GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Gung-Ho on 09 April 2013, 15:26
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Just curious really. Did anyone look at other alternatives when ordering their new Golf GTi/ GTD eg Renault Megane 265 Cup, Ford Focus ST, Vauxhall Astra VXR?
I'm not entirely sure that the new GTi represents good value for money compared to its major competitors.... In fact I was on the verge of ordering a new BMW M135i as it was only a couple of grand more expensive. What swung it for me in the end was the fact that 1) VW were prepared to offer me a GREAT deal, 2) The Bimmer is plain ugly compared to the Golf, 3) Much better legroom in the back of the GTi, 4) More economical, 5) Very happy with my current Mk 6 GTi (probably one of the most accomplised everyday cars I've owned for some while)
In the end it was a very difficult decision and went with the safe option (but could have ended up with either). Part of me wished I had ordered the M135i but I know that I will be just as pleased with the GTi.
Has anyone else been torn with making such a difficult decision? What swung it for you?
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The fact that it will be the absolute latest iteration of an icon. And that the new mark 7 is better than mark 6 in every way.
135i is a fantastic car and has had amazing reviews. But 'I think' it really is not pretty... at all!
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The Focus, Astra and Megane will undoubtedly offer better outright performance and be more focused at anything above 8 10ths, but the Golf is about so much more than that. It always has been.
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To be honest, having been so pleased with my Mk5 GTI for so long, nothing else entered the equation. I wasn't even planning on swapping until recently when I started reading up on the Golf Mk7 generally, and of course the new GTI after that got announced. The rest of the bunch are a mixed bag for me in terms of over-styling, and seem to do one or two things well, mainly oriented around performance (which is understandable!)
With the GTI range generally, I love the clean lines, understated looks, and uncluttered interior. It just does everything you want of a car, which makes it a fantastic all-rounder. It's comfy, roomy, effortless to drive slow or fast, and brings a smile to my face every time I look at it and drive it. My heart made the decision before with the Mk5, and my heart made it again with the Mk7 :)
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To be honest, having been so pleased with my Mk5 GTI for so long, nothing else entered the equation. I wasn't even planning on swapping until recently when I started reading up on the Golf Mk7 generally, and of course the new GTI after that got announced. The rest of the bunch are a mixed bag for me in terms of over-styling, and seem to do one or two things well, mainly oriented around performance (which is understandable!)
With the GTI range generally, I love the clean lines, understated looks, and uncluttered interior. It just does everything you want of a car, which makes it a fantastic all-rounder. It's comfy, roomy, effortless to drive slow or fast, and brings a smile to my face every time I look at it and drive it. My heart made the decision before with the Mk5, and my heart made it again with the Mk7 :)
nicely summed up :)
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I looked at a Z4, A5 and the 135i but I didnt even bother driving the M135i as I wasnt sold on the looks. The GTI ticks all the boxes for me, granted its not so good for pub talk as the M135i.
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nicely summed up :)
Thanks! Like most things it comes down to personal preference and what you want out of a car. Some people want raw performance, or bragging rights on "whatever", but some of us just want a ride that's both refined and entertaining. Not saying other cars don't necessarily offer that combination, just they don't offer it in such a tidy looking package!
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And a nice residual value :smiley:
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And a nice residual value :smiley:
This was key for me too. Drove the 135i and the ST. I thought the Focus felt cheap and slow, the Bmw on the other hand was an animal but had poor residuals. Golf is the perfect balance
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I couldn't agree more with all your comments, which was why I went with the Golf in the end. I did however have a test drive in the M135i and I kid you not it was flippin quick & quite a pleasant environment to sit in... Just couldn't get over its looks but was sold on its performance.
(Off topic slightly, I still think VW missed a trick with its optional Performance Pack. Its great they're offering a LSD, but the 10bhp hike in power is negligible. They should have charged more & hiked the power by say an additonal 30bhp to compete with the likes of the new Focus ST at least).
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I couldn't agree more with all your comments, which was why I went with the Golf in the end. I did however have a test drive in the M135i and I kid you not it was flippin quick & quite a pleasant environment to sit in... Just couldn't get over its looks but was sold on its performance.
(Off topic slightly, I still think VW missed a trick with its optional Performance Pack. Its great they're offering a LSD, but the 10bhp hike in power is negligible. They should have charged more & hiked the power by say an additonal 30bhp to compete with the likes of the new Focus ST at least).
I reckon the power will be 250ish when dyno'd for the perf pack and over 300 torque..
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In the end it was a very difficult decision and went with the safe option (but could have ended up with either). Part of me wished I had ordered the M135i but I know that I will be just as pleased with the GTi.
