Golf R Vs GTI - Options etc.. not the normal which is faster

[Bikerz]

Hi all

Im after a mk6 GTI or R as a daily driver, it will be a 5dr. Fuel isnt really an issue as we often walk to work etc.... We are 28 and 25, so insurance also not an issue etc...

What way do the spec of these cars differ? We will want leather and seen this is an option on both!
What differs as standard spec?

Reliability? Is the GTI far better due to being newer and the Cam Chain engine rather the then the older E888 and belt, cam follower HPFP etc...?  They will only be modified with an exhaust and a map sort of thing as I have a 600bhp Audi TT as a toy and a sports bike.

Cheers

Sheldon

[Exonian]

Welcome!

It sounds like you're a bit of a speed freak so would benefit from an R far more than a GTI.

Both cars had stingy standard equipment but at least the R had xenons as standard.
Both cars benefit from easy retro fits if the original owner didn't go mad on the options.

Late GTI's and R's had free leather but on earlier cars you're more likely to find leather on an R.

Both cars remap well but have a look at the sticky thread in this section about GTI engines and their inherent weakness.

The GTI will remap to give you bonkers low end torque and about 260bhp but it plateaus at about 5000rpm
The ED35 is basically an ED30 or detuned R (S3 engine) and that engine will go to 300bhp pretty easy but it feels a bit more lethargic if you don't use the revs. The R and ED35 use more fuel which isn't a concern to you.

The R has 4wd and xenons but aside from that they both have the same basic spec give or take.

[Bikerz]

Thanks for the reply.

Ive been looking at GTI's and I need £ 16k for one in the right colour and spec, which means I might as well pay for the extra £4k and get the R I feel for 4wd and nicer bi directional xenons.

[barrym381]

20k is near mk7 gti money these days 

[Exonian]

I love the simplicity of the GTI and prefer it in many ways to an R but in your shoes I think I'd plump for the R.
Strong and proven engine with uprated internals, xenons and bigger brakes make a better platform to modify from.
And the mk6 R does look pretty mean.

[Exonian]

20k is near mk7 gti money these days 

My new year you could probably pick up a GTI PP up for under £20k with factory warrant intact

[Bikerz]

Is the mk7 GTI that much better then a mk6 R?
Ive not driven a mk7. I wonder if Id notice the difference? The other main points are is the interior that much nicer and car more reliable etc.. as I said its a daily for me and the Mrs.

Is the Cloth in the R heated? Its a right pain finding one with leather, so thinking I could buy cloth and buy some leather one ebay and swap over if all the wiring and switches there, would that work?

[Poached]

Is the mk7 GTI that much better then a mk6 R?
Ive not driven a mk7. I wonder if Id notice the difference? The other main points are is the interior that much nicer and car more reliable etc.. as I said its a daily for me and the Mrs.

Is the Cloth in the R heated? Its a right pain finding one with leather, so thinking I could buy cloth and buy some leather one ebay and swap over if all the wiring and switches there, would that work?

The MK7 is a whole new platform whereas the MK6 was largely a facelift of the MK5 platform. The MK6 R looks a bit expensive used compared to the MK7 and appears to be a bit greedy on fuel in comparison although this depends on how and where you drive.

I don't think you'd see much difference between a MK6 R and MK7 GTI with like for like mods. Of course the Haldex system gives more traction but at the expense of weight/drag.

Go for a Performance Pack car with the LSD/bigger brakes and 230 ps. It may 'only' be 230 ps standard but they appear to map well (See the MK7 section) and the car gets 350 nm torque standard so it will have plenty of punch...but they always go better tuned .

[itavaltalainen]

For the sake of sound I'd go for a Mk5 R32 

[Exonian]

For the sake of sound I'd go for a Mk5 R32 

Very over rated car.

They're getting old now and cost a bomb to fix. My colleague has spend nearly £2k on his in the last 12 months on just normal maintenance and his isn't even a high mileage thrashed car. It's a two owner lowish miler with full VW and now specialist history.

Plus you're talking thousands to get any extra power out of it which will in turn just turn it into a luxury toy rather than a daily driver and if anything make it's value drop.

They are just a nice noise, nothing more. They should have put the R36 engine in them.

20k is near mk7 gti money these days 

My new year you could probably pick up a GTI PP up for under £20k with factory warrant intact

Jeez autocorrect went mad there! I hate replying on the phone!

Is the mk7 GTI that much better then a mk6 R?
Ive not driven a mk7. I wonder if Id notice the difference? The other main points are is the interior that much nicer and car more reliable etc.. as I said its a daily for me and the Mrs.

Is the Cloth in the R heated? Its a right pain finding one with leather, so thinking I could buy cloth and buy some leather one ebay and swap over if all the wiring and switches there, would that work?

The chassis on the mk7 is a revelation. The torque on the mk7 GTI makes it quite punchy as standard and ballistic when tuned (bearing in mind it only has a smallish quick spooling turbo).

The cloth on the R isn't heated unless you have winter pack.
An awful lot of R's will have leather, not that an awful lot were actually sold but you get my drift...

Cloth really isn't that bad to live with and if getting a GTI it's all part of the character anyway.
VW leather isn't great (understatement) and the cloth works fine for me.
The later model mk6 you go for the more chance of it having leather as it became standard.