The Golf R lease thread

[mattco]

So will all cars built from now be facelift spec?

[lee_fr200]

no, facelift is out next april so cars built in the new year i believe!

[Tom-M]

Birdster said:

Build 31st of October.

Deliver 28th of November.

Ordered beginning of July.

Are you still waiting too?

Yes, Ordered late August. Delivery is 1st Week of Jan, and has been the same for the last 3 Updates. The first update was last week of Nov, but I thought that was ambitious. Still expecting it to slip a little bit.

I'm really not that bothered as the price is pretty cheap - and I have a crap car to drive around in until then. Always going to get 2 years on the car, assuming it turns up.

Only frustration is that we could have got a decent 135i at a very cheap price between now and ordering - with instant delivery.

[Birdster]

Tom-M said:

Birdster said:

Build 31st of October.

Deliver 28th of November.

Ordered beginning of July.

Are you still waiting too?

Yes, Ordered late August. Delivery is 1st Week of Jan, and has been the same for the last 3 Updates. The first update was last week of Nov, but I thought that was ambitious. Still expecting it to slip a little bit.

I'm really not that bothered as the price is pretty cheap - and I have a crap car to drive around in until then. Always going to get 2 years on the car, assuming it turns up.

Only frustration is that we could have got a decent 135i at a very cheap price between now and ordering - with instant delivery.

That's it, I suspect my car either isn't ordered, or was ordered way later than first informed. From looking on VW/R forums others who ordered when I did have their car. I think you've been given a more realistic time scale and I was given a false one to help control my expectations.

[Alex]

Shifter is the "wrong" way round on the Porsche PDK too.

Also, I'd move the driver mode buttons to the other side of the stick.

[Beefmeister]

Alex said:

Shifter is the "wrong" way round on the Porsche PDK too.

Also, I'd move the driver mode buttons to the other side of the stick.

What's even more baffling is that Porsche clearly knows it's the wrong way around, because it's 'correct' on the GT3 and GT3 RS.

Push forward for -, pull back for +

[R0B3RT]

Birdster said:

Tom-M said:

Birdster said:

Build 31st of October.

Deliver 28th of November.

Ordered beginning of July.

Are you still waiting too?

Yes, Ordered late August. Delivery is 1st Week of Jan, and has been the same for the last 3 Updates. The first update was last week of Nov, but I thought that was ambitious. Still expecting it to slip a little bit.

I'm really not that bothered as the price is pretty cheap - and I have a crap car to drive around in until then. Always going to get 2 years on the car, assuming it turns up.

Only frustration is that we could have got a decent 135i at a very cheap price between now and ordering - with instant delivery.

That's it, I suspect my car either isn't ordered, or was ordered way later than first informed. From looking on VW/R forums others who ordered when I did have their car. I think you've been given a more realistic time scale and I was given a false one to help control my expectations.

Ordered early July - BW 43 - "in transit" apparently.... due 21st November?

[Tom-M]

R0B3RT said:

Ordered early July - BW 43 - "in transit" apparently.... due 21st November?

Nice - Seems about right - Ordered Aug 26th - I'm on BW 49 - due 02nd Jan now.

[TeaNoSugar]

Just wondering how all the people who got on this deal early and received their cars a while ago are getting on with them?

I picked mine up on 27th or 28th May from memory, so it's coming up for 6 months now. I've managed to hammer the mileage though (change of contracts at work!) so I'm now on 16,000 and I've just got the service reminder; needs doing in 2,700 miles apparently. That's seems like a pretty decent interval for relatively highly tuned 2.0litre engine?

So far I love it; easily the best car I've had (I've had some boring cars though). Does everything fairly well, I regularly spend ages in it (6hr journey yesterday for example) and it's really comfortable and easy to drive. Over the first 16,000 miles it's averaged 31.5mpg and last week I drove from Dartford to Yorkshire and averaged just over 41mpg on a 200 mile journey. On the other hand I've also taken it out for a few drives where I've averaged <10mpg though!!
Also, despite many people not liking the sound, it's quite loud and I like the overall sound when you're giving it 100% through the gears. With the estate being a long body with a correspondingly longer exhaust pipe and the cabin being a bit more of an echo chamber I think that maybe makes it sound louder inside and outside (compared to the hatch).
Another good thing is that 6 months in, I've still only seen 2 other R estates (red one near Ikea Nottingham, and LSG one in Sheffield).

There are some negative points;
stop/start is a pain in the arse
I never want another black car - impossible to keep clean for more than a day.
The front radar occasionally goes berserk for no reason, and once it shutdown entirely, but reset itself when I turned the ignition off and back on again.
Some ahole scratched all down the side (another vehicle, not a key) recently. Left no details and no wotnesses so I'm waiting for a quote on repairing the damage.
I still can't get used to the quad exhausts. Fortunately the "active" pair are totally black now and you have to look quite closely to see there are 4 tips rather than 2. I think it would look better with the quad tips being replaced by something like a slightly smaller version of the Audi RS dual oval tips (but they'd have to be real exhausts not just fake tips). Anyway, I'm not fitting any aftermarket parts, it's just an observation.

Well that's just a few thoughts. Overall for an initial payment of £740 and £280pcm I'm very happy with it. I'm already sticking a bit aside for the excess mileage sting though!! Could be a couple of grand at this rate!!

