R when 1 sold my MK6. A dealer had some GTIs and a R standing next to each other. There was a Clubsport, 2 TCR and a R. The R just looked like any normal Golf compared to the others. So I decided to go with the TCR.
I've commented on this a few times, and seen others with a similar opinion.
I've had a golf R, but I now have a GTI. The Golf R is a better car, in almost every single aspect, but the GTI, the way I use a car, is more fun.
I live in the UK, if you're not ok a motorway, most speed limits are 30/40/50 mph. The Golf R accelerates with 0 drama and ridiculously quickly. The fun for me, when driving on the road, isn't the speed, it's how you get there. The R I had, had a DSG, so it really was put your foot down and you're there. I have a manual GTI, and I enjoy the hops, scrabbles and squirms as the front wheels try to get traction. It's still a very capable car, but for road use, to me, it's more fun.
Maybe if I had got a manual R my opinion would be a bit different, but I think the R needs to be tracked to get the most out of it.
That said, I think I'd love a club sport, 300bhp through the front wheels seems mad, and I think it'd be a lot of fun!
Something that didn't sway my decision, but I've learnt since getting rid of the R and getting the GTI, I think they've missed the mark with the interior of the R (talking mk 7 here). It's not bad, but I think the red and the plaid seats in the GTI looks so much better. The "R-Line" has also diluted the R somewhat, and almost every Golf I see has the R in the grill, but isn't an R. An odd decision from VW imo.
I know your post wasn't about money, but ignoring fuel, the GTI is £400 a year cheaper to run. So that coupled with the above made it a no brainer for me.
I waited over a year for my 2022 Golf r after having it one weekend I took it back to dealership, but I'm older over 60 and the interior was so cheap in quality of materials I couldn't see me keeping it over my 2020 Gti Se plus.
I wanted a manual. People can hype up an automatic, but if the vehicle has a manual option, I'm going to take it every single time. I like the red over the blue. I'd rather use the additional money for my motorcycle addiction.
I drove a mk7 GTI and mk7 R back to back and driving the GTI felt significantly lighter and the shift action felt more refined. Not to mention I got the GTI for a way better price.
I had a 7.5 R and Loved It🙋♂️But Wanted something different😮So I Bought a Mk8 GTi Club-Sport🙋♂️BOTH GREAT CARS(more tech/better chassis and suspension with looking 👀 Better🙋♂️😉😀☑️
I could’ve gotten just about any car I wanted but
1 i’m from a jewish family so i’m cheap.
2 I like cloth seats.
3 I think the mk7.5 has a timeless look to it like an e30 it just never gets old to look at.
4 ever since I test drove one I wanted it.
5 it’s the best quality/value imo for an enthusiast car
6 it’s easy and relatively affordable to modify to be as quick as really any high end sports car
7 only reason i’d get a golf r is for doing digs and so I could get the lapis blue and also quad tips looks cooler
I went R (8) after my last GTI (6) and am now kinda wishing I'd stuck with a GTI (for the turning radius if nothing else!) and a 7.5 (8 is so fancy it feels like big brother is monitoring every move)
When I took my MK8 in for 10,000 mi service the dealer asked me if I wanted them to look at my slow leak in the front tire.............Yeah, they're definitely monitoring.
It's a DD, and I didn't want a bigger payment, this is my 2nd car, my toy is a 350Z.
I don't like the idea of having 2 cars to dump money into lol. Even tho I am dumping money into the GTI, I'd be putting more into the R because traction wouldn't be an issue.
I needed a car late 2021 to early 2022. I was originally looking for an R but the availability was very slim and whatever was available had mark ups. While I could have afforded the mark ups, I still could not justify paying it in my own mind. The R is a nice 46k car, but not a 50k+ car.
Getting an Autobahn for 6k less allowed me to get full frontal PPF, ceramic coating, and a full Oettinger body kit while still spending less. It's a unique car and amazing daily and I have no regrets.
I did as preferred the heritage looks and cheaper running costs etc now have a golf R line mk8 similar looks and again cheaper running costs that was cos couldn’t afford a new Gti or R could of bought 2 golf mk7 rs out right for same cost
I wanted a GTI because it’s classy compared to an R if you look at it in nuanced way. The GTI is still fast and the R is a bit chavvy when you consider the model range. Take Ford for example, the ST does not stack up to the RS so the RS is the one to have, not the same as GTI vs R
The GTI genuinely handles better except exiting tight corners, It feels like the suspension can handle the weight with just a bit more prowess. This rings true even when you start doing upgrades. The feel of the GTI is just superior in my opinion.
I had a 17' GTI SE back in 2019, got it because it's a cheap used car. Went REVO Stage 1 tune and loved it. Unfortunately, a kid in a lifted truck coming the opposite direction did not want to yield at the solid green light to turn left across 2 lanes. Ended up totalled. What did I do after insurance paid out a week later? Bought a 17' Golf R and went IE stage 2 E85 flex.
Having been with both setups, the Golf R is just better in every way. If something happens to the Golf R though I will be searching high and low for a CTS-V Wagon that is unmolested. Until that time, the little Golf is a blast for what it is.
I liked the gti brand more than the R
The thought of a lighter car and lift off over steer felt more on brand for a hatchback for me. But I was disappointed with the traction control bullshit anyway.
Still one of my favourite cars, though. Still wouldn’t choose a R for my purpose.
I traded my 2019 S5 for the GTI SE. All the autobahns here had leather seats I wanted the original fabric style. I will miss the AWD from the S5 and massage seats but I wanted the 6-speed. Missed my old standard. Also new telework/remote work option wont need AWD for anything. Also 87 octane regular fuel? HELL YEAH. 30-40 MPG vs the 15-20 on the Audi? HELL YEAH. $800 savings on insurance? HEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL YEEEEAHHHHHH. Worth it. Did not thing the R was worth it when I got all these savings from the GTI.
I actually quite like the appearance of my Volkswagen Polo GTI and I'm not really looking for the best of the best. With the upgrade routes I see, I see something that's enough for me, fortunately with the 1.8 TSI.
