Picked up my R yesterday lunchtime. It's outstanding, can't praise it enough
Thought it might be of some use doing a little comparison, albeit only 150 miles driven
First off, it's a lot quicker than the GTI. And that wasn't slow! Granted my GTI was a manual PP, and the R is a DSG - so it certainly changes gears quicker than a human being would be able to - but the acceleration is brilliant
In D it picks up very well indeed, better than I thought it would - and in S, well, you can guess about that
In terms of the feel of the car, the drive, steering etc - it's exactly the same. Can't tell any difference whatsoever, it's as good as the GTI is. Obviously I haven't been in conditions to test out the 4WD. Handles round corners great, hugs the bends just like the GTI. No difference so far. There will be come the snow though!
Ride quality - the GTI was on 19s, the R is on 18s. No DCC in either. Feels exactly the same IMO, as comfortable as you would want from any hot hatch - it may be a little firm for some people, but not for me. Cruising to work today in traffic it was a dream to drive.
Cabin - some nice touches in the R (black effect on the steering wheel instead of the chrome in the GTI, the door panel has a different softer material also) but in the main it's the same inside. Yes, the little touches differentiate it from the GTI (and GTD) but there's nothing majorly different.
The sound - I know some people don't like the artificial sound. And that's fair enough. But I absolutely love it! When the car downshifts (either on its own as you slow down or if you do it yourself via the paddles), the roar you get is totally addictive - and the little 'boom' you get with gear changes is fantastic. Much, much louder than the GTI. So addictive I haven't taken it out of Race mode
The looks - you all know what an R looks like, suffice to say I think it looks outstanding - does it look better than the GTI? The front end is still better on the GTI, but saying that the double DRLs look amazing on the R and the silver edge on the front skirt really stands out. Everyone got out of my way this morning
From the back there's no comparison, I love the quads
And the blue interior is very cool too, reminds me of my old mk 4 V5/GTI's
DSG - this is my first auto (owned), I've always had manuals - so taken a punt on this as I love a manual car. But so far I am more impressed than I thought I would be. Driving to work today was a piece of cake, in the usual mass of traffic, car does the lot for you in D - seamless gear changes, very impressed (although the auto in a BMW is slightly better). But yesterday on some open roads, slapped it in S and used the paddles - so, so much fun. As engaging as a manual IMO.
As an aside, the leather (Carbon Nappa) - albeit very expensive at £2,650 - is well worth the money. Really impressed. Massive step up over the Vienna that I had on my mk 5 and 6 GTI's - soft and comfortable, and gives the cabin a premium feel. Had the cloth in my GTI and loved that, so it's down to personal preference, but I'm very impressed with the quality of the leather so far. Time will tell how it wears though.
Sorry there's not too much more to comment on, but have only done 150 odd miles. So, is it worth the extra cash over the GTI, not only to buy but to run? Well all I can say is yes, 100% IMO. The speed/acceleration is addictive (obviously adhering to the speed limits), I love the noise of the car, and the little touches in the cabin over the GTI make it feel different. Does it diminsh the quality of the GTI in any way - not at all. I loved my mk 7 GTI, it's the best GTI yet by a mile. But the R - well, it's a joy to drive and is an immense amount of fun - I can't wait to get back in it later!
Those who have made the jump will not be disappointed!!
(I know this thread is possibly useless without pics
, but there's some on my twitter - matchboy1976 - and I'll put some more on here once it's detailed next Weds
).
