Leather Option

[Corey_R]

Hehehe... as with any of these threads, wait enough time and someone will give you an opinion for basically every combination of options and which is better. The threads are pointless....

As for purchasing a new car for resale, it's pointless. You want the least financial impact to the total cost of ownership come resale, buy a car which is less than a year old but not completely new, that way you'll still get a similar resale value but you paid $10k less to begin with so you don't lose as much come resale. So since you're buying a new car which goes against financial sense to begin with, get what YOU want because it won't matter too much either way later on.

Houso makes a good point about aftermarket leather, but you then lose:
heated seats
electric lumbar adjustment
the option for full electronic adjustment for drivers seat in 5 door cars.

Personally, if I were purchasing a Golf GTI there is no way I'd buy it new, or second hand, without leather. But that's just me

[Mk6 GTI]

#1 Leather
#2 ACC
#3 Park Assist

is my order. but if i was going to let my girlfriend drive it then i'd swap 2 and 3 so she didn't scuff my detroits!

I second this order!

[G-rig]

I'd get:

leather
Bi-xenon
18" detroit wheels
MDI
RNS-510
Badge Camera

Maybe dynamic electronic suspension if i didn't want to bother with after market suspension.


Ps. Are you going DSG or 6MT? Hard decision but I may try DSG next time to see what all the fuss is about, and 6MT may not be as fun as the MK5 with the XDS elect throttle.

[gtimal]

I'd get:

leather
Bi-xenon
18" detroit wheels
MDI
RNS-510
Badge Camera

Maybe dynamic electronic suspension if i didn't want to bother with after market suspension.


Ps. Are you going DSG or 6MT? Hard decision but I may try DSG next time to see what all the fuss is about, and 6MT may not be as fun as the MK5 with the XDS elect throttle.

Hi G-rig
I'm going with the DSG box ,getting tired of changing gears in my Seat Ibiza.
I'm not worried about heated seats either I haven't found it to cold enough yet where I couldn't sit on the leather seats in the Maxima .


Cheers

[gtimal]

If you are getting 18" wheels with ACC then definitely test drive a demo with those options first. There are some that think the combination of the two (without putting ACC on comfort/normal mode) can stiffen the ride too much... but then again, it does come down to personal preference.

IMO, I'd go bi-xenon's, leather, park assist.

Hi Christopher
Have you driven the gti with the 18"s and how does the ride compare with the original 17"s .
The idea going with the ACC was I could set it in comfort/normal driving around normal and when I wanted to have some fun set it in sport .


Thanks for all the reply's guys KEEP THEM COMING .


Cheers

[Spook]

Regarding resale value, you get more value the less options you have. So if you prefer the Jacky seats and no Sat Nav, then it's a win-win for you.

[Christopher]

Hi Christopher
Have you driven the gti with the 18"s and how does the ride compare with the original 17"s .
The idea going with the ACC was I could set it in comfort/normal driving around normal and when I wanted to have some fun set it in sport .


Thanks for all the reply's guys KEEP THEM COMING .


Cheers

I tested both the 18"s and 17"s and the 18"s definitely firm up the ride a fair bit IMO, but enough to satisfy me without the need for ACC. Speaking to the dealer, he confirmed this, saying that if I felt that the ride was firm already, then sports mode of ACC and 18"s would be far too hard for me. I think ACC on 17"s is a good option, allow you to have more fun and feel more of the car, but 18"s and ACC, not for me.
but IMO, I didn't see the point in getting ACC if I'm going to have it in comfort for most of the time, I couldn't justify the extra $$ if I'm doing that... but that's just me.

I'm sure though that there are heaps of guys here with 18"s and ACC who could elaborate futher.

Chris

[G-rig]

After market suspension may be better than ACC for the price no? The oem stuff seems fairly underdampened if it's anyhing like the normal setups.

[Dubya]

IMO, the factory option with the highest retained value would most likely be the sunroof.

The factory sunroof is one of the lower cost and better value factory options, is superior to and costs less than the comparable after-market alternatives, adds an extra feature all used car buyers can identify with and many seek (whereas the car already has headlights, in the case of the bi-xenon option, good as they may be on high speed, unlit roads).

