Mk7 Golf GTI Discussion Thread

[mgrobins]

I was in the wrong thread so brought this over

I singed at $36k for a white manual with Leather (retrofit) and tinting. Trade-in of 2007 Mazda 3 SP23 hatch (manual, 79k km's, excellent condition).


Other than the seats I think the centre arm rest will be the only other leather change?

The dealer presented it to me as the same leather upholstery - they just do a swap here in country and so the seats are not fitted with the heating. There is a $500 saving as well over the cost of factory leather.


I'm quite happy with the price (and didn't see anything in the GTI thread because I was in the comfortline thread ) as the availability limited my negotiating power if I didn't want the delay. I think Nov is even now being touted as delivery for new orders.

I think Dutch's figures are on the money too re me making a reasonable saving on list.
$42k car, $1.3k stamp duty (QLD), $1.7k rego (QLD), $2k leather, ~$2k Dealer delivery/fat (corporate), Tinting ~$350 as a start point.

My pricing was corporate which shows just how high they are pushing for retail pricing. Initial offer on my Mazda was $7k which is below red-book. On condition and history it would be in the upper percentile of equivalent cars for sale. If availability was better I would have walked and pushed harder.

I wonder if VW is artificially controlling volume here? Wouldn't be the first car company to do so (I think Merc did quite recently).

[Mikey1]

I have the GTI PP after test driving the Scirocco, GTI and GTI R and the PP had the best feel making sharp turns and maneuvering the road with the R a close second. the Secroco was great on a straight but felt unsteady maneuvering similar to the GTI particularly if your steering and accelerating at the same time. I love driving the R but it didn't feel as nimble or sharp in the steering making tight turns. In the end the PP and R were the ones that I decided to choose between and while I enjoyed the sound and power of the R the PP felt more drivable around the city where i mostly drive. The other reason was around a $10,000 price difference which i couldn't justify also resale may be better on the PP as there are less of this model available than the GTI or R.
Has any one else tested all three cars?

You're very fortunate to have had the opportunity to test all three (or four?) models. The GTI-PP by all accounts is a very good package, if based purely on rational criteria, but fortunately many of us in this forum choose what we drive on more emotional grounds, particularly if our budgets allow this. Anecdotal evidence suggests the GTI-PP is not as good a seller as the standard GTI, and not as popular as the Golf R. The standard GTI retains the ability to order one with a manual transmission, sunroof and 18 inch wheels, but the GTI-PP, while very good value for the additional spec level over the standard GTI, doesn't lend itself to much variation. The Golf R is similar in this respect, but at least you can choose the transmission and whether you want a sunroof or not. The new Golf R is also a car that is anything but subtle, and current/prospective owners find this its best feature. The future resale value on any of these models will be a lottery, as will be dependent on many factors. I certainly wouldn't be making any choices based on this criteria.

[Dutch77]

A second hand buyer is going to be possibly wanting manual (rules out the PP), may be keen to modify (in which case paying for those 19s is pointless, and ditto the brakes) or doesn't really care (in which case they'll choose the cheaper stock model).

That isn't to say the PP is going to suffer more on resale, I just don't see how it gains any extra benefits. Obviously if xenons are a MUST then it will be the only option moving forward but again, how much more will one pay on a second hand car for them when most people have no need for them bar the looks.

Buy the car you want, enjoy it, and accept that resale is terrible on anything with four wheels and not an old school classic.

[Ricka]

All good points, but also the PP has the tricky mechanical diff which according to overseas reports places it streets ahead of the 'base' GTI.

[Mikey1]

All good points, but also the PP has the tricky mechanical diff which according to overseas reports places it streets ahead of the 'base' GTI.

Great for the track, but apparently of limited benefit in the real world of street use. The standard GTI's extended differential lock is supposedly very effective in this role.

[Dutch77]

Great for the track, but apparently of limited benefit in the real world of street use. The standard GTI's extended differential lock is supposedly very effective in this role.

It pretty much is, you need to be pushing extremely hard to have issues on the road.

I didn't run into any problems on the recent SA VWW cruise. I know I sound like a broken record but I saw I would only get limited use for xenons/the special diff so did not see value in the PP (and have no desire for Santiagos or the PP brakes - I'd rather update to something more serious if I was going that route). Again that's not a knock on someone who has bought the PP, it's a good buy and will definitely suit guys who want to track a bit and wanted/needed xenons.

[Dutch77]

There is a $500 saving as well over the cost of factory leather.

..

I wonder if VW is artificially controlling volume here? Wouldn't be the first car company to do so (I think Merc did quite recently).

Per the other thread, yeah just some pics of the seats would be good for comparison.

I'd be surprised of VW Australia was artificially controlling volume. As a wholly owned subsidiary of VW their main interest would be to maximise sales. I'd think shaving a few dollars here and there and gaining more sales would net a better result then limiting volume. The flipside is they've admitted themselves they raised prices on the top models as the buyers are less price sensitive.

A lot of GTI/R buyers are VW fans and won't really buy anything else. I fall into this category - realistically I'd only stretch to an S3 and that money's going to the same place. The A Merc is too rough/small and the 1 BMW is struggling for looks and is just ridiculously small - the MQB platform is a winner. The French are interesting but aren't me, and I couldn't live with the Rex.

[ZMan]

Great for the track, but apparently of limited benefit in the real world of street use. The standard GTI's extended differential lock is supposedly very effective in this role.

For someone like me who only does street driving, the bog standard GTI is plenty good enough for me. I don't think I would get close to the limits of grip with the driving I do.

It would have been great in the past when I used to take part in track events but I don't do that these days.

Not to knock anyone with a PP, it's a better car than the standard GTI but I wouldn't see the difference with my driving. Except for those xenon's .... gosh these standard halogens suck.

[Alex31]

A lot of GTI/R buyers are VW fans and won't really buy anything else. I fall into this category - realistically I'd only stretch to an S3 and that money's going to the same place. The A Merc is too rough/small and the 1 BMW is struggling for looks and is just ridiculously small - the MQB platform is a winner. The French are interesting but aren't me, and I couldn't live with the Rex.[/QUOTE]

+1 feel the exact same way about the brand/other brands


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[Mikey1]

I singed at $36k for a white manual with Leather (retrofit) and tinting.

Other than the seats I think the centre arm rest will be the only other leather change?

The dealer presented it to me as the same leather upholstery - they just do a swap here in country and so the seats are not fitted with the heating. There is a $500 saving as well over the cost of factory leather.

I think Dutch's figures are on the money too re me making a reasonable saving on list.
$42k car, $1.3k stamp duty (QLD), $1.7k rego (QLD), $2k leather, ~$2k Dealer delivery/fat (corporate), Tinting ~$350 as a start point.

Non-factory leather is not something I would do to save just $500 or even $1,000. Your selling dealer would be the sole responsible party to honour any warranty, and if you had any dispute with them, Volkswagen Australia would not get involved. Also, not having matching leather trim in the door panels, whether that be artificial or real leather, would look odd. Missing electric seat heating is another negative, though I appreciate in Brisbane, it would have limited appeal. Have you thought about resale? While we all know that massive depreciation is a fact a life, your after-market upholstery will have a detrimental impact on its future value, all things being considered.

In conclusion, if you can't justify the $3K+ for factory leather, then I would just omit it from your order and pocket the $2K, or use it to offset the purchase of some nice Oz Leggera HLT wheels.