Perhaps a little late on this thread but I'm not sure how future your future is so some comments that may be of use. A lot has been written about these cars so will try not to duplicate. One thing I will say is that TCR was an exercise in marketing, not engineering. That doesn't detract from what is an excellent car though.
Doubtless, you'll have read that 7.5 is peak Golf. I generally agree. I think from a build perspective, they've ironed out the problems before the accountants and haptics were unleashed on the MK8 and the 7.5 still feels modern. I had a MK8 Clubsport which lasted weeks before I gratefully returned it - it felt cheap, chintzy and the interface design was awful and distracting to use. By contrast, my Clubsport S which is a Mk7 has an infotainment system screen that was stolen from a Nokia 3210 and feels ancient. You still need to find your way around and doing so on a screen the size of a postage stamp isn't ideal. They may as well have saved the weight and put a phone mount in as my iPhone Pro Max screen is larger, higher fidelity and has a faster processor. Depending on how long you want to keep the car, connectivity and this aspect is worth considering in terms of daily usability and perhaps resale later down the line.
We bought a TCR new in 2019 and still have it. I think it was the first one on the forum so there is a thread with lots of pictures going back. It's just shy of 50,000 miles and has performed flawlessly. The only issue I have had with the car to speak of is relatively recent where stone damage killed the central radiator and it required replacement. I specified the smaller head unit (standard If I recall) which still retained a physical volume control button as I didn't really want the yawning expanse of screen that came with the upgraded head unit either. I have a burning hatred for centralising every function into a touch screen and piano black finishes show every spec of dust and fingerprint.
FWD vs AWD is a personal decision as are the aesthetic differences. I can offer subjective opinion but in general terms, I don't think you're going to see as much of a difference as the 0-60 time might suggest. I have a MK7 Clubsport S which has equivalent power (FWD) and I've never thought the car wanted for much more power. I could feel the power difference in a Performance that I had as a loaner when the CSS was in for a major service but that's probably an unfair comparison point. Torque is not dissimilar.
I think the TCR is a more desirable car than the R or Performance, certainly within enthusiast circles and apart from the styling kit, you have an exclusive colour option in Pure Grey which I think suits the car particularly well. The rear spoiler, diffuser in particular and skirts are actually more aggressive than on my CSS.
I don't know if you have any specific questions but happy to answer or share some pictures if you need them.
