Advise on wheather to order a GTI or 135i

[Phil 117]

Apologies as this a GTD rather than a GTI, although that may be about to change.

So I've been working for Honda for the last year as a sales executive, and I'm now going to do a standard 9-5 job as an account manager, so I now need to get myself a car instead of my standard company cars.

I have initially decided to go for a GTD DSG. The reason I didn't look at a GTI is insurance (I am only 20). Since messing about, I've found if I add my parents, and my other half, it reduces it from £2,400 to a respectable £800 (ridiculous saving as I am still the main driver, and the other drives will never drive it). My other concern is economy. I do 15,000 a year so fuel costs to soon add up. From looking about, people are only getting 50mpg out of GTD, would imagine I'd get 40 out of GTI, so not a huge difference actually.

From working in the trade, I've managed to get a good deal from a buddy on GTD DSG in red, with upgraded audio and reversing camera. £1000 down, then £250 on PCP over 3 years. The one bad thing is, both a GTI & GTD's lead times are 25 weeks!!!

I've been reading a fair few threads, in particular one with Bear and a few others switching over to a 135i. The fact that these are a 2 month wait, if not getting a stock car is just swaying me to a 135i massively (although never driven one).

Are you guys seriously waiting for 25 weeks, and for those who have switched to a 135i, are you getting a similar deal. Cannot see a chance in hell they will be able to match a 250pm PCP, but if there's not much difference, I could be swayed.

And will the economy on the petrols be that much worse than the GTD?

Thanks in advance (and I apologise about chucking a BMW into the equation on a VW forum, just as I'm sure you can appreciate, 25 weeks is just ridiculous. A range rover lead time is less that!).

[2014GTi]

Hiya,

I think delivery times for GTi's can vary and there doesn't seem to be any pattern.
I ordered September 14th, a month later got a confirmed build week of 46, delivery due December. 
I will be doing 20k miles per year approx but this did not out me off ordered a GTi instead of a GTD.
I would say depending on your daily trip and route 40mpg is obtainable once the car is properly run in.
I personally don't like the look of the 1-series nor the interior, but it's still a very good car.
I would go for a GTI I I I I I

 

[Phil 117]

Did you go for a DSG or Manual? Supposedly DSG's take longer?

[CraigW]

Welcome to the forum

I can't comment on all of your queries but what I would say is that you are looking at somewhere in the region of 24 weeks if you were to order today such is the demand on these cars. In terms of the GTI I don't believe that 40mpg is achievable, you are looking at somewhere around 33-37mpg even when driving sensibly.

The 135 is an awesome car but you got to take into account rwd during the winter which can be a nightmare. Have you also checked the insurance quotes for a 135 which i'm assuming will be far in excess of the GTI/GTD especially for a young driver.

[stiggy786]

135i insurance will be substantial.

I am only a couple of years older than you and have a quote of just over £900 on the GTI I have on order (would probably be £700 on a GTD with 40 fewer horses). Like you this is with parents as additional drivers but myself as main driver and policy holder, so might be worth exploring by using an online comparison site and then calling the insurer direct to knock the last few quid off the premium.

With regards to lead times yes it does vary quite a lot. Many of the posters on here are avid GTI/GTD fans and were the first to order as the books opened, unfortunately many of them have been hit with the longest waits. So there may be a reporting bias.

Like 2013GTI above I ordered at the beginning of this month, have a BW 46 confirmed and an estimated delivery of December. This is massively ahead of schedule and I am certain that there will be delays once the build actually gets under way. An end-Jan delivery is more likely which would bring us to 16+ weeks, which isn't too bad.

On the other hand someone on here who just ordered has been quoted a July 2014 delivery but this seems to be isolated. I think main thing is delivery time for you because I don't think you're going to make huge savings in running costs or insurance with any other car in the sector including the 135i.

[Phil 117]

Well July is certainly stupid!

The 135i was a fair bit more, 1300, still not too over the top though considering performance.

My buddy at VW sent me this. One of the points is to tell customers 25 week wait for GTI/GTD



EDIT: (so you can see).

[2014GTi]

Yes, BW42 supply update stated the same.
But I guess it depends on the spec.
I've got a confirmed BW46.

[GTI_Jeff]

Is it just me or is putting a GTI and a M135i in the same league just crazy?? Don't get me wrong I was very impressed with the GTI (hence I bought one) but comparing something that is a FWD 2l turbo 4 pot and 220bhp with something that has over 300bhp RWD and gets to 100mph in pretty much the same time as an M3 is just mad. Plus although on paper a fully spec'd up GTI is the same money as a base spec M135i, by the time you've added a few choice options to the BMW the price quickly rockets and my experience of BMW is that they can be tight with discounts.

If you're doing 15,000 miles a year I would absolutely snap your mates hand off with that GTD deal as that's got to be equivalent of something like a 20% discount hasn't it??

250*36 + 1000 = £10,000 with say a £14,000 ballon, total of £24,000 including interest for a car that books around £27.5k !!

[monkeyhanger]

I wouldn't be looking at a 135i if you are at all concerned with mpg: 30mpg is probably what you'd be getting if you weren't driving it like a nun, maybe Bear can elaborate what he is getting. Likewise - 35mpg on the GTI is probably more realistic unless you do a lot of motorway miles (then maybe 40mpg when it is run in).

You will definitely get your mitts on a 135i quicker - a lot quicker! Maybe 8 weeks instead of 24.

Nothing in the Honda range that takes your fancy? Surely you'd get a canny deal on a Honda seeing as you work for them? Most car dealerships offer their employees a car at cost plus an arbitrary figure like £300-500.

Drive them both. You may like one car a hell of a lot more than the other, so much so that mpg goes out of consideration or you decide there is something about one of your choices that you really don’t like.

[RobS23GTI]

I wont go into the pro's and cons as that has been done to death on here, so facts only;

1. You will get one in circa 8 weeks.
2. I got £5.5k discount, so 17% and some have got upto 20%.
3. Insurance was only £100 more for me than GTI.
4. MPG of low to mid 30's is easily achievable if you drive at the speed limit. The auto mpg figure is even higher at 37 I think. However if you hammer it everywhere, it will be low 20's.

No chance you will be getting close to £250 p/m on PCP though with only £1k deposit, even with a hefty discount...

The car is a hell of a lot of fun though!