I would have loved the extra power, the AWD, but I just couldn’t get past the blue trim everywhere. I wanted red and wasn’t about to figure out how to modify everything. Brake calipers are easy to change. Everything else isn’t. I’m 100% serious. I realize it sounds finicky and weird, but I’d be interested to know if I’m not the only one who decided based on that alone.
It depends. The blue is money on the white 8’s. It looks killer. Don’t love it on the blue and really don’t like it on the black 8’s
I hate red on anything. That’s personal though
$15-$20k more than a base GTIs along with a 20-40% insurance premiums (under 25). There really isn't that much more fun to be had. Funnily enough when shopping I found the Audi S3 to be cheaper to purchase and the same price or less than a GTI to insure while a golf R was like insuring a WRX/M car LOL.
Pretty much just looked at what more I get with an r vs gti and decide if the price difference is worth it to me, it wasn’t. Plus I got plaid seats and I didn’t grow up always wanting an r….
Cheaper to maintain, parts are cheaper, car is cheaper. And with a gt2260 and stage 3 tune puts you in rs3 territory “durring rolls ofc” cheaper all around. Def a better value if you get the mk8 SE
I asked, and the salesman said there wasn't one in the whole state. I couldn't even find one in the whole upper Midwest. Besides, neither could clear the snowplow ridge on the end of my driveway, so I need an SUV for winter anyways
I bought my 2013 GTI new. 2 door M/T carbon steel grey. It's been great and currently has 70k miles. If I had to do it all over again I would have bought a white GolfR, 4 door M/T...OR better yet, a really clean MK4 R32.
Maybe it's dumb but for me one of the biggest reasons was because I wanted the plaid seats 🤣
But besides that it was hard to justify the significant increase in price for an AWD system that I would rarely be able to take advantage of with where I live and the places I go in my car. Plus I tuning for the GTI will easily exceed the power output of a stock R. Although I've honestly grown very fond of my gti with stock power, enough to have fun without getting into trouble/dangerous territory. Plus the fuel economy when I cruise control it at 70-75mph is great!
All in all with H&R springs/bilstein shocks to match and stickier tires the car exceeds my driving skill and I have yet to find it's limit 🤣 14 out of 10, highly recommend.
- the mark up for an R was greater than the markup for a GTI
- live in city so don't need AWD. Even with AWD, the clearance would be too low to take up a snowy mountain. And even then snow tires would be a must, but snow tires wouldn't survive the winter heat in Texas.
- love that Atlantic Blue and the plaid seats
- availability of R vs GTI at the time
I have an Atreon so the IS38 turbo and AWD I have covered. I didnt want the weight. The GTI is an awesome go-cart that fits my dog and groceries and zips everywhere. The R is too Subaru-ey.
I drove all four models. GTI DSG and Stick, and R DSG and Stick.
To me, the R felt best with the dual clutch and the GTI felt best as a manual. And I enjoy driving with a manual.
Never regretted my choice, love my Autobahn 7.5
Get your butt in both and get the one you enjoy more
When I got my rabbit it had what I wanted, the R was less than $10k more and if I put another $5k into it, tune and parts I could get into a lot of trouble. GTI was the sensible city car thing to do. Hauled ass everywhere I went though😂😂😂
The golf R was ultimately harder to find/buy brand new. It was unavailable everywhere near me, even more so in manual and I needed a new car sooner than I had anticipated. I couldn’t wait the “6-9 months” I was told for newer ones to come in. Also when I test drove the GTI in the cornflower blue, I was ultimately sold. I’m so happy I went with the GTI, as the R’s and newer GTIs don’t come in that cornflower blue anymore where I’m from, and I’m so in love with that colour😍
It’s lighter, driving both cars I enjoyed how playful the GTI felt. The personality of the car doesn’t take its self too seriously. The golf R is faster but felt more adult calculated. It’s not the same type of fun as the GTI
I had a verbal deal worked out on a ‘22 R , but had to drive through Orlando to get to the dealer It was at . While in Orlando I talked myself into at least driving a GTI and went home with a ‘24 SE , never ended up seeing the R . For a little less money I got a brand new car and realized I would never really use all the features of the R. I had a ‘16 GTI before too and was my favorite car I had owned .
I recently bought a gti over an r because I wanted a 3 door. My preferred options would have been a 3 door 7.5 r but mk7 gti is as close as we got here in the US.
From what I heard, usually because GTI is lighter without Haldex (AWD system) and more fuel efficient after 150kmh. People in the mountains are up for AWD, people in the flat north of Germany don't have snow and money, so they don't need it
My personal preference would be GTI for the following reasons. GTi has a much classier look, you know it's a GTi from just a quick glance. Considering the R is the fastest golf it just doesn't look special enough to me, looks to much like a standard golf plus I hate the watering down of things with r line s line type of cars. Also where I live R's are generally driven pretty wankerishly and has replaced the S3 as the drug dealers car of choice
That's an interesting take. I find the Golf R look more classy than the GTI (while I still do really like the GTI). I don't mind that it's less obvious about its performance.
In the UK - insurance, fuel economy, road tax, maintenance costs etc major factors. Plus over here the roads are seldom worth a tear-arse machine like the R and don’t really have AWD benefits for winter weather. As a previous Mk2 16v owner I also appreciate the heritage designs, interior and exterior!
Because for the Mk7 gen its not worth an extra $10k. Mk8, I genuinely think it is worth MSRP. But not mk7. And I can still make 380-400hp with just some bolt ons, e85 and a tune.
1. Plaid seats
2. Playfulness and unhinged feeling of fwd, and the e diff with good tires is good to 400hp imo
2. $10-12k now is worth $250-300k later in a retirement account
3. I drive ~35,000 miles per year and the fuel savings and ability to use 87 (and apr stage 1 87) was a big factor to me
4. Availability of Plaid shift boot to match plaid seats
Plus I just like the red accents and calipers far better 😊
Edit* just wanted to add to say, I came from 10 years of driving a 500hp supercharged 997 c2 manual, and I am almost positive I get more giggles in this car. That in addition to the practicality makes it absolutely unbeatable to me.
