Golf Mk7 - Sweetspot for price, spec, performance?
Discussion
From a purely subjective viewpoint, I like the Mazda3 for its simple interior and its gearbox feel, but one thing that cannot go unsaid is that both the 3 and the Golf (in all forms) are hideous cars. Both are extremely lardy looking and someone seem to have been inflated. The Golf in white looks like Kryten's head.
The Focus is the only well-executed car from a design perspective, at least on the outside. It's interior is unforgiveable.
The Focus is the only well-executed car from a design perspective, at least on the outside. It's interior is unforgiveable.
andrewparker said:
Out of interest, what other cars that list at around that are so special?
Personally if I found myself putting down 30k on a Golf Diesel instead of the same amount on an M135i, I would consider having myself shot. Or, if I had to run on the filthy black stuff, then a 125d would do the trick. I'd also be very tempted to have a look and see how much A/C Class I could get for the price.Don;t get me wrong I've had Golfs in the past and driven more recent models than I can remember. The GTD is a good car, but it ain't half dull. I found the only way to enjoy a Golf was drive it like you stole it, which these days can create all sorts of issues with licenses and sticking it in a hedge. Yet my petrol BMW's have been thoroughly enjoyable at normal speeds, being the throaty growl of the straight 6, or the fantastic handling balance, etc. OK not really in the same class as the Golf, yet VW see fit to charge a similar amount?
I'd still have one over an A3 though. Somehow Audi have managed to make an already fairly uninteresting car even more dull, with the liberal application of soft touch plastics and concrete suspension.
).To be fair, the Golf would be my benchmark too for this kind of car (would consider other options like the Mazda 3 though, which I think looks great) but all things being equal, I would probably go with the Golf. Haven't driven a Mk7 yet but had several Mk5s as company cars when I sold VWs and I found a fairly basic spec GTI or GT TDI with a few options to be the sweetspot for me (although I preferred the manual gearbox in these cars). At the time, they just felt that little bit better than anything else in the class (a little bit subjective though)! Fuel economy on the DSG GTI drops quite drasticallly when you're pressing on though. I guess the modern equivalent to this would be the GTI (obviously) or the 150 TDI (not sure if the 150 TDI DSG is available with the paddles though). Would you really miss the extra performance of the GTD? I don't know. I actually preferred the less scrappy power deliver of the 140 TDI and regular GTI to the 170 TDI and GTI Ed 30 but maybe it's more refined now?
For me, the DSG box was a nicer combination with the lower-powered TSI engines, the R32 and the lower-powered TDI model for some reason. It sounds like the A3 might be worth a look too but I find the image a bit too "wannabe flash". People that bought A3s over Golfs tended to be a bit too snobby to buy a Golf! I agree with you on the 1-Series too. It looks hideous but that straight six engine in the M135i would be mightily tempting (maybe an M235i if you don't need 4 doors has less marmite looks for similar money)? The Focus ST seems like good value but won't hold its value and looks like a dog's dinner IMHO. I think I would pick the less powerful GTI over an ST any day! The Lexus is probably a really good car and I hear the dealers are excellent too but the looks just do absolutely nothing for me. So, Golf or M135i for me then (if I can live with the looks of the BM)!
For me, the DSG box was a nicer combination with the lower-powered TSI engines, the R32 and the lower-powered TDI model for some reason. It sounds like the A3 might be worth a look too but I find the image a bit too "wannabe flash". People that bought A3s over Golfs tended to be a bit too snobby to buy a Golf! I agree with you on the 1-Series too. It looks hideous but that straight six engine in the M135i would be mightily tempting (maybe an M235i if you don't need 4 doors has less marmite looks for similar money)? The Focus ST seems like good value but won't hold its value and looks like a dog's dinner IMHO. I think I would pick the less powerful GTI over an ST any day! The Lexus is probably a really good car and I hear the dealers are excellent too but the looks just do absolutely nothing for me. So, Golf or M135i for me then (if I can live with the looks of the BM)!
andrewparker said:
I didn't realise Mazda had a 3 that was comparable to the GTD. They all look pretty basic to me.
