Golf 40th vs Golf R

[Bassik]

I'm looking forward to picking mine up in 2 weeks hopefully, currently driving an RS3, previous car was S3 sedan. My sister has a manual Polo GTi and that is loads of fun to drive.

You'll no doubt have fun I'm sure of it. Oh man my previous car was a Polo GTi and that was a little gunner... had more fun on that then current mk6 Golf

At $46k a GTI makes a lot of sense; at $56k an R makes sense. Horses for courses, err budgets.

This in it's simplest form is absolutely correct. Then if you factor in the second hand option the 40th could fit in. I wonder what the loss would be the second you drive it out the dealership. Spoke to a guy on the weekend who paid $63k for his R and he reckons he'd get low $50s for it now...

[Mattlock]

Yeah, but if you haggle drive the price properly, you should be below $60k. I paid $58k for mine against getting an extra $4k on my trade-in (so a nett $54k). It is a MY16 car but Manual with no options.

So I'd take low $50s now!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mattlock]

In reality, any new car depreciates and the 40th will be no different over the first 3-5 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SevenR]

yep, you can get brand new 'base' model dsg R for 55k now drive away & thats in WA with about $4k in 'on road' fees included.

[ringo]

I was between these two cars recently and in fact they are more different than most people tend to think. The over-simplified comment I read a lot is "well it's almost as expensive as an R so obviously buy the R because 4 wheels is better than 2 right???" Which is more of a basic math argument rather than a technical one dealing with the two cars in question really.

They are obviously both a Golf, which is a good thing. You get an upmarket grown-up character, the build quality, ride refinement and typical luxuries you'd get in any other Golf. The R is a great all-rounder but it's a rather point to point car and not one that will provide many thrills during enthusiastic driving or when pushing to the limit. The haldex offers superior traction but has nothing to do with grip around corners nor can it make up for the absence of a limited slip diff if driving it hard is your thing. During my test-drive it felt very capable at reasonably fast speeds but nothing more than that, none of the extra effort/excitement I was looking from a 40K EUR sports car.

The Clubsport on the other hand has been tweaked especially for this purpose. The stiffer dampers, different suspension geometry, new steering rack, aero bits, E-VAQ lsd and reduced weight make it the most driver-involving variant of the series. It corners better and faster than its siblings, brakes better (PP/R brakes but 100+ kg off its back compared to the R, coupled with integrated brake cooling ducts on the front mask) and is the one that you'll be able to drive/place exactly as you want before a corner. In fact, its bigger/more obvious difference from the GTI PP according to reviews is not the added power but the significantly improved chassis behaviour.

I do maybe 2-3 track days per year and some back-road driving and when I looked for the most rewarding Golf in that area it was clear to me which one I had to go for. Especially since where I live I have never needed AWD to overcome any physical conditions, nor do I race from traffic lights any more (not that I was ever keen on that).

I've left the looks for the end. When I entered the R I test-drove there was nothing. I expected to see a few sport touches here and there that would provide a clue you are in a flagship performance car but to my big surprise there was nothing. The car seemed like any other Golf for that matter. Same from outside. Everything is so understated (I get that some people might like it) that you easily confuse it for a 1.4 TSI R-Line and suddenly when you look at the back there's a whole lot of 4 exhaust pipes out of nowhere, on a 2lt. hatch-back. That stroke me as quite a design imbalance.

The Clubsport on the other hand looks like a special sports Golf should be. More aggressive exterior but not overplayed, it retains the Golf's classy line for the most part but there's some clear details that do set it apart. Same for the interior. Amazing bucket seats and steering wheel, and several sports details everywhere (door trims, front dash, gearbox), it makes it clear what was the design intent behind it. Not to mention that for every Clubsport you'll see on the street (if any) you'll see another 1000 R's at least, they are that common in most EU markets (no idea about Australia though).

