RE: VW Golf R (Mk7) | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
Olivera said:
I've got a Mk7.5 GTI. Again highly competant and in most regards a very good car, but still very little to no driving involvement by PH standards. I think the same can be said for GTI/R/Cupra/anything built on this platform, regardless of gearbox/spec/bhp/driven wheels.
I went modding to increase involvement, because at least as a Cupra estate, I couldn't think of a better alternative with the same space that wasn't massively heavier and/or auto only and therefore even more devoid of involvement... An M2 as above isn't really an alternative space wise, but if it is for you and you can make the stretch, do it... (would have modded that too as it was hardly perfect when it came out either, though)Edit: or in short, always aim for the smallest/lightest car you can get by with if you want involving...
Edited by Onehp on Monday 2nd November 14:07
I recently got rid of my MK7 R Estate.
It went back to VW multiple times and had to have the whole dash removed for a loom issue that was putting it in limp mode. With wiring not covered under the VW approved used warranty.
Aside from the reliability issues it was nice inside, handled well and was more than fast enough on UK roads. The interior and paint scratched very easily. Mine had less than 45k with one previous owner, these will look really tatty at six figure mileages if they have been daily’d by anyone less than fastidious in detailing.
The engine as many have said is efficient but devoid of character and noise. But the ride was boarder line unacceptable for me, I’d wince at the sight of a pothole and it was on 18s. Dread to think what one would be like on 19s. Crashy I’d imagine.
The Volks Wizard video is worth a watch before you buy.
Apparently the MK7.5 is more reliable, but I wouldn’t have another or another newish VAG product for that matter.
It went back to VW multiple times and had to have the whole dash removed for a loom issue that was putting it in limp mode. With wiring not covered under the VW approved used warranty.
Aside from the reliability issues it was nice inside, handled well and was more than fast enough on UK roads. The interior and paint scratched very easily. Mine had less than 45k with one previous owner, these will look really tatty at six figure mileages if they have been daily’d by anyone less than fastidious in detailing.
The engine as many have said is efficient but devoid of character and noise. But the ride was boarder line unacceptable for me, I’d wince at the sight of a pothole and it was on 18s. Dread to think what one would be like on 19s. Crashy I’d imagine.
The Volks Wizard video is worth a watch before you buy.
Apparently the MK7.5 is more reliable, but I wouldn’t have another or another newish VAG product for that matter.
I’ve got a 7 manual. I bought it to have something that reminded me of my first “good” car (mk 2 GTi 16V), that would be a workhorse daily, and that might provide the occasional bit of excitement.
One year in: it’s a car that you take for granted but it’s very difficult to love or get excited by.
Things I like: grip, comfort (mine has DCC), fuel economy,
But as others have said as a package it is a bit humdrum. It’s fast but not missile fast. The grip is excellent but so much so that you never feel that you can get it out of shape at responsible speeds. The turbo comes in without much delay but with an obvious shove (I prefer more linear delivery). The boot is surprisingly small (AIUI to accommodate something mechanical) but OTOH with the rear seats down it eats a bike easily. The engine note is, well ... odd. It reminds me of a Suburu. Not in a good way.
It kind of reminds me of a cut price 996 turbo. Quick and competent (a couple of notches down on a 996TT though) make it both a good car and a dull drive.
I’m in two minds about keeping it. I’m wondering whether a B8 RS4 might be a better bet.
One year in: it’s a car that you take for granted but it’s very difficult to love or get excited by.
Things I like: grip, comfort (mine has DCC), fuel economy,
But as others have said as a package it is a bit humdrum. It’s fast but not missile fast. The grip is excellent but so much so that you never feel that you can get it out of shape at responsible speeds. The turbo comes in without much delay but with an obvious shove (I prefer more linear delivery). The boot is surprisingly small (AIUI to accommodate something mechanical) but OTOH with the rear seats down it eats a bike easily. The engine note is, well ... odd. It reminds me of a Suburu. Not in a good way.
It kind of reminds me of a cut price 996 turbo. Quick and competent (a couple of notches down on a 996TT though) make it both a good car and a dull drive.
I’m in two minds about keeping it. I’m wondering whether a B8 RS4 might be a better bet.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 2nd November 14:50
jwwbowe said:
But the ride was boarder line unacceptable for me, I’d wince at the sight of a pothole and it was on 18s. Dread to think what one would be like on 19s. Crashy I’d imagine.
