What else did everyone consider?

[Exonian]

At no cost to Volkswagen, here's a free bit of market research from the people that bought/leased your cars:
 

We've run a few similar-ish threads over the years but here's one specifically aimed at why the mk7 Golf won your hard earned cash rather than the cars you were also considering.

The great thing about Golfs is that they're bought by those with blue blood, peasants like me, and everything in between.

So, each of you knows your own budget, and each of us has our own reasons we bought the 'People's Car' rather than the alternatives we thought about. So work within your real budget not 'here's what I could really afford' as it's not relevant.
This isn't about "what I wish I bought instead" or "What I'm getting next", it's more about why the mk7 won the day when you signed that bit of paper.
So please don't drag it tooooooo far off topic 


.................................

For me?

I've a long history of Golf GTI ownership, a very long history, so the Golf will always be near the top of my shopping list as long as its balance of virtues and value for money (as a whole ownership package) remains.

So what else did I consider? I have a bit of a crush on the Mini Cooper S (JCW) and Cooper S D too. But they're a bit small.
I thought about a Scirocco too but not *that* hard as it's getting a bit dated despite still looking and driving really sharply (big testament to the mk5 Golf/Passat chassis). I also have a bit of a crush on the Evoque (where art thou Gizzywizzy? How's your Evoque going?) and I also quite like the Leon Cupra. Obviously the M135i is another car that makes me smile for all the right reasons but... I don't know, it just doesn't quite hit the spot which is a shame as I'd love a real hooligan car for a while before I settle down to old age.
So all pretty predictable stuff.
The Golf GTI and R won me over as an overall package.
Classless, about the right size, and just nicely packaged with the right blend of subtlety and nice little touches.
Easily tuneable too if my former self makes a reappearance. I've always admired the way you can take a GTI to stage 1 performance without pushing any envelopes too far meaning you then have to uprate loads of other parts to bring it back into balance as an all round drivers car.
An easy win for the Golf really.

[remlapeel]

I was given a MK6 GT tdi as a company car 5 years ago when I started my then new job. I was coming from a T reg Honda Accord which had 150k on the clock, but was absolutely bullet proof.

I was over the moon with my MK6 for the 3 years I had it. Never missed a beat or had any faults, great MPG and my wife loved it. So when I needed a replacement, I looked straight at VW again, this time, being a director of my own business I wanted a more exciting model. So I test drove a GTI and was impressed, the dealer was terrible, but the car was just what I was looking for. Again the wife was happy, so I jumped into a GTI. Barely glanced at another manufacturer.

Then, well then my GTI happened. As I'm sure you're all aware was the biggest price of dog turd to grace my driveway. 17 warranty claims in 12 months and finally got rejected by VWFS.

So when I went looking for a new car, I looked everywhere (except BMW because they didn't even bother to return my call) I test drove some jags, audi's, A45 etc but ultimately I had an itch with the R nothing else managed to scratch, so begrudgingly and bribing my wife, I got an R, and it's easily the best car I have ever owned. Although now the itch has been scratched, I doubt VW will get my money again. Their service is downright terrible across the entire group.

Service wise, Jag smashed that out the park. Top notch service from start to finish

[Sootchucker]

Being old enough to remember the original hot hatches when they were new first time around in the early 80's, I owned (or had as company cars) a string of them including a MK1 & MK2 GTI, Astra GTE (big mistake), XR3i and RS Turbo, then a fling with Japanese and two Corolla GTI's. Then mid life got boring with work rep mobiles (Sierra, Cavalier, Focus) etc.

Settling down now into my fifties, I've now owned 3 VW's on the trot, and between the wife and we a total of 6, and to be honest whilst the service from the dealerships has always been average at best (and that's being kind), I did love the marque, and the solidity and as Exonian says, the classlessness of the brand.

When looking for a replacement then for my former Scirocco (which like my MK5 Golf was faultlessly reliable), it pretty much had to be German.

