GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: CookieMonsterGTi on 22 April 2019, 20:23
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As mentioned on a couple of other threads I am considering a TCR.
Just wondered if anyone has come from one of these BMW’s any what their thoughts are, either positive or negative?
At the moment there is over 10k off the m140 which would be an easy replacement for my m135 but I am tempted by the TCR.
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The deals out there on the 140 are crazy. It’s the last hatch of its kind too and the TCR deals will look poor in comparison so I’d get the 140 if you’ve liked the 135.
Personally, the 140 wasn’t big enough for me with the restricted room in the back. It’s one of the cars that I’ve driven that just didn’t really do it for me. Think that’s probably down to how much it’s been talked up. It did sound great as the saleswoman drove off in it though.
Presume you’ve seen the pictures circulating of the new 135 with no camouflage on? That’ll land very soon I would have thought.
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It does sound good, but not as good as before the new regs.
I’ve seen the pictures of the new one but expect a price increase plus little to no discount in the short term making it pretty expensive in comparison to the current one.
Funny you mention the space in the back as that’s one of the plus points of the golf that’s making me consider it.
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Hi mate
To give a direct comparison. I’ve just sold my M140 pre PPF car. Mine was a shadow edition and well specced. The B58 is a masterpiece. Sounds epic and pulls like a train. Fuel efficient too. The auto is lovely and changes quickly for a torque converter. Great blips when changing down and great pops and crackles from the exhaust. The drive train really is brilliant. Interior is lovely, build quality is lovely and customer service is lovely. Unlike VW. What really let it down for me was the chassis. Harsh ride and well poor back road ability. It is well suited to the smooth autobahn that’s for sure and not a average UK back road. Really liked mine and was a ideal family car but it just was not special enough for me. I like special. So I’m on the hunt for a Clubsport S. Hoping that will tick my box.
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Not up to speed on golfs. Is the Clubsport S the 2 seater?
Apart from lack of seats would it differ much from the TCR?
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Two very different cars mate. Lighter with different parts and more powerful engine.
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I had two over the past 6 years, a couple of niggles aside (as with everything) they were fantastic and unique uber-hatches.
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Any regrets about moving from them? What model do you have at the moment?
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Ive come from a 135i coupe, awaiting delivery of a TCR, I will keep you posted but if your looking at getting into a new TCR all the allocated build slots have been taken up as they due to start production of the golf mk8 in September.
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Any regrets about moving from them? What model do you have at the moment?
I've a MK7.5 245PP now.
Regrets, no - sure they're very different, but equally fun in their own way.
Basically I couldn't decide what I wanted next, I couldn't lay my hands on a manual M3 Comp pack for love nor money and a GTI is always my 'go to' car in times of need. I was very pleasantly surprised how much better it was than my MK5 too.
I miss RWD traction (mine had an LSD), it was brutally good at laying down power and anyone who buys into the Internet myth that they're unusable in winter is a lead footed clown or on the wrong tyres. I miss skidding it too.
The kids appreciate the extra room in the back. It's naturally better on fuel and much like the M135is, they're relatively discreet and classless.
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Thanks. That’s great to hear.
I have a test drive lined up for tomorrow so be interesting to see how it goes and how it handles the power through the front wheels. No doubt a case of getting used to what is and isn’t possible. Had a drive in a mini JCW a while back and that really struggled but is apparently much better with different tyres so I will check what tyres are on when I test drive.
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I junked the Bridgestones off mine for that very reason!
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The warmer weather will be absolutely fine for the Bridgestones so a total waste of money to bin a brand new set. I actually quite liked them and didn't have any issues with them. Not trying to be controversial but I hate the Michelin PS4'S I've got on now.
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I should clarify, I bought with car as an ex-VAG 6 month old used. I finished the fronts off at Silverstone and decided 4 all round was better.
For what it’s worth, I’ve always found Michelin’s like the high end of the PSI scale - see if that helps your cause?
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Tried all different pressures and still don't like them :grin:
They just feel too soft in the sidewall and it makes the car feel soft and bouncy and squidgy 🤷♂️
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I had a GTi, then swapped for the M140, now back at the GTI.
You get a lot of car for your money, but unless your commute only consists of fun, country roads, the GTI is so much more liveable
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I managed to get a test drive in one yesterday. Certainly a nice car, more noticeable than I expected in terms of power delivery compared to the BMW, however cornered much flatter and soaked up the bumps way better.
Really finding it hard to pick between the m140i and this and would be much easier if the BMW wasn’t so much cheaper.
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The BMW is cheap? Sounds very odd...
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Yeah, about £28k for shadow edition so not much required to add in terms of options. For the spec I am looking at the golf would be about £4k more
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Not quite what you want OP, but I moved from early Mk7 GTI to a BMW M140i (pre-PPF). Incredible cars in the warm and dry on the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Straight line performance is unbelievable and can keep up with/catch almost any hot hatch out there. Not so good in damp cold conditions (which is most of the year). You can't put down all the power from the sublime B58 3 litre straight six. VW have nothing this good. Eight speed sports auto is fabulous too. Smooth and rapid. As good as DSG. Better as you can go from 8th to 2nd in one jump. Can't do that with DSG. Build quality is comparable with VW. Tech was slightly better in the VAG at the time. Probably even better now on the Mk 7.5. However BMW's iDrive system is the best out there. I hate touch screen with a passion!