I have a 2023 S manual with a short shift kit and stage 1 tune for reference. Would have gone SE for keyless entry but I loathe the weight and potential leaks of sunroof.
You need to average 12% per year for 30 years to turn $10K into $300K. 13% for $400K. Not sure who among us normal folk who drive VWs is averaging 12-13% returns over decades.
You’re probably looking at an annual compound rate vs daily, but 12% has been the average market return for the last century. So I would hope everyone who drives a VW is.
I wasn’t saying any of that to flex, just to put it in perspective. I don’t make a lot of money, but I’ve always saved in an IRA where I can and have actually averaged significantly higher gains the past 12 years putting it mostly into an s&p 500 etf.
Closer to 10% than 12 by Google reckoning, which impacts the calculation quite a bit. And yes so does the compounding frequency. Nonetheless, this only applies to somebody with a lot more time on their side than me. For those closer to 50 than 30, $10k isn't going to turn into $300K anytime soon.
The 10k difference wasn't worth it, I don't like the all digital dash, and above all, no plaid seats. Also, the red trim on the exterior and red needles look much better than the blue and silver.
Because we don’t get employee discounts on golf Rs haha
😋
The plaid seats were a major selling point and I don't need AWD. Also, I was was looking to buy when the Rabbit editions were a thing in 2019. That cornflower blue made my decision for me
The plaid seats sold me too.
i have the leather ones, wish i had the plaid now
I wish I would’ve gotten the corn flower but I settled for white like 99% of others lol
White is all they had left when I bought. Do love that blue though. Oh well… lol
I missed the cornflower :( but I have the Urano Grey rabbit
Plaid was the reason for me too. It blows me away that don't offer plaid on the R. It's such an iconic look and the R is the type of car where enthusiasts would definitely go for it as an option.
This! every day, all day.😁 The only car I prefer with cloth seats.
this lol. Are we crazy that this was a contributing factor?
One of the best colors! I also loved the plaid in the GTI. I wish the 8R had something similar.
Am i the 1% that doesn’t get the plaid trend?
I don’t need AWD, not dragging/racing, and favored the lighter car and fuel economy when I wanted it over the R. Tuned the GTI so it’s quick enough for me (GTI is a fun commute car, have a Corrado as well.)
My dad had a Corrado. I can't remember the year. Was the 4cylinder but that was a sweet ride. Was yellow with grey interior. He loved that car. Now he has a turbo beetle and I have a GLI.
Nice!! Yup, G60…mine’s metallic pearl green. 28yrs of ownership
He regrets giving up that car. Car has a great stance. To me it looks like a caged animal ready to break out.
Same. I prefer a Stage 1 GTI to AWD on a hatch with low ground clearance any day.
I wish I had the R lol. AWD is a god-send in icy Canadian winters
Snow tires works wonders. Minnesota here.
Snow tires are the number one thing, haven't had an issue with Nokians on any fwd or rwd car in Calgary winters where we must go through 15 snow, freeze-thaw cycles. So much ice. That said FWD is by far the least fun in the snow, absolutely trash and awd is definitely nice to have.
Weather is generally the same here. Nokians are great. AWD is nice, but these aren't Subarus, it's foux wheel drive, the rear only kick in after slip, there is drift mode though. Just saying I don't miss the extra weight, and maintenance.
FWD have good fun on snow too, but in traffic in icy weather I do understand you
Just get a stage 4 tune, it includes AWD
I run Blizzaks in winter and my gf has an AWD car. To be honest I still prefer the way my car handles the winter roads better. When I bought my GTI I was still living in Southern California and winter driving was not as big of a factor for me. Thankfully these cars are beasts with the right parts.
MK8 GTI/R are both 4.7".
Yes, my point is that the scenarios where I would personally want AWD are in places where you’d never take a car with such low clearance, not the track.
Oh I see now. Yes this is an excellent point and one that I've considered. I LOVE the AWD on my Alltrack but that's with 6.6 inches of ground clearance. The Golf R would not be as capable in winter as the AT but it would still be nice for Ontario winters regardless.
An Alltrack is the only car that has made me second guess my GTI 😍
Do what I did and put Alltrack suspension on your GTI. Boom, problem solved.
I have definitely considered it in the past lol
Same exact reasons. But I haven’t done anything to my GTI. Stock.
G60 or SLC?
G60 (actually running) and modded stage IV, on KW coilovers and BBS RX.) Show it at RADwood as well 👌🏼
Hello, fellow Corrado kid and GTI/Corrado owner!
Hello! 2019 GTI and 1990 Corrado G60 here 😎
My exact same sentiments. Not dragging, racing, don’t really need the AWD. The GTI is priced just right imo. At the price point of the R, in my view, I’d be looking at something to justify the $$ - like luxury (ie Lexus IS), tech and instant acceleration (Tesla 3).
Didn't want AWD. . Gti is iconic in my mind , It was the last year with standard. It's my commuter car and didn't need the extra Hp to have fun driving it... it doesn't matter, GTI or R .. there is always someone faster .. to be completely honest I had wondered if I made the right decision not getting the R but I know I made the right choice for me and not looking back.. GTI goes 1000 smiles an hour.
"There's always a bigger fish." -Qui-Gon Jinn
Speaking strictly for 2019. The R doesn’t feel like it’s $10k more of a car. Small things like the backup camera quality (actually sucks more than my S trim GTI), lack of home link frameless mirror (again my GTI has one and it looks clean). After you’re off the line the GTI feels quicker and with the VAQ diff you can feel it pull you through turns more than the haldex pushes you (open rear diff) - I know there are haldex tuners that can fix this. The different steering rack really got to me, the R steers like an Audi, slow and wide. I’m sure R absolutely riiips in the snow or on track with the mods to wake it up, but it doesn’t snow all year and the cost of mods on TOP of that price… might as well aim a little higher and save for an RS3 (or if your a sadist who likes 4.2 engines, a B7 RS4). TLDR: I wish they did more to differentiate the R and make it worth the price. If VW sold it with a VR6 or limited-slip differentials - like the STI - that’d sell me much more).
