Is anyone else getting a little bored with the car now ?

[Sootchucker]

Sacrilege I know. The Golf is brilliant and my GTD (touch wood) has been absolutely bullet proof, but now having had it for about 18 months, it's so ruthlessly efficient, quiet and undramatic, that (dare I say it), it's become a little boring ?

Don't get me wrong, for the price, it's still up there with the best of the best, but I find myself looking at other brands (and even other VW's) at the moment , even though I had (have) planned to keep her for 3 years. I think part of the problem is:

a) My mileage has dropped over the last 6 months, so I'm only averaging about 8500 miles per year, and it's barely adequate for a diesel,

b) I love driving the wife's Polo Blue GT (it really is a pocket rocket), and I love the petrol engine response and super quick warm up times, (which shows me how much I miss petrol engines).

c) a bit stupid this one, but I love technology, and I missed out by a few months on recent tech that's been subsequently added to the MK7 (heated steering wheel, windscreen, lane assist, Car-Net etc.), and do tend to look enviously at newer cars (stupid I know).

I have even (and I can't believe I'm saying this), been looking at the new 1 series BMW, which from the back looks a lot like a MK7 Golf I think (imitation is the greatest form of flattery). Speccing up a new 1 series 5 door, 118 M-Sport Auto, fully loaded with all the toys (and I mean all), comes to just over the price I paid for my GTD in 2013 ?

Am I crazy and need therapy ? I know car's are a bottomless pit of money, and there's always a better car or a new gizmo round the corner, but we don't have kids, don't smoke or drink (well not to excess), and cars are my passion (along with photography). So our view is "you can't take it with you", and we both have (again touch wood) decent well paid jobs, so why not (rather not leave our money to the government).

I think I need a project on the GTD (adding stuff on), to give it impetus again 

[Mark V GTD]

I get where you are coming from. My threshold is usually around a year before i start thinking about the next car. With my current car I specced a lot of extras in the hope that it would stave that feeling off.

I am now a week or so short of a year of ownership and like you just under 8.5k miles on the clock.

I have to admit I am a bit torn now - I am thinking about the next car but this time I am determined that i will keep this car through to April next year. I have a GAP policy which expires then so thats my cut-off point.

The GTD is a difficult car to replace - the drop in economy of an R would be difficult to tolerate - perhaps i will consider a GTI or the Polo GTI (the latter sounds like a great little car so long as I can get my head past teh notion that its not the 'real thing').

By the way - I don't see 'carnet' or heated steering wheel as an available option on the GTD/GTI/R on the VW website - or have I missed something?

[matchboy]

Chop it in for an R - problem sorted! 

[mjh_056]

The honeymoon period wears off in every facet of life and you then have to discover what you really love about someone or in this case a GTD to make that relationship last on.

Maybe reminding self of previous loves that eventually left you feeling you needing a new one?

My previous A3 S Line Quattro is not a patch on the GTD except for fast starts in the wet so with that still freshly in mind the GTD still to this day gives me lots of satisfaction.

However understand your thoughts fully and have already based on same feeling have my next move planned of keeping the GTD and going for likely an R with all the new toys you mention as think the combination of a car that love, with more BHP and 4WD and with all new toys you mention fills that void you describe, well for next 18 months at least. 

Did see S3 as #10 most stolen car in UK so that has moved me away from that as a choice.

Think most on this site feel same as you, minimum 2 years and the itchy feet start and you want that new fuzzy feeling again

[Mohsin]

Totally understand your point. Coming up to a year of ownership for me and although I know it is one of the best cars in its class, I find myself looking at alternatives. However, I think the reality is that it would be extremely difficult to find something which I would be better off with.

Human nature - bored of what you have but then miss it when its gone!

Sootchucker - I understand what you mean about missing petrol engines. My wife has an A1 1.4 TFSI and I absolutely LOVE driving that about. It even keeps up with my GTD in some situations!

Although I know NA engines are a thing of the past, I dearly miss my Type R....

[Damo66]

Interesting, I traded my year old GTD in for a GTI, it had only 8.5k on it, no regrets so far

[C2K]

I do wonder how many of you could be classified as 'serial' new car owners though? That boredom is probably just an itch you feel needs to be scratched to get that new car feeling again.

Personally, i'd never had a new car before - I actually only started looking because a company car was expected but then didn't materialise. I got a tax refund and bought my GTD with it to replace my ageing 300K mile 306 HDi that had served me superbly. I specced a nice level of kit, and 1 year/10K miles in i'm still very happy with it (except for the absolutely useless dealers  ). I am not bored of it, though I am quite surprised how little mileage i'm now doing after doing between 30 and 40K private miles for many years.

As a result of that I do occasionally think I could've bought a GTI, but then i'm trying to convince the mrs to chop our Mini Cooper D in for a Cooper S Works as we don't need two diesels anymore (her circumstances also changed). I also have a completely ludicrous weekend toy in my stripped, supercharged 306 Rallye so I get my thrills/tinkering habit satisfied there.

Unless I was to get a company car, I can't see me buying new again for many reasons. Besides, the second hand market is for people who like to chop and change, and reap the rewards of the serial new-car owners cast-offs!   

[Mark V GTD]

I think I need a project on the GTD (adding stuff on), to give it impetus again 

What about the DTUK tuning box that many are raving about here?

[Sootchucker]

Chop it in for an R - problem sorted! 

Already looking 

I do wonder how many of you could be classified as 'serial' new car owners though? That boredom is probably just an itch you feel needs to be scratched to get that new car feeling again.

As to whether it's new car syndrome, if you mean brand new (rather than just new to me), then that part doesn't bother me one bit. I have a private plate that gets stuck on anyway so a 6 month old or ex-demonstrator if it fitted the bill wouldn't put me off. Trouble is, most of the newer models and tech is only available on brand new cars !

[kenny.c]

I can see why people get a little bored with it.....im sure its just the "no fuss" way the GTI takes everything. For me its the very "linear" nature of the engine compaired to my Revo'd Scirocco makes the car seem slow and boring. I say "seem" as its probably quicker than the Scirocco ever was.

I still enjoy driving the GTI, but it isn't my daily driver to be honest......so when we do drive the GTI it still feels special.

Ken