2018 Golf TCR and dealer information ?

[Hertsman]

Quite a nice little article that. Doesn’t go into massive detail but says enough about the car to sum it up very well from the perspective of a GTI sceptic.

I’d planned to go back to a 4wd hatch along the lines of a mk8 R or M135i once the Leonardo DiCaprio style (versatile pretty boy) Clubsport had done its time with me. Due to a change from a short, mostly outskirts of the city, commute to a much longer nighttime rural one I was always reluctant to mess up the ultra low mileage immaculate much loved Edition 40 with salt spray, mud proliferation and stone chips.

The TCR swayed me away from the Clubsport due to having little and not so little upgrades over and above my Ed40 which made it a very slightly better car for its role, not least of all the truly excellent adaptive LED lights. The TCR is a very business like GTI, the sort of car the enthusiast owner of a standard GTI would build using parts bin OEM+ and aftermarket upgrades were it not a production model.

So far during a very very wet autumn and early winter it hasn’t once felt lacking in grip or traction, plus the handling is truly inspiring at times.

If cars were like film characters a lady was going out on a date with then the Golf R would be James Bond. Handsome, suave, charismatic know it all who was also 11/10 when they went back to the hotel room.

The TCR would be Han Solo, that little bit rougher round the edges.
Ask your wives who they’d prefer! 

You see plenty of reviews that read out the same stats etc, which we all very familiar with and though obviously subjective to that reviewer its nice to see the review focus on the experience, and on that note it did resonate with my own.

Its been a mild yet mucky winter, with wet and damp roads on most days, and the expected trade off from switching from the R in terms of traction has not really materialised, I am driving the TCR in the exact way drove the R and have only briefly ever seen the traction light flashing at me - My starts are brisk, I push myself into moving traffic from junctions spiritedly but never floor it (which is where suspect the laws of traction would have it scrabbling)

So, traction has pleasantly surprised me and its just fun to drive, there is a nice agility to the experience that sure the GTI PP also gave over the R

Carried a lot of family around over Christmas, mainly in Miss Daisy mode (comfort) and like all MK 7 it does the daily use so well.

The MK 7 series performance might not have the raw performance of some of the hatches lauded out there, but none can do the daily and performance as well - Really is 2 cars in 1

Nice article and tribute by PistonHeads on the R which really translates to the whole MK 7 series Performance Range

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features/ph-carbituary---volkswagen-golf-r--mk7-/41620

[Watts]

I see from your other post that you plan on keeping long term. In which case, I’d suggest waiting for the car you want- a 3 door. They may be rare but it’ll be worth the wait if 10 years down the line you can say you have the very last of the 3 door GTIs!

Very true, I'm just not sure there'll be many more good 3 doors coming on the market.

You can swap the wheels, you can't correct the number of doors 

Now those are very wise words

I have watched the market for a while and recently did a deal and collect mine at the weekend.
Must have for me where DCC, dynaudio and the 19" wheels, I like a sunroof although not fitting with the race car image I like to open it in the winter with heated seats and hear the exhaust note.
I looked at ex demos for 30, 31k but if buying on finance you can get a brand new one on 0% finance, plus the discounts it works out much the same....must be unregistered otherwise its 4.9% interest. There are still a few brand new from stock cars out there.

I'm a cash buyer and £30k was a bit more than I was comfortable with, I'm stretching it a bit but there's a limit! Great point about the sunroof though.

Hang on for the right three door.  They are very few and far between but the childish pleasure I take from driving something that's rarer than a Huracán on UK roads is immense 

Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Very useful and wise advice from all, thanks . I don't want to leave it too long as the 3 door cars will be at their first birthdays before we know it and they are so, so rare, I just can't see many more coming up and the low mileage 5 doors will be getting few and far between too

[fredgroves]

You can swap the wheels, you can't correct the number of doors 

You've never had a tig welder have you? I once had a 205 van that started life as a 5 door hatch...

[Jim_mk7.5]

I see from your other post that you plan on keeping long term. In which case, I’d suggest waiting for the car you want- a 3 door. They may be rare but it’ll be worth the wait if 10 years down the line you can say you have the very last of the 3 door GTIs!

