Golf R or GTI at roughly the same price. which one?

[mjh_056]

I think an .:R really needs to have prets, so for that reason I'd choose the GTI... or wait for the car you really want.

Pretoria were not must have originally, but became must have, as think they complete the R - Having DCC already was a convert, comfort is truly noticeable and specifying the 19 in wheels made this a must have to.

Economy is another thing to think of, it was a real dilemma for me before finally ordered as the GTI will give you better return.

The final decider for me was in fact the 4WD as though tramping is better now with new rubber you do still need to manage your acceleration from start, particularly in the wet and wanted to go back to quick getaways again.

[andrewparker]

Rather than playing around with PCP calculators I'd go and drive both, back to back. That will give you your answer, not everyone else's.

[CraigW]

Thanks for the replies, fiddling with the finance quotes i think £360 per month for the GTI but with DCC is the way im going to go. Its going to be my main car but my past few cars have been a JCW mini and an m135i so even the R will probably be better than both of those for fuel!

For people who have tried both, what's the exhaust and engine note like in the GTI vs the R? My current Mini JCW sounds brilliant with many an exhaust pop and burble so i was hoping to still go for something with a bit of character.

The exhaust note from the GTI is non-existant, the R is slightly better but you would get more pops and bangs with the DSG box. Both sounds internally are fake which seems the way nowadays for many of these care. Coming from an M135 and a JCW then I would get the R because the performance of the GTI is nothing to write home about.

[wigit]

Rather than playing around with PCP calculators I'd go and drive both, back to back. That will give you your answer, not everyone else's.

What you feel through the seat of your pants and fingers these days is often over looked, in deed this can often over come the elements of blandness.

Neither is perfect so all comes to which compromises

[Exonian]

Rather than playing around with PCP calculators I'd go and drive both, back to back. That will give you your answer, not everyone else's.

Well said.


As CraigW says too, coming from the rawness of a JCW and the silky smoothness of the 135i there are several things you'll be wanting to look at so you will be best advised to have a drive in each.

If you're buying for looks, which I'll assume you're not as you've had a 1 series, then a GTI is prettier.
More likely you're buying for driving dynamics, of which both have plenty, but the R nudges it in important areas.
Do you rarely take the car above 4000rpm? If not then the GTI might be a good bet as it's very torquey and both would be neck and neck up to around this sort of figure.
Above 4000 rpm the GTI is still responsive but feels a bit flat and tops out at around 5500. The R however comes alive at this point. It does feel a very different animal to drive when really pushing on.
If you're interested in fuel economy, which again I'll doubt you are (up to a point) having had a 135i, then the GTI is significantly better on fuel and runs on the cheaper stuff.

The R looks pretty plain in pictures but in the flesh when you get up close it's quite beefy at the front and at the back you have those darker lights and the piece de resistance are the 4 pipes. These do actually have a function (on the hatch) in that they make the car sound a lot better under load. If you turn down the electronic crap the car actually does sound ok. Nothing like as good as a JCW and even less so a BMW six but still passable.
Having said that, there's a GTI just around the corner from me and I can always tell when it goes past as I can hear it, which means it does sound ok and has a bit of volume as I hardly notice most of the cars going past.


Inside? Well if you're into black in a big way then the R will be heaven! The GTI has a more characterful interior if you go for cloth. The blue dials in the R are quite nice, but the 'piano black' plastic is a nightmare to keep clean. The golf ball gear knob is reason enough to buy a manual GTI on its own!

Handling? The PP GTI is very sharp and feels light on its feet (partly due the strong torque delivery) until you come to a very sharp bend when you are reminded of how heavy it actually is.
The R feels heavier again and is a real bruiser rather than lithe, but on the right roads it punches above its weight. Its traction and poise are very impressive but it lacks the GTIs nimbleness.

Traction? It's all about the R. The PP diff is very good so long as both wheels aren't pointing dead straight ahead. If the GTI does a straight ahead launch you get wheel spin as there's a lot of torque going through those front wheels. Do the same in an R and it does one of two things - get it a bit wrong and it bogs down; get it right and it just f**ks off up the road very very rapidly, no drama.

Hardly an exhaustive assessment but you get the picture.
I spent 20 months in a GTI PP and am just heading towards 12 months in a GTI.

[JBirchy]

Thanks for the replies, fiddling with the finance quotes i think £360 per month for the GTI but with DCC is the way im going to go. Its going to be my main car but my past few cars have been a JCW mini and an m135i so even the R will probably be better than both of those for fuel!

For people who have tried both, what's the exhaust and engine note like in the GTI vs the R? My current Mini JCW sounds brilliant with many an exhaust pop and burble so i was hoping to still go for something with a bit of character.

The exhaust note from the GTI is non-existant

Really? My GTI with DSG sounds great. Exhaust note is far throatier than I'd have imagined for a 4-Pot and the exhaust upshift farts are brilliant. Never going to match the M135i with its gorgeous 6, but it's pretty good I reckon.

[mjh_056]

Thanks for the replies, fiddling with the finance quotes i think £360 per month for the GTI but with DCC is the way im going to go. Its going to be my main car but my past few cars have been a JCW mini and an m135i so even the R will probably be better than both of those for fuel!

For people who have tried both, what's the exhaust and engine note like in the GTI vs the R? My current Mini JCW sounds brilliant with many an exhaust pop and burble so i was hoping to still go for something with a bit of character.

The exhaust note from the GTI is non-existant

Really? My GTI with DSG sounds great. Exhaust note is far throatier than I'd have imagined for a 4-Pot and the exhaust upshift farts are brilliant. Never going to match the M135i with its gorgeous 6, but it's pretty good I reckon.

Have had performance diesels for 9 years now, 2 x A3 Audi Quattro 170 BHP and the GTD and now mileage has dropped significantly from role change am treating myself to that 'pop' for the first time by ordering my R.

Obviously looked at a few review videos and there is plenty for the GTI and the R that clearly demonstrate that 'pop' with the DSG.

Loved my 'tractors' as they gave me the perfect/economy balance and though you hardly here the diesel clatter in the cabin and have the fake sound, the external sound turns no heads.

So from research they seem pretty noticeable to me and are mentioned quite frequently in videos and usually with a smile  Not 6 pot, but more than decent