I looked at the BMW 1 series (hatch and Coupe), but whilst the Coupe was nice, rear space was non existent. Price wasn't too bad until I was introduced to the options list, which easily could have added a 1/3rd more to the cost.

Also looked at the A class Mercedes, but just hated the inside, from the Ipad stuck to the dash, to the almost non existent rearward visibility. Also the ride was terrible.  Couldn't at the time afford a spec'd up M135 or a 3 series, so looked at the new (then) A3 sport back. 

What a revelation the Audi dealership were (and not in a good way). They almost made the VW dealerships look professional and courteous :-) In the end was no where near getting a deal on an Audi, so just went along to look at the Golf (not thinking to buy one). The GTD and GTI were not even out then, just a brochure, but when I sat in a GT and gave it a spin, I loved it, but wanted something that looked a little more special. Enter the GTD which fitted the bill perfectly. Slightly more money than I had anticipated to pay, but with great equipment levels (especially safety), and nice aggressive looks and to die for alloys.

Everything else is history. Now if VW could only get the dealerships up to the same levels as the cars, I'm sure they would shift much more !

[p3asa]

Nice thread.

I was late to the VW fold having driven for 30 years this year, I only got my first VW (Passat estate) in 2000. I won't bore you with the other cars but having bought a Pajero jeep that seemed to get through £60+ at least a week in diesel I quickly got rid of it and took cash plus the Passat. I would have taken a horse & cart if truth be told as I was desperate to get shot of it.

The Passat was really beaten up but I liked the power delivery of it. It felt really fast (think it must have been remapped)  and only sipped diesel. It seemed to go a month between refuels.

That got me interested in VW but every car I bought after that I kept saying to myself "I'll just buy this car and get a really good one the next time"    VW always seemed to be just that bit dearer in the 2nd hand market.

I eventually got myself a new Mk6 Golf over its rivals as the interior was a lovely place to be. It felt luxurious and solid compared to other cars. And I must admit the 80's /90's adverts for the Golf always made me think of them as quality cars.
"It's like a Golf, but not a golf"
"And if you listen carefully.... it sounds just like a golf"
The Golf appearing to cry when it had been modded"
or my favourite the women discarding her wedding ring, her mink coat and her man, but refusing to abandon the keys to her Golf. Finishing with ‘If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen" 

Advertising at its best.

So I suppose I was drawn to it for the stature VW were trying to portray it as and for me its lived up to that.

I've also learned that there is no point putting up with just any old car, thinking you will get a decent one the next time around!! Within reason I don't think I would think twice about going for something I really wanted as you don't know what is round the corner. Plus aged 47 I now fleetingly think to myself I might only have another X amount of cars left in me 

[monkeyhanger]

This time around I fancied an R, or perhaps an S3, but cared more about the R looking nicer on the outside than the S3 having a slightly nicer interior. I was tempted to hang on for a TT, but it was too far away when I ordered the R.

So why a shiny new VW for my last 8 cars? For me it's a combination of excellent standard equipment levels (so you don't have to spend a fortune on options - although some still do), sharp handling, good refinement (relative to the class of car), innovation (here's always some flash new piece of tech to draw you in that is usually standard - ACC on the MK7, DCC on the Scirocco etc), relatively high output coupled with reasonable mpg in relation to said output, that solid feeling you only get with a German car and excellent residuals that make an expensive car reasonable value on a monthly basis. VWs are generally good all-rounders.

I buy new because of the decent discount you can get and VWs almost new prices make it worthwhile to buy new rather than used. If a Ford took my fancy i'd be letting someone else take the huge depreciation hit.

[Bungleaio]

I think I'm the odd one out, I've never had a new car and I've never owned a VW. I have had possession of a Golf though, I was given a mk 4 tdi but it was awful and I handed it back after a couple of months. It was a base spec model covered in dents.

