Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[Corey_R]

Other manufacturers seem to be able to include side airbags in similar seat upgrades (eg Clio 200 Cup).

That has been mentioned many times before. Again, whilst the Clio has a "Recaro" label on the seats, they are clearly far inferior to the series of Recaro seats being used in the Golf, and Audis and other cars which have them and don't feature the side airbag.

The Clio seats are far flatter and have substantially less side bolster - even less so than the "standard" GTI and R seats. It would be entirely possible for the torso of a Clio driver to dislodge from those seats and therefore they require the airbag.

The Recaro Motorsports seats used by VW and Audi are a different design, and the addition of a side airbag would very likely be useless, which I would presume is why such "safety conscious" companies don't fit it.

So again, back to my point. Unless people have crash tests which prove otherwise, Car Sales and many others are just making presumptions that it reduces safety by not having it.

[Danny]

That has been mentioned many times before. Again, whilst the Clio has a "Recaro" label on the seats, they are clearly far inferior to the series of Recaro seats being used in the Golf, and Audis and other cars which have them and don't feature the side airbag.

The Clio seats are far flatter and have substantially less side bolster - even less so than the "standard" GTI and R seats. It would be entirely possible for the torso of a Clio driver to dislodge from those seats and therefore they require the airbag.

The Recaro Motorsports seats used by VW and Audi are a different design, and the addition of a side airbag would very likely be useless, which I would presume is why such "safety conscious" companies don't fit it.

So again, back to my point. Unless people have crash tests which prove otherwise, Car Sales and many others are just making presumptions that it reduces safety by not having it.

Sorry Corey, I'm still a big Frog fan, and Credit where credit is due mate. I still considered a 200 Trophee as my next car, I also spent a lot of time in the Recaro seats of both 200 and the R and need to say that I felt a lot more held into the Clio's Recaro's than the R's. Lack of airbags is a BIG reason as well as cost as to why I opted against them.

Clio 200 Recaros




Golf R Recaro's




It is clear to see just by looking at them, that the 200 Trophee has more prominent and snug lateral support on the backrest where the R's taper out wide a little more close to the waist (and certainly better than the stock seats on the R/GTI), something that I backed up by driving the two. The leg bolsters on both cars are close to similar in look and feel. However I felt more secure from lateral movement in the Renault seat.

I don't assume what you know/don't know Corey, and can't even assume that you haven't sat in them back to back as I have, but I think that the Clio 200 Recaro Seats deserve much more credit than you gave them earlier on. They're a fantastic seat. and a $4500 Renault option (Std on the Trophee Pack).

-Dan

[Corey_R]

As you can see from the pictures you provided, the side airbags are an afterthought addition by Renault.
They were probably sick and tired of having to explain this stuff to the press and potential clients who think the only thing that matters in safety is airbags and so stuck them on the side so they no longer had to have this discussion!

IF the seats hold you how you say, how are you going to come in contact with the side airbag?
If the Reno Clio 200 doesn't have curtain airbags, then maybe it has benefit in that situation for your head, but if the seats are as good as you complain, the side airbag is not doing anything for your torso.

[SilvrFoxX]

hmmm all I can say is wow.. this conversation is almost as heated as the Holden v Ford ( and potentially as pointless)...

It really is the lens you throw over the proposition.. I don't drive a car to the limits.. made that mistake once and wont do it again.. so all the science around how it performs under certain conditions were irrelevant to me.. The value proposition played a big role in my decision making process however in the end my wife summed it up for me after I proposed the GTI is the better value / bang for your buck.. she said "I would always wish I got the R because of how it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just after I turned the key... "

Having said that.. if the GTI does it for those that got one all power to you cause that's what really makes us tick..

[REXman]

hmmm all I can say is wow.. this conversation is almost as heated as the Holden v Ford ( and potentially as pointless)...

except it's more like the SS owners saying their car is better than the clubsport cause it got less weight, and heaps of potential!!

Or the GT-P owners getting told they should have gone the XR-8.

Does everything you need they say.

Should have gone the 77TSI then, I reckon. Perfect.

How about a big suck of €€ ££££!!!!

This thread has gotten full of Hermans, talking ABSOLUTE NONSENSE.

Next it'll be how living in some ****hole, is 'quite the experience' compared to living in a nicer place. Awesome stuff keep it up.

[SilvrFoxX]

except it's more like the SS owners saying their car is better than the clubsport cause it got less weight, and heaps of potential!!

Or the GT-P owners getting told they should have gone the XR-8.

Does everything you need they say.

Should have gone the 77TSI then, I reckon. Perfect.

How about a big suck of €€ ££££!!!!

This thread has gotten full of Hermans, talking ABSOLUTE NONSENSE.

Next it'll be how living in some ****hole, is 'quite the experience' compared to living in a nicer place. Awesome stuff keep it up.

Now we all know that a clubsport is far superior to the SS.. how is this blasphamy being allowed in such a good forum..

[Converted]

Oh no! We're all going to die!!!

[hooba]

Oh no! We're all going to die!!!

Thank you reminding us that this place is about having fun.

Interesting that there has been very little comment on "But satnav $2500? Bluetooth $495 plus whatever the dealer wants to fit it? When it's factory-standard on many models costing less than half this? C'mon VW!".

If VW wants to increase its volume, then it should stop charging for options like the premium germans.

[Converted]

Interesting that there has been very little comment on "But satnav $2500? Bluetooth $495 plus whatever the dealer wants to fit it? When it's factory-standard on many models costing less than half this? C'mon VW!".

How true! Although both very different vehicles, I was actually deciding between the GTI and Mazda CX-7 when purchasing. The CX-7 Luxury included leather, sat nav, 9 speaker bose, sunroof, chrome trims, bluetooth, 19" rims etc all as standard. As much as I thought the CX-7 interior looked and felt better with more equipment, the GTI gave me more driving pleasure being used to owning/driving pocket-rockets. Getting off topic here.

[Danny]

IF the seats hold you how you say, how are you going to come in contact with the side airbag?
If the Reno Clio 200 doesn't have curtain airbags, then maybe it has benefit in that situation for your head, but if the seats are as good as you complain, the side airbag is not doing anything for your torso.

That may or may not be the case depending on the force or trajectory of any crash, but that was not the point I was trying to make. I'm sure a side airbag would be a good supplemental system to what the bolster already offers, if only to avoid criticism on VW's part.