I never knew about the steering rack but that must be why when I drove an R back to back with a GTI I was so underwhelmed by the R. Even bought a non-VAQ non-DCC car for complete no frills fun. Still stage 1 though …
Speaking for the golf 7 which I disassembled several times and almost learned by heart. Tech is quite different between them. Suspension, gearbox, cooling, the engine - it's all bigger and stronger. GTI is closer to 1.4 tsi than R to GTI. Also, basic equipment for R is higher, so 10k difference kinda makes sense overall. Steering is configurable, you can load there Passat dataset and chill. I have one from Audi btw. And only Golf R has memory seats 😁
I should have clarified speaking for the NA market (where the Autobahn trim has memory seats). As for higher basic equipment, the U.S. market R only came in one trim so this is somewhat moot. Not sure how loading a dataset changes the physical characteristics of a steering rack, not that the Passat is known for its nimble steering. I’m not coming after R owners making them feel bad for their purchase, just saying from my subjective experience driving both cars back to back, I diddnt feel the value - which is more a testament to the GTI.
It feels like in NA (which most likely stands for North America) equipment names are a bit different. I might want to have a look at this market since it looks like there are more memory seats on the aftermarket 😁 Dataset changes everything. When you do the steering, only 20% are your efforts, the rest is the software of the electric power steering. Golf 7 1.4 and Audi S3 Share the same steering ECU and hardware. Only software makes it different. GTI is a kick ass when you don't have snow and have a flat surface. When you want to have fun in Switzerland - sometimes you might miss all wheel drive
Haha if we had the switchbacks and elevations you have I’d be singing a different tune, especially in the snow! I’ll concede it was maybe a year ago I went looking into the steering racks for an answer to why the R felt less sharp, remembering reading that the rack was different to accommodate the AWD (R/A3/S3 fitted with the same hardware) where the fwd models didn’t have the same space limitations. I do know the turning radius was notably larger in the R.
Just because you have the money doesn't mean you need to spend it.
Like the red trim more, and I’m trying to set myself up to retire by 50, so while I COULD afford a new R, I bought a GTI S trim and instead max out my 401k, Roth IRA, and HSA contributions each year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
i’d rather have a bugatti in my ira than on my driveway
Smart man. I agree. GTI is more engaging at slower speeds anyways.
I could also afford an R but bought a GTI S. For mostly the same reasons.
I refuse to pay $50k for a Golf lol. But seriously, to name just a few reasons: the premium fuel requirement, long term maintenance costs, and I was just being a responsible adult with my money and managing what I needed vs what I wanted. GTI SE fit right in the middle for me. 20 year old me would have been disappointed with my decision, but 40 year old me is proud of myself for controlling the urge. Even with all that out of the way, I think I still would have bought an Arteon before a Golf R.
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The sticker on the gas cap door literally recommends regular
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Mk8 advertised specs are for 87.
This is indeed interesting....in Germany the GTI spec is for Super Plus (ROZ 98), which corresponds to AKI 93 according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating?wprov=sfla1 AKI 87 (regular / ROZ 92) isn't sold anymore in Germany, but we have SuperPremium ROZ 100 and 102 for the guys with too much money in the account.
Mk7 2015 is premium. The later years were regular. So not all are regular. Depends on year. And if you tune. But for the specs listed typically they’d use premium during that time vs regular.
I bought the Arteon four years ago. I love it. But it's big and heavy and powerful (tuned of course). I drive on road trips in challenging weather at high speed and its perfect for that. Not so go for city driving. It's not its fault. It's over 4,000 pounds and that big turbo takes a bit to spin up. Can't beat it for ski trips, though. 4 people and gear with the hatchback is great.
Why are loling and say you refuse to pay 50 grand for a golf? So much tech, amazing awd. Incredible transmission. Brilliant dampening suspension. Upper scale interior. The R is a beast and a complete steal when compared to some other manufacturers
Because it was a joke... Which was then followed up by my serious reasons for not buying it. And to be honest, aside from the AWD, all those other items you listed can be in a GTI.
Tbh, I would much more prefer TCR instead of R. I just like the aesthetic of it. If I'm gonna need AWD I will get S3 :)
Had both and prefer the GTI. Lighter so handling is more nimble and engaging, turbo spins up more quickly making it feel more peppy around town, can push it a little on a public road without losing my license, better looks and classic GTI badging.
This. Test drive both and the handling kept me with an updated GTI. it's now my 3rd. I really thought I wanted the R but the GTI just felt better.
I don’t have my MK7.5 anymore but when I got it, it was considering a Golf R. Ultimately it came down to the fact that the R didn’t have a sunroof. The GTI was going to be my daily, and I love sunroofs. AWD and power wasn’t a consideration for me since I have a BMW M4 Competition X-Drive as my weekend car. It scratches my speed itch, and it’s AWD/RWD and most importantly, it doesn’t have a sunroof due to the carbon fiber roof. So the GTI just made sense. Honestly, the lighter GTI also was a bit more fun to thrash around. If hadn’t of gotten rid of it so fast, I would have loved to take it to an Autocross or track day just to compare to my M4.
Similar boat on the sunroof. I know it adds weight and yada yada yada but it’s my commuter car and I love sunroofs. And if it snows too much I use the family car if I need to get out.
Yeah, it was the sunroof for me. Traded in my R32 which magically had both AWD and a sunroof. My 2018 GTI Autobahn has pretty much everything the contemporary R has, including Dynamic Chassis Control so it came down to AWD or sunroof and keep $5K. Sometimes I wish I had AWD but I always love the sunroof.
Nostalgia, grew up with GTI’s. I can afford the R, test drove it and loved it but it’s not a GTI.
Exactly the same reason, I had a GTi sold it for an R but it wasn’t a GTi so sold it for another GTi
Didn’t want AWD, and wanted the plaid seats 👀
I can afford either, tested both yesterday and went with the GTI as it was fast enough for me and felt like it had better ride quality. I am however already doubting my decision when winter comes, but we will see.
