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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: king monkey on 26 November 2017, 19:23
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Hi everyone,
Some of you on the forum will know that I had my Gti stolen back in 2015. I ended up being lucky enough to get an S3 sportback but now have a chance to get a Clubsport. Anyone made the change or a similar one?
All opinions gratefully received!
Thanks
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I changed from an S3 Sportback to a Clubsport early this year. Sometimes miss the all wheel drive, especially this time of year but that’s all really. The S3 was a lovely car inside but I found driving it very boring compared to the Clubsport and the suspension quiet bouncy. I absolutely love mine and definitely wouldn’t go back to the S3 if I had the choice. Have you been for a test drive in one yet?
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Thanks for the reply.
I’ve had one test drive. The car felt special and certainly no bounce like the S3. A Gti is always great but the clubsport does feel different again. Ride was rather firm but those bucket seats are amazing. So hard to tell in a 10 minute drive!!!
There are a few popping up on Autotrader now with delivery mileage. All seem to be from Ireland which is odd.
Also I had an edition 35 before the last Gti which held its value so well. I’d be keeping my next car a while so this is another factor in my thoughts.
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I have the standard seats in mine and even they are a massive improvement on the seats in the S3. The car I test drive had the buckets and they were amazing. But with 2 kids they wouldn’t last 5 mins in my car. Mine is also DSG, first time for me and makes the car so easy to drive. I think the Clubsports will definitely hold their money in the years to come and will be highly sought after. What colour you after?
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Test drove a silver one which is a bit different. I’d love white but I’ve had a few now! Know what you mean about the buckets. The gloss back worries me with my 3yr old!
Any thoughts on the car being from Ireland? No numbered plaque on Irish cars.
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Haven’t a clue about the cars from Ireland, not sure how it would work with import etc. May work out expensive. I am sure someone on here who knows will be able to shed some light on it for you. You won’t be disappointed if you do decide to swap and silver really suits the Clubsport, nice contrast with the black bits.
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Being a CS owner I guess I can't be too objective on this one but... before even finding out about the CS 1.5 years ago, the S3 sedan was the car that made me start looking seriously into my next car. I went to see the car in the flesh, got offers and test drove it but as nice as it looked (although maybe a tad too upmarket and serious) driving was the biggest disappointment. The AWD is nice for launching or when I absolutely want to put all 300bhp down in the rain (I don't normally want to anyway in those cases, at least not in 1st and 2nd gear) but the driving was such a disappointment... In a straight line it was great, but the understeer, the bodyroll (that was the S3 8V pre-FL) and the overall feeling from the car that it was being forced to follow, rather than actually welcome a fast pace ruled it out for me. It gave the impression of merely an ordinary car with good power and definitely not what I thought a Audi S model should drive like.
The Golf R I tried after was considerably a better driving experience although still a bit like it was driving itself without needing much input or adjustment from the driver other than the weight of his right foot. Sometimes that isn't so bad but it was not the right car for me at the time. I didn't expect the R to be that much better than the S3 to be honest. The CS won me because of its meaner and sportier character both in looks and feel. I think I'll struggle to find better seats in this price range than the Recaro buckets on the CS if/when I change to something else, they are exceptional both in comfort and grip. It's a slightly less comfortable car than the R (and the S3) though although nothing too extreme that wouldn't allow it to be a family driver. It rides way better and is more pliant than my previous car that ran Bilstein B8 dampers and H&R springs to match, the DCC prevents any shocks to your spine, but you will feel the potholes a bit more.
In regards of practicality, I got the little one's car seat facing backwards so i'm safe yet. I plan to put some protection once it's rotated forward as I have already got a couple of marks from careless rear passengers.
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Thanks for the replies. It’s that exclusivity I like about the edition models. Only ever saw one other edition 35 while had mine and I should have kept that car!
Car was actually on a 67 plate with pan roof, buckets, dsg and a few other bits and bobs.
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If you can get one in Oryx white with Prets, you'll own one of the coolest looking cars on the road :cool:
I did my best to talk my wife into buying that exact car when we saw it in a dealers in Bolton but she wouldn't bite :sad:
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I went to visit the tornado red one they had in Bolton on the black prets. Very nice car I thought but too much for me. Those prets are amazing.
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My wife has owned a Golf R and I test drove the latest S3 when I was looking this time around, the S3 is a very good car but felt a little boring, I prefer the CS to both. The CS has a lot going for it, it's a cracking little car.
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They had that one for ages, probably still there actually :laugh:
The white one blew it away imo. Hands down the best looking Golf I've ever seen :drool:
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It looked like it had been washed with sandpaper. :sick:
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I went from a 7R to my CS and don't regret it one bit. The CS is special. :cool: If you're buying a car to keep for a while, the CS is a great choice. All I would say is get a VWUK car rather than an Irish one, as they have the numbered plaques, which is a nice touch. There are a few around so you should be able to find one to your liking.
