Golf 40th vs Golf R

[Bassik]

Hey all.

I have posted in another forum this however I thought I'd start a new thread.

I'm in a bit of a pickle and just wanted some advice from you Golf Gti/R owners.

I recently put a deposit on a Clubsport 40th edition but had subject to delivery and site.
Yesterday they called me and said a car has arrived and for me come and take a look.

When I went to VW to check it out they weren't allowing test drives which was one of my clauses in contract. Now I'm hesitant and am starting to rethink my options. As in the Golf R on the current 2.8% rate seems appealing. Also they did it for roughly the same price. $56k standard. Plus They let me drive this car. I can't understand why u can't test drive a car before you buy.

I cant decide for the life of me???

Clubsport or Golf R, or just wait and snatch a Golf R or 40 second hand. I must say I really dislike the leather seats in the R MY16 and they come standard now.

I currently own a MK6 Gti and just want advice on which would you buy taking into account these factors:

Resell value
Kw/$
Drive away price.
Wow impact and overall performance ie; Awd vs fwd?

Thanks in advanced. I'm happy for just a vote reply as well


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[andrew7]

Golf R by a mile: AWD the big difference, value/resale a big plus for the R, known quantity and very highly regarded.

[dempsey]

Having driven the R and the GTi PERFORMANCE ( which I own ) , I reckon they both have their pluses and minuses . The R is obviously quicker off the line , but up and running I think that the gti can feel more lively and fun in some situations. I like the look of the gti over the R but looks are in the eye of the beholder.
The 40th will drive very much like the performance pack as they are the same other than extra kws of the 40th. So just test a performance pack. The 40th should retain value well if they stick to the 500 limit ( unlikely if they sell well) . But considering i got in a brand new performance last month for 46,500 drive away, not sure if the extra for the 40th is money well spent.

Pat.

[xclay05x]

Golf 40th vs Golf R

Maybe try test driving a GTI PP? Probablt very similar? That should definitely give you an idea how the power is delivered to the front wheels especially given they're using the same differential if I'm not wrong.


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[SevenR]

i just signed up for a new R today, so you can guess my answer

[Dutch77]

If it's roughly the same price then the R is an easy win - but then I've seen pay well into the 50s for optioned up GTIs which never made much sense to me over a base R.

Different story if you can do deals now for a GTI PP for $46.5k - if I was on a tighter budget that is good value.

I cannot see there being any extra resale on a 40th, I am not seeing much difference on the 35th bar the original higher price being factored in and the fact these cars are generally bought by enthusiasts so tend to be better condition cars.

I also could not live with the wheels or the front bar on the 40th, but each to their own.

[Bassik]

Maybe try test driving a GTI PP? Probablt very similar? That should definitely give you an idea how the power is delivered to the front wheels especially given they're using the same differential if I'm not wrong.


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Well funny some of you mention that because I have driven a GTI PP, twice in fact and that's where it confuses me more. My current Mk6 has a Stage 1 tune on it and the PP just feels a tad under powered in comparison.

Does appear that R is favored more

[Dutch77]

Well, it would be - the PP is offering the diff and brakes, the few extra kw doesn't even really cover the weight difference.. whereas a stage 1 Mk6 is going to be more than likely 10% up on power.

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

[xssiiv]

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.

[Mattlock]

I'd take the R any day of the week. The extra cost for the additional engineering is worth it, IMO as it drives and handles better than the GTI.


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[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!


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[Mattlock]

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


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[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?