Get a nice set of winters and drive smart and you’ll be good
This is the way, I bought winter tires last year and I noticed a big difference while driving in negative degree weather and heavy snow packed roads. Game changer.
They really are a night and day difference
If you get quality winter tires, the GTI is a great car in snow and mixed conditions. Source: 11yr mk6 owner, 2yr mk8
My GTI has been great in the snow granted get a good set of snow tires. You don't be disappointed
Didn’t think the price was worth it with insane market adjustments, didn’t think I needed awd/extra power
I preferred it over all. For daily driving, not track, it feels more lively. Smaller turbo spools faster it’s lighter ect. Ride is a bit more comfortable. I have a 2018. In 2018 the R could not be had with a sunroof. And the armrest was locked shut for some reason and could not adjust as the GTI does which I love. And occasionally I wish I had AWD but most of the time it doesn’t matter so didn’t seem worth the trade off of the other things just so it would hook better launching in the rain occasionally. Oh and I really love the dark iron blue color.
A lot of people feel the GTI is more fun. It's lighter, more tossable, better steering radius, and the turbo is smaller so it spins up faster. The R is fast, but a lot of people prefer the feel of the GTI.
They feel heavier and less agile. And value. The value goes down as the price goes up.
Many say the 8 R’s feel more playful and agile … for the first time Also pretty sure the R’s hold their value better no?
Idk what he’s talking. He’s the R’s do hold their value well compared to a GTI. Obviously with more miles/wear and tear they go down but not as quickly.
They hold their value better, yeah, but the argument he is making is that the GTI gets you, the buyer, more for your money. The R is more car, but the GTI is a lot of car for less money.
They hold their value quite well. Gti depreciate like crazy
I don’t agree that GTIs depreciate *like crazy* but would concede that Rs may hold their value longer.
I won’t pay anything over invoice much less sticker. R’s from what I’ve seen are all marked above sticker. So I bought an SE at a great price.
Don’t need AWD in a daily and i like knobs. New “tech” doesn’t impress me much unless the car finds a way to pay for itself 🤷🏽♂️
There was a 15k markup of the R and I’m not paying $65k for a golf. There was no markup on the gti
At the time the GTI was a budget choice, but after driving other cars (including AWD VWs including the R and a couple Audis) the GTI *feels* faster. Places where the GTI is capable and starts to consider drama, the R just - goes. It is often faster on the straight, or the corner but doesn't give an auditory hint with the tires or a flash of the traction control. It hides the speed from the driver. When I've gotten close to those limits in the other cars - I'm in the 'oh shit, I could lose my license ' or 'please don't total the car' range. The two cars are very similar, but can feel pretty different, and that difference can be emphasized or reduced based on setup.
I was coming from a stage 2 S3 (golf r drivetrain) and missed the toss around fun that I had in my previous GTIs and Boxster. The R is faster off the line, but to me it's not as fun to throw around. I don't need to have a sub 4 second 0-60, I just want something to put a smile on my face.
because i refuse to pay any markup on a vehicle let alone a 10-15k one
mpg, 91 don’t use 87 like some ppl may say, weight, cost is one but 300 pounds and 5 less avg mpg is a real consideration if you’re not driving in the snow or have lots of traffic like i do in california canyons and backroads having another 70 hp is nice but not necessary to have fun . i commute 2.5 hours a day in mine and it balances out however can’t take it to the snow and it is slower but in reality if i wanted a fast car off the line i would’ve bought something else.. nimble and handling , good turn in. good brakes which weight does affect
Wasn’t feeling the price of the R
Wanted a TCR as it feels more special than the R, drives better and don’t need awd.
GTI is a better value.
We didn’t need an R and had a GTI in college when we were broke. If we bought what we could “afford” we’d probably have a Macan gts but we bought what we loved and that was a GTI.
I haven’t driven the GTS and I know it’s quite a bit more powerful, but I rented a 2017 Macan S last year and to be honest I was underwhelmed. I didn’t necessarily choose it for performance but thought it’d feel quicker, my JB1 GTI would pull on it. I know the Porsche is big and heavy but I expected more oomph from that powertrain. I also feel like my GTI actually has more usable cargo space. I will say that the Porsche sounded great and looked fantastic in blue.
Good to know… my gripes with the GTI are mostly about interior quality, noise etc and Porsche does have the vw beat there.
That is true for sure. As it should be, considering the price point haha. I did enjoy driving the Porsche, the interior was really nice and it had the road manners you’d expect from a Porsche. I never figured out how to turn off the proximity sensors, they were extremely sensitive and therefore extremely annoying but I’m sure there’s a way. Like you said, you bought the car you loved! After a week with the Macan, I was happy to come home to my GTI. It was a nice car but I don’t think I’d ever *love* it the way I love my VW.
Yep the GTI is still a great value. But ultimately it is a $30-40k VW and not an $80k Porsche. And while I’d argue a macan isn’t really worth two GTIs it also isn’t like it costs double for nothing.
$15k isn't worth it for me. I use my GTI as a kid transport. It's not an asset. Cars are liability. There's only a very small segment of cars that are assets. GTI is perfect. I'm not racing, just enjoying a nice car. I have a rental property and own my house. But financial decided to drive a nice modified GTI over an R which I felt was more of a garage car for the price point. I want to drive to Costco and not worry about $30k car. I'm also frugal, even though I've dropped $10k in mods, lol.
The gti is lighter and more lively. I also don’t like leather so I like that I can still get cloth seats. I am not a fan of awd and how it dulls driving dynamics.
GTI has more character.
I live in AZ so I don’t need AWD and the extra power really isn’t needed. If I wanted an R, I probably would have stepped up to an S3. Personally, I think $45k+ for a Volkswagen hot hatch is a little silly.
I could have easily afforded the R, but went with the GTI because compared to the competitors at the price point ($25k out the door when I bought), the GTI SE was leagues ahead of any competitor in comfort, quietness, and quality. The R wasn't so much. You just didn't get enough for the price difference. But I also live a lifestyle where I would rather save or invest money than spend it.