Strictly financially speaking the R might probably make more sense (although resale values could turn this to the CS's favour) especially if you're not after the most exciting driving experience but there's good reasons that make a Clubsport as much (or even more to some) desirable. Both cars offer exclusivities, (R: AWD, CS: handling, special/wow factor) it's up to you to decide which are higher in your priorities list.

I think you might be able to guess which one I went for in the end?

[Vagabond]

Very tough decision for me too.. Without any negotiation to the R my impression was the 40 was ~$5k cheaper. I'm genuinely attracted to the overall look of it being something quite different with the contrasts, kit, spoiler, unique interior and hoping that they limit numbers (especially manual) as currently planned. Based on my current GTI, always thought the FWD is fun whereas my impression of the R is that it has a more streamlined feel to it.

I don't think you'd feel sorry with either sitting in your garage but for me it was the limited run of the Edition 40 that pulled me over the line.

Will see how I feel until September given my wait!

Don't understand why they wouldn't let you test drive. Absolutely compulsory for me as I'm super paranoid about rattles.

Edit: Funny - Ringo's post showed up just as I posted mine! The point about test-driving an R and not 'feeling it' resonates with me too, whereas I've developed a stupid attachment to something as trivial as the red-lining on the 40's seatbelts

[ringo]

Very tough decision for me too.. Without any negotiation to the R my impression was the 40 was ~$5k cheaper. I'm genuinely attracted to the overall look of it being something quite different with the contrasts, kit, spoiler, unique interior and hoping that they limit numbers (especially manual) as currently planned. Based on my current GTI, always thought the FWD is fun whereas my impression of the R is that it has a more streamlined feel to it.

I don't think you'd feel sorry with either sitting in your garage but for me it was the limited run of the Edition 40 that pulled me over the line.

Will see how I feel until September given my wait!

Don't understand why they wouldn't let you test drive. Absolutely compulsory for me as I'm super paranoid about rattles.

Edit: Funny - Ringo's post showed up just as I posted mine! The point about test-driving an R and not 'feeling it' resonates with me too, whereas I've developed a stupid attachment to something as trivial as the red-lining on the 40's seatbelts

Lol, cross-posting, I hate it!

But just replying in order to second what you say about not going wrong with either of them. I hope I made it clear in my last lines, don't want to start a "which is better" pointless debate. "Better" needs requirements defined and prioritised as well as a driver's profile to be confidently claimed for either car.

[Bassik]

I was between these two cars recently and in fact they are more different than most people tend to think. The over-simplified comment I read a lot is "well it's almost as expensive as an R so obviously buy the R because 4 wheels is better than 2 right???" Which is more of a basic math argument rather than a technical one dealing with the two cars in question really.

They are obviously both a Golf, which is a good thing. You get an upmarket grown-up character, the build quality, ride refinement and typical luxuries you'd get in any other Golf. The R is a great all-rounder but it's a rather point to point car and not one that will provide many thrills during enthusiastic driving or when pushing to the limit. The haldex offers superior traction but has nothing to do with grip around corners nor can it make up for the absence of a limited slip diff if driving it hard is your thing. During my test-drive it felt very capable at reasonably fast speeds but nothing more than that, none of the extra effort/excitement I was looking from a 40K EUR sports car.

The Clubsport on the other hand has been tweaked especially for this purpose. The stiffer dampers, different suspension geometry, new steering rack, aero bits, E-VAQ lsd and reduced weight make it the most driver-involving variant of the series. It corners better and faster than its siblings, brakes better (PP/R brakes but 100+ kg off its back compared to the R, coupled with integrated brake cooling ducts on the front mask) and is the one that you'll be able to drive/place exactly as you want before a corner. In fact, its bigger/more obvious difference from the GTI PP according to reviews is not the added power but the significantly improved chassis behaviour.

I do maybe 2-3 track days per year and some back-road driving and when I looked for the most rewarding Golf in that area it was clear to me which one I had to go for. Especially since where I live I have never needed AWD to overcome any physical conditions, nor do I race from traffic lights any more (not that I was ever keen on that).