Our 7.5R is on 19" pretorias, non DCC. The ride is fidgety, crashy and brittle at low speed, whilst at higher speed the car wallows and the damping is poor. The brittle ride has led to the car becoming increasingly rattly and the pan roof is an absolute nightmare in that respect.kick buttowski said:
Our 7.5R is on 19" pretorias, non DCC. The ride is fidgety, crashy and brittle at low speed, whilst at higher speed the car wallows and the damping is poor. The brittle ride has led to the car becoming increasingly rattly and the pan roof is an absolute nightmare in that respect.
Do the GTI and R share spring rates and dampers? My GTI 7.5 (non DCC, 18" wheels) is a little firm at lower speeds (<30 mph), but above that the damping IMO is excellent for UK roads, extremely well judged balance of compliance and control.Maybe I'm lucky, but I don't have a single rattle from anywhere on the car, ever, even on poor roads. Also not had any reliability issues whatsoever in 2.5 years/24k miles.
I had one of these (7.5 in manual) for 18 months, but totally agree with a few others that it just didn't excite me. It was a great family car, very easy to drive quickly including on track and especially when damp compared to other cars, I just didn't love it. I had Subaru's before which were fun but I wanted something a bit more grown up, the Golf ticked all the boxes. I got rid of it last year and bought a manual E90 M3 which I absolutely love and puts a smile on my face nearly every time I drive it, although it does cost a lot more to run.
You can't have a buying guide without mentioning the clutch on the manual - there are many, many cases of these going in the first year or 2 at <15,000 miles, VW would only replace under warranty at less than 6,000 (with one likely to go again). If you tune it at all it will probably start slipping the next day. It's also worth mentioning that a clogged Haldex filter can cause issues, VW don't clean this as part of their standard service, it's worth asking an indie to do it at anything over about 15,000.
I found it a hugely competent, fast family car but just nothing that special. Comfortable, good fuel economy, all the modern gadgets, nice enough interior, good infotainment on the later version. I can see why you'd have one as a second car if you owned something really special (and had loads of money) and just wanted a competent fast runabout, or if you want to tune a DSG version to 400+ bhp and build a traffic light monster. As my (then) only 'fun' car I wanted something more special.
You can't have a buying guide without mentioning the clutch on the manual - there are many, many cases of these going in the first year or 2 at <15,000 miles, VW would only replace under warranty at less than 6,000 (with one likely to go again). If you tune it at all it will probably start slipping the next day. It's also worth mentioning that a clogged Haldex filter can cause issues, VW don't clean this as part of their standard service, it's worth asking an indie to do it at anything over about 15,000.
I found it a hugely competent, fast family car but just nothing that special. Comfortable, good fuel economy, all the modern gadgets, nice enough interior, good infotainment on the later version. I can see why you'd have one as a second car if you owned something really special (and had loads of money) and just wanted a competent fast runabout, or if you want to tune a DSG version to 400+ bhp and build a traffic light monster. As my (then) only 'fun' car I wanted something more special.
Olivera said:
Do the GTI and R share spring rates and dampers? My GTI 7.5 (non DCC, 18" wheels) is a little firm at lower speeds (<30 mph), but above that the damping IMO is excellent for UK roads, extremely well judged balance of compliance and control.
Agreed, both my 7 R hatch and 7.5 R estate on 18"s, without DCC were fine. Far, far better than a M140i I tested.
I bought a 2019 7.5R with DCC and leather in white silver in Jan this year. It had done 9k miles and as an everyday driver that even my wife feels comfortable driving, it's an excellent all rounder. Trouble is we're not using it that much and since Jan have done the grand total of 2k miles. We'll hang on to it, as it was a non PCP purchase (shock horror...), and there is no need to worry about the lack of use at this stage. Agree with other comments that is comes alive once you've had a good play around with the driver settings which is why Mrs T drives it in everything comfort and I drive it in individual... So far so good, great car IMO.
howardhughes said:
TimmyMallett said:
That depends entirely on where you live. So, are you saying you got broken into 3 times and you didn't have a Golf R?
Doesn't matter where you live. Trust me. If they want it they'll travel for it.There was a post within the last 48 hours with images showing some nefarious gits had taken the front bumper etc to get the front mounted radar thingummy, managed it very quickly iirc
Plus another shown up on blocks, they took the wheels, interior and bumpers etc all in 35 minutes.
scottos said:
Yep the whole IT WILL GET STOLEN thing does my head in, i've known loads of people with them and not one has been stolen, the golf doesnt even make a lot of the 'Top 10 Most Stolen Cars' lists. It certainly didnt put me off buying one, if that sort of thing put me off then i'd never leave the house in case i got hit by lightning, or tripped and banged my head etc.
I owned one for a year and never had an issue. A friend has just bought a keyless 69 Plate R and parks it on the high street! All depends where you live.I pay £480 a year to insure my S3 on the south coast, changing nothing on the quote I decided to put a Bradford postcode in it went up to £6400!
