Who’s swapping their Mk7/7.5 then...

[dubber36]

The mk4 Golf was reasonably warmly accepted after the plasticky mk3, the GTI became more of a trim level

I had a Mk4 in 1999. I knew lots of people that did too. Few bought them for driving dynamics, most bought them for the perceived quality, blue dashboard illumination and fancy looking clear lens headlights.

There was nothing really to distinguish the GTI from the rest of the range. Colour coded rub strips, 'sports' seats and different wheels. That was about it. In fact the only difference between the normally aspirated and turbocharged versions were the later had 16" wheels, 3 rear headrests and dark wood trim. The turbocharged one did have Recaros to begin with, but they soon became an expensive option.

[Sootchucker]

Well I just configured a new MK8 Golf on VW's new configurator just to get an idea.

It was a Golf 8 Life with the 1.5 eTSI 150PS engine and 7-speed DSG.

I did spec a few options to get it somewhat nearer my current car (so LED headlights, DCC, 18" Alloys, Winter pack, Climate control, rear view camera) - so pretty good but not mad, and certainly still not near the same spec as my current car.

The price - £31,085.00 wow...... for a 1.5 Life edition !

So god knows that the GTI will come in at if VW UK spec it as well as they did the MK7 (7.5) ?

[fredgroves]

Adding GTI standard parts to a lesser Golf was always expensive though.

I remember I tried adding the bits to a R Line TDI 150 and it was more expensive than a GTD and some of the bits you couldn't add at all.

VW charge a fortune for options, less so when they bundle them into a model spec.

[Guzzle]

If you're adding so much kit to a base model, then you're looking at the wrong trim level to start with. They rarely make sense with several options ticked.

As Fred says, I also specced up an R Line with LED's, climate control, active info display and 18's. By the time i'd finished the GTD worked out cheaper.

[golf nutter]

Not impressed at all.  Looks like  Peugot at the front and an illicit affair between a 1 series and a Scirocco at the rear.

[fredgroves]

I saw my first Mk8 in the dealership this morning when i dropped my car off for a service.

It was a bottom of the range one.

My thoughts:

1) Externally I'd argue its hard to tell the difference between a Mk7 and a Mk8 - seriously its hardly radical in real life. Its not even Mk5 vs Mk6 different.
2) Internally its super sparse, but again if you look at the BMW 1 series now, its also very very sparse.
3) The shiny piano black plastic surround of the inovision and AID make it look very plasticy. Seriously, very cheap. A little bit more low cost class there would have a dramatic effect on the feel of the interior. Or even just using matte plastic and not bloody piano black. Shame.

The dealer told me that it drives much nicer than the Mk7 did - not quite sure how much of that is a placebo effect.

There is not even speculation when the UK price on the GTI will be available - according to him, but he's quite frankly less informed than we are on here.

He told me that lead times are currently about 3 months for a factory order.

None of it probably would be enough for me to not want a Mk8...

[mcmaddy]

They tell everyone 3months for a factory order! Reality is nearer 6.

[dervy]

I’m in complete agreement with Fred. I looked at a base model mk8 yesterday and was hard pushed to see the exterior differences to a 7/7.5, apart from the lights. It could just be my perception, but it didn’t seem to have the feeling of quality that my mk6 GTD, 7 GTD and current 7.5R seemed to have in spades. As others have pointed out, the lack of door key covers, hydraulic bonnet strut and plain engine cover just shout out “cost cutting”. In addition, the doors didn’t have the same satisfying “thunk” to my ears. The interior left me cold as well. I know that performance golfs will have an improved interior but unless it’s quite radical I will be looking elsewhere when the time comes to change.

[fredgroves]

I think the sparse look inside is more to do with a trend in motoring. People see Tesla as representing "modern" and if you have ever seen inside one of those it makes Swedish minimalist living look like an overstuffed victorian parlour. It really is super sparse in a Tesla except for a bloody great big slablet nailed to the dash.

Personally, I actually prefer the "concorde cockpit" - a million dials and knobs. I guess its just the inner child in me.

Never liked Swedish interior design ;-)

But all of that being said, if it wasn't for that cheap arse piano black surround it would look a million times better - brushed gun metal alluminium would look waaaay better and probably add a few euros to the cost of the whole car.

[Sootchucker]

I thought it was just me (and my age) that liked lots of buttons Fred 

I think it stems from when I was a child, my dads cars were never top of the range and there were always lots of blanking plates over where switches would go for equipment he never had (or wasn't even available in the UK). Since then, I've always liked lots of buttons in cars (but logically laid out of course), not into this minimalistic lark at all.