Golf R Wagon thread

[Dingah]

In a nutshell the Audi customer experience far and away exceeds the VW one.
The Audi Canberra Centre are immensely professional and have an eye for detail, they pick their customer's maturity and style very well and act accordingly.
Sadly the VW Lennock outfit has suffered a Gen X/Y explosion in its staff and the maturity, sincerity and professionalism that is so evident up the road at Audi is all too obviously absent at Lennock.
The showroom and car yard outside borders on the chaotic and it really has gone from a focus on quality to one on quantity.
with BMW and Mercedes my experiences in Canberra almost perfectly model those experienced by mp2811.
BMW was painful and immature and Mercedes was utterly clueless concerning the Mercedes inventory.
Dingah

Change of priorities seems to dictate your choices here, where one is downsizing and the other is upsizing. Though, it's actually much more than that, as each of you is changing brands as well. I would like to know how the Audi customer experience compares to Volkswagen.

[harbour2929]

Sadly, my experience with Mercedes-Benz was very much the same. The "baby" who was appointed to look after me knew almost nothing about the vehicle I was enquiring about but he was very happy to explain to me how he took BMWs "out the back" for a "tyre spin" when he worked for them. In total contrast the gentleman from whom I purchased the R wagon was very knowledgeable, unhurried, and able to answer all of my questions. The buying experience was actually enjoyable for my wife and I. The whole thing was a feel good experience. Sad about what seems to be happening in lots of places, but glad that we found a true gentleman who made our day.......

[heat_777]

MKVII, MY16 Golf R Wagon - Wolfsburg Edition, Oryx White and fully loaded.... Ordered, built and chassis number in my hot little hands. Current disposition - Awaiting International Shipping.... This baby is just about on her way... Woo-Hoo.....

Congratulations on your purchase and allocation harbour2929. So the car is already built?
If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for it? I'm still waiting on the driveaway price and allocation on the same specs as yours from dealer even though I placed a deposit in May. Also, was there any extra charge on the Oryx white?

[DVSTwig]

Sadly the VW Lennock

You could have ended it there... never had a good experience there regardless of the sales person. Told me to go and by my R from somewhere else if I didn't want to pay retail. Told my friend their R would "come when it comes" and to literally Get @$#! when they asked again!

Gerald Slaven OTOH were great. Excellent service, went out of their way to find a car, and even lent us a demo when the delivery was delayed two weeks.

[Dingah]

Today I accepted the offer of a good test drive in a Golf R Mk VII to days as a prelude to finding out when my Golf R Wagon was going to be delivered to replace my much loved Audi SQ5.

Sadly I have now decided to cancel my order so there will one lucky punter out there who will get a fully optioned blue R Waggon in early October.

Why?

The chassis dynamics have improved immensely on the Golf between the Mk V and Mk VII, which was very evident today.
The engine remains a great power plant and is strong and willing through the range and the gearbox software appears much improved.
The NVH however was the first concern for me - please remember I am no longer a spring chook.
The low profile Contis and Re series Potenzas are always harsh on cold mix bitumen and they were quite audible compared to the Audi SQ5i.
The volume of sound in sport mode is incredible - who on Earth really needs that one might ponder - a real ‘look at me’ factor for many I suspect.
Of course it can be dialled out in normal/comfort and Individual settings but is still quite evident in the quieter modes - such is the character of the R model..
The HMI (Human Machine Interface) is not that great at all and was one of the most disappointing aspects.
The instrumentation, dials, access to buttons and the rather cluttered wheel selections really could benefit from some re-thinking.
This is not helped by being one of my pet subjects being a Human Factors researcher these days, albeit in the aviation arena.
It was here the quality and engineering of the Audi is evident and would be missed.
Being able to change driving modes, cruise control settings and media volume really should be able to be implemented with eyes on the road - I found that impossible to achieve whilst chatting to a passenger.
Further the dash looks really cheap and a design after thought, too much glossy piano back which will be devilishly hard not to scratch under normal use.
The seat really was a big surprise or disappointment, leather or fabric, the back rest angle/lumbar support I found surprisingly uncomfortable after a relatively short drive which is surprising and fiddling with the showroom R did little to improve that.
All of this was really, surprising and deeply disappointing as my heart was certainly set on the Wolfsburg R Wagon.