I think leather is up there too in the first five years at least in terms of increasing secondary market demand for the car and helping one attain their asking price. Some used Golf buyers will insist on leather and your car might be the only Golf in contention with leather. It also lifts the luxuriousness of the car and is more resistant to stains, although you can always regularly apply anti-stain treatment to cloth trim.

Manual gearbox (-$2,300) is probably the best option: only around a quarter of Golfs have them and if you are patient when selling you will have a greater chance of getting your asking price if yours is one of the better manuals of the few on the used car market in your location. Combine that with luxury appointments such as 'roof and leather and you have a rare offering indeed.

On the Mark VI (GTI, anyway, in which the requisite RCD510 is fitted standard), probably the best value option is the RVC in terms of usefulness and novelty value.

In fact, given the presence of the large screen display in the GTI, leaving this option out is probably doing a disservice to the initial and all subsequent owners. Apart from its obvious novelty and convenience value, there is a significant safety aspect too and for $500 it's a no-brainer. Just look at the trouble Maverick went to fitting one to his Mark V! It would probably be a $1,200 exercise even after the installer has it down pat:
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ad.php?t=35577

(MDI is another no-brainer in this digital music age and costs ~$230 less if ordered as a factory option for around $350 including optional (dealer-supplied) iPod cable.)

An option also around the $500 mark the value of which I am dubious about is the power driver's seat. Only available with the leather option, it costs $600, lacks the memory function which is usually mandatory in a car with multiple drivers (in my case), and is much slower to adjust.

Whilst I applaud the addition of a tilt function to the driver's seat, I think the cost and downsides of a power system outweigh the benefits of tilt in what is already a very supportive seat. The addition of a manual tilt function as standard (a la US GTIs) would have been greatly appreciated.

As for Park Assist at $1,400, I for one take some pride in my ability to reverse park quickly and into spaces far tighter than Park Assist is capable of handling - indeed the tighter the parking space the less likely Park Assist is able to manage it and the larger the space the less you need Park Assist! Nor will Park Assist be able to accomplish Dubya's patented reverse u-turn park.

That said, since I got my GTI I hardly ever seem to reverse park without reversing too sharply and then having to correct and can only put this own to the rear wheels being at the corners of the car (and my largely weekend driving not allowing me enough practice). If Park Assist were half the price I'd get it for novelty value and no doubt use it a lot - and as fast as I dared! - but I would not pay $1,400 to automate a skill I quite enjoy practising (albeit still trying to master on my car!).

VW Bluetooth appears exorbitant given the cost of portable (including Sat Nav-based) and after-market alternatives and same goes for any other options which are at a substantial premium to after-market alternatives (even though in the case of RNS510 it will be fully integrated, I do not expect a lot of its $2,500 cost will show up in resale).

I would not pay extra to have larger wheels with more costly rubber, but I understand that, for others, $1,200 for larger rims would be a no-brainer.

While metallic paint may be an optional necessity (and price gouge) to get one's preferred colour, of itself it is not likely to add much to resale value with the desirability of the car's colour having more impact on saleability.

Seulement mon deux centimes.

[MurphyTheElf]

IMO, the factory option with the highest retained value would most likely be the sunroof.

The factory sunroof is one of the lower cost and better value factory options, is superior to and costs less than the comparable after-market alternatives, adds an extra feature all used car buyers can identify with and many seek (whereas the car already has headlights, in the case of the bi-xenon option, good as they may be on high speed, unlit roads).

It's definitely a sought-after option, but after market can be had fairly inexpensively. You're probably safe either way.

I think leather is up there too in the first five years at least in terms of increasing secondary market demand for the car and helping one attain their asking price. Some used Golf buyers will insist on leather and your car might be the only Golf in contention with leather. It also lifts the luxuriousness of the car and is more resistant to stains, although you can always regularly apply anti-stain treatment to cloth trim.

The leather is very nice. The fact that even the rear of the front seats are leather wrapped was noticed by a jealous BMW 3-series owner. They have plastic at the back of their leather seats. It gives the rear seat passengers a greater feeling of luxury.

