6 to 7

[matchboy]

Money aside, as everyone's priorities and circumstances are different, will it give me that new car feeling for long enough to make it worth while? If in 3 months time, it feels just like my current car does now, I don't see the point in changing.

It's a completely different car to the 6.  In nearly every way.  Best thing to do is go have a drive of a demo and you'll see/feel the differences straight away. 

[nige smith]

A new Audi A3 might give you that "new" car feel for longer than the 7!

[dubber36]

Hmmm, you could be onto something there Nige.

[monkeyhanger]

MarkV got my way of thinking - £23k paid for a vanilla 5dr GTD via broker, GFV is £14470, reasonable private sale for a good condition one is up to £16k at average mileage as same at VW garage will be up at £19k. Excluding interest of course. Price that against keeping yours. It will still be depreciating, the new one wont cost you a penny in brakes, tyres etc and costs £40 to tax over 3 years. Of course, dipping into the options puts a big dent in that. They are not good value for money - large mark up items that depreciate heavily.

[2014GTi]

I would go and take a test drive and see if you think its worth it. 

[dubber36]

I'm not sure that a test drive will answer my question, or give me an idea of how it will feel after a few months. That's why I'm asking those of you that have made the swap.

[2014GTi]

I'm not sure that a test drive will answer my question, or give me an idea of how it will feel after a few months. That's why I'm asking those of you that have made the swap.

Fair comment, I am loving my GTi...... no regrests 

[Poached]

I'm not with you - surely the indvidual who is the recipient of the shiny new Golf s getting something out of it? Its not really about 'winners and losers' - its simply a purchasing decision.

The alternative is to buy an older, cheaper car - pay less and (some would say) get less!

Yes I agree, it was more a reference to something being a 'Good Deal', although that assessment is subjective to the individual.

[Poached]

I'm not sure that a test drive will answer my question, or give me an idea of how it will feel after a few months. That's why I'm asking those of you that have made the swap.

It will feel like a Golf, perhaps a move away from VAG then?

[Exonian]

Taking out the cost which is not the question asked (and everyone's circumstances are very different so never a question that can be answered on a forum anyway).
Ignoring the "buy something else" which wasn't the question asked either.

Ok, what are we looking at here? GTD or GT?

I've been driving Golf GTI's on and off for 26 or 27 years, I've bought (and modified in some way) every version of Golf from mk1 to mk7 and I'll never profess to being an expert on them but I do have more than a little experience of the things (GTI's, TDI's and VR6's).

Having had two mk5's (TDI and GTI) and two mk6 GTI's and now having had a mk7 for nearly two months I can give a little bit of feedback but it may not be relevant to anyone else's wants or needs.

Is the mk7 much different to the mk5/6? Yes. More than I expected. You sit in it and it feels like a Golf. The driving position is a Golf thru and thru. But from then on it's different.
I'll ignore the engine for a minute as I've not driven the TDI so will concentrate on what has been improved massively - body control. It's surprisingly good. I can't sit and wax lyrical about on the limit handling because I don't drive that way. Tiff Needell can lust after something very different for track days but as a road car the body control of the mk7 Golf is leaps ahead of the mk6.
The steering - it's sharp - very very sharp. I'm still getting used to it as I drive a lot of different vehicles over the course of the week (hence why a DSG is a no no for me as I'd just not get used to it). It's shopping trolley sharp which is a surprise in a biggish hatch.
The interior - it's a Golf, it will still feel like a Golf but the electronics have come on and the difference is like that between a mk5  or equivalent generation Passat and a mk6 Golf. It's just that bit more hi-tech than the outgoing model.


So, why did I buy a mk7 when I'd only had my much loved mk6 for 2 years? The mk6 was bought pretty much to my perfect spec once I'd added a few extras I'd already had on my previous mk6 (RNS and BBS plus a few minor bits).
With the mk6 I'd pretty much made it my perfect Golf so I kind of lost interest in it. A bit like if you were a long time bachelor and played the field until you found more or less the perfect girl and just kind of settled down and changed priorities. Hence why one of several reasons I pretty much vanished off here for a good while.
But from the start I had an inkling that the mk7 was going to be a leap forward.
Financially it was suicide for me but it was a case of "do it while you still can".

The mk7 R is just too much for me financially and I'd never use the benefit of the big turbo or appreciate the 4WD. Like the mk6 R, it didn't quite do it for me (aside from the blue paint and blue needles). If I earned another £10k PA maybe but I don't and never will as careers aren't really my thing.

So, for me, if it hadn't been for the PP extras (mostly the diff, looking forward to post warranty modifications) I'd have happily kept my mk6 or got a cracking deal on a 'mid life crisis' Scirocco R Line TDI to run about in for a year or two until I'd got that out of my system.

Which brings me to say that yes, the mk7 is a much sharper car to drive, but the mk6 is still an excellent car and it makes no financial sense to change at all. Maybe if you're 'upgrading' a GT spec to a GTD you could argue something but alas certainly going from GT to GT would not be worth the bother for another few years just before the mk6 landed any hefty maintenance bills.

I still miss my mk6.