The Golf GTI is now dead, but...

[fredgroves]

Its funny, I've tried over the years at looking at the next size down car to the one I initially want and never found there to be much value in doing that - well not in either leasing or PCP anyway.

All I seemed to end up with was less car for the money...

[Jim_mk7.5]

Technically, the Golf GTI is far from dead!

Can't quite understand the huge price hike on UP! GTI for what appears to be nothing extra.

[monkeyhanger]

Its funny, I've tried over the years at looking at the next size down car to the one I initially want and never found there to be much value in doing that - well not in either leasing or PCP anyway.

All I seemed to end up with was less car for the money...

The car manufacturers realise that downsizing is appealing to a lot of people now. Those smaller cars are now coming with the kind of standard kit that.the bigger cars used to get.

Cars are getting bigger and bigger now. The new Polo is significantly bigger than the last one, I don't consider it a small car any more. With the front seat set up comfortably for me, there is just 10mm less legroom behind me in the Polo than my Golf R.

Coming from an R, I really don't feel I'm compromising in the Polo. I do appreciate the savings though. I bought both Polos outright, they have a GFV of £11500 after 3 years, so I have expectations of £13k in private sale and £15-16k sticker price at the dealership. I only need to put £225 a month away to cover the depreciation on each one if I want shot after 3 years.

[Exonian]

Technically, the Golf GTI is far from dead!

Can't quite understand the huge price hike on UP! GTI for what appears to be nothing extra.

Technically the Golf GTI is very dead! 
Closed for new orders and no mk8 yet. That’s pretty flatlined!

It was just a jokey thread that I thought might get a couple shocked replies to on the up! price increase rather than drag into a nice and almost sensible debate.

Its funny, I've tried over the years at looking at the next size down car to the one I initially want and never found there to be much value in doing that - well not in either leasing or PCP anyway.

All I seemed to end up with was less car for the money...

If someone is in the very fortunate position of being a cash buyer or has large equity in their part-ex plus low interest bank loan to top up the price differential then it’s questionable whether buying slightly used versus discounted new is better, but buying that way has a more rigid ceiling as to what the purchaser can afford.

With a PCP, depending on deals and promotions it’s literally deposit and monthlies which can make a more expensive car with low depreciation just as affordable as a smaller cheaper car with average depreciation.
Same for leasing and the reason the R deals were so fantastic five years ago (god that time went quickly!) off the back of the minimal assumed depreciation VW based their calculations on using the mk6 R as its reference.

[fredgroves]

Monkey, I've already downsized back in 2014 - my first Mk7 was the smallest car I'd driven in 20 years - i used to drive Mondeo's etc.

The financial aspect though does interest me, the Golf sized cars are getting VERY expensive if you want some toys.

Two questions though:

1) Does the Polo GTI have ACC?
2) Do you find you are bullied on the road with a smaller car? Driving the wife and kids cars I do find that happens...

[Watts]

Do you find you are bullied on the road with a smaller car? Driving the wife and kids cars I do find that happens...

You want to try driving a 1.0L Lupo to experience bullying, it's horrendous

[fredgroves]

With a PCP, depending on deals and promotions it’s literally deposit and monthlies which can make a more expensive car with low depreciation just as affordable as a smaller cheaper car with average depreciation.
Same for leasing and the reason the R deals were so fantastic five years ago (god that time went quickly!) off the back of the minimal assumed depreciation VW based their calculations on using the mk6 R as its reference.

The GFV on PCP is a marketing tool as much as the list price, deposit contributions or interest rates. I've seen dealers on other forums discuss this (about BMW!). It has little bearing on the actual residual value of the car in most cases. One guy talked about how those three things vary, depending on the time of year. One minute its less interest, next its more deposit contribution or less GFV. Probably its actually working out net the same, just trying to attract you with an "offer".

And yes, my two Mk7's were on paper higher value cars than I would have chosen normally but the way PCP works, I paid less than I would for say an equivalent Skoda.

I could buy a car outright, chuck the equivalent monthly payments back into a savings account but even the fact that I'd be ditching any interest on the loan, my problem is the risk element. I definitely want rid of it after 3 years, but with PCP I know what that figure is at that point - if I sell it myself, the risk that I have got that GFV figure right for myself is on me.

Particularly right now, how do I know that a juicy petrol burner is going to have any particular value from now? (given the current world of electrification, rising VED and bans from urban areas we will see coming)  Obviously VWFS have a figure in mind, but if they get that number wrong its not my problem. If I get it wrong and its 3 grand different, that will have made that car very expensive for me to have owned for 3 years and I won't know that until 3 years time.

That's why PCP/PCH is attractive - you know how much it costs for 3 years and for each month.

[P6GTD]

This last post pretty much defines why I went the PCP route this time instead of cash purchase.
By taking the equity from the sale of my Mk7 and sticking it in a savings account I earn around 1% pa interest. The PCP is 3.9% so net cost is 2.9% which is about the best bank loan rate I can get.
I know all the PCP calculations involve greater complexity but I’m a simple soul.
In view of a somewhat uncertain future for performance cars I decided to go for PCP at it de-risked so many factors.
Given how quickly the public mood changes these days, I reluctantly felt PCP was the right route this time.

[Zermatt]

As the 3 door Golf GTi is no more and has been for some months, I’d any body else putting the Yaris GR-4 on their shopping list?

[jv]

That thing sounds fully mental, be interesting to see how it's priced