Manual gearbox (-$2,300) is probably the best option: only around a quarter of Golfs have them and if you are patient when selling you will have a greater chance of getting your asking price if yours is one of the better manuals of the few on the used car market in your location. Combine that with luxury appointments such as 'roof and leather and you have a rare offering indeed.

Interesting point. You could be right from a novelty point of view, or even as a purist driver. But DSG is very popular and you could get stung waiting for the right buyer. Still, probably OK either way.

On the Mark VI (GTI, anyway, in which the requisite RCD510 is fitted standard), probably the best value option is the RVC in terms of usefulness and novelty value.

In fact, given the presence of the large screen display in the GTI, leaving this option out is probably doing a disservice to the initial and all subsequent owners. Apart from its obvious novelty and convenience value, there is a significant safety aspect too and for $500 it's a no-brainer. Just look at the trouble Maverick went to fitting one to his Mark V! It would probably be a $1,200 exercise even after the installer has it down pat:
http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newf...ad.php?t=35577

I only use the camera when finalising distance during parking. It's difficult to reverse straight at speed even using the on-screen guidelines, and the "fly eye" view of the camera is distorting when reversing around corners. I still prefer the mirrors and head checks for most of my reversing. Still, I wouldn't give it back and it definitely has a novelty factor.

(MDI is another no-brainer in this digital music age and costs ~$230 less if ordered as a factory option for around $350 including optional (dealer-supplied) iPod cable.)

I was dubious of the value of this, until I realised the full scale of the integration - ie: playlists, song, artist, album selection - as opposed to the flat file selection of the hard drive and SD card. However, some people are happy with the standard audio input jack. Plus, the MDI takes up all of the room in the centre console. Personal taste.

An option also around the $500 mark the value of which I am dubious about is the power driver's seat. Only available with the leather option, it costs $600, lacks the memory function which is usually mandatory in a car with multiple drivers (in my case), and is much slower to adjust.

Whilst I applaud the addition of a tilt function to the driver's seat, I think the cost and downsides of a power system outweigh the benefits of tilt in what is already a very supportive seat. The addition of a manual tilt function as standard (a la US GTIs) would have been greatly appreciated.

Adjustment speed is fine - but my missus and I are the same height, so we don't need to adjust it often. However, the fact that seat position memory was not included is VERY disappointing when my friend's Nissan has it. Huge oversight, IMO.

As for Park Assist at $1,400, I for one take some pride in my ability to reverse park quickly and into spaces far tighter than Park Assist is capable of handling - indeed the tighter the parking space the less likely Park Assist is able to manage it and the larger the space the less you need Park Assist! Nor will Park Assist be able to accomplish Dubya's patented reverse u-turn park.

That said, since I got my GTI I hardly ever seem to reverse park without reversing too sharply and then having to correct and can only put this own to the rear wheels being at the corners of the car (and my largely weekend driving not allowing me enough practice). If Park Assist were half the price I'd get it for novelty value and no doubt use it a lot - and as fast as I dared! - but I would not pay $1,400 to automate a skill I quite enjoy practising (albeit still trying to master on my car!).

I love park assist. You still need to be vigilant of obstacles and ensure you start far enough away from the curb, or you will damage some rims. You also can't do it too fast because it disables - and very quickly, which can send you straight into the curb as well. Once you get it right though, you feel like a king sitting in a throne with peasants all around you doing your bidding. I like you put my hands behind my head as the car reverses for me to complete the illusion. Maybe next time I'll have the missus feed me grapes.

VW Bluetooth appears exorbitant given the cost of portable (including Sat Nav-based) and after-market alternatives and same goes for any other options which are at a substantial premium to after-market alternatives (even though in the case of RNS510 it will be fully integrated, I do not expect a lot of its $2,500 cost will show up in resale).

The premium bluetooth price is completely over the top. Especially since it supports a small selection of device - not including the iPhone.

I would not pay extra to have larger wheels with more costly rubber, but I understand that, for others, $1,200 for larger rims would be a no-brainer.

It IS a no brainer. Very small outlay for such a huge visual impact. You'd struggle getting decent aftermarket wheels for even twice that price.