I've liked the Mk7 gti since launch, I came close to getting a scirocco when they were launched but a mate bought one and I'd not long bought an Impreza. I did get a chance to do a few miles in his scirocco though and it was a good car to drive. After having a few cars for a short period of time I wanted to get a car to keep for a while so I wanted something that was practical, good to drive, in keeping for work (I'm a surveyor), reasonably efficient and petrol.

The other cars I considered were:

• Alfa Giulietta - Nice car but I just couldn't get on with the styling.
• Vauxhall Astra VXR - Not exactly subtle styling, not a very nice dashboard
• Ford Focus ST - Never been a Ford fan, I don't like the dash
• Peugeot 308 GTI - Liked it but not available at yet, possible poor residuals
• BMW M135i - Never really in the running, I had a massive falling out with BMW and have vowed never to buy another.
• Seat Leon Cupra 280 - A strong contender and I nearly went for this option, ultimately I just preferred the better quality and equipment levels offered by the golf.
• Honda Civic Type R - Styling is even less subtle than the Astra.
• Mercedes A45 - Too expensive for me, whats with the retrofitted esq iPad on the dash
• VW Golf R - I don't really need the power, not so good on the fuel efficiency

Some of the reasons above may seem silly to some, especially those who have bought one of the above cars but if I'm going to be putting a lot of money (for me) into a brand new car I'm having exactly what I want.

Ultimately I've gone for a 3 door GTI PP with DSG and all the options, it meets all my criteria and I'm looking forward to owning it for a good few years.

[Booth11]

This is a great thread Mr Ex! 

It was always going to be a Mk7 R.  I bought the Mk6 GTI right at the end of their production run, having decided to not wait for the Mk7 GTI, but to use the Mk6 as a 'stop gap' car until the 7R came out (and, what a fantastic stop-gap it has been!).  I rarely buy the first off the line of a new mark, preferring any teething problems to have been ironed out first.  I might have ordered the R sooner but for the fact I wanted Dynaudio and that took a while to make an appearance. 

To the point of the thread - during the wait for Dynaudio, I toyed with the idea of a A45 AMG, but at £42k for my chosen spec, well, no thanks, not for a humble hatchback.  I have a soft spot for Focus ST's but I'm of an age where it would just look sad, so never a serious contender.  As for the other comparable hot hatches, many (the Meganes, Civics and Vauxhalls) do not share the evolutionary design of the Golf (one of it's very finest points IMO), and as someone who keeps cars 3 or 4 years, I would tire very, very quickly of their mish-mash styling (if you can call it styling!)

And, after ordering the R during that long wait (of which you are all too well aware), in moments of frustration I cast my eye over other cars, including the S3 and RS3, but neither really set my heart or head alight. 

I came to cars relatively late in my life, I was 30 before I learned to drive.  Simply because, (having been brought up in and around cycling fraternity), bikes (and trains) were perfectly good for my needs up to that point. 

So my list of pre-Golf GTI cars is very short one, but my foray into GTI's began with my third ever car, but first new car - a Peugeot 206 GTI.  It wasn't a bad car, highly chuckable, but it definitely wasn't a good car!

And then one day I walked into a VW dealership (credit must go to my other half who suggested it).  I was very reluctant at first, thinking only of the Mk4's which I didn't like (but now do), and so a little persuasion was required to get me through the door.  There in the middle of the showroom was a Mk5 GTI.  If you can have a car soulmate, that was the moment I found mine!

So, two Mk5's and a Mk6 later, here I am about to get Golf number 4.  Why VW Golf?  Because performance Golf's offer the right balance of everything I need and want in a car, most of which has been mentioned by others here.  And, thus far, I can, hand on heart, say these cars have never failed to put a smile on my face, every day I have driven them.  I love the heritage of Golf GTI's, (regretted not getting an R32 a few years back), and though the R needs to cut it's heritage teeth still, I'm pretty sure the 7R will go a long way to helping build that kudos.

And I will do my bit for that cause.

[charv94]

This thread is everything about this forum that i like.

