Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[Fab_R]

Not that there is anything wrong with that

Everyone does!

Thats because the R is a superior car to the GTi....Hands down!!

[Brian]

Thats because the R is a superior car to the GTi....Hands down!!

and so it should be for the extra Oxford Scholars

[Jasonpb]

Well I have no understanding of how anyone can compare the GTI to the Golf R. When I test drove a GTI I was impressed but it didn't make me want to purchase it on the spot. I thought this is a lot of moolah for a little hatch back and whilst it's nice there was also nothing really special about it.

On the other hand the Golf R just made me smile and want one instantly I seriously can't get enough of this car. The acceleration and it's power band is what makes it an exciting car to drive compared to the GTI and the AWD system is fantastic. Handling wise the car feels pretty neutral to me even when being pushed hard.

My car didn't come with ACC which I do regret not buying given it was only $1500 but I can't really fault the setup of the car even with 19" rims the ride quality is better than my honda euro luxury I just sold. I am dying to drive a car with ACC just to see the difference between the two.

I wouldn't go changing the sway bars as for the street it's the perfect setup, altering them is only going to impact on the handling where you drive the car the most. You can feel the car at the limit with the current setup without going for a slide and body roll is minimal, if you're after a go-kart then by all means change them.

If I was to find one fault with the R which a retune might help correct it's the lag on take off before the turbo kicks in which isn't experienced as much on the GTI. Personally this is what I like about the R but I can see how some people wouldn't.

With several options as standard in the Golf R and with minimal price difference spec for spec between the two I think you would be crazy to purchase a GTI over a Golf R, if I had just purchased a GTI would I upgrade... hell yes!

The Golf R is everything you could want it to be whilst the GTI just left me feeling like I wanted more out of the car for what I was spending.

Golf R score 9/10
GTI score 6/10

[Prodigy]

Great write up Jasonpb, sound's like you spent most of last night in the car.

It's fantastic to hear you are happy without the ACC, this was my biggest regret not adding it to my car but so far everyone has said they are still more than impressed with the standard ride.

I so can't wait to get mine...

[Jasonpb]

Great write up Jasonpb, sound's like you spent most of last night in the car.

It's fantastic to hear you are happy without the ACC, this was my biggest regret not adding it to my car but so far everyone has said they are still more than impressed with the standard ride.

I so can't wait to get mine...

The two and a bit week wait after it's landed is the killer part

[MkVIGTI]

With several options as standard in the Golf R and with minimal price difference spec for spec between the two I think you would be crazy to purchase a GTI over a Golf R, if I had just purchased a GTI would I upgrade... hell yes!

There's also the problem of the lack of discounts available on the R compared to the GTI you have to factor in though.

The two and a bit week wait after it's landed is the killer part

+1 I remember counting the days after my GTI arrived and had to painfully wait for the call!

[Corey_R]

There's also the problem of the lack of discounts available on the R compared to the GTI you have to factor in though.

There have been good (comparable to GTI) discounts since day 1 on the R for people who wanted them and know how to negotiate. Recently some people have been reporting that it's getting harder to get discounts due to the wait on the R's - but I'm not sure if this is just similar to the people saying that there "is no discounts on the R" when it first came out, or whether something has actually changed.

[guest12345]

Comparing GTI and R side by side is just stupid. Of course the R is better. It is like comparing a 52" tv and a 42" tv at jbhifi. Side by side you can clearly tell the 52" is better.

BUT once you take it home, the GTI is still a very good car.

In saying that, the R is a very good car compared to the GTI especially the price difference is only 10K+ and the AWD system, bixenon parking sensors (as standard) cover those costs.

So really, buy the gti if you are going to keep the options to the minimum, as soon as you add bixenon, leather, etc. You may as well buy the R.

Anyways, i think the mk6 gti got a bad deal. Because vw no longer want to make the bigger engined R(32), they didn't really upgrade the mk6 enough, because it would be too similar to the R. Considering the Pirelli got better parts than the mk6 says it all.

I think in the future it will continue to be the case. The Golf have 2 very similar cars running on a 2 litre engine, therefore the gti will always get the bad deal. The mk7 gti will probably get the engine and turbo of the mk6 R with FWD, and the mk7 R will just get new stuff.

[SilvrFoxX]

.

I think in the future it will continue to be the case. The Golf have 2 very similar cars running on a 2 litre engine, therefore the gti will always get the bad deal. The mk7 gti will probably get the engine and turbo of the mk6 R with FWD, and the mk7 R will just get new stuff.

I doubt that .. the GTI just got a new engine and the R is the MKV engine..

[Corey_R]

Comparing GTI and R side by side is just stupid. Of course the R is better. It is like comparing a 52" tv and a 42" tv at jbhifi. Side by side you can clearly tell the 52" is better.

I guess I get the point you're making, but that's a pretty bad example. Whilst 52" is clearly bigger than 42", bigger doesn't mean better
The 52" is only better than the 42" if it's a better model! In fact, even if it's the same model, people could argue that the 42" would be better (quality) because of the finer dot-pitch of the screen....