GTI from TT

[donteatthat]

Hi all, newbie here and hope this is appropriate to post.

As a new Dad i have to get rid of my Audi TT but still wanted a fun car so thought (after having an old mk 3 GTi) that I'd go for a 5 door 2017 GTI facelift, so the questions are.

1: Is it ok for baby e.g. space for prams etc?
2: What upgrades/packs should i look for when buying?
3: There is an option for an R type, anyone had experience, comparison wise looks similar just engine but presume GTI holds value more.

Thanks so much for reading this, 

Simon

[Sootchucker]

ohh... that last question will divide opinion. think you might have just lit a touchpaper 

I'll sit back and watch this one develop 

Sorry can't answer the 1st question as I don't have kids, but would imagine they are just fine.

The MK7.5 Golfs (and the MK7's for that matter) came with pretty good standard spec, so option wise, it's really down to you (e.g. sunroof, leather, sound system, adaptive dampers etc).

[donteatthat]

Uh oh, what have I done..

Specs do look good, not fussed about sun roof but do like the mod cons like climate control, digital dash thing, parking sensors, heated seats etc but especially a good sound system.

I did hear that Golf Rs a bit cheaper to insure. Im not really a speed merchant so R model does seem a little overkill for me.

[ar899]

Have a few friends who became Dads and they moved from a hatchback to an estate.... buggies et al take up a lot of room. There is/was an R estate if you think you might need the extra space.

[Tallpaul]

You'll need to try the boot with whatever pram you've got. Cabin space is fine but the shape of the boot is not ideal if you've got a large pram/buggy.

[Watts]

Have a few friends who became Dads and they moved from a hatchback to an estate.... buggies et al take up a lot of room. There is/was an R estate if you think you might need the extra space.

I was going to suggest an R estate too. Strange how much stuff kids need these days, a MK3 Cortina was fine for three kids a long time ago... As was an Allegro, an Alfa Guilia and a few other cars a fraction of the size of moderns...

[Al1040]

I know this will probably sound heretical to most... but what about the GTD estate, as fast in most circumstances as the 'R' in daily use

[Sootchucker]

Uh oh, what have I done..

Specs do look good, not fussed about sun roof but do like the mod cons like climate control, digital dash thing, parking sensors, heated seats etc but especially a good sound system.

I did hear that Golf Rs a bit cheaper to insure. Im not really a speed merchant so R model does seem a little overkill for me.

I'd be surprised if the R is cheaper to insure with 300bhp, and it's the most stolen hot Golf (unfortunately).

All those items you mention with the exception of the sound system are not options as they are standard fitment to ALL MK7,5  GTD's, GTI's & R's, along with, LED headlights, Led taillights with sequential indicators, minimum of 18" alloys (UK market only) auto lights, auto wipers, Bluetooth, minimum 8" infotainment with navigation, Twin SD card slots, CD drive, USB Socket, front seat lumbar support and seat height adjusters etc.

Later 2019 cars also got rear parking camera, keyless entry, adaptive headlights, lane assist etc. If you can bag a later 2019 one, it comes pretty much loaded (be that a GTI, GTD or R).

[ar899]

If you DO think along the lines of an estate (and that might be a better option than a hatchback) there are quite a few fast VAG estates out there apart from the R/GTD ie Leon Cupra ST and Octavia vRS estate as well as A4/S4 options etc. The world's your lobster.

[steve12345]

Golf is a great family car you don't need to worry about that. Baby seats, push chairs etc - it all fits (so long as you don't have one of those enormous pushchairs).

Only short coming I can think of is that we need to have our passenger front seat pushed a little forward to give enough clearance for the baby seat in back, but at 5'10'' I still fit in the front passenger seat no probs. If you where really tall could be a struggle.

Of course you can get much bigger cars, but only you can determine how much space you really need. Most of my friends when they had kids went BIG (Merc GLC, BMW 5 Series estate, Ford S-max). However for us with 1 child the golf works perfect, I'm pretty sure we would still be fine with a 2nd child too to be honest.

As for the options it comes with a lot as standard. I personally don't feel the need for a good sound system any more. Most of the driving I do is with my son in the back now, I rarely get the car to myself to enjoy music at higher volumes. Plus the playlist nower days is mostly disney and nursary rhymes!

Happy car shopping!