Has anyone else been torn with making such a difficult decision? What swung it for you?
I'm trying to make that decision at the moment, coming from a 123d.
I think the M135i is more of a golf R rival and is good value, but shame it has such a small fuel tank and crap range.
The 125i is more equivalent to the golf GTI, at least as far as price and power. Less standard kit though.
The 125d is a golf gtd rival. It's quite a bit more powerful, but more expensive.
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The trouble with the GTi is that by the time you've added say a DSG box, pure white paint (which incidentally is free on the Bimmer), Performance Pack & Adaptive Chassis the price comes very close to the M135i's £32k asking price (5 door Auto). There really ain't much in it in terms of price...
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I couldn't agree more with all your comments, which was why I went with the Golf in the end. I did however have a test drive in the M135i and I kid you not it was flippin quick & quite a pleasant environment to sit in... Just couldn't get over its looks but was sold on its performance.
(Off topic slightly, I still think VW missed a trick with its optional Performance Pack. Its great they're offering a LSD, but the 10bhp hike in power is negligible. They should have charged more & hiked the power by say an additonal 30bhp to compete with the likes of the new Focus ST at least).
You say that but the 0-62mph time on the performance gti is a tenth quicker at 6.4 secs
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The trouble with the GTi is that by the time you've added say a DSG box, pure white paint (which incidentally is free on the Bimmer), Performance Pack & Adaptive Chassis the price comes very close to the M135i's £32k asking price (5 door Auto). There really ain't much in it in terms of price...
This is true but what happens to the BMW when you put a couple of options on it?? Like sport auto gearbox and the little things like ambient lighting, auto wipers and dipping rear view mirror?
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However, as soon as you walk into a bmw dealer these days they give you 6% discount without even trying. So if you want a basic 135i 3dr this turns into a great price for the spec/performance
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I don't like the m135 but the m125 coupe looks nice but I would still buy the gti and I certainly wouldn't put a Renault in the mix even if it had 1000 bhp :grin:
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The trouble with the GTi is that by the time you've added say a DSG box, pure white paint (which incidentally is free on the Bimmer), Performance Pack & Adaptive Chassis the price comes very close to the M135i's £32k asking price (5 door Auto). There really ain't much in it in terms of price...
This is true but what happens to the BMW when you put a couple of options on it?? Like sport auto gearbox and the little things like ambient lighting, auto wipers and dipping rear view mirror?
Apart from auto gearbox, all those come as standard. As does leather, which is very expensive on the golf.
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Yep! The asking price of a 5 door M135i in White with Sport Auto box comes to £32,500 which is pretty good value (leather standard). Adaptive Chassis is an extra £515 (£795 in the Golf). But in all honesty I would be happy with just the standard spec 5 door without any of the expensive BMW extras... This was the dilemma I was facing. The Bimmer was exceptional value for money!
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If I could get a Giulietta with the interior quality of a Golf/A3 and the residuals to match then i'd probably buy one of those. It is the best looking hatch out there (i'm talking general shape, not accounting for sporty variants) at the moment IMO, but it'll be worth nowt after 3 years and feels quite cheap inside.
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Ive been promised first shout when my brother sells his A class 220 CDI in about 18 months.
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I have to admit I don't like the price of any of them. Price to change over £15K, no chance I could buy another mk6 GTD and keep it spare. My GTD is here to stay I think it looks better and does everything I need, it has all the options I wanted. If I want more performance and a better MPG I will be Carbon Tuning to map it. Rather than take the risk that the mk7s hyper high mpg is actually not achievable, there are some bad reports about the 150TDI and its poor MPG performance. The 0-60 is only 0.3 seconds better too I am sure remap would blow that out of the water. In standard form it has a smaller touch screen too, it looked puny in the one I sat in whilst mine was being MOT'd.
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I'm not in a rush to replace the edition 30, but perhaps next year.
With that in mind, I want to see what Audi do with the A3 Sportback when it appears with the 184hp diesel engine - as found in the Mk7 GTD. If it largely does the same job as the GTD but with a bit more boot space, I'll at least consider it too.
Having driven around in the Edition 30 giving me 30-35mpg after driving around Scotland in a Mk7 diesel giving double the mpg, it's real food for thought. It was a bit gutless but 7.5 seconds for the GTD is only a second to 60 shy of the edition 30, and if the A3 does the same, I'll have two 'sensible' alternatives to the GTI next time around.
...or I might hold out for the edition 40 :grin:
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Unless the car costs you more to "maintain" than it is worth each year, there is nothing sensible about swapping cars Andy B ;) But, we all need our justifications! :)
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S1 if they'd announce it.
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And the Leon Cupra.