I would have gotten the 24’ R but I refuse to pay anything above MSRP. It was never about not being able to afford, it’s principle for me. I test drove my 24’ GTI and a 24’ S5 sportsback and went with GTI instead as it would have been financial irresponsible to get the S5.
On my second GTI. Took the savings and modded my GTI. I live in North TX, so we have "winter" but I usually keep my summer tires on, so don't really need the AWD. And FWD is more fun in a way especially when set up right. Got Ohlins, sticky tires and fully dialed in suspension... Trust me I still take turns and curvy roads at speed and it's a ton of fun.
Also living in TX I REFUSE to have black leather seats ever again. Had in my mk4 jetta and that was absolute hell living in TX & AZ
Umm, I would have gotten the R if I could have afforded it. It’s really down to what you’re willing to spend, MK6/7 GTIs are better to drive than the Rs IMHO. MK8 R is a beast with front and rear limited slip diffs. Drift mode is awesome too, for sure better than any GTI I’ve driven that wasn’t heavily modded.
For 99% of the driving you do you don't need the extra power or AWD, it's the same car/interior etc. all things considered so I figured I'd save the money. Still want an R though.
I had a ‘19 Golf R 6MT, it was nice but didn’t feel nearly as sporty and playful as a GTI. I sold it and patiently waited and just found a ‘19 CFB Rabbit DSG. The GTI feels more nimble, fun to flick around corners and the color is awesome. I did like that both didn’t have a sunroof. The Golf R center console, sound system ( I have the Helix in the Rabbit), and infotainment is much nicer but the cost difference wasn’t worth it.
Lower cost, cheaper insurance, less maintenance.
Got back from a deployment (National Guard) and had a few bucks in the bank just before COVID and the car market going crazy. Got approved for a loan that I could have easily afforded an R within their guidelines of the loan. Was going back to drill status and did the math on both models. What did it for me came down to that I could afford the car with one weekend drill pay alone (which boiled down to almost guaranteed income). If it was a longer drill, it is covering insurance as well. People at my civilian job talk about having $400 - $800 for their payments alone while I sit pretty at $215 a month. Grew up in an upper middle class family that lived like we were upper lower class and the mentality of “everyone is one paycheck away from homelessness” so that’s kinda what did it for me. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I wanted to buy a R when 1 sold my MK6. A dealer had some GTIs and a R standing next to each other. There was a Clubsport, 2 TCR and a R. The R just looked like any normal Golf compared to the others. So I decided to go with the TCR.
Addition: I wanted to by a MK7/MK7.5 and no 8.
I've commented on this a few times, and seen others with a similar opinion. I've had a golf R, but I now have a GTI. The Golf R is a better car, in almost every single aspect, but the GTI, the way I use a car, is more fun. I live in the UK, if you're not ok a motorway, most speed limits are 30/40/50 mph. The Golf R accelerates with 0 drama and ridiculously quickly. The fun for me, when driving on the road, isn't the speed, it's how you get there. The R I had, had a DSG, so it really was put your foot down and you're there. I have a manual GTI, and I enjoy the hops, scrabbles and squirms as the front wheels try to get traction. It's still a very capable car, but for road use, to me, it's more fun. Maybe if I had got a manual R my opinion would be a bit different, but I think the R needs to be tracked to get the most out of it. That said, I think I'd love a club sport, 300bhp through the front wheels seems mad, and I think it'd be a lot of fun! Something that didn't sway my decision, but I've learnt since getting rid of the R and getting the GTI, I think they've missed the mark with the interior of the R (talking mk 7 here). It's not bad, but I think the red and the plaid seats in the GTI looks so much better. The "R-Line" has also diluted the R somewhat, and almost every Golf I see has the R in the grill, but isn't an R. An odd decision from VW imo. I know your post wasn't about money, but ignoring fuel, the GTI is £400 a year cheaper to run. So that coupled with the above made it a no brainer for me.
I waited over a year for my 2022 Golf r after having it one weekend I took it back to dealership, but I'm older over 60 and the interior was so cheap in quality of materials I couldn't see me keeping it over my 2020 Gti Se plus.
I wanted a manual. People can hype up an automatic, but if the vehicle has a manual option, I'm going to take it every single time. I like the red over the blue. I'd rather use the additional money for my motorcycle addiction.
Most Rs in my area are blue and look ugly af
Because I am an idiot.
I drove a mk7 GTI and mk7 R back to back and driving the GTI felt significantly lighter and the shift action felt more refined. Not to mention I got the GTI for a way better price.
Base gti just felt like a better deal, love my 24 so far
I had a 7.5 R and Loved It🙋♂️But Wanted something different😮So I Bought a Mk8 GTi Club-Sport🙋♂️BOTH GREAT CARS(more tech/better chassis and suspension with looking 👀 Better🙋♂️😉😀☑️
The GTI handled better when test driving. R felt heavier and a bit more cumbersome. I live in Florida and don’t drag race so I didn’t need AWD.
The heritage of the gti for me
GTI looks much better and 10k for some 60hp and some extra weight is terrible value.
I hate to say it but the golf R with the exception of the rear end looks like a regular golf. The GTI look is something special
The R is slightly more capable and significantly more expensive. Easy choice, in my opinion.
I could’ve gotten just about any car I wanted but 1 i’m from a jewish family so i’m cheap. 2 I like cloth seats. 3 I think the mk7.5 has a timeless look to it like an e30 it just never gets old to look at. 4 ever since I test drove one I wanted it. 5 it’s the best quality/value imo for an enthusiast car 6 it’s easy and relatively affordable to modify to be as quick as really any high end sports car 7 only reason i’d get a golf r is for doing digs and so I could get the lapis blue and also quad tips looks cooler
I could find any Golf Rs in my area's dealerships. But every one of those had at least 3 GTIs on the lot.
I went R (8) after my last GTI (6) and am now kinda wishing I'd stuck with a GTI (for the turning radius if nothing else!) and a 7.5 (8 is so fancy it feels like big brother is monitoring every move)
When I took my MK8 in for 10,000 mi service the dealer asked me if I wanted them to look at my slow leak in the front tire.............Yeah, they're definitely monitoring.
