Golf GTI or the R

[RAIDEN]

Hi not been on here for a good while.

I might change my car later on in the year and i'm just wondering if the R is worth that bit extra.  I have a S3 8 P at the moment and I know the GTI is slightly slower and i'm not sure if this would bother me or not over time or if I would notice it much?  I know the GTI and R share a lot other than the one of them being AWD.  If i'm honest I don't drive as hard as I used to and I mainly do motorway miles but I just have it in my head that I might regret not stretching my budget to a R.  Again doing a lot of miles ill want a DSG box and watching videos on the GTI the PP seems worth the money but ill being going for a used one pre facelift.  Any thoughts?  The wife says go big or go home

[barrym381]

You might miss the traction going for the gti rather than the r as your coming from an s3

[CHB100]

I think you may have answered your own question, I would say if you are looking at MPG and on a pre-facelift budget, it has to be a GTI PP. I would personally go for an R but then I only do around 6/7k miles a year. I'm sure there must be some nice DSG Rs for sub £20K. Depends if you are p/x or not also.
Sounds like a nice specced DSG PP is your bet.

[Daz Auto]

With all the cheap finance deals for the Golf R coming to an end, it may have a similar second-hand price.

Here is a comparison of the performance of the 3 cars - http://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/6a025f7erf5g

The Golf R was one of the cars I looked at before I ordered my GTI. I made a pros and cons list. In the end this swung it for me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqE5iKI2M9A

I read several reviews that suggest the standard R suspension is more comfortable than the GTI. Though I suspect it may have something to do with the standard fit tyres being better on the R. A couple of other reviews say that the GTI is better as a daily driver as it is lighter and has less turbo lag. I suggest you have some test drives.

From reading the forums, there were a few problems with some Golf Rs. Turbochargers, haldex clutches and manual clutch slip.

[JoeGTI]

I've had a MK7 GTI and now an R. The suspension/ride is absolutely definitely more compliant in the R. And my GTI was on 18's - the R is on 19's. I'm not sure if its a springs/damping issue or (more likely imo) the extra weight / weight distribution that makes the R feel like the more composed car on the bumps.

@OP if its mainly motorway driving you do, then there's really not much between a GTI PP and an R. Its on the backroads where the significant extra grip in the R comes into its own. Or even around town, coming off slippy roundabouts, etc, the grip and traction is on another level, so in those circumstances you might miss what you have in the S3.

Running costs barring fuel are much the same. I used to average 33-34-ish in the GTI but it's around 26-28 in the R. But with a lot of relaxed motorway cruising you'd approach mid 30's in the R and near 40 in a GTI.

[RAIDEN]

I think nearer the time i'll have to try them both.  The S3 I love but I brought a 3 door and I should of listened to the wife and got a 4 (2 kids we cart about which ain't even ours  )

I do about 14k a year but i'm not buying a diesel.  Just need something quick,comfortable and practical.  Not going on the track at all but if the R's will start coming down I might just wait.  Also the GTI does it come with satnav as standard?

Had an R32 before and as good as it was not a good idea to buy for the miles I do

[fredgroves]

At 14k I wouldn't bother with an oil burner either.

SatNav wasn't standard for a while and there are a few different sorts that you could get.

I'd definitely try to make sure its got AppConnect (Android auto or Apple CarPlay) enabled though....

[mcmaddy]

With all the cheap finance deals for the Golf R coming to an end, it may have a similar second-hand price.

Here is a comparison of the performance of the 3 cars - http://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/6a025f7erf5g

The Golf R was one of the cars I looked at before I ordered my GTI. I made a pros and cons list. In the end this swung it for me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqE5iKI2M9A

I read several reviews that suggest the standard R suspension is more comfortable than the GTI. Though I suspect it may have something to do with the standard fit tyres being better on the R. A couple of other reviews say that the GTI is better as a daily driver as it is lighter and has less turbo lag. I suggest you have some test drives.

From reading the forums, there were a few problems with some Golf Rs. Turbochargers, haldex clutches and manual clutch slip.

Standard R suspension feels nicer due to the car being heavier. Same standard fit tyre on an R that's on a GTi which is Bridgestone and the only reason clutches were slipping was they were either remapped or had a tuning box on them. I test drove an R and a GTi pp back to back and while I loved the R the GTi pp made more financial sense for me.

[JoeGTI]

The R's manual clutch is a known weak point. If you're the type that's ever likely to remap then DSG is very advisable.

Personally, for me, DSG is very advisable regardless. It totally makes the car.

All R's where I am come on 19's as standard and the tyres fitted from factory on the 19's tend to be either Continentals or Pirelli P-Zeros. The 19's on the R have a slightly different tyre size too to those on a GTI. Very slightly higher sidewall - probably due to the extra weight, which would also help explain why an R on 19's rides better than a GTI on 19's.

The standard 18" Cadiz on UK cars are one ugly wheel so I'd be upgrading those if it were me...

[Darlo]

I went from a mk7 GTI Manual to a S3 8v Manual, both had DTUK box installed. Love them both but love the extra traction in the S3.

As my S3 was 3dr and the Mrs was pregnant I sold it and currently have a mk7 GTI with a DSG box.... I am not a fan of it at all. Traction is terrible in any other than perfect conditions. Once you are up and running you are ok and bimbling about the box is decent. Much preferred the manual GTI.

I have a golf r estate on order.... best of both worlds. Plenty of traction, quicker than GTI and the mpg difference will be minimal. Luckily the Mrs like my GTI so she is having that.