RE: VW Golf R: PH Fleet
Discussion
ORD said:
Spot on with the last bit. The fewer 320Ds on the road, the better. Lovely chassis ruined by a really unpleasant engine that, apart from sounding horrific, messes with the car's dynamics.
Yep, it is pretty hateful. I've tried to get it sent back early from the moment I got it, but it would have just been throwing money down the drain. But the worse 3 years of my motoring life are coming to an end soon 
and even if the R doesn't live up to expectations, it will be much better than the BMW (if my GTI Mk6 experience is anything to go by).for those unsure, nickfrog is taking the mickey
With regards to looks, sure I can appreciate you don't want something that looks like it just ram raided halfords, but the R is too much the other way. I posted similar pictures of an R and a shopping trolley one previously and someone told me it was easy to see the difference, I just had to look at the stitching on the steering wheel... the sad bit is I think he was serious!
The back is a bit more like it, but the exhausts stick out too far, need to be inset into a nice valance with just a small part showing. Didn't really bother me there were 4 but it does look a bit too much imho. I think number plate level down, the GTI looks better.
With appearance there is a balance to strike. At one end you have the R, at the other the new civic (which definitely has ram raided halfords). I'd prefer it to be somewhere in the middle of those two.
On another note, although I've seen numerous Rs around they've always been on the move / in the opposite carriageway etc. I was sat at a T junction earlier and one pulled away from the lights on the main road I was waiting to join, must have been a DSG as it made the little farty noise on gear change, sounded really odd, reminded me of an old moggy minor.
With regards to looks, sure I can appreciate you don't want something that looks like it just ram raided halfords, but the R is too much the other way. I posted similar pictures of an R and a shopping trolley one previously and someone told me it was easy to see the difference, I just had to look at the stitching on the steering wheel... the sad bit is I think he was serious!
The back is a bit more like it, but the exhausts stick out too far, need to be inset into a nice valance with just a small part showing. Didn't really bother me there were 4 but it does look a bit too much imho. I think number plate level down, the GTI looks better.
With appearance there is a balance to strike. At one end you have the R, at the other the new civic (which definitely has ram raided halfords). I'd prefer it to be somewhere in the middle of those two.
On another note, although I've seen numerous Rs around they've always been on the move / in the opposite carriageway etc. I was sat at a T junction earlier and one pulled away from the lights on the main road I was waiting to join, must have been a DSG as it made the little farty noise on gear change, sounded really odd, reminded me of an old moggy minor.
I don't think the R's are as universally hated as PH might suggest, I was stopped twice yesterday by complete strangers asking about it and both were very positive.
I was looking at a BMW 330d Xdrive when I found the R deal and it made perfect sense as my milage is only 10k per annum and it's more civilised than my Type R FN2. Even my Mrs approves which is unusual
I was looking at a BMW 330d Xdrive when I found the R deal and it made perfect sense as my milage is only 10k per annum and it's more civilised than my Type R FN2. Even my Mrs approves which is unusual
Driver101 said:
andrewparker said:
Darsettian said:
I see brands as myths. Stories. A manufacturer will make myths about its products--within its scope to do so, of course. They're not the SOLE authors of their own myths; the press, the public, and circumstances all contribute. But certainly, the repetition of an idea over a long period of time, if not loudly refuted, will begin to stick.
Absolutely, this is what all successful brands do. They create brand ambassadors, because having "someone" talk about your brand is far more credible than "you" talking about it. The "myths" as you put it are in fact brand values. Reinforce these brand values and personality traits in everything you do and it will start to stick eventually. Non of it can ever be considered factual - you either buy into it or you don't.How is the R a successful brand ambassador?
People only lease them as they were cheap. Before the special deals nobody really talked that much about the 7R and previous R models were rare.
Now people have bought them, they have to justify them.
Selling out so many cheap Rs is only going to have a negative effect on all the other Golf range. Nobody is paying £25k for a Golf GTI when you can lease an R for £200 per month.
The Golf R in many ways is a modern version of what the Citroen Saxo VTS was in my youth. A good performance little hatch that attracted loads of aggressive young boys due to the cost. I remember Citroen gave teens a year free insurance on the VTS.
I read these thread about the Golf and especially the R and just laugh.
Owners seem to think the car has rewritten the rule book of motoring. If you sit back and look for 5 minutes it hasn't brought anything new to the table.
It's not the best looking hatch(nothing wrong with it though) it isn't the fastest hatch( lost track battles to lesser powered FWD cars, isn't on the same page as the RS3 or A45 AMG)
However I keep reading how this car can do so much more than anything else and gives you high respect taking it to a business meeting. It doesn't. Most people will overlook it as much as they do a Focus or Astra, you just blend in as ordinary to most.
It's a fast Golf. It's not a Porsche slayer, it won't command the respect of a nice saloon at a business meeting, it doesn't command the respect of petrolheads as owners suggest. It's the bad image that ruins the last bit as it is a good car.
You've got a good fast Golf and the rest is just getting way out of proportion with all this self belief.
For what it's worth I think the R has very little brand equity, and I don't think VW have helped that by introducing what is clearly a very capable car and basically giving it away. On the other hand they have protected the GTI and it's long heritage by keeping it fairly expensive.
Broccers said:
Its a golf. A good golf. The master of all golfs.
I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
Not at all. I drove one, didn't like it, it isn't a car I'd pay for.I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
One of their problems is they've been overhyped.
Considering an R in 12 months when the 135 goes back.
What's the space in the back like, and access through the doors both front and back.
In my experience 5 doors on a too small car means
a) when I look right I see door pillar
b) the door to the back is so small as to be pointless
This is why I ordered a 3dr 135, the rear doors have about a 6 inch access depth at foot level and the window sticks out so far from the handle you hit yourself in the chest.
