Bought a Clubsport - Hope I dont regret it

[TurboTrev]

Very nice and as I said before, I think you'll be well pleased with it.

[Juicetin]

Looks great. Am i right in thinking there is no lumbar support on those seats?

[Paul70]

Insane, perhaps not but definitely a little crazy! Looking at the maths then it's hard to justify spending this much on a golf considering the discounts available on the other models and I spent a lot of time deliberating even after the order was placed. My head trying to convince me I should have ordered an R or the performance pack. So I think all people who order the Clubsport are a little crazy but in a good way.

Great car by the way! Red and silver were the colours on my shortlist - I went Silver in the end and no regrets but I still love red and with the black roof I believe the optional wheels work best too but it's all personal choice.

Back to the car, I have found no negatives moving from a std MK7 GTI to a CS. If I was really picky I do miss the red door strip lighting and the footwell lighting but this pales into insignificance when you sit in those seats and hold the steering wheel.

The cars dynamics are at least 1 or 2 steps above the GTI - see the other post ending 'can't be long now' if you want to read further details. Not sure if it will fully fill any void left if you decide not to pursue the M2 but if you liked driving the std GTI, then what's not to like about a GTI with an R engine in a sharper chassis with a great interior and some might say an improved exterior.

Enjoy it drisser

[drisser]

Cheers, share your sentiment on the logic, it can't really be justified given a nice low mileage PP can be had for under £20k but I know that I would always have hampered after the CS.

As for the M2 yes it's another level performance wise but stepping from that to my 330d would feel like I am going up not down as the 330d interior with head up display, tan leather etc is lovely.  At least with the golf its "different" to the bmw completely.  I think the seats in particular will be worth the extra.

I have also come to realise the 330d is as fast in the real world as I could realistically enjoy so spending £45k on something quicker but with a lower spec interior might not be sensible. Plus it's another £15k to find.

Am dying to see it in the flesh as I think red looks great on the CS and there will also be not that many around in that colour.

Personally I just don't like the golf R looks so it was never in my shopping list.  I plan to keep it a long time so something that didn't lose a ton of money was important.. Hopefully the relative lack of discounts will mean greater desirability and price and selling time.

Glad you are enjoying yours, all the reviews seem positive so far.

[volkswizard]

I have a CSS but I still admire  the CS and think VW have done probably their best Anniversary model yet by far.

This YouTube vid of a CS (not CSS) at the 'ring says it all, looks a little frisky early on with cold tyres as the (very skilled) driver has to correct some oversteer (44 seconds), the GT3 comes in at 4.42 and he never loses sight of it, amazing.

https://youtu.be/Z6VPhtFKni8

I think the French text says car is unmodified and on the optional Michelin Cup tyres

[drisser]

Yea I saw this vid, some great driving

It does back up the theory that a well driven modern hot hatch will keep pace with most top end cars on the right roads...

[volkswizard]

Also EVO mag are running the CS that VW Driver have just reviewed as their long term test car.
Ian Everleigh will be the 'owner', he's run a few VAG cars of late including a Cupra so will be interesting.

[scanesare]

The cars dynamics are at least 1 or 2 steps above the GTI - see the other post ending 'can't be long now' if you want to read further details. Not sure if it will fully fill any void left if you decide not to pursue the M2 but if you liked driving the std GTI, then what's not to like about a GTI with an R engine in a sharper chassis with a great interior and some might say an improved exterior.

Enjoy it drisser

The dynamics are clearly above the R as well that for the top sports variant (until the CS was introduced) was leaving a lot to be desired. I never test-drove the GTI as it it didn't seem neither powerful nor focused enough for my like but I did try the R  twice and although not a bad car at all, there was a distinct level of overall involvement and feedback missing from it that it always felt more like a capable GT than well, an "R" as in "race-car". Funnily I think there is much more "R-ness" in the Clubsport in terms of driving feel, setup, interior and exterior than there is in the R. Anyone looking for or prioritizing the same things, there is probably no dilemma between the two cars. Which is good as being quite different after all they can meet much broader requirements.

[volkswizard]

The cars dynamics are at least 1 or 2 steps above the GTI - see the other post ending 'can't be long now' if you want to read further details. Not sure if it will fully fill any void left if you decide not to pursue the M2 but if you liked driving the std GTI, then what's not to like about a GTI with an R engine in a sharper chassis with a great interior and some might say an improved exterior.

Enjoy it drisser

The dynamics are clearly above the R as well that for the top sports variant (until the CS was introduced) was leaving a lot to be desired. I never test-drove the GTI as it it didn't seem neither powerful nor focused enough for my like but I did try the R  twice and although not a bad car at all, there was a distinct level of overall involvement and feedback missing from it that it always felt more like a capable GT than well, an "R" as in "race-car". Funnily I think there is much more "R-ness" in the Clubsport in terms of driving feel, setup, interior and exterior than there is in the R. Anyone looking for or prioritizing the same things, there is probably no dilemma between the two cars. Which is good as being quite different after all they can meet much broader requirements.

How do you think an R should differ from a GTI?
I think VW have always tried to make the R(inc 32) a mature fast car like the RS Audis.

While the GTI can be a more 'fun' (hence the '40 years of fun' slogan that's been bandied around this year).

Having owned an R and now a CSS, I find the R a bit one dimensional and 'normal' unless driven hard, something that's hard to do on the public road while the CSS seems to require a lot  more mental processing to get the best out of it, managing the amount of throttle when taking into account the grip available, tyre temperature, ambient temperature, road surface, steering lock applied which makes it more involving.
For example I've seen more ESP activation in my CSS in 200 miles than I ever saw in my R in 8000 miles and I don't think CS Ed40 is all that different.

[scanesare]

How do you think an R should differ from a GTI?
I think VW have always tried to make the R(inc 32) a mature fast car like the RS Audis.

While the GTI can be a more 'fun' (hence the '40 years of fun' slogan that's been bandied around this year).

Having owned an R and now a CSS, I find the R a bit one dimensional and 'normal' unless driven hard, something that's hard to do on the public road while the CSS seems to require a lot  more mental processing to get the best out of it, managing the amount of throttle when taking into account the grip available, tyre temperature, ambient temperature, road surface, steering lock applied which makes it more involving.
For example I've seen more ESP activation in my CSS in 200 miles than I ever saw in my R in 8000 miles and I don't think CS Ed40 is all that different.

Exactly. The driver requirements on the CS are higher but for those eager to keep up, it makes for a way more involving and rewarding experience especially when pushing the car. On the other hand the R feels like it drives itself rather than allowing/requiring you to do it, there is no "drama" whatsoever. This is ok for the most part or when you just want a daily car with some oomph and great traction but becomes an issue when you want to drive it hard and near the limit. The sharpness of the steering or the chassis feedback just aren't there or at least aren't where you'd expect them to be on a top sports variant as the R name suggests. There is always some vagueness and uncertainty which prevents you from approaching the limits as you can do with confidence on more focused cars. In the CS for example, I feel like I can use every last inch of road width available to me and position the car any way I want to, I can't say the same thing for the R in which I felt I had to back off way earlier and be less aggressive.

ESP flashing on a 306bhp FWD just 200miles in, with semi-slicks, this time of the season is hardly a surprise and is probably traction than grip related. Personally I find the PSC2 an overkill even on a car without rear seats unless it's a dedicated track/weekend car. There is no doubt the CS/CSS limits are higher than the R's, but there are some prerequisites to get there simply due to their nature.