I've left the looks for the end. When I entered the R I test-drove there was nothing. I expected to see a few sport touches here and there that would provide a clue you are in a flagship performance car but to my big surprise there was nothing. The car seemed like any other Golf for that matter. Same from outside. Everything is so understated (I get that some people might like it) that you easily confuse it for a 1.4 TSI R-Line and suddenly when you look at the back there's a whole lot of 4 exhaust pipes out of nowhere, on a 2lt. hatch-back. That stroke me as quite a design imbalance.

The Clubsport on the other hand looks like a special sports Golf should be. More aggressive exterior but not overplayed, it retains the Golf's classy line for the most part but there's some clear details that do set it apart. Same for the interior. Amazing bucket seats and steering wheel, and several sports details everywhere (door trims, front dash, gearbox), it makes it clear what was the design intent behind it. Not to mention that for every Clubsport you'll see on the street (if any) you'll see another 1000 R's at least, they are that common in most EU markets (no idea about Australia though).

Strictly financially speaking the R might probably make more sense (although resale values could turn this to the CS's favour) especially if you're not after the most exciting driving experience but there's good reasons that make a Clubsport as much (or even more to some) desirable. Both cars offer exclusivities, (R: AWD, CS: handling, special/wow factor) it's up to you to decide which are higher in your priorities list.

I think you might be able to guess which one I went for in the end?

Great write up ringo thnx, so having test driven both I had a feeling you'd most probably go for the 40th. I also do agree it would be more fun to drive. I sensed it from the GTi PP and as I mentioned before even my Polo GTi was more enjoyable to scoot around in, more agile and zippier. However now coming to a Golf I've found myself just wanting more comfort, luxury with the option to have a little fun.

May I ask in comparison was the CS noticely stiffer even with dampers on comfort? I say this because I noticed the difference with the R from comfort to race mode. I really liked that option.

[Bassik]

Very tough decision for me too.. Without any negotiation to the R my impression was the 40 was ~$5k cheaper. I'm genuinely attracted to the overall look of it being something quite different with the contrasts, kit, spoiler, unique interior and hoping that they limit numbers (especially manual) as currently planned. Based on my current GTI, always thought the FWD is fun whereas my impression of the R is that it has a more streamlined feel to it.

I don't think you'd feel sorry with either sitting in your garage but for me it was the limited run of the Edition 40 that pulled me over the line.

Will see how I feel until September given my wait!

Don't understand why they wouldn't let you test drive. Absolutely compulsory for me as I'm super paranoid about rattles.

Edit: Funny - Ringo's post showed up just as I posted mine! The point about test-driving an R and not 'feeling it' resonates with me too, whereas I've developed a stupid attachment to something as trivial as the red-lining on the 40's seatbelts

I would feel happy about either being in my garage, personally I think the R looks better. I love the twin BI-Xenons and LED on the front, love the amibent blue lighting and blue colour with silver highlights, just looks mean but classy. As for the 40th well it doesn't have these pluses but has a nicer steerwheel, better seats IMO and I'm a sucker for White/Black and Red.

As for the 40th it makes me feel like I'm 28 again, where as the R makes me feel like a well rounded adult...lol

Yeah they wont let me drive and this is basically because the car will sell itself and you "wont need to test drive it"

It's clear to me... I wont buy the car unless I can drive it....just plan and simple. You don't buy shoes without wearing them and these are $55k shoes...lol

[Vagabond]

If you were to order a Golf R for example wouldn't they let you test drive prior to accepting delivery?

I thought this was standard practice? :S

I'd be seriously ticked at the dealership. Very snake to go back on a customer agreement. My concern would be if that's the call the Sales Manager is making, when you're a customer wanting basic service in good faith, then that reflects very poorly the tone/attitude of the dealership (i.e. customer last mindset) and raises some serious red flags to me.

On that same principle I stopped ordering from a local pizza shop when they started demanding $3 for topping swaps. If they're that stingy over swapping a topping then imagine what other corners they are cutting behind your back!