Much like everyone else here, I had a Mk 7 R for three years and found it uncharacterful. It pulled off the remarkable trick of being fast and dull. Everything on it felt like it has been made to the same standard — just good enough, to the point where you could imagine the endless meetings to decide all the settings. With the exception of the suspension, which seemed too easily overwhelmed by a very bumpy road — not a patch on my previous Clio RS 200, which was remarkably composed on choppy surfaces.
Such was my dislike of the Golf R, I replaced it with a Volvo 850 estate (now upgraded to a T-5R) and an Abarth Spider, which kind of proves the whole point of Golfs — it's the car you have if you can only have one car
Such was my dislike of the Golf R, I replaced it with a Volvo 850 estate (now upgraded to a T-5R) and an Abarth Spider, which kind of proves the whole point of Golfs — it's the car you have if you can only have one car
I have the estate, its the fastest car I have owned to date.
While I still lust after a v8 of some sort, the golf fits in with the family right now, I only have money for one car, so the golf r fits the bill in thats it fast when you want it to be and is just a normal golf when you drive to tesco.
Yes - its not the nicest noise - but its a four pot - I wouldn't mind a v6 / v8 estate, will see what happens with current virus etc and if I still have a job.
It has a few niggles, but it is a very competant car, is a bit point and squirt, but it does handle the twisty stuff to.
Can't grumble with mpg (which I probably would with a v8!), average about 30 but do motorway quite a bit.
I must echo other thoughts - in that I like it, but I don't love it, but at the same time i'm not sure what to replace it with, v8's etc are a extra 400 on insurance, tax higher, fuel consumption higher etc.
I can see why people don't love them, or find them dull, I find mine more fun in germany than the uk for example (not just autobahn), mind the r was fun in wales and I think thats shows its strength, perfectl comfortable for the motorway, but still entertaining enough (for me) over the mountains etc.
While I still lust after a v8 of some sort, the golf fits in with the family right now, I only have money for one car, so the golf r fits the bill in thats it fast when you want it to be and is just a normal golf when you drive to tesco.
Yes - its not the nicest noise - but its a four pot - I wouldn't mind a v6 / v8 estate, will see what happens with current virus etc and if I still have a job.
It has a few niggles, but it is a very competant car, is a bit point and squirt, but it does handle the twisty stuff to.
Can't grumble with mpg (which I probably would with a v8!), average about 30 but do motorway quite a bit.
I must echo other thoughts - in that I like it, but I don't love it, but at the same time i'm not sure what to replace it with, v8's etc are a extra 400 on insurance, tax higher, fuel consumption higher etc.
I can see why people don't love them, or find them dull, I find mine more fun in germany than the uk for example (not just autobahn), mind the r was fun in wales and I think thats shows its strength, perfectl comfortable for the motorway, but still entertaining enough (for me) over the mountains etc.
scottygib553 said:
I haven’t driven one of these or a car built in the last ten years for that matter but I’m fairly sure this is a boring white goods PCP mobile that is over engineered. Had a Passat in the early 2000s and the windscreen wiper blade wore awfully quickly. Dealer wasn’t helpful so not considering a VW ever again.
The dealer wouldn't replace a worn wiper blade so you black listed VW...hold up...is this a troll post?
Currently in my 4th month of owning a 7.5 R.
For a daily they are absolutely sublime. You can reach silly speeds in any sort of weather, and the grip is excellent.
I love the dual personality about it, you can knock it in eco or comfort (dcc equipped cars only) when you want to be sensible or whack it in Race mode where it makes it much more sharper.
Dcc is a must have IMO: I have come from a load of lowered Hondas and even in Race mode with 19" prets i find the ride extremely compliant. Put it in comfort and it feels like I am driving a Sofa!
99% of people who say 7s are better than 7.5s must be 7 owners. The 7.5 interior is such a nice place to be with the virtual dash and the black/dark grey seats look much better than the older light grey ones. Plus you have the more aggressive bumper and the led lights, and the extra gear should you do alot of motorway miles
oh and it has 10 more horses
I got a nicely specced one with dsg, dcc, dynaudio, 19" prets, pan roof, climate windscreen etc so should hold its value well when I decide to sell.
Pros: point and shoot, easy to drive fast, lovely interior, looks good, high spec makes it feel special, good tuning potential (stage 1 is good for 360-380bhp)
Cons: get stolen for fun, soundaktor (fake engine noise; mine is coded out via obdeleven), not very involving to drive (although manual mode with dsg farts/downshifts help), and doesn't sound very nice
Too many people worry about theft on these cars. I have mine fully insured and also have GAP cover, plus I block it in on the driveway on an evening... if the scrotes still want it they can have it!