I'm keeping a close eye on the Mk8 development, more than likely I'll be coming back to VW with a view to buying the new R. However the early spy shots with minimal camouflage are not looking great (for the cooking Golf). I hope VW haven't wracked the proportions of the Golf. It's looking too long in the wheelbase. The front lights don't look as aggressive as the Mk7 either. Will need to see more photographs to be convinced.
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Im interested to hear all comparisons.
I managed to get a test drive of a TCR last week. The power difference is on another level in the BMW but that was to be expected. Its not that the TCR is lacking by any means, especially on UK roads, just the instance surge in the BMW at any speed in any gear is amazing.
I agree about the iDrive, that was one of the things I prefer by a mile on the BMW, especially with wireless car play. The screen and dials on the Golf are nice but they could do with being a bit higher resolution maybe and think they will date a bit quicker than the BMW.
All that said, I am trying to work out a deal for a TCR at the moment. I've had the BMW for getting on for six years and fancy a change.
Considered an S3, AMG A35, Golf R, the usual suspects I guess, but think the TCR could be a nice change :)
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Im interested to hear all comparisons.
I managed to get a test drive of a TCR last week. The power difference is on another level in the BMW but that was to be expected. Its not that the TCR is lacking by any means, especially on UK roads, just the instance surge in the BMW at any speed in any gear is amazing.
I agree about the iDrive, that was one of the things I prefer by a mile on the BMW, especially with wireless car play. The screen and dials on the Golf are nice but they could do with being a bit higher resolution maybe and think they will date a bit quicker than the BMW.
All that said, I am trying to work out a deal for a TCR at the moment. I've had the BMW for getting on for six years and fancy a change.
Considered an S3, AMG A35, Golf R, the usual suspects I guess, but think the TCR could be a nice change :)
Glad to be of some help. I don't post on here much anymore but I always keep reading the forum and have had many Golf's and VW's in the past.
The one thing I'd consider carefully is the GTI TCR's ability to put all that power through the front wheels. One of my biggest bugbears with my old Mk7 GTI was tramping. Awful. Especially in damp conditions. And it only had 220ps! One of the main reasons I changed. Having said that the front diff may help reduce tramping (but won't eliminate it). How about AWD? Only leaves the R.
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My M135is had a Drexler plate LSD, I consider this essential in them. I ran winter tyres in the worst of the months, but on damp days it was far more tractable than with the open diff and attempts to control power via brakes. They did plenty of track days in the rain with no dramas.
As for tramping, there's a common misconception that it's the doggone mount. it isn't.
The sloppy bushes in the wishbones are the cause, the knock on effects are the mounts. As the car accelerates, the weight transfers to the rear, the front rises and it pulls the wheel towards the front of the car. As it breaks traction, it snaps backwards. It's then into the cycle of grip/thunk/grip/thunk and it travels down the drivetrain.
SuperPro is where it's at.
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As for tramping, there's a common misconception that it's the doggone mount. it isn't.
The sloppy bushes in the wishbones are the cause, the knock on effects are the mounts. As the car accelerates, the weight transfers to the rear, the front rises and it pulls the wheel towards the front of the car. As it breaks traction, it snaps backwards. It's then into the cycle of grip/thunk/grip/thunk and it travels down the drivetrain.
SuperPro is where it's at.
Tee-hee - doggone mount! :-)
Great info there - thanks. Is there much of a NVH hit with the SuperPro bushes?
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Ha, didn't even spot that auto-correct. I'm leaving it :whistle:
None. There's enough damping elsewhere.
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This thread has been quite useful for me.
A colleague of mine has been lusting after a Merc lately as he tends to buy for a badge rather than a car’s merits. I’m trying to educate him and indoctrinate him into hot hatches (I’ll fail, he’s an air head) and with this thread I’ve been able to point him away from an elderly C63 toward a new or newish M140i.
At around £28k new these things now represent a bargain for what you get if you can get past the looks and restrictions of applying 340 PS to the rear wheels in a light car in British weather.
I’ve no idea what the likely residuals are on a 140i are right now in real term depreciation (actual £££ lost) versus an R or TCR after a couple of years but the M140i makes a hell of a case for itself.
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They're genuinely best bought on a PCP. The huge discount and high GFV really do make them a cheap car, and you mitigate the issue. However, it's the last of its kind of RWD/I6 hatch, so promises to remain a bit of a cult car.
By contrast, the GTI I bought was so significantly worse per/month - I ended up using my cash instead. VW finance & GFVs are a joke.
The LSD is a chunk of money, but it's the entire diff unit - so you just unbolt the old one and hook the new up, this means you can remove and sell when you're done. £2200ish new, I got £1500 back used.
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Looking at both cars side by side the GTI is a much better looking car. I’m a girl and I tend to buy with my eyes which is neither good or bad 🤣
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Agreed, it’s no looker. The coupe is far better though.
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If you want a factory spec M140i you'll have to be quick, order books shut around June (early June I think). Then that's it. The last ever RWD hot hatch with a whopping 3 litre 6 cylinder engine. If anyone is interested get in touch with Tony Lewis at Berry BMW: trldeals@outlook.com The guy is a gent and offers the biggest discounts available.
As I've said I'm not a complete BMW convert, VW Golf's are in my DNA, just wanted to try one of these cars before they're confined to history. I'm keen to know what VW will bring to the Mk8 R. Will it have an electric turbo, will the torque increase, will it still drive as well as the Mk7, will it look like pig in makeup, etc, etc.. Guess we'll find out soon enough...