New one in top spec is just as nice as a GTD and the engine is more refined and better on fuel and co2 compared to the equivalent golf. Also at £22k new it is a good £5k cheaper than an equiv specified car with ease as they come with everything sat nav, bluetooth, cruise etc... as standard in sport nav spec/They also are a better looking car and meant to be a cracking drive as well makes the golf look overpriced as do many rivals now.
Edited by greggy50 on Tuesday 30th September 20:24
ORD said:
If I was buying one of these kind of cars for fun, nothing would get a look in against a 135 or 130i. RWD and a proper engine compared to a bunch of turbo shopping cars! No contest.
I agree 100%. Early last year I had all but paid a deposit on a new M135i. Had a trade in on my Golf GTI agreed, but the size of the car worried me. Luckily my inlaws were going on holiday for two weeks so let me borrow their regular 1-Series while they were away. I've got two young children with lots of s
t and realistically the 1er isn't big enough. I still feel gutted about it to this day and obsess from time to time about getting one one day! The Golf R wouldn't get a look in thats for sure.OGR4M said:
I've just been onto the VW configurator and 'realistically' specced up a Golf GTD, for me.
Didn't put silly kit on it - just the stuff that I would want my car to have, the bigger wheels; tartan interior from MK1; uprated stereo.
£30,000!!!
Call me skeptical, but that doesn't seem like a sweetspot to me... especially as a friend has just bought a 991 C2S for significantly less than that...
Er, less than 30 grand for a 991 ?Didn't put silly kit on it - just the stuff that I would want my car to have, the bigger wheels; tartan interior from MK1; uprated stereo.
£30,000!!!
Call me skeptical, but that doesn't seem like a sweetspot to me... especially as a friend has just bought a 991 C2S for significantly less than that...
Do you mean 997 ?
andrewparker said:
I agree 100%. Early last year I had all but paid a deposit on a new M135i. Had a trade in on my Golf GTI agreed, but the size of the car worried me. Luckily my inlaws were going on holiday for two weeks so let me borrow their regular 1-Series while they were away. I've got two young children with lots of st and realistically the 1er isn't big enough. I still feel gutted about it to this day and obsess from time to time about getting one one day! The Golf R wouldn't get a look in thats for sure.
I think that you've hit the nail on the head there. As a driver's car (although I've only driven a 130i not an M135i) the BMW probably has the Golf GTI licked thanks to RWD at that engine. As a 5 door family hatch though, the 1-Series isn't very good (poor rear seat space and comfort and a boot smaller than some Fiesta-sized cars) and the front makes it look like it had a botox injection and it went wrong! If you want that engine, with similar handling and more space, you'll be paying another 10k for a 335i. On balance for the money, I think that the Golf GTI is a better driver's car than the 1-Series is a family hatch (probably alright for one young child but not big enough for two and the associated paraphenalia). Being a turbo, it would also be eminently tuneable if that's your kind of thing. I've heard the Golf R is very good but not special enough IMHO. The old R32 (although not having a big performance advantage over the GTI on paper) felt special because of the drama of that snorty V6 engine! t and realistically the 1er isn't big enough. I still feel gutted about it to this day and obsess from time to time about getting one one day! The Golf R wouldn't get a look in thats for sure.
OldBob said:
Mk7 R is expensive but very good. It does a better job at a people carrying DD, looks better and goes as well as an M135i, will also be usable quickly in snow/poor weather. Cabin is nice and functional, just doesn't have the (s)nob badge
How about the fact that the BMW has a proper engine and is RWD drive rather than FWD (plus a bit of RWD when the computer decides to shift some torque there for you).
If I had paid £30k for a 4 cyl shopping car with the boost cranked up, I would worry more about my own badge obsession than someone else's.
ORD said:
How about the fact that the BMW has a proper engine and is RWD drive rather than FWD (plus a bit of RWD when the computer decides to shift some torque there for you).
If I had paid £30k for a 4 cyl shopping car with the boost cranked up, I would worry more about my own badge obsession than someone else's.
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