Can't make up my mind: R or GTI? Please help.

[Tailpipe]

My next car will be a VW Golf. No question. I have been thinking about it for 3 months, while saving the necessary cash for a decent downpayment. Come January, I'll be ready to place the order.

I love the GTI, it is perfect in so many ways. I have kids and live in London so a five-door hatchback is the ideal car. I truly think the GTI is the most rounded machine you can buy. But even though practicality is a priority, I know I'll still be able to enjoy the occasional burst on open country roads. But I want something with just a little more power and specialness than a bog-standard GTI offers.

So along comes the R. Wow! It looks like it'll deliver in so many ways, especially with such a useful addition in power and AWD. I particularly like its understated styling. So the R should be a no-brainer. Well, no actually, it isn't.

I am lucky enough to be able to afford monthly repayments on either car. But somehow, I feel that the £35K the spec i want (DSG, ACC, leather, RDS510) will cost is just too much to pay for a Golf. I'm worried that when my mates find out what I paid for it, they'll say: what! How much did you pay? You paid THAT MUCH for a Golf? And I will feel a plonker. Not least because you can buy a half-decent second-hand 911 for that kind of money.

Maybe i shouldn't care what other people think. But, come on, we all care what people think about the cars we drive. Maybe the R will be worth it? Maybe i should just buy a GTI and I'll enjoy it anyway.

Advice?

[Snoopy]

I would sit down and think how often you would actually need and use that extra power.

I know it will be a battle of head v testosrerone/hart.

[Booski]

I would sit down and think how often you would actually need and use that extra power.

I know it will be a battle of head v testosrerone/hart.

and then............... Buy the R! 

[R32UK]

I would sit down and think how often you would actually need and use that extra power.

I know it will be a battle of head v testosrerone/hart.

and then............... Buy the R! 

+1

[Steve30]

I wouldnt care about my mates and what they think !! If you can afford it then just get it and enjoy, looks like an awsome car or get an S3 , BMW twin turbo diesel very nice??   Steve30

[Saint Steve]

Spend Half on an GTi/Edition30, remap it with £500 , and you'll have a car thats as quick, and still have 20k in change 

[keelaw]

Spec for spec, you're talking about an extra 7-8k for the R over the GTI.

What car did you have previously?  That'll give us an idea of how you might perceive the GTI vs the R.

Personally, I reckon the GTI is great for London, especially with ACC smoothing out the crap roads and speedbumps.  The GTI is fast enough for London's tighter roads.  If you do get bored, then there is always the cheap and quick option of chipping it to circs 270bhp! 

[Spartacus]

If you can afford it i would go for the R.

I love my GTi, it is such a great car but after only 3 weeks of owning it I am left wanting more already.

I came from MarkV 140bhp GT TDi 4 motion and I really miss the extra traction. The GTi will spin its front wheels on the slightest damp road and round corners will squirm as it struggles to put the power down. My old 4 motion with full throttle would just sprint away in the rain and power around corners, with no squeal or slippage. 4 motion is so good you don't realise how much you use it until its gone.

So go with the R and you will never have to regret it.

Just make sure it is safely locked away.

[SilverChariot]

Difficult. Coming from a Mk5 R32, obvious choice was the R.
I live in the countryside, so the 4WD is of real benefit.
But, if I lived in a town, the GTI might just do... except I love the (relative) exclusivity of the R.
I love the more understated looks of the R too.
But each to the own... I've never owned a GTI... tough one... not sure I've helped.

[Snoopy]

No ones driven the R yet so whos to say its not a dog?

To drive i would take a mk5 GTI or mk6 GTI over an Audi S3 anyday and thats the closest to the R at the present time. But its probably different again or i hope it is!