All cars are getting very expensive, and they're less well built. They're loaded with tech now, but tech is cheap. The active display is cheaper than the dials and mini MFD they replace.
Years ago VW used to sell on the basis of how reliable they are. 8 years ago they sold used cars on the slogan "have you ever noticed how a used Volkswagen never looks its age?".
As just said - the underpinnings, rear discs and disc shrouds are covered in surface rust. Underpinnings I can forgive - you don't see them unless you look for them. Everything behind the wheels cosmetically rusting up looks awful.
In 9 years the Golf GTI has increased in RRP by almost 50%. Disciunts are a little higher niw, but back in the reign of the MK5 I got 2 Golfs through UKNewCars and had a 12% discount with each of them. So in the same time we've seen that kind of price rise, most people's wages have hardly risen at all in a time of historically low inflation.
VW have had as many as 3 price rises in one year over that period. The trouble is, it's not a VW thing, it's all of the marques. The biggest rises happened after the great scrappage scheme. Some got £2k for their bangers, but nearly everyone put their RRPs up by £2k in response.
I got a new Polo GTI+ recently to replace the wife's A1, and I like it that much, the wife commutes in my R and I have the Polo. I'm giving serious thought to trading the R in for another. Pretty much as well equipped as a performance Golf, is as solid as the Golf (only 34kg lighter than a standard Golf GTI) and can be had for £20k from a broker - it makes the Golf look setiously expensive. The 9nly things I really miss are the lack of "never need to touch it" electronic handbrake and 4WD traction that the R has. The door cards are a little cheaper (no rubberised top rail or covering behind the arm rest on the door). Otherwise it feels much nimbler than the R and a little slower at full acceleration as you'd expect, but not by as much as you'd expect. The new infotainment and digital dash v2 make the pre-facelift Golf instrumentation feel historic. The brake disc hubs aren't rusting up either.
