GTD to R

[simonjj]

Considering ordering an R in the next couple of months to replace my GTD, thoughts from anyone having done this?
I know fuel will take a hit (currently doing 20k per annum) but have had quite a few performance cars in the past and an R is all I would consider in place of another GTD as I will move my brakes and wheels over.
Current GTD is 180 ish so goes fairly well but is the extra go in the R worth the more frequent trips to the pumps?

[Hurdy]

I've driven both on several occasions and if the extra fuel consumption isn't an issue then the 7R is hard to fault.

[kalimon]

I would never consider an R if I did 20,000 miles a year.
Unless I was loaded of course but then I would get a Porsche

[andrewparker]

I posted this elsewhere on the forum. To be perfectly honest purely on the motorway I don't think the R offers much more than the GTD. It is of course very fast, but I never found the GTD to be lacking at motorway speeds.

Re. the aforementioned MPG going from GTD to R. I made that jump in December last year. In the GTD I was mainly doing short journeys where the car was barely warming up, yet I was still getting very high 30s on average, even more if I tried. Doing the same journeys in the R and I'm lucky to get over 20mpg, in fact I quite often see 16 - 17mpg. On a long 140 mile motorway run I struggled to better 32mpg. So I'm spending well over twice as much on fuel.

[andrewparker]

I should also mention that I fully expected the difference in MPG and with the 7000 - 8000 miles I do annually it's probably worth the extra. Can't really say how I'd feel if that difference was multiples two of three times though.

[Booth11]

If you are doing 20k miles per annum, you do really need to think carefully about the additional fuel costs.  The R is a thirsty car, make no mistake.  I do a mix of lots of short city commute journeys (heavy traffic), rural roads and some motorway.  On a recent trip to Yorkshire I averaged 33mpg; normal driving on mixed road, i.e. dual carriageway/rural roads returns an average of approx 20-23mpg; and city driving in heavy traffic gives 14-19mpg average.  My current long term average is 24.7mpg but that was elevated by the recent long motorway schlep, and now it's business as usual, has started dropping back down. That said I have a heavy right foot so not the most fuel efficient driver.

[monkeyhanger]

I made that jump from GTD to R last May and haven't regretted it. How you do your miles is important.

If you drive mixed roads doing up to 10 miles per journey, expect 28mpg manual and 26mpg DSG.
If you drive mixed roads doing up to 20 miles per journey, expect 32mpg manual and 28mpg DSG.

The second scenario is mile, I see about 32mpg and don't spare the horses, in the GTD, I averaged 46mpg.

As you do 20k miles PA, I suspect you do longer journeys on the motorway and that's where the difference will really open up. I used to get 58mpg on a long motorway journey in the GTD maintaining 80 mph (I suspect religiously sticking to 70mph would yield around 63mpg).

I haven't been on a hugely long journey in the R yet, but the penalty for motorway cruising is a lot higher in the R. Maintaining 80mph would unlikely see more than 32mpg, it is surprisingly economical between 50 and 60mph and then drops right off.

[simonjj]

Thanks  for all your replies, really telling what I already know but it's good to get different perspectives.
Daily commute (4 days per week) is 4 miles each including getting from one side of Bath to the other but the rest is mostly fast flowing A roads. I going sort out a test drive for a couple of days a give it some more thought, thanks again.

[JonnyG]

I have a Mk 7 R DSG and Mrs. G has a Mk 7 GTD manual which I drive quite a lot too.

In terms of performance and traction the R is in a different league to the GTD.  The biggest difference is that the R is totally planted all the time with great traction and performance.  The more you push it the better it responds IMHO. 

The GTD in comparison is fine for tootling about, but when you start to push it, the traction just isn't there with just the FWD and the performance isn't comparable either. 

So of you like to drive enthusiastically you will like the R better ... it sounds better too (although not that fantastic).

MPG 'wise I'm averaging 26mpg in the R compared to 35mpg in the GTD.  The GTD is likely to improve a lot as it has done a lot of very short commutes over Winter (it was new in September 2015).  It easily does 45-50mpg on a longer drive.

One thing to watch is that new GTD's come with Keyless, Winter Pack and Discover Media SatNav as standard.  The R does not have any of these as standard    (well yet anyway  )

 

[mjh_056]

This is my dilemma now in should move from GTD to R, have about 6 weeks to decide which is not as along as it seems when so stuck in thoughts

1. Biggest concern is same as yours - Personal mileage has gone from anticipated 18-20k to 8-10k where the GTD is giving me an overall 41 MPG so thats in the R favour - On motorway achieve 50-55 MPG.

If was to swap that for a consistent 28- 30 MPG then it would not be an issue but those weeks where journeys are relatively short the sub 20 MPG mentioned concerns me the most as thats a huge fall off from the early to mid 30 MPG likely getting on them journeys

From what can understand the basic statement is that you double you fuel spend by moving to an R

2. Rarely get opportunity  to open up the GTD so imagine that most of my driving experience in the R will be pretty similar aside from them rare moments. Think someone equated it to 5% in another thread
3. The R will likely cost me more in other ways such as BIK (not done maths yet) EDIT: as just stated above some of the extras that like are not standard so would cost a little more to.

At this point have pretty much talked myself out of an R as doubting the experience changes enough to justify the additional spend but do intend to test drive an R in next couple of weeks which think is a must given the dilemma

GTI (PP) is likeliest choice at moment in GSG
Next is a A3 S Line Sportback 1.8 TfSi Quattro Black Edition in Glacier White
Then the outsider is the new Tiguan R Line but have to see one in flesh to be swayed.