The Golf 7.5 is too good a car....

[Sootchucker]

OK, teaser headline, but I've been seriously considering finally getting rid of the GTI and getting something else. The Golf is now approaching 3.5 years old with just 19k miles on it, and with second hand car prices at such all time high values, thought I might cash in. I've had PX quotes from the likes of Motorway and WBAC of over £25k for my mint example. When you think that back in April 2018 I bought it brand new for £30,500 (after heavy discount), then the car would have only lost just over £5k in 3.5 years - that's crazy.

So, I've been thinking of getting an SUV (as I've now the very wrong side of 50), and aside from the Tiguan I ordered and cancelled, have also been looking at the new Qashqai (my brother collected his brand new Tekna 5 days ago, and it's a lovely car and great value at £33k list), a Mercs GLA and GLC, and a BMW X3 M-Sport.

To be honest, loved the BMW, but because I didn't want to give up any spec that the Golf had, I needed to add on some rather expensive option packs, which took the price of the car to well over £55k (gulp). The Mercs I was actually disappointed as I really didn't like the interiors, despite the great tech on board. That left the Qashqai, and to be honest that was the biggest surprise of the bunch. Unlike VW they do have an extensive colour palette to chose from (with a gorgeous Magnetic Blue metallic colour which my brother got), and the standard features are also pretty impressive with full panoramic glass roof, electric seats, 9" Touchscreen, a massive HUD system (that projects onto the windscreen) etc - all for £33k. The only issue, is that the most powerful engine is only 158ps (mild hybrid 1.3) and the auto box (I always have an auto) isn't a dual clutch like VW, but rather a CVT unit, and it feels sorta weird.

This is why I started to make some unfair comparisons against the Golf, as I was looking at each car and thinking "hmm. it doesn't have this or that which the Golf has" etc... It got me thinking that the MK7.5 GTI is still a pretty effective package even in 2021 against much newer cars, and has all the safety tech (lane assist, blind spot, rear assist, pedestrian detection and of course radar cruise control) that current car's have. It still looks modern, is relatively fast and economical, only costs £150 per year road tax, is very comfortable (with the DCC), and has enough kit to keep me happy.

Actually on that safety tech point,  BMW surprised me as on a £47k list X3, all the safety options mentioned are optional and form part of the DAP pack (Driver assistance pro), which itself is contained in a much more expensive technology pack. This is supposed to consist of 7 options for over £3k, but currently DAP, Harmon Kardon, Wireless Charging and mobile phone key card, have been removed leaving just 3 out of the 7 items remaining (as due to chip shortages BMW can't supply any of them all year it seems), however they have only reduced the price of the £3k pack by £600 !!!

Coupled with all this, is the waiting times on new cars builds at best is approx 5-6 months (with some quoting 7-8 months), so in the end I think I've decided to just keep the GTI a bit longer (not really a hardship is it), until perhaps middle of next year or so or until the chip crisis has abated and deliveries are back to more reasonable levels.

What's everyone else's thoughts ?

[SRGTD]

I’d also keep the GTI.

Although with current used car values at stratospheric levels and it’s tempting to cash in, there are downsides if you need to get another car;

• If you’re able to negotiate a good discount on a new factory build, there’s likely to be a very long wait. Selling your existing car now would mean having to make do without a car while you’re waiting, which could be inconvenient unless you have a second car you can use.
• I dare say in the current climate, if you’re fortunate enough to find a car in stock at a dealers that fits your requirements, then the dealer may be unwilling to offer much - if any - discount off the list price. In fact, some dealers are pricing in-stock cars at more than list price!
• If a nearly new car is a consideration, then it’s price will almost certainly reflect the current state of the used car market (i.e. it’ll be priced at a premium).

In an ideal world, you’d find a dealer who’d fix your existing car’s value now to reflect current prices while you wait for a new factory build to your spec. that you agree a healthy discount off the list price; that would be a win-win situation. Unfortunately we seldom live in an ideal world and I doubt there’ll be many - if any - dealers who’ll do this in the current market, as the used car price bubble will burst at some point - the big uncertainty is when this will happen.

[fredgroves]

The kit on the Mk7.5 GTI/GTD/R (or even the Mk7 versions) was way ahead of its time which makes it a hard thing to replace IMHO.

Even when I was looking at the Mk8 vs the competition, much of what it offers is still expensive options - certainly on the BMW F40...

My only reasons for getting rid of my Mk7.5 really were needing the predictable running costs of a new car (I was starting to get into all sorts of problems, including needing a new AC condensor!)

Other than that, it still held its own!

[Arnold_Lane]

I decided to sell mine at 4 years & 32.5K miles as it was going to need a 4 year service (£350 ish) and as much as I liked it (and miss it now its gone) I had placed an order in mid July for an SQ5. Not expecting that until at the earliest March next year.

My reason for selling was simply financial - I received over £10K more than the final PCP payment so freed up cash for a decent deposit on the Audi and hence moderate monthly payments. I wasn't sure how long the prices were going to stay at this level so decided to cut and run.

[Sootchucker]

That's the position I'm in too. I know for example in the next year, my own GTI will need a 4th year service, will most likely need new tyres and probably a battery too (due to age), and whilst all of them in themselves isn't a fortune (and certainly nothing like the costs of buying a new vehicle), I am so tempted by the trade in price right now.

For an example, I had a conversation yesterday with Drive the Deal, on another Tiguan (R-Line 190ps TSI Petrol), with my usual raft of options, and they were offering me 15% discount off a factory order or nearly £6,700 off the price (including the VW finance contribution). Whilst they didn't tell me who the dealer would be (I know it's a dealer in Kent but they wouldn't say who), they did say based on my description of the GTI and it's mileage, spec and condition, they would most likely bite my hand off to get that on their forecourt.

Trouble is as SRGTD said, you can't have it both ways. They are quoting delivery times of up to 6-7 months (so end April 2022), and I very much doubt any dealer is going to hold their trade in price for that amount of time (although BMW did give me a trade in price based upon an X3 delivery next March which they said they would honour), and I don't think I'll have the luxury of being a one car family for the next 6-7 months. If by that time I come to sell the car to WBAC or Motorway instead, there's no way of knowing if the used car market will have crashed by then or not and if the prices will have tumbled.

Part of it I guess is that I've been in a MK7 Golf (2 GTD's and the GTI) for 8 (nearly 9) years now, and as bloody good as they are, I just sorta feel I need a change. Trouble is, when I make that decision and think I'll order the car, I look at the Golf and think she's such a good car, will I be disappointed and constantly be comparing the new car to her ? Decisions decisions........

[SRGTD]

@Sootchucker; I’m pretty sure the Kent based VW dealer that Drive the Deal use is JCB Medway in Gillingham.

[Sootchucker]

thanks for that. Have you ever dealt with them - any experiences good or bad ?

[SRGTD]

No, I’ve not. They do get favourable mentions on other VW forums - or more correctly, the sales guy who deals with the Drive the Deal sales.

There’s a current discussion thread over on vwroc.com forum. Positive reviews of the dealership and salesperson on the second page of the discussion thread at the link below;

https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/40236-order-drive-the-deal/page/2/

[fredgroves]

I've dealt with them.

He's a nice guy and the service is exactly the straight talking no frills you'd expect.

Would recommend!

[willni]

See I'm the odd one out here in that if I'm offered an amount where I'll make profit on my mk7.5 I will absolutely take it, I love it and have put a good bit of money into keeping it nice to say the least...

But at the same time I would happily sell it to get a mk2 GTI, neither of the two up for sale at £25k though...