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Author Topic: Guilt  (Read 4733 times)

Offline Skye

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Guilt
« on: 05 July 2017, 19:08 »
Hi, today I said goodbye to one of the best cars I've owned. I have had two other Golf's the previous one 26 years ago. Now I have let the GTD go. Not my fault though, blame the government and treehuggers please. Leasing a hybrid was cheaper than a Mark 7.5 and the Mercedes C Class Sport Estate was cheaper than the Golf.
Guilt for changing allegiance, for going hybrid, but most of all for neglecting the capabilities. Only now between cars and having to use public transport for a day, I wish I could be on the A87 (the best driving road ever! well equal to the sea to sky road but I wouldn't have the Golf. I digress).
Goodbye dear friend.

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Offline Exonian

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #1 on: 05 July 2017, 19:29 »
Oooops.

Was the Golf unaffordably more or was it just the lure of saving money?
Life is full of compromises and if you enjoy driving you have to compromise a bit of (lot of) money.
If you enjoy knocking a dimpled white ball around a lumpy field it costs money.
If you enjoy sitting in a plastic chair on the terraces in sub zero temperatures watching your team put in yet another sub standard performance it costs money.
If you like being bound up in bits of leather scrubbing a toilet with a toothbrush whilst a lady tells you how worthless you are it costs money.

Alas, you can now waft around in a German superiority symbol having had the benefit of the government's love in with Diesels from the last few years. And now the government has a new love in the form of supporting French owned power companies.
At least your neighbours will think you've gone up in the world whilst you know you're smugly saving a few quid a month.

You could always do what us mere mortals have to do: buy something you actually enjoy using out of your own money for the days where you can leave the suit and tie in the wardrobe...
(Unless you've got memberships, season tickets and dominatrixes to pay for)  :lipsrsealed:

Don't be a stranger Skye, there'll be another chance to redeem yourself in a couple years. 
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‘25 8.5R, ‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten 

Offline I wanted a GTi

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #2 on: 05 July 2017, 20:10 »
I have to admit that the GTD(with tuning and pedal box) is a very nice car to drive. I think after years of driving fastish diesels you get so used to the torque that driving a petrol is strange, at first.
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5 door GTD in night blue collected 1/3/17

Offline Skye

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #3 on: 05 July 2017, 20:31 »
The Golf was £356 full lease including insurance and well every thing. Even before the Government moved the goal posts it crept up to £410 for the same spec and the base GTI £420. The Merc £364 for hybrid £430 for petrol. I can't justify a Golf over the Mercedes. If it came in at the same price then yes there would be another Golf. What about the GTE well £345. Anyway enough about numbers. A Golf or Mercedes if the latter in my view is much cheaper, 300bhp and rear wheel drive with the airmajigamy suspension as standard. Not much of a dilemma.
One problem just 17inch wheels.
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Offline Exonian

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #4 on: 05 July 2017, 21:01 »
The numbers make interesting reading.
You never know, in a few years time you might be pretty attached to the merc.
300 bhp isn't to be sniffed at.
17" equals comfy ride.
The goal posts might have moved again by then too, but electric is here to stay unless something drastic happens.
Car tech matches on...
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‘25 8.5R, ‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten 

Offline Skye

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #5 on: 05 July 2017, 21:14 »
Hi Exonian, thanks for being neutral. I looked at the Passat GTE but a front wheel drive large car and £30 more. On the other hand there are a few better alternatives than hybrid and it's going to be a Betamax or vhs, Sinclair c5, Kodak inventing digital but thought it would never catch on. I think I'll just hang back a while.
« Last Edit: 05 July 2017, 21:16 by Skye »
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Offline Exonian

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #6 on: 05 July 2017, 21:41 »
I used to think of the Golf GTE as a traitor to the performance Golf cause. A cynical marketing led car driven by current political tides.
Now I just think I'm a lost cause.

Neil Birkett of Volkswagen Driver Magazine raved about the GTE and he's not a man easily pleased.

Think of yourself as a pioneer because in a few years time it's more likely than not that all our beloved petrol hot hatches will have tiny petrol engines and huge vacuum cleaner engines to propel them.
Each generation should hopefully be better than the last.
Maybe that's why VW pulled out all the stops with the GTI's 40th Anniversary. A swansong maybe?