Very true, I'm just not sure there'll be many more good 3 doors coming on the market.

You can swap the wheels, you can't correct the number of doors 

Now those are very wise words

I have watched the market for a while and recently did a deal and collect mine at the weekend.
Must have for me where DCC, dynaudio and the 19" wheels, I like a sunroof although not fitting with the race car image I like to open it in the winter with heated seats and hear the exhaust note.
I looked at ex demos for 30, 31k but if buying on finance you can get a brand new one on 0% finance, plus the discounts it works out much the same....must be unregistered otherwise its 4.9% interest. There are still a few brand new from stock cars out there.

I'm a cash buyer and £30k was a bit more than I was comfortable with, I'm stretching it a bit but there's a limit! Great point about the sunroof though.

Hang on for the right three door.  They are very few and far between but the childish pleasure I take from driving something that's rarer than a Huracán on UK roads is immense 

Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Very useful and wise advice from all, thanks . I don't want to leave it too long as the 3 door cars will be at their first birthdays before we know it and they are so, so rare, I just can't see many more coming up and the low mileage 5 doors will be getting few and far between too

Is the red 3dr on Prets with 5k on too much mileage? Surely won't matter if you are keeping for 10 years? It's been there a while and now down to £27,999 so imagine more room for a haggle. Looks great.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910163381177?colour=Red&make=VOLKSWAGEN&aggregatedTrim=GTI%20TCR&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=s37bh&radius=1500&model=GOLF&sort=relevance&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&page=1

[Jim_mk7.5]

Passed a '69 plate on the M1 south today near Wakefield. Pure Grey with the Akra. Looked nice but was a bit dirty so wasn't that obvious as I came up behind it. He was cruising so didn't fancy a play. 

[dean5125]

Passed a '69 plate on the M1 south today near Wakefield. Pure Grey with the Akra. Looked nice but was a bit dirty so wasn't that obvious as I came up behind it. He was cruising so didn't fancy a play. 

I can't believe I still haven't seen one in the wild.....

I know they are subtle but I can't have a conversation with my other half while driving without stopping her to point out some car or another so I'd like to think I wouldn't miss one!! (yes, it drives her crazy!!)   

[clubsport]

The red one looks nice Watts,

Have you driven one yet?

I think the first thing is deciding if the Dsg box is for you, before you get creative with the man maths.

[Watts]

Is the red 3dr on Prets with 5k on too much mileage? Surely won't matter if you are keeping for 10 years? It's been there a while and now down to £27,999 so imagine more room for a haggle. Looks great.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910163381177?colour=Red&make=VOLKSWAGEN&aggregatedTrim=GTI%20TCR&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=s37bh&radius=1500&model=GOLF&sort=relevance&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&page=1

Thanks, yes I keep looking at that one and it is a good price but something in the back of my mind is putting me off. Not sure what. Probably a combination of things. Less miles would be better, the tyres (Cup 2s not exactly all year suitable), missing TCR logos, non-franchised dealer (although someone on here did give them the thumbs up in fairness), my preference for Reifnitz. I'll have another look though.

The red one looks nice Watts,

Have you driven one yet?

I think the first thing is deciding if the Dsg box is for you, before you get creative with the man maths.

Not driven one but at some point I will have to go DSG, I'm not against it, I like autos. Already been very busy with the man maths and am convinced the sums work. Having said that household financial harmony is what really counts and that has been reached

[Hertsman]

Passed a '69 plate on the M1 south today near Wakefield. Pure Grey with the Akra. Looked nice but was a bit dirty so wasn't that obvious as I came up behind it. He was cruising so didn't fancy a play. 

I can't believe I still haven't seen one in the wild.....

I know they are subtle but I can't have a conversation with my other half while driving without stopping her to point out some car or another so I'd like to think I wouldn't miss one!! (yes, it drives her crazy!!)   

Been driving mine since October and not been able to give anyone else the knowing nod yet, - do notice quite regularly that get good look over from anyone in something performance orientated, including the GTI and R owners out there that I come across.

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Same here, not seen a single one on the road since they were released. Think it was said that there were only around 450 or so registered and maybe 100 sitting on the forecourt still.