I guess it all became really clear about thirty seconds after I slid back into the Audi - seat comfort, HMI, NVH all immediately evident.
Comfort with immense power - and a feeling of total competence, quality and control.
Without doubt the R is a great product and a superior vehicle in any point to point race against the Audi as its road-holding/steering is class leading.
However, using heartbeats expended per kilometre as a measure of performance the Audi wins …………..dammit!
With respect to pure engine/transmission/acceleration performance my Audi in its current state is superior to the R with endless torque on tap all the way to 270kph and definitely accelerated quicker at all points in the range.
However, I have no doubt that a Stage 1 APR R model with 280 ish kW on tap would be awesome and a low 12 second quarter mile class vehicle and I suspect that configuration beckons for many.

Perhaps one graduates From VW to Audi and going back the other way has made it strangely evident.
The SQ5 stays in our garage......an interesting day and an outcome which I could not have forecast.

Dingah

[harbour2929]

Hi Dingah,

I guess its a case of horses for courses.... I can see where your SQ5 is a terrific vehicle and I do understand the "quality" differences between the brands, after all they are both VAG members..... But, the on road cost of a current SQ5 is in excess of $100,000 with not one option added which is a seriously long way from the OTR cost of the fully loaded R Wagon. As I reckon it, you get what you pay for and I am happy for you that even though it was a surprise you came to the right conclusion for you. I think it takes guts and cool consideration to sometimes make decisions which come as a complete surprise. I'm a bit of an old far* myself, but I love winding up the GTI and having all the windows down and hearing that engine pump away and all the road and associated noises assaulting my ears... As you said mate - heartbeats per kilometre - beautifully put.... and oh so accurate... Good on ya Dingah, and keep that SQ5 humming.....

[Mikey1]

Today I accepted the offer of a good test drive in a Golf R Mk VII to days as a prelude to finding out when my Golf R Wagon was going to be delivered to replace my much loved Audi SQ5.

Sadly I have now decided to cancel my order so there will one lucky punter out there who will get a fully optioned blue R Waggon in early October.

Perhaps one graduates From VW to Audi and going back the other way has made it strangely evident.
The SQ5 stays in our garage......an interesting day and an outcome which I could not have forecast.

Dingah

Here's a clear demonstration of the correct process when making decisions to change your daily driver. You have to fully evaluate, the best you can, your intending purchase to avoid disappointment.

I always thought it was an unusual move to downgrade from a SQ5 to a Golf R wagon, unless of course, there were financial issues involved, which hadn't been mentioned. Perhaps Dingah was looking for a better driving experience on windy roads, given the SQ5 weighs a hefty 2 tonnes and has a much higher centre of gravity compared to the Golf R. In the end, his ownership priorities for the SQ5 were deemed superior to the Golf R, and from his comprehensive report, few would disagree that he has made the right decision.

[Timbo]

In my experience, the Audi is a better motoring experience than the VW. However, that all changes when it comes time to sell: VWs lose less of their value over time than Audis

[Dingah]

Hi guys.
Yup - financials not an issue just a problem reconciling my age and abilities I think!
Interesting journey and a lesson in keeping and open mind and not taking others' reports as gospel.
I think you'll find that the SQ5 is holding its value incredibly well in some contrast to my past three Golfs/GTi which devalued pretty darn quickly.
That said there is plenty of distance to fall from $100k compared to $45k!

Dingah

[Ricey]

i am in for some severe motoring shock. Typically I drive vans for work and have a Land Rover defender for play as a get away vehicle for touring and camping. Today I put a deposit down on a blue Wolfsburg R wagon with a pana roof, 68k all up. Would have been happier at 65k but I did get satisfaction with getting them to budge their price down a bit. I know I'm going to love the car, my biggest concern is my keeping my license after many years of driving much slower vehicles.