Mk7 Golf R Discussion Thread

[LibraR]

Different cars completely in spirited driving. If you are sitting in traffic on the daily commute and that’s all you ever do, the loaded GTI will win over a poverty spec R most likely, as who doesn’t love creature comforts.

Head to the first mountain road for a spirited drive on bumpy real-world roads and the GTI will struggle to even see where the R went. Chances of regrets in buying the R will be few if any. Ever.

Depends on your intended use, but for me, I would have been kicking my own butt every time I drove it had I “settled” for the GTI and not ponied up the relatively few extra $$ for the R.

And that’s before you consider tuning it. The performance chasm between them widens even more dramatically then.

I drove them both back to back before buying (R first) and couldn’t wait to take the GTI back so I could sign up for the R.

No poverty pack when I bought mine, so maybe not truly fair as there is not much I could ask for in a GTI that isn’t already in my R. Performance wins for me in only 100% of cases though...

[WallySimmonds]

I guess I'm speaking a little from experience. I bought a Highline with the Rline package (which I actually think looks really good). It has most features and goes fairly well for what it is, but it's hardly a car that will blow your socks off. I could've waited and spent a little more and picked up a povo GTI. I think if I had have done that, I probably wouldn't be looking at replacements as vigorously as I am now.

In saying that, now I have experienced the nicer interior, I won't likely step down and will just spend more. You only live once, and we spend quite a long time in these things! You don't want to keep thinking you have 'settled'.

On another note, did anyone else cross-shop the M140i when looking? I took one out for an extended drive last week, and I think it definitely drove a little better than the R in some areas there were things I definitely liked about the R more. I'm hoping to take the R out again with the miss to finally make a call on one of them in the coming weeks, but be interested to hear if anyone did cross-shop and understand the reasoning for choosing the R over the M140i.

[Dutch77]

I looked at the original M135i when it first came out and discounted it before the drive - it’s interior space is rubbish and the Golf is a winner there.

Much later I ended up in a 340i which can’t boast the handling but does sport the same engine (mine was just in a slightly higher state of tune via M Sport). The engine had loads of character with the optional exhaust (makes the original DSG fart sound insipid in comparison) and I’d guess the M140i would crush a R in rolling acceleration.

If you were driving solo or one up, had a propensity for a six, RWD or just having a Beemer and the car was for weekend play then it’d be worth a long look. As a daily though I’ll take the R (and indirectly did).

[WallySimmonds]

The interior in the M140i is actually not that bad, and I found Idrive fairly good. One thing which I found a bit of a step down was the transmission funnily enough, I guess I'm just used to the DSG's speed. 6 cylinder sounded brilliant though, but I am wondering how RWD with that power will do in Melbourne during the winter

[Dutch77]

I liked the interior of the 3 (which is a decent step up from the 1) and iDrive was fine.. but the 1’s space was horrid. End of story for me.

Power down is fine unless you’re thrashing around like a tool (which I’m not suggesting you are!). Again different car but the 340 wouldn’t break traction in a tropical monsoon in normal driving.

Interestingly I’m the other way on the transmission, the ZF 8 speed box was great coming out of the 6 speed DSG in the S3. That equation is a bit more equal now with the 7 speed in the 7.5.

I can certainly see the appeal in one though.

[mp2811]

Wally, I commented on your thread on UK forum also. I test drove the m135i, s3, a250 and GTI back in 2014. I ended up getting the the Golf R in the end as price was $10k less than the S3 at the time. The features in the S3 were miles ahead but not worth the extra cost.

I just read about the 7.5R grid edition and basically it's same spec as a 2014/15 7R was which is nice enough and my interior still looks 100% new even though its almost 4 years old. My wife had a 2015 S3 sedan and within 2 years the leather looked used.

My wife updated her car last year as we could now lease through my work so sold her S3 and looked at the 140i, 7.5R and FL S3 sedan. The gap between the S3 and 7.5R is minimal now with both having heated leather seats, virtual cockpit etc.

The m140i is clearly the fastest and most responsive which is common sense really but didn't feel as planted on the road, the 7sp DSG is much better IMO than the BMW 8SP and to use the BMW interior feels dated, not 21st century like the Audi/VW. M140i performance will be useless in the wet and its my opinion but the 7.5R and S3 sedan both look much better than the m140i.

To me in the end the only winning thing for the BMW was the engine and in every other aspect we preferred the Audi. We ended up getting FL s3 sedan only because we got incredible price leasing. Was more than $20k off RRP with features we had. We even ended up having DA and mirror pack on car as added bonus as that was the only car in country at time similar spec.

I wouldn't pay $10k more for S3 than the 7.5R if that was the cost but for us in the end it was only $35 a fortnight for 3 years.

My 7R does feel dated compared to the 7.5R or FL S3 though, I love the 7Sp trans, the virtual cockpit, larger nav screen, list goes on. Is it worth $5k over the grid edition, I'd probably say it is for enjoying all the features daily for years and will be worth more in resale.

Would I chose optioned GTI or grid edition R though, I'd take the R as the performance, handling/AWD and for me always going to tune/mod it was obvious.

I'd say get the 7.5R and enjoy the performance, looks, handling and features. You won't be disappointed. That's my 2c anyway.

[Mr T.]

Sharing with all R people... I've posted some radio station logos I put together for my Wolfie in the below thread...

Multimedia unit - Radio station logos and album art

[WallySimmonds]

Thanks MP2811. Trying to get as many informed positions as possible and it seems like the sensible decision is the 7.5 R. I've been pretty pleased with my current Golf for the most part - part of the reason for me swaying to the M140i is to change it up a bit. The S3 might need to be looked at as well as the pricing I got was pretty similar to the Golf (a number of people have commented how the R is a better drivers car so I wonder if that is hurting Audi a little).

Anyway, a little of topic here, but hopefully it helps anyone else also in my position, and I appreciate all the replies.

[VRJ]

I’ve had both, a MY15 GTI PP and now a 7R. I could not live with the front axle tramp (wheel hopping) exhibited by the GTI under heavy acceleration from the start. Tried the dog bone insert but to avail. Apart from that it was a good car. However, the R is definitely much better all round, for me anyway.

[Kachingg]

i was getting a service at a shop that does tuning and while i was there they were dynoing a 40th edition with a stage 3 (i hung around way to long checking it all out lol)and were having all sorts of issues getting the power down without wheelspin best run i saw was 221kw atw with still some wheelspin

Thats a huge amount to try to put through the front wheels