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They had that one for ages, probably still there actually :laugh:
The white one blew it away imo. Hands down the best looking Golf I've ever seen :drool:
How many doors was it? :whistle:
I saw an Oryx white CS a couple of days ago (on Autotrader, I don't get out much), was a bit pricey but virtually no mileage and I must say it looked stunning. I could even forego TR, maybe, perhaps.
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It’s the mileage which bothers me on the Uk ones tbh. The lower lineage ones seem quite expensive compared to an R. There seems to be lots of Irish ones with no mileage really. All the same spec! The one I drove had 40 miles on the clock. I suppose though that a UK buyer would expect the plaque come time to sell it.
Totally agree with the whole feel of the clubsport. Just a lovely car.
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Car was 5dr. Needs to be family friendly. Was also offered discount without even asking.
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It’s the mileage which bothers me on the Uk ones tbh. The lower lineage ones seem quite expensive compared to an R. There seems to be lots of Irish ones with no mileage really. All the same spec! The one I drove had 40 miles on the clock. I suppose though that a UK buyer would expect the plaque come time to sell it.
Totally agree with the whole feel of the clubsport. Just a lovely car.
I don't think the plaque would make much difference? They weren't applied at the factory afaik and I don't think many markets got them. If it were me (oh so lucky) I'd just go for the one I wanted.
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If it's a genuine Rep. of Ireland car you're looking at, then it will have KPH clocks... unless it was originally a UK car... I've seen a few CS"s on Irish car sales sites with MPH clocks (meaning that they are actually UK cars).
So if you see an "irish" car with MPH clocks then it's really a UK car.
A Northern Irish car is UK spec equivalent.
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They had that one for ages, probably still there actually :laugh:
The white one blew it away imo. Hands down the best looking Golf I've ever seen :drool:
How many doors was it? :whistle:
I saw an Oryx white CS a couple of days ago (on Autotrader, I don't get out much), was a bit pricey but virtually no mileage and I must say it looked stunning. I could even forego TR, maybe, perhaps.
It had the proper amount of doors for a Golf......5 :grin:
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I suppose that the car could be from N Ireland? Would it then have mph? I really should have paid more attention! If it’s from N Ireland that would make it a Uk car?? Not trying to be political here by the way! Car was registered here I believe.
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
5 is just greedy and not in the spirit of weight saving :whistle:
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
5 is just greedy and not in the spirit of weight saving :whistle:
I’d better get one before Christmas then if it’s weight saving that’s important. Those mince pies... :laugh:
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Just checked a photo I took. Speedo is definitely in mph.
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I suppose that the car could be from N Ireland? Would it then have mph? I really should have paid more attention! If it’s from N Ireland that would make it a Uk car?? Not trying to be political here by the way! Car was registered here I believe.
If it was from Norn Iron, then yes it would be full UK spec with mph clocks.
We get a lot of used uk imports here into the south. Most people see the mph clocks as fine or just a minor annoyance as we also used to be mph before going all metric about 10 years ago.
Probably not many Irish cars get exported the other way though. I do know of someone who sold his Irish Golf R to a UK buyer and it had to have uk clocks fitted for your MOT.
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
5 is just greedy and not in the spirit of weight saving :whistle:
If the weight is similar to other golfs then both 3 door and 5 door are the same weight.
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
5 is just greedy and not in the spirit of weight saving :whistle:
If the weight is similar to other golfs then both 3 door and 5 door are the same weight.
Spoilsport.
Some lazy googling though revealed threads where this has been debated before with the concensus being 30kg difference. It does make sense as a flat panel must be lighter than a door with it's strengthening beam, hinges, window motors... Can't be arsed to search hard for concrete proof but I'm convinced and that's all that matters :whistle:
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And yes, 5 drs is the correct number... :grin:
5 is just greedy and not in the spirit of weight saving :whistle:
If the weight is similar to other golfs then both 3 door and 5 door are the same weight.
Spoilsport.
Some lazy googling though revealed threads where this has been debated before with the concensus being 30kg difference. It does make sense as a flat panel must be lighter than a door with it's strengthening beam, hinges, window motors... Can't be arsed to search hard for concrete proof but I'm convinced and that's all that matters :whistle:
30kg is what the VW brochure states is 5dr to 3dr difference...
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Website suggests they are the same.
But then I wouldn't count on them being accurate I suppose :grin:
(https://s8.postimg.org/3y0kuc52t/Screenshot_2017-11-27_21.59.05.png)
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I've never tried an S3 but went from an R to a Clubsport like a few others here, just that I did it in a more convoluted way.
A lot of it depends on how much you use the car and what you use it for.