Had one small issue with mine in nearly 4 months ownership, had a front lower level control sensor warning when I scanned via obdeleven, so this was replaced under warranty. Don't know how big of an issue it was/could have been was there were no lights on the dash.
2 litre 4 pot engine doesn't sound very nice. First thing i did was add a res delete (circa £100 mod) and it totally changes the sound of the car. It doesn't make it sound amazing but it is much better than stock
I've put a full maxton kit on it as every other car I see around here (Yorkshire) is a Golf R so wanted to add my own stamp to it. I think it has totally changed the look of the car and now sits so much more aggressive
All in all, very happy with my brief ownership (only done around 2k miles since July) but I know that e92 m3 itch i previously had will still need to be scratched someday!
For a daily they are absolutely sublime. You can reach silly speeds in any sort of weather, and the grip is excellent.
I love the dual personality about it, you can knock it in eco or comfort (dcc equipped cars only) when you want to be sensible or whack it in Race mode where it makes it much more sharper.
Dcc is a must have IMO: I have come from a load of lowered Hondas and even in Race mode with 19" prets i find the ride extremely compliant. Put it in comfort and it feels like I am driving a Sofa!
99% of people who say 7s are better than 7.5s must be 7 owners. The 7.5 interior is such a nice place to be with the virtual dash and the black/dark grey seats look much better than the older light grey ones. Plus you have the more aggressive bumper and the led lights, and the extra gear should you do alot of motorway miles
oh and it has 10 more horsesI got a nicely specced one with dsg, dcc, dynaudio, 19" prets, pan roof, climate windscreen etc so should hold its value well when I decide to sell.
Pros: point and shoot, easy to drive fast, lovely interior, looks good, high spec makes it feel special, good tuning potential (stage 1 is good for 360-380bhp)
Cons: get stolen for fun, soundaktor (fake engine noise; mine is coded out via obdeleven), not very involving to drive (although manual mode with dsg farts/downshifts help), and doesn't sound very nice
Too many people worry about theft on these cars. I have mine fully insured and also have GAP cover, plus I block it in on the driveway on an evening... if the scrotes still want it they can have it!
Had one small issue with mine in nearly 4 months ownership, had a front lower level control sensor warning when I scanned via obdeleven, so this was replaced under warranty. Don't know how big of an issue it was/could have been was there were no lights on the dash.
2 litre 4 pot engine doesn't sound very nice. First thing i did was add a res delete (circa £100 mod) and it totally changes the sound of the car. It doesn't make it sound amazing but it is much better than stock
I've put a full maxton kit on it as every other car I see around here (Yorkshire) is a Golf R so wanted to add my own stamp to it. I think it has totally changed the look of the car and now sits so much more aggressive
All in all, very happy with my brief ownership (only done around 2k miles since July) but I know that e92 m3 itch i previously had will still need to be scratched someday!
Cannyjock said:
I found it a hugely competent, fast family car but just nothing that special. Comfortable, good fuel economy, all the modern gadgets, nice enough interior, good infotainment on the later version. I can see why you'd have one as a second car if you owned something really special (and had loads of money) and just wanted a competent fast runabout, or if you want to tune a DSG version to 400+ bhp and build a traffic light monster. As my (then) only 'fun' car I wanted something more special.
This made me smile as it's effectively what I did; Leon Cupra as "competent fast runabout", "Jaguar XJR and 2 motorbikes" as my really special vehicles and then a Toyota Hilux as my useful tow vehicle/dump transport. All bought for around £50k and with the running costs of 1 £50k new car with much lower depriciation but high running costs (insurance, consumables.......)snotrag said:
Baldchap said:
If it helps with the decision, both of those are just overused PH tropes, rather than facts.
The thing is, the reason they come to me are not because of PH - its the experiences of multiple people I know who have owned one. As for facts, according to the DVLA, the Golf was the 3rd most stolen car in the U.K. in 2019, and whilst variant details are not available, if I were a betting man, I’d say it’s highly likely that R’s made up a bigger proportion of the stolen Golfs than than the 85ps 1.0 models?
It's each to their own & thank goodness we are not all the same.
I've had my Golf R for five years & it's probably the best all rounder I've ever had. (but then I've spent the last thirty years having my ear drums & eye balls rattled by TVRs
)
It really comes into its own if you get to do a European road trip.
I've had my Golf R for five years & it's probably the best all rounder I've ever had. (but then I've spent the last thirty years having my ear drums & eye balls rattled by TVRs
)It really comes into its own if you get to do a European road trip.
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