Should I upgrade from my Mk5 Golf Gti to the Golf R 2018?

[245PS]

The problem for me, is that £27k on a Golf is big money.

Welcome to 2nd hand car prices in 2022...

I've just had a quick look and there seem to be a few cars similar age and mileage, same price, considerably better spec. Personally for me it's the spec that can make a car. Poverty spec is also fine, at the right price.

[fredgroves]

in 2nd hand cars options rarely have any effect on the price TBH...

Options are for new buyers to waste their money on.

If you look at the buying sites, most don't even ask about options...

[dubber36]

in 2nd hand cars options rarely have any effect on the price TBH...

... making well optioned cars better value for money.

[clubsport]

From what I have seen certain options available on Golf Mk7 / 7.5 do make a difference in price.

As there are quite a few ex lease GTi /R on the second hand market, partly due to rarity & desirability DCC cars should be able to recoup the additional £800 initial outlay.

On mk7 Ed40, the Recaro bucket seats were a £1350 option, again cars equipped with these seats are usually at least that initial outlay above a car equipped with the regular shape GTi seats.

Pro nav, rear camera and even perhaos 19" are nice to have and may help a car sell quicker without adding much to the secondhand price over a lower spec car?

[willni]

in 2nd hand cars options rarely have any effect on the price TBH...

Options are for new buyers to waste their money on.

If you look at the buying sites, most don't even ask about options...

The buying sites don't ask because they want to pay the lowest price possible! An in person valuation from a dealer is always higher in my experience.

[Dazie00]

Having had a  DSG 7R for 7 years and 2 mk5 GTis i may have an opinion
I would say the DSG is a great gearbox but does numb the driving experience, is your 5 GTI a DSG, if so i'm sure you will like it
Yes you can use the paddles or gearstick but very few do but lets not make this into a DSG v Manual debate, ETTO.
I would agree that is a very low spec car for quite a lot of money, they did great lease deals on the R and so many stepped up from 5/6 GTI into the R on poverty spec.
DCC is only needed on 19' wheels that that R doesn't have.
Yes the Tec on the R is light years ahead but when i sold my R last year, getting a 5 GTI , a £400 upgraded  Pioneer Car play stereo upgrade was enough ,didn't miss anything else really.
I do think VW built more solid cars in the MK5 era, my current 7 GTI rattles more than my 5 ever did.
 Finally, when i bought m R for £36k in 2014 , and got £6 for my 5  GTI DSG , did i think the R was a  £30k better car , not in a million years, think  the 5 GTI is a brilliant car and sometimes more isn't always better, test drive a few and others brands.
When i sold my R for £19k and climbed into a 5 GTI did i think it was  £14k worse , no way.
Happy car hunting

[245PS]

Having had a  DSG 7R for 7 years and 2 mk5 GTis i may have an opinion
I would say the DSG is a great gearbox but does numb the driving experience, is your 5 GTI a DSG, if so i'm sure you will like it
Yes you can use the paddles or gearstick but very few do but lets not make this into a DSG v Manual debate, ETTO.
I would agree that is a very low spec car for quite a lot of money, they did great lease deals on the R and so many stepped up from 5/6 GTI into the R on poverty spec.
DCC is only needed on 19' wheels that that R doesn't have.
Yes the Tec on the R is light years ahead but when i sold my R last year, getting a 5 GTI , a £400 upgraded  Pioneer Car play stereo upgrade was enough ,didn't miss anything else really.
I do think VW built more solid cars in the MK5 era, my current 7 GTI rattles more than my 5 ever did.
 Finally, when i bought m R for £36k in 2014 , and got £6 for my 5  GTI DSG , did i think the R was a  £30k better car , not in a million years, think  the 5 GTI is a brilliant car and sometimes more isn't always better, test drive a few and others brands.
When i sold my R for £19k and climbed into a 5 GTI did i think it was  £14k worse , no way.
Happy car hunting

So what are you saying, he should rent a Golf R for the weekend??? 

[dubber36]

when i bought m R for £36k in 2014 , and got £6 for my 5  GTI DSG , did i think the R was a  £30k better car , not in a million years,

It was 30k more because it was a newer car. That's a bit like saying a brand new bogo spec Fiat 500 must be better than a 15 year old Mk5 GTI, because it costs more.

The way I look at it is, the Mk5 GTI was a bloody good car in 2005. Just because technology has moved on and newer models have upped the game doesn't change the fact that it's still a bloody good car today.

[Dazie00]

when i bought m R for £36k in 2014 , and got £6 for my 5  GTI DSG , did i think the R was a  £30k better car , not in a million years,

It was 30k more because it was a newer car. That's a bit like saying a brand new bogo spec Fiat 500 must be better than a 15 year old Mk5 GTI, because it costs more.

The way I look at it is, the Mk5 GTI was a bloody good car in 2005. Just because technology has moved on and newer models have upped the game doesn't change the fact that it's still a bloody good car today.

Maybe i phrased it wrong, but yes the 5 GTI is a great car and that the R wasn't really anymore enjoyable and an awful lot more money,
And obviously you can't rent one for  a weekend but you can test drive a manual R or GTi or Type r  .

[Exonian]

Another ex-mk5 GTI (stage 1) and Golf 7 R owner.

Poverty spec isn’t exactly full on poverty so don’t get hung up on extras. They drive the same whether the first owner spent £5k in extras or was as stingy as me! Especially on a 7.5 model, all the best things came as standard with the exception of Pretorias (which can be added afterwards). Buy on condition only as many previous owners/keepers are/were onanists so plenty got dinged, hammered, stolen or any mix of those. But there are also a lot of very well looked after R’s about as they attract some err… “varying types” of owner. Some look like they lick the underside of the car clean every other day.

I can think of plenty of pro’s and cons for either model but everyone who likes Golfs should spend a bit of their life with a mk5 GTI and a 7R. Both are icons.

As for prices, god knows. The market has changed drastically and no doubt it’ll change again. The only certainly is one day you’ll be brown bread so if you can afford it then go for it.