Its properly about cars and i love to have the view of other peoples thought process'

My GTI is my second ever car and my first VW as well as first new car. I did contemplate a vw for my first. albeit a polo, but the 60 bhp 1.2 and the high price tag due to the just launch of the then new shape meant it was out of reach.

With the GTI however i did a huge amount of comparisons between the various models and marks. BMW 116i m sport was my dream car when i first started to look, i think that i have had a soft spot so that was good, i was choosing the petrol rather than diesel purely based on bhp in that car. Because standard spec was sparse i was speccing it rather highly which meant i couldn't afford a more powerful variant. It also depreciates much faster which caused the 4 year cost to be enormous compared to the GTI. I then sat in one at the showroom and the cabin just felt claustrophobic, i don't know why. That killed off that.

Then i looked at great length at a GTI/GTD the final decision being GTI for the petrol sound. The standard level of kit made it very difficult to find a similarly performing car for a similar price. It also had the safety equipment which meant that it was a far lower insurance group than it should be, making it more affordable to run.

The night before the order I panicked and ran every quote under the sun to try and see if i could have a 125d instead because i did have a soft spot for the car and it would provide the same performance but i would have circa 20 mpg higher. Only problem was my last search revealed the facelift was rumoured to launch in march and i wanted the car shortly after then. So i "settled" with the GTI

However, now it is here and i drive it daily, you see so many 1 series, i just feel that I chose the correct car because it is more special to me for being exclusive. The car gives me a smile when you push along and i just don't think that for my age causing insurance restrictions, and for the price, the GTI was the perfect car to get. The only thing that i would change would be wet traction, but i will get this sorted when the tyres are up for change as i won't replace with bridgestones. (The one benefit of TC cutting in though is that it makes my manual gearboxed car's exhaust sort of pop like the DSG box one would when changing gear, every cloud eyy  )
 

[JB GTI]

I am now on my sixth New VW and seventh VWGroup car on the trot if you count the Audi A3 that I had in between two MKIV Golfs and two Scirocco GT's and safe to say with VW I have found the perfect fit for me. As others have said  and for me as well, the brand is all things to all people and I can't see me straying too far away anytime soon. When considering what to have next after two Scirocco's the only two cars I seriously considered were a 3dr Audi A3 S line or a Audi TT just for a change but as we only had the need for one car the TT quickly fell at the first hurdle as too impractical and the amount it would have cost for extra options to match the Mk7 Golf GTI, the A3 was dismissed fairly quickly too.
To be fair I am still quite shocked how quickly I changed my Mk7 GTI PP (11months) as it was a great car but my R was well worth the sacrifice and never fails to put a big grin on my face every time I get in and drive it 

[Watts]

Good evening all! Still rather new here and technically not actually a car owner as I'm between whilst I wait for my lovely red GTI in  just 10 days!

Historically, my car ownership has gone sensible, silly, sensible, silly etc. Silly cars have included a MK1 Capri 3.0 GT, Alfa Sprint and a Lotus Excel. Sensible cars include Audi 100 Avant, Saab 9.3, Scirocco MK2. My last car really hit the spot though, only brand new purchase and I made sure I got exactly what I wanted, my lovely 2003 Audi A4 2.4 Sport. I'd have been happy to drive it for years more, it was really comfy, very relaxing and quick enough for most occasions. But with money getting a bit tighter we decided to consider downsizing to one car. My OH wouldn't drive the Audi as it was too big, I wouldn't go too small so Golf sized it was!

We only considered two cars, the Golf and the A3 (my OH hates BMWs so they were out). The A3 interior I found just dull and my OH agreed. The GTI tartan interior was a winner so the decision was pretty straightforward! In reality the test drive was a formality, but I really wasn't disappointed, the ride quality was excellent as was the performance, I couldn't fault it. I had wanted a carbon grey dsg but bought a red manual - probably a reaction to the last 12 years of the Audi. That and I suspect it might be that crisis due to being of a certain age!

Oh, nearly forgot, after all this my OH said she didn't want to get rid of her car afterall