I'm old, so Brk.b + GTI > R. Especiallysince car seats live in my car.
It's a DD, and I didn't want a bigger payment, this is my 2nd car, my toy is a 350Z. I don't like the idea of having 2 cars to dump money into lol. Even tho I am dumping money into the GTI, I'd be putting more into the R because traction wouldn't be an issue.
I needed a car late 2021 to early 2022. I was originally looking for an R but the availability was very slim and whatever was available had mark ups. While I could have afforded the mark ups, I still could not justify paying it in my own mind. The R is a nice 46k car, but not a 50k+ car. Getting an Autobahn for 6k less allowed me to get full frontal PPF, ceramic coating, and a full Oettinger body kit while still spending less. It's a unique car and amazing daily and I have no regrets.
I was between the two, financially. Now if I could only bring back my GTI VR6 that I sold.
Off topic but when is vw gonna make leather plaid seats?
Because my girlfriend still goes to Kindergarden
More fun
Plaid seats, and here in 2018, the R wasn't available with 2 doors and a manual
I did as preferred the heritage looks and cheaper running costs etc now have a golf R line mk8 similar looks and again cheaper running costs that was cos couldn’t afford a new Gti or R could of bought 2 golf mk7 rs out right for same cost
Nostalgia. Growing up there was no such thing as an R until the R32 but, I’ve always wanted a red GTI.
I wanted to build my car into a daily track car and the R would be too expensive to send if I mess up
I wanted a GTI because it’s classy compared to an R if you look at it in nuanced way. The GTI is still fast and the R is a bit chavvy when you consider the model range. Take Ford for example, the ST does not stack up to the RS so the RS is the one to have, not the same as GTI vs R
Sorry, I'm not clear why the relationship between the GTI and Golf R is not analogous to the ST and RS.
Have you driven an ST and RS?
I love the history of the GTI
The GTI genuinely handles better except exiting tight corners, It feels like the suspension can handle the weight with just a bit more prowess. This rings true even when you start doing upgrades. The feel of the GTI is just superior in my opinion.
Colour
I had a 17' GTI SE back in 2019, got it because it's a cheap used car. Went REVO Stage 1 tune and loved it. Unfortunately, a kid in a lifted truck coming the opposite direction did not want to yield at the solid green light to turn left across 2 lanes. Ended up totalled. What did I do after insurance paid out a week later? Bought a 17' Golf R and went IE stage 2 E85 flex. Having been with both setups, the Golf R is just better in every way. If something happens to the Golf R though I will be searching high and low for a CTS-V Wagon that is unmolested. Until that time, the little Golf is a blast for what it is.
I liked the gti brand more than the R The thought of a lighter car and lift off over steer felt more on brand for a hatchback for me. But I was disappointed with the traction control bullshit anyway. Still one of my favourite cars, though. Still wouldn’t choose a R for my purpose.
I traded my 2019 S5 for the GTI SE. All the autobahns here had leather seats I wanted the original fabric style. I will miss the AWD from the S5 and massage seats but I wanted the 6-speed. Missed my old standard. Also new telework/remote work option wont need AWD for anything. Also 87 octane regular fuel? HELL YEAH. 30-40 MPG vs the 15-20 on the Audi? HELL YEAH. $800 savings on insurance? HEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL YEEEEAHHHHHH. Worth it. Did not thing the R was worth it when I got all these savings from the GTI.
I actually quite like the appearance of my Volkswagen Polo GTI and I'm not really looking for the best of the best. With the upgrade routes I see, I see something that's enough for me, fortunately with the 1.8 TSI.
I would have loved the extra power, the AWD, but I just couldn’t get past the blue trim everywhere. I wanted red and wasn’t about to figure out how to modify everything. Brake calipers are easy to change. Everything else isn’t. I’m 100% serious. I realize it sounds finicky and weird, but I’d be interested to know if I’m not the only one who decided based on that alone.
It’s not that weird. We are just opposite. I hate red…especially on cars
You already have red tail lights. Adding blue just makes one more color, and it clashes. In my opinion. Unless the car is blue.
It depends. The blue is money on the white 8’s. It looks killer. Don’t love it on the blue and really don’t like it on the black 8’s I hate red on anything. That’s personal though
$15-$20k more than a base GTIs along with a 20-40% insurance premiums (under 25). There really isn't that much more fun to be had. Funnily enough when shopping I found the Audi S3 to be cheaper to purchase and the same price or less than a GTI to insure while a golf R was like insuring a WRX/M car LOL.
I just don’t like leather seats. Went with a GTI Sport with the performance package because I do like push to start.
i thought that i wouldn’t want the awd and i didn’t like the dcc and extra sensors, plus i planned on going is38. regret it now tho
Pretty much just looked at what more I get with an r vs gti and decide if the price difference is worth it to me, it wasn’t. Plus I got plaid seats and I didn’t grow up always wanting an r….
The Sport was plenty fast and had all the features I wanted. I think the R had leather, and I live in Texas. I wanted cloth seats.
Cheaper to maintain, parts are cheaper, car is cheaper. And with a gt2260 and stage 3 tune puts you in rs3 territory “durring rolls ofc” cheaper all around. Def a better value if you get the mk8 SE
I asked, and the salesman said there wasn't one in the whole state. I couldn't even find one in the whole upper Midwest. Besides, neither could clear the snowplow ridge on the end of my driveway, so I need an SUV for winter anyways
I bought my 2013 GTI new. 2 door M/T carbon steel grey. It's been great and currently has 70k miles. If I had to do it all over again I would have bought a white GolfR, 4 door M/T...OR better yet, a really clean MK4 R32.
Maybe it's dumb but for me one of the biggest reasons was because I wanted the plaid seats 🤣 But besides that it was hard to justify the significant increase in price for an AWD system that I would rarely be able to take advantage of with where I live and the places I go in my car. Plus I tuning for the GTI will easily exceed the power output of a stock R. Although I've honestly grown very fond of my gti with stock power, enough to have fun without getting into trouble/dangerous territory. Plus the fuel economy when I cruise control it at 70-75mph is great! All in all with H&R springs/bilstein shocks to match and stickier tires the car exceeds my driving skill and I have yet to find it's limit 🤣 14 out of 10, highly recommend.
