Thanks everyone, trust all your opinions and have taken into the melting pot.
My preference was rock solid, keep the TCR, absolutely love it but with the expected substantial increase in price the lease company will want for it due to the known issues, then feel its likely too much to extend to financially, and with likely heavier than usual depreciation when market settles.
If lease company surprise me when ask for the price then maybe, but what we think they likely to ask, £30,000 + at the 3 years? at least £8-10,000 over what was thinking.
The company lease is all inclusive and if for any reason you leave, you just hand keys back
Have wider financial commitments presently and with many of the AWD options likely moving well into the £40,000 bracket even on base spec, its the cars in the £35-38,000 that looking at and the 128ti sits perfectly in that. (company lease is base on cost of car and the BIK on C02)
Only had an hour in it Saturday and though ride was firm it did not feel onerous and the seats felt fine. But that was only an hour and so definitely would arrange for a weekend usage (which can do) and really live with it if serious still. Overall really liked it if honest and hence seem so convinced,
Think these will go beyond my financial limits but will look at A35 which previously liked (especially as would want most of the packs!) and the BMW 135i based on Exonian comments, and the S3 though do not find it very inspiring and feel v neutral on it
Having been in GTI/R for 9 years and loving my TCR so much have ruled out a move to the MK 8 completely as pretty sure the interior will be a constant irritant and it will just be good to be another cabin after so long on Golfs.
Really like the 130n in design, think they have done a great job with it, and it now has DSG which is a must for me, but the cabin is not quite there and reported MPG is the real deal breaker as loved fact my TCR was getting 49MPG on a run up to Scotland this year, as cruised for long periods.
The outsider and an abandonment of 15 years of performance Audi and Golfs, is a hybrid F Pace as there is a lot of incentives to go hybrid in company scheme so you get more bang for buck, so will reluctantly go look at one and see how feel, wife more interested than me,
Have the TCR till end of October 2022 so lots of enjoyable driving ahead
but have to make the decision in March give the wait times on cars,