I'd think the Clubsport would be a lot more fun on track and it certainly looks the part but as a road car I've got to say the Clubsport springs are quite harsh on 19" wheels without DCC where as my R was just as comfy on 19's as with 18's.
Then there is the traction issue if you drive the car a lot. It's not as bad as people would have you believe owing to the VAQ diff fitted to the Clubsport which really improves traction and grip almost eliminating understeer in most situations. It's only from a standing start with both wheels pointing straight ahead that the quattro will completely annihilate the 2wd GTI. Add in DSG and it's just playstation stuff anyway with all driver skill eliminated. It depends on how you get your thrills.
I think as a daily driver I'd probably prefer to be in an R or S3 but the Clubsport has a special feel and a sense of occasion missing from a lot of the other VW group sporty stuff below RS level.
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Exonian, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. It was also seeing your car that started the cogs turning! For me the Clubsport is a special car, as Gti’s are, but the ride is a little harsh for me and it’s not as good as a daily driver. They look amazing though. The S3 is a much under appreciated car in my opinion, possibly because of how good the R is.
I’ve decided to leave the Clubsport and test drive an R instead. Think my general love for the Gti as an icon was clouding my judgement.
Great advice on the forum as always everyone. Thanks!
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I very seriously considered swapping from my R to a used Clubsport last summer.
Exonian gave me plenty of advice just like above to ponder at the time ;)
In the end I decided very reluctantly to let it pass. I felt that I would miss the R for its “daily” driver practically too much. The CS had “those seats” too which I love but I also felt they might annoy me from a practicality perspective. Boring I know.
On reflection I’m glad I didn’t. I was getting a pretty poor deal on the trade in too. I now have a FL R on order for the new year and getting a far better deal than I was getting on the CS.
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Again very similar to my thoughts. Seats are just sublime but not as practical. Clubsport will be amazing as a long term car, great on B roads, got the wow factor and will probably hold its value quite well. However, when I put my foot down on the test drive there was a fair amount on wheel spin and it was fairly dry. You just take the Quattro for granted I suppose. Car was also 28k with discount which is new R money. On board tech also felt a little old fashioned compared to the stuff around at the moment.
Think because the car was a limited edition it felt like a now or never moment. Edition 45 anyone?? :grin:
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Re seats, how do people mean practical? Comfortable and ergonomic or not needing to worry about maintenance? Because if its the former the Clubsport buckets are probably the most comfortable seat I've sat to in a long time, they totally destroy any bucket prejudice about a hard and tiring seat. They are so good that getting on a couple of loaners during services (a last-gen VW Polo and a Skoda Octavia MK3) I just couldn't find as a comfortable position as in my car and got temporary lower back pain.
If it's the latter it's true that you need to think about who you sit in the back seats as the piano black plastic will not tolerate much abuse but I think there are ways of protection in that case.
PS. With DCC, I think the ride would be more forgiving. On 18" at least, it never becomes "aftermarket" crashy or tiring and only the really worst kind of potholes will send a noticeable "shock", for the most time everything is filtered quite nice considering the case. Despite being more focused than a regular GTI, you can tell that the ride is rather set up for the road and not for the track. It's a clearly more compliant setup than a H&R sport springs & Bilstein B8 combo on my last car which was not exactly race hardcore. Maybe that's a useful reference to some.
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Yes, as I said I love the look of the buckets, but I feared that for a daily driver where I have a child and all sorts in and out of it, they could become annoying. Maybe a few years ago, sans kids and responsibilities I’d have been less hesitant.
The piano black backs - would do my nut in trying to keep nice..., no seat back pockets, no underseat drawers. Not to mention all the other stuff you lose - armrest, ambient lights, keyless (I know I know, many say this is pointless but I’m used to having it and not having it would irritate) and loads of people seem to moan about them creaking and rattling.
The comments re suspension are interesting. I think my R on 19’s is more compliant than my old GTI was on 18’s. Neither have / had DCC. With the roads arobus where I live, a crashy ride would get old very very quickly.
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The bucket seats are exceptionally comfortable. The issue for me was they will mark v easily with kids and they appeared to use up a little more of the rear passenger space. I might be wrong. Best seats I’ve ever sat in in a car though. Make the Audi super sports seats seem very poor indeed.
As for the ride, I found it a little harsh for my liking. I’ve had numerous Gti’s on 19s which weren’t as hard from what I remember.
If anyone is interested, one of the cars I looked at is still available I believe. Clitheroe Honda. Yes, Honda!
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I found the bucket seats very comfortable once I was sitting in them. Getting in and out was a different thing though.
My sister had the back of hers protected with PPF when she was getting the front of the car done.
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I had an RS for about 2 Years and even though it was lightening quick it was so very boring in comparison to the CSS ...