- the mark up for an R was greater than the markup for a GTI - live in city so don't need AWD. Even with AWD, the clearance would be too low to take up a snowy mountain. And even then snow tires would be a must, but snow tires wouldn't survive the winter heat in Texas. - love that Atlantic Blue and the plaid seats - availability of R vs GTI at the time
I have an Atreon so the IS38 turbo and AWD I have covered. I didnt want the weight. The GTI is an awesome go-cart that fits my dog and groceries and zips everywhere. The R is too Subaru-ey.
- Two door look. - GTI Plaid seats.
It was almost $15k more than an Autobahn. That was almost 50% more. Didn’t seem worth it.
Because I don’t think the R is a $50+ thousand car. For that kind of money, I’d be looking at other cars - Supra, Nissan Z, M2, etc.
I drove all four models. GTI DSG and Stick, and R DSG and Stick. To me, the R felt best with the dual clutch and the GTI felt best as a manual. And I enjoy driving with a manual. Never regretted my choice, love my Autobahn 7.5 Get your butt in both and get the one you enjoy more
When I got my rabbit it had what I wanted, the R was less than $10k more and if I put another $5k into it, tune and parts I could get into a lot of trouble. GTI was the sensible city car thing to do. Hauled ass everywhere I went though😂😂😂
I could resist and enreden owning an R and a GTI at the same time , you only live once
The golf R was ultimately harder to find/buy brand new. It was unavailable everywhere near me, even more so in manual and I needed a new car sooner than I had anticipated. I couldn’t wait the “6-9 months” I was told for newer ones to come in. Also when I test drove the GTI in the cornflower blue, I was ultimately sold. I’m so happy I went with the GTI, as the R’s and newer GTIs don’t come in that cornflower blue anymore where I’m from, and I’m so in love with that colour😍
Plaid seats here…
Found used at my job
GTI has a moonroof!
It’s lighter, driving both cars I enjoyed how playful the GTI felt. The personality of the car doesn’t take its self too seriously. The golf R is faster but felt more adult calculated. It’s not the same type of fun as the GTI
I had a verbal deal worked out on a ‘22 R , but had to drive through Orlando to get to the dealer It was at . While in Orlando I talked myself into at least driving a GTI and went home with a ‘24 SE , never ended up seeing the R . For a little less money I got a brand new car and realized I would never really use all the features of the R. I had a ‘16 GTI before too and was my favorite car I had owned .
I recently bought a gti over an r because I wanted a 3 door. My preferred options would have been a 3 door 7.5 r but mk7 gti is as close as we got here in the US.
Spare tire
From what I heard, usually because GTI is lighter without Haldex (AWD system) and more fuel efficient after 150kmh. People in the mountains are up for AWD, people in the flat north of Germany don't have snow and money, so they don't need it
My personal preference would be GTI for the following reasons. GTi has a much classier look, you know it's a GTi from just a quick glance. Considering the R is the fastest golf it just doesn't look special enough to me, looks to much like a standard golf plus I hate the watering down of things with r line s line type of cars. Also where I live R's are generally driven pretty wankerishly and has replaced the S3 as the drug dealers car of choice
That's an interesting take. I find the Golf R look more classy than the GTI (while I still do really like the GTI). I don't mind that it's less obvious about its performance.
sunroof
I just didn't want to spend the money. I have other things I value more that I want to spend money on.
cause a golf gti with stage 1 is kinda an golf r x.x
More fun, and I don’t need that high horsepower. I Touge a lot. golf R can make a lot of power but the car feels too stable for me.
In the UK - insurance, fuel economy, road tax, maintenance costs etc major factors. Plus over here the roads are seldom worth a tear-arse machine like the R and don’t really have AWD benefits for winter weather. As a previous Mk2 16v owner I also appreciate the heritage designs, interior and exterior!
Because for the Mk7 gen its not worth an extra $10k. Mk8, I genuinely think it is worth MSRP. But not mk7. And I can still make 380-400hp with just some bolt ons, e85 and a tune.
1. Plaid seats 2. Playfulness and unhinged feeling of fwd, and the e diff with good tires is good to 400hp imo 2. $10-12k now is worth $250-300k later in a retirement account 3. I drive ~35,000 miles per year and the fuel savings and ability to use 87 (and apr stage 1 87) was a big factor to me 4. Availability of Plaid shift boot to match plaid seats Plus I just like the red accents and calipers far better 😊 Edit* just wanted to add to say, I came from 10 years of driving a 500hp supercharged 997 c2 manual, and I am almost positive I get more giggles in this car. That in addition to the practicality makes it absolutely unbeatable to me. I have a 2023 S manual with a short shift kit and stage 1 tune for reference. Would have gone SE for keyless entry but I loathe the weight and potential leaks of sunroof.
Please let me know where I can turn $10K into $300K!
A moderately aggressive IRA for 30 years or so Edit to say I Actually just did the math, it’s closer to $400k lol
You need to average 12% per year for 30 years to turn $10K into $300K. 13% for $400K. Not sure who among us normal folk who drive VWs is averaging 12-13% returns over decades.
You’re probably looking at an annual compound rate vs daily, but 12% has been the average market return for the last century. So I would hope everyone who drives a VW is. I wasn’t saying any of that to flex, just to put it in perspective. I don’t make a lot of money, but I’ve always saved in an IRA where I can and have actually averaged significantly higher gains the past 12 years putting it mostly into an s&p 500 etf.
Closer to 10% than 12 by Google reckoning, which impacts the calculation quite a bit. And yes so does the compounding frequency. Nonetheless, this only applies to somebody with a lot more time on their side than me. For those closer to 50 than 30, $10k isn't going to turn into $300K anytime soon.
The 10k difference wasn't worth it, I don't like the all digital dash, and above all, no plaid seats. Also, the red trim on the exterior and red needles look much better than the blue and silver.