V Ed30 vs VI R - advice pls!!

[Jimble]

Don't you get an armrest, mfsw, electric rear windows and alarm on the R anymore? Or are you in a different country? If you just don't get them anymore then thats shockin! 

[mr magoo]

Very much in the UK - unless I'm reading the specs wrong, these things are now all options. M

[p3eps]

Very much in the UK - unless I'm reading the specs wrong, these things are now all options. M

I think you're reading it wrong, as they all come as standard now.  I remember having to pay extra for my armrest in my ED30 though!  I never really used it - it just looked terrible without it!

[JonnyG]

I've had my R for 5 months now and previously owned an ED30 for over a year and my thoughts are similar to p3eps and Danno above

IMHO the R is a better car to drive, being faster and completely planted at all speeds and in all conditions.

Running costs for my R are about the same as my ED30, with mpg, tax and insurance only very marginally more expensive.

Official lap times for the R show just how fast it actually is compared to all previous fast Golfs,  despite its AWD weight.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/track24.html    87th compared to 130th,  165th, 169th, 173th and 204th 

http://www.fastestlaps.com/track7.html    171st compared to 282nd, 296th, 307th, 331st

The R certainly feels much faster on the open road than my ED30 did

The only downside is the price 

Some also don't like it''s rather "clinical" drive (i.e lack of excitement) but as a long term ownership prospect I find the R is a fantastic and practical all rounder, in all weather conditions   

[wyliecoyote]

Well thanks again for everyone's comments.

Here are my thoughts on the options:

5 door
Prob silver with silver 19's - or one of the blues (my Ed30's steel grey).
DSG, AAC
RNS510 - but is it true I can't have DAB as well?
Lux pack - folding mirrors etc
Winter pack
Recaro seats
iPod and phone prep
Armrest
Cruise
Front / Rear parking sensors
Electric rears (standard on the Ed30 but not on the R  )
MFSW
then the boring stuff like alarms.

That little lot pushes it up to around 41k! Though it will most likely be my company, not me, paying for it.

Anything important I've missed? 

As you've got a Steel Grey already you probably decided not to consider another. I have one and in this colour and in my opinion the 2 colours are completely different. The Steel Grey on the R is much, much more metallic than the Mk5. If you can get a close look at a Steel Grey R, make the effort - you'll be very surprised! Stays cleaner a little bit longer than my black Mk5 Ed30 did

[SilverChariot]

Prob silver with silver 19's - or one of the blues (my Ed30's steel grey).

If you're getting Reflex Silver, then I'd go for the Gloss Black 19" alloys. Otherwise, it looks too much like a normal cooking Golf.

RNS510 - but is it true I can't have DAB as well

Yes, I think you can have DAB. But, strangely, not in conjuction with the rear-view camera.

Lux pack - folding mirrors etc

Waste of money IMHO.

Winter pack

Another waste of money IMHO. It's just heated washer jets, which for ~£200 is a right royal rip-off.

Recaro seats

Don't bother - these are a massively overpriced option. Get your company to send you on a nice 2 week holiday instead with the money you save.

[Steve30]

Winter pack is Ace, bloody freezing last winter love my heated seats, so is lux pack when parking!!

[MAW73]

Winter pack is Ace, bloody freezing last winter love my heated seats, so is lux pack when parking!!

+ 1 Winter pack is a must. No one wants a cold botty against leather in winter. Folding mirrors also a must. For me I also like a sunroof. A black  sunroof against a white car for instance gives a nice contrast.

My only critisim with the R is it doesn't look any more special then a GTI, which I feel it should do for the price tag. For instance if you compare the MK5 GTI to the Edition 30 then the Edition 30 wins hands down in the looks department. But I'm not sure you can say this about the look of an R to a GTI...?

This isn't to say I wouldn't buy one over a GTI. If I had the funds available at the time, then yes I would have brought an R as its the daddy of performance Golfs........ 

[The Danno]

On the R you get heated seats as standard with the leather. No need for the winter pack, or indeed a cold bottom. You might get a numb bum if you don't go for ACC with 19"s, and that might feel cold due to the blood loss!

Only joking, from what I hear its still acceptable.

Re it not looking any more special than the GTI ...that's why most of us brought it. Its a wolf in sheep's clothing. Actually, I now prefer its looks to the GTI. But hey i'm biased and very much in love!!!! 

[am1w]

Winter pack is Ace, bloody freezing last winter love my heated seats, so is lux pack when parking!!

Here, here! Totally agree. Both worth every penny. Brilliant.