However, in February Hackney Jnr arrived and although I can tolerate getting the seat into the back it's not ideal. Neither is the fact that with the seat in place the passenger seat has to go forwards.
So, R owners with kids, what's it like?
What's the space in the back like, and access through the doors both front and back.
In my experience 5 doors on a too small car means
a) when I look right I see door pillar
b) the door to the back is so small as to be pointless
This is why I ordered a 3dr 135, the rear doors have about a 6 inch access depth at foot level and the window sticks out so far from the handle you hit yourself in the chest.
However, in February Hackney Jnr arrived and although I can tolerate getting the seat into the back it's not ideal. Neither is the fact that with the seat in place the passenger seat has to go forwards.
So, R owners with kids, what's it like?
Broccers said:
Crafty_ said:
Not at all. I drove one, didn't like it, it isn't a car I'd pay for.
One of their problems is they've been overhyped.
You drove one for.... a week / month / ten mins?One of their problems is they've been overhyped.
To be even reading and posting about the car tells me enough.
Given the choice I'd stick with my old astra, it was more fun, slower, but more fun.
All golfs I've ever driven have been the same, competent, but dull.
selym said:
How long do you need? How long does anyone take to decide they want/don't want a car......how long does the dealer even give them?
Most people have decided what car they are buying long before they get to a showroom. I'd bet most cars are bought on image and looks ahead of anything else. However of it is cheap enough then thay moves the goalposts.
Driver101 said:
selym said:
How long do you need? How long does anyone take to decide they want/don't want a car......how long does the dealer even give them?
Most people have decided what car they are buying long before they get to a showroom. I'd bet most cars are bought on image and looks ahead of anything else. However if it is cheap enough, then that moves the goalposts.
Crafty_ said:
Broccers said:
Crafty_ said:
Not at all. I drove one, didn't like it, it isn't a car I'd pay for.
One of their problems is they've been overhyped.
You drove one for.... a week / month / ten mins?One of their problems is they've been overhyped.
To be even reading and posting about the car tells me enough.
Given the choice I'd stick with my old astra, it was more fun, slower, but more fun.
All golfs I've ever driven have been the same, competent, but dull.
Too funny.
Personal preference plays so much in this.
I've got a Golf 7, not an R, not even a quick one and "competent but dull" is a fair summary.
I've been driving 20 years and I can say hand on heart that when changing cars I've never once so much as looked at an Astra or a lot of cars that obviously appeal to other people, simply because I don't like the look or image of them so I don't care about how good or bad they may be in other regards.
Many people will be exactly the same about the Golf which is fine, be even more dull if we all drove the same (competent) thing.
I've got a Golf 7, not an R, not even a quick one and "competent but dull" is a fair summary.
I've been driving 20 years and I can say hand on heart that when changing cars I've never once so much as looked at an Astra or a lot of cars that obviously appeal to other people, simply because I don't like the look or image of them so I don't care about how good or bad they may be in other regards.
Many people will be exactly the same about the Golf which is fine, be even more dull if we all drove the same (competent
) thing.With regard to the cars "falling into the wrong hand". Check out the m135i forum then the r forum. You will notice just as many under 25s on both. They are both bizarrely cheap to insure and due to either fudging of figures or crazy finance both have been extremely affordable at one point or another. I don't see why people have a problem with that or why it is of relevance how much someone is pissing up the wall on a car.
One thing the vw doesn't suffer in terms of its image is every 1.4 golf match driving around with wonky R and R POWAH badges stuck all over the grill and boot. That has always annoyed me when I've had BMWs.
nunpuncher said:
With regard to the cars "falling into the wrong hand". Check out the m135i forum then the r forum. You will notice just as many under 25s on both. They are both bizarrely cheap to insure and due to either fudging of figures or crazy finance both have been extremely affordable at one point or another. I don't see why people have a problem with that or why it is of relevance how much someone is pissing up the wall on a car.
One thing the vw doesn't suffer in terms of its image is every 1.4 golf match driving around with wonky R and R POWAH badges stuck all over the grill and boot. That has always annoyed me when I've had BMWs.
What VW does struggle with it is the boy racers car of choice. One thing the vw doesn't suffer in terms of its image is every 1.4 golf match driving around with wonky R and R POWAH badges stuck all over the grill and boot. That has always annoyed me when I've had BMWs.
M badges don't look good, but are done by all ages, often by people who know no better.
From all the chavved up boy racers cars on the road, the VW Golf and Polo are two of the most popular. You see more of them hanging around the local supermarket or McDonald's car park than anything else these days.
I don't like the badging, but it's considerably better than the VAG scene.
The VAG scene is huge and most of them are tarted up low end models.
Husaberk said:
That's because you're carrying some much baggage around you've forgotten how to have fun. If you were talking about the GTI perhaps I'd understand a little more why you think it's dull to drive but the R lives up to all the reviews it had, it's nimble, adjustable and engaging in a word FUN! and so we're clear not the most fun ever because motorcycles top ALL cars for that but definitely not dull like, I don't know, pretty much every Rover ever*
Done 6000 miles in mine since January and only thing I can knock it for is the blandish looks.
I assure you that I have not forgotten how to have fun by any means. Thrashing my BMWs down some really challenging B-roads is sure to put a smile on my face. Motorbikes are for suicidal idiots. My old Rover was far from dull, too - could be driven astonishingly hard for something designed c.1960 on 185-section tyres. RWD and plentiful adjustability are the sine qua non of any enjoyable car - the Golf, being a front-biased Haldex thing, just won't be adjustable or rewarding.Done 6000 miles in mine since January and only thing I can knock it for is the blandish looks.
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