Rumours of the GTIs demise have been greatly exaggerated

[Booth11]

GTI's have been a very scare sight round my way, but I have noticed a a few more on the road in the last couple of months, but still not a common sight by any stretch.  R's are slightly more in number but still sub 10 and similar number of GTD's. In the great scheme of things they are all fairly exclusive.  Seeing a lot more R-line flavour models around.  Imposters. 

[fredgroves]

I think the thing probably is something like this:

If you want a well spec'ed oil burning golf, its the GTD. In fact a GT 150ps TDI with some options is such a bad deal it actually makes more sense to buy a GTD. So if you have decided on a NOx monster, this is probably where you will end up assuming you don't have a tight budget, but the middle of the Golf range is quite unattractive.

On the petrol front its not so clear. You can have a reasonably performing petrol GT but again the spec is seriously less for the money, so why not have all the toys and go a bit further to one of the performance models, the fuel economy isn't massively decreased by doing so. When you get to that decision point, is an R a serious stretch from a GTI? Well, no not really and its 4WD and its lots more power.... no, sod it, lets have the top of the range.

I think if you want to see rare beasts, its the middle of the Golf range that has the least sales, particularly a middle spec estate in petrol.

[Mustabuster]

I see a lot more normal Golfs than performance Golfs. Of those, about half are GTD and about the same between GTI and R. I even saw a GTE once.

The thing is a buyer needs to draw the line somewhere. If you add 2-3k on top of what you are looking at there's always something else within reach and then there's something beyond that etc. I did look at the R, the Cupra and the Audi S3 as well but went for the GTI in the end mainly because I didn't want my running costs to sky rocket (my previous car was a Golf diesel.) and I'm a relatively high mileage driver.

[Daz Auto]

I see a lot more normal Golfs than performance Golfs. Of those, about half are GTD and about the same between GTI and R. I even saw a GTE once.

The thing is a buyer needs to draw the line somewhere. If you add 2-3k on top of what you are looking at there's always something else within reach and then there's something beyond that etc. I did look at the R, the Cupra and the Audi S3 as well but went for the GTI in the end mainly because I didn't want my running costs to sky rocket (my previous car was a Golf diesel.) and I'm a relatively high mileage driver.

Someone else referred to this as 'mission creep'. It is hard to avoid. By the time I'm finished with the options list my car will be £6k more than the basic 3 door manual.

I see mostly GTD's. Which isn't surprising given the rural location. At the seaside, at the weekends, there is a good variety cruising up and down the Prom. There even appears to be a fair few performance Golf fakes. Cars with twin or quad exhausts to look like the GTI or R. The best I saw was a Mk7 Golf with a single rear exhaust and it appeared to have the front end of a GTD. That mod must have cost thousands.

[Sootchucker]

Thing is you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere when it comes to cost, otherwise they just spiral out of control.

I agree with Fred that looking at something like a 150PS TDI GT or R-Line model represents relatively poor value when you add on the costs of the "missing" bits of equipment that the GTD has. I specced one on the configurator a short while ago, and getting a GT DSG to as near the spec of a vanilla GTD as possible, ended up with the GT costing a few hundred pounds more !

On the flip side, if all the extra tech that the performance models have leaves you cold (performance, Xenon's, Climate control, winter pack, 18" alloys etc. etc.), then a standard off the shelf GT or R-Line does end up at quite a but lower price than a GTD. I knwo what I would want and I ordered a GTD (my second).

If you have a budget of say £30k for the new car then a manual or Auto GTD or GTI would be my choice without options (OK maybe metallic paint) with the most expensive of the foursome (the GTI 5 door DSG) coming in at £29,935.00. As I said, it's all about the line in the sand, because if a £30k is your maximum (and that's pushing you), then another £2k for an R (£31,865 for a 3 door manual) to nearly £4k (£33,395) for the 5 door DSG might just be the straw that broke the camels back.

Obviously I'm quoting list prices and I know we would all get discount off these, but I'm pretty sure the price differential between models after discount will still be something similar.

[Jan DR]

Golf 7 GTI is very rare in Belgium. And so far didn't come across another Clubsport

[Moro]

I like that my car is quite rare around here...but had I been buying 6 months later I am sure I would have chosen the R.

[Guzzle]

150 bhp would probably be adequate for my needs, unfortunately the standard spec of the GT and R-Line models is not.

I'd happily take one if it'd save me some money, however by the time I add on LED headlights, 18 alloys, climate control and the winter pack it then makes more sense to buy a GTD or a GTi.

[matchboy]

Golf 7 GTI is very rare in Belgium. And so far didn't come across another Clubsport

I see more Clubsports in my area than normal GTI's!  Few R's and a lot of GTD's.

[Briggsy]

Reason I went GTI over the R is the fact it's more practical, it's one of the few hot hatches you can fit a towbar too and legally tow!

Much needed for my bike carrier.