Golf GTi TCR- why do they have so many owners?

[Dylan L]

Why do TCR’s have so many owners? Even the low mileage ones for sale seem to have 2 or 3 previous owners. I saw one with 16000 miles on the clock and 5 owners. 

I have now seen one with 8,000 miles, a November 2020 registered TCR with three owners.

Why do people not keep them long term? Do they not like them as day to day cars? Are they not a long-term car to own? To keep and use and keep in good condition? I understand that some people own them for a year and then sell after they have “had their fun” with them but that is a ridiculous reason to justify so many of them being so many owners.

Any thoughts people?

[SRGTD]

I’d say multiple owners isn’t necessary an indication that the TCR isn’t a good long term ownership proposition - I’d say it’s more a consequence of market conditions over the past few years.

Shortage of new cars over the last 3-4 years due to supplier / supply chain issues resulted in relatively few new cars being built, and those that were built had very long lead times. That meant there was an increase in demand for good quality, late date used cars, and as a result, those ‘in-demand’ cars appreciated in value rather than depreciated. With this in mind, I dare say many TCR’s were bought as speculative purchases - the intention of the buyers being to flip them for a quick profit. Subsequent buyers may also have bought them with the intention of flipping them for a quick profit too before the used car price inflation bubble burst, so some cars may have had multiple owners with some of those owners probably keeping the car just for a few months.

[Watts]

If you are interested in getting a TCR then I can say they are an excellent choice. I'm the second owner of mine and have owned it for four years. It's a great combination of looks, performance and surprisingly good economy. I've had an itch to change but there's nothing at present that could replace it.

SR's reasoning sounds spot on as usual.

[willni]

Have to agree with SRGTD for the reasoning.

I remember seeing one advert stating they bought it for 6 months while waiting for their new Taycan to arrive.

Definitely doesn't instil confidence of the car when going to view it even with low miles and 3 owners. I definitely saw one with 30k miles and 8 owners before.

[EB2019]

Apart from the significant amount of high owner cars that are likely flippers, who may have wished it was a late 7.5 Clubsport S, but it never got the status of the Clubsport S?  Small number I guess put names down without test drives and were dissapointed once they took delivery?

Not sure how it was originally anounced but if some buyers that put names down thought it was with a manual that may not have helped.  I would be an owner now if it was manual when I was looking in 23, it ticks a lot of boxes and if DSG is your thing i would say it will be a special golf just enough different to the rest on the road.

[Dylan L]

Thank you for the replies.

I guess the logic in your responses does make sense but it just seems excessive to me for a car which should have a status as a very desirable car to own (and keep for quite a while).

One salesman told me about a Golf R the previous owners have had their fun with it for 12 months and have sold it on at a profit due to market conditions last few years. I mean wouldn't you? …… ummm NO. I wouldn’t!

Just to own it to have their fun (and therefore thrashing it like mad) is not a car I want to buy, and selling it on at a profit makes me feel uneasy about the mentality of previous owners. I would rather someone who had taken care of their car inside and out, cosmetically and mechanically. Maybe I am just worried for nothing because most TCR’s have full VW service history so I guess they cared enough about them to do that.

The 5-owner 16K miles I saw was being sold by the same garage again who said that the previous owner bought it 12 months ago and kept it in the garage under a cover and hardly drove it in that time. Not ideal. The cars need to be doing a few miles every week surely.

There is now a 8000 miles car for sale with practically ALL the options. The seller is a bit unresponsive to messages (basically stated its in great condition and one of the finest available- and that’s it) and it is priced at £34,000. It’s a rare one maybe but the price is a couple of steps up from others which are similar on the market. It’s very tempting if it was a couple of grand cheaper. About three of the others for sale have come down £500 to £1,000 in the last month, maybe this one will too. The very low mileage is apealing but is also actually a bit worrying. It’s also 2 or 3 owners, unable to get clarity on that.

Any Thoughts?

[Watts]

Although I get your concerns, I think you maybe over thinking/worrying about it. Looking at ads is great but you have to go and view the car for yourself. Investors may well have pampered the car, less likely to have thrashed it. But you'll never really know either way, just go on condition. Also, I wouldn't go too mad over ultra low mileage cars, 20 or 30k is not that much for a 4/5 year old car. But when you do get one, get the VW all in one plan, great value for money and peace of mind.

[TurboTrev]

I know what you mean about number of owners Dylan L.  I just would't buy the 3 owner TCR because of the number of owners.  It's probably a very genuine car and it would be my loss, but it just wouldn't be for me, despite the mileage, colour and options being perfect.  The price is (very) high but had it been one owner, I would have been very interested in it myself as I would be happy to pay a premium price for that.

I just hope when I sell my one owner CS Edition 40, currently with under 7,000 miles, someone with my mindset will pay my very high asking price!!  Probably not.

[willni]

There was a boy local to me selling his TCR, 3 door, grey, every option on it, 2 owners 30k miles. Had it up for at least 8 months, just no one was prepared to come to NI to buy it, finally sold for £26k.

Too many miles and not a big enough difference from my gti for me to consider it.

[Exonian]

My TCR was registered new by the dealership I purchased it from so I became the second owner at a few months old. Owing to a bad back not getting on with the DCC I then sold it on again at somewhere around 18 months old. Therefore that car would now have had a minimum of three owners and was very low mileage when I sold it. It was cleaned very regularly, serviced, sensibly driven, no scratches or chips, and always kept in a garage so definitely wouldn’t have been a bad buy for whoever next owned it. However, would I buy a multi owner recent car? Would I heck!

As a long term keeper I reckon the TCR is the best Golf to buy and I’d likely have kept mine and may well have still had it now if things hadn’t panned out as they did. I’d definitely recommend one.
But I’d not buy a multi owner car unless I knew some of the owners when for similar money you could get a fully VW warranted mk8 Clubsport.