Anyway, I don't have a crystal ball but I do hope you'll drop by and update this thread with your experiences with the Merc to whet our appetites for the future!
Seriously though, it'll be interesting to hear how they compare and what discoveries you make about half and half motoring.
And as I said earlier, if it's all a bit of an anticlimax you could always buy an old hot hatch for weekend fun...
 :smiley:
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‘25 8.5R, ‘23 8R, ‘20 8CS, ‘19 135iX, ‘19 TCR, ‘17 Ed40, ‘17 GTD, ‘15 7R, ‘13 GTI PP, ‘11 GTI, ‘09 GTI, ‘98 Ibiza Cupra, ‘05 GTI, ‘06 Polo GTI, ‘04 GT TDI, ‘05 Fabia vRS, ‘02 GTI T, ‘03 Ibiza TDI 130, ‘01 Leon 180, ‘89 mk2 16v, ‘99 Ibiza TDI, ‘96 VR6, ‘98 Ibiza TDI, ‘92 VR6, ‘88 mk2 8v, ‘92 Polo G40, ‘91 mk2 8v, ‘89 mk2 8v, 205 GTI 1.9, ‘83 mk1 GTI, ‘80 Scirocco GTI, plus some others I’ve forgotten 

Offline Talk-torque

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #7 on: 06 July 2017, 07:23 »
This thread has added resonance after yesterdays announcement by Volvo.

Big changes coming and a lot quicker than most of us thought.
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Roger.

Pure White MY19 GTI PP 5 Door DSG with 19” Brescias.

Offline fredgroves

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #8 on: 06 July 2017, 07:25 »
Company cars have had their day it seems, HMRC have finally decided to close that down - there are a few nasties scheduled that means its increasingly expensive and in 2020 the BIK rates go mental, which is why I bailed after 27 years of driving someone else's car.

As for milk floats, did you see Volvo announce that in 2019 they'd only be making hybrid and full electric vehicles?

The Netherlands are going to ban the sale of anything but zero emission vehicles in 2025 and other countries are mooting the same by 2030.

All new London taxis have to be plug in electric from January 2018 too...

The end is definitely coming, but maybe something interesting will be built once they've finally built the infrastructure to support large numbers of electric plug ins.

Certainly hybrids will be for the dustbin quite quickly too, they are just an interim step.
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Current: Mk8 GTI DSG, Adelaides, DCC, HUD, HK, Winter Pack, Rear Camera.. Aka "HMS Weasel"

Gone: 2017 Mk7.5 GTD,manual, NavPro
Gone: 2014 Mk7 GTD, manual, NavPro, DCC

Offline Hertsman

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Re: Guilt
« Reply #9 on: 06 July 2017, 09:13 »
Goalpost are a moving

Owned a GTD, the most capable car ever owned, moved to an R to add thrill to that capability and glad have now, as the clock is ticking on firstly diesel and then petrol.

There is a chance the next performance Golf at top of the tree will be a hybrid, utilising similar tech to the BMW i8 as there is a concept out there to support that.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-w%C3%B6rthersee/volkswagen-reveals-396bhp-hybrid-golf-gti-concept

Personally happy with that, imagine 350+ BHP with greater economy - The trick is to retain the character that separates the GTI and then the R from anything below.

On another subject here, I could have saved decent amount of money by selecting more prudently but 9 month in with my R, the daily experience has proven worth the extra expense - rarely drink, do not smoke, put the work hours in, and its a case of the R being my personal treat to self.

 
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Present - BMW 128Ti Alpine White, 18" Performance Tyres, Sun Protection Glass, Parking Assist, Heated Steering, Boston Trim, Split Folding Rear Seats, Electric Lumbar Support
- 2nd car: 2019 Golf R DSG Pure White 19" Black Pretoria, Privacy Glass, Rear View Camera, Dynaudio, Keyless
- 2019 Pure Grey GTI TCR 5 Door DSG Reifinitz Wheel DCC Climate Screen 90% Tint
- 2016 Lapiz Blue Golf R 5 Door DSG Pretoria DCC
- 2013 Pure White GTD 5 Door DSG DCC
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