How is everyone else getting on with their estates??

Edit: apologies for such a long winded post!!

[benjijames28]

I'm just amazed you get 31.5mpg.

My Audi a3 1.8 TFSI with 160bhp gets 30mpg measured tank to tank not using trip counter.

I pretty much only do short journeys of under 10 miles.

[TeaNoSugar]

benjijames28 said:

I'm just amazed you get 31.5mpg.

My Audi a3 1.8 TFSI with 160bhp gets 30mpg measured tank to tank not using trip counter.

I pretty much only do short journeys of under 10 miles.

For the last 6 months I've been doing almost weekly trips up and down the M1, 300-340 miles at a time. When the traffic is quite heavy I tend to just set the cruise control to 75 and just go with the flow (which is generally 60-70mph as long as there are no actual stoppages). That will generally return 36-41mpg depending on what the average speed is and how smooth or stop/start it is. I don't do many journeys <40 miles. That's all on the trip computer, I can't be bothered measuring it properly, My mileage is about 80% work related anyway so all gets reimbursed at 40/25ppm.

Edited by TeaNoSugar on Wednesday 16th November 19:20

[benjijames28]

TeaNoSugar said:

For the last 6 months I've been doing almost weekly trips up and down the M1, 300-340 miles at a time. When the traffic is quite heavy I tend to just set the cruise control to 75 and just go with the flow (which is generally 60-70mph as long as there are no actual stoppages). That will generally return 36-41mpg depending on what the average speed is and how smooth or stop/start it is. I don't do many journeys <40 miles. That's all on the trip computer, I can't be bothered measuring it properly, My mileage is about 80% work related anyway so all gets reimbursed at 40/25ppm.

Edited by TeaNoSugar on Wednesday 16th November 19:20

I've run it up motor way a few times, nothing long distance, but when I do it reads 42mpg on the

[uuf361]

I'm only 5 months in with my estate and 5K miles (right on track with the contracted mileage).

I'd agree the front radar is a bit bonkerz - it's overly sensitive IMO and activates when not necessary - but it's only put the ABS on once!

The start/stop I like apart from the restart jerkiness.

The ride is overly harsh for what it is and needs to be - passengers have nicknamed it crashy just due to the ride!

Mine has some vibrations/rattles which are becoming increasingly annoying but I've not been to the dealer to get them looked at yet.

The MPG isn't amazing (but I never expected it to be) - I'm on 32.5 average but overall for the bargain price it's a good car.

[m3sye]

uuf361 said:

I'm only 5 months in with my estate and 5K miles (right on track with the contracted mileage).

I'd agree the front radar is a bit bonkerz - it's overly sensitive IMO and activates when not necessary - but it's only put the ABS on once!

The start/stop I like apart from the restart jerkiness.

The ride is overly harsh for what it is and needs to be - passengers have nicknamed it crashy just due to the ride!

Mine has some vibrations/rattles which are becoming increasingly annoying but I've not been to the dealer to get them looked at yet.

The MPG isn't amazing (but I never expected it to be) - I'm on 32.5 average but overall for the bargain price it's a good car.

Id call an average of 32.5mpg amazing for a car a petrol 300bhp car tbh.... what out there is better??

[Brabus Jord]

Hi all,

Any recent deals to be had? my Scirocco on PCP is due to end in march so i am in a position where i can hand it back when ever. Im very tempted with a Gold R estate if there is a decent deal around. looking at 15,000 miles a year at the moment.

Thanks in advance.
Jord.

[bigvanfan]

Brabus Jord said:

Hi all,

Any recent deals to be had? my Scirocco on PCP is due to end in march so i am in a position where i can hand it back when ever. Im very tempted with a Gold R estate if there is a decent deal around. looking at 15,000 miles a year at the moment.

Thanks in advance.
Jord.

I think you've missed the boat on the current shape r, you might get a cancelled order as some people have waited a long time for their car

[domtheone]

m3sye said:

Id call an average of 32.5mpg amazing for a car a petrol 300bhp car tbh.... what out there is better??

Maybe the likes of the M135i/140i (just).

32 is pretty amazing though like you say.

That's what i'm averaging and i've had to try really hard to get that. 75% of my mileage has been on A/Motorway. If not, would be impossible to average in the 30's as town/short journeys are a killer (18-28 mpg).

Done 5K miles in just under 4 months so half my allowance in a third of the time lol.

Nothing to complain about (stop start is a bit meh but hey ho) apart from the sliding rear boot cover squeaks/rattles all the time when going over anything but silky smooth surfaces. Doing my bleeding head in!

£209 a month though says it's the bargain lease deal of the decade.

Edited by domtheone on Friday 18th November 12:34

[DibblyDobbler]

domtheone said:

squeaks/rattles all the time when going over anything but silky smooth surfaces. Doing my bleeding head in!

I thought it was just me! I have a non DCC car and it shakes and rattles like b*ggery on a rough surface. Enjoying it otherwise but maybe not quite as much as I hoped I would to be honest. Engine has no character at all - it can do the numbers but it's a soulless experience. I came from an M135i and the VW is better in almost every measurable way but I don't have much love for it as yet.

[madmatteo]

TeaNoSugar said:

Just wondering how all the people who got on this deal early and received their cars a while ago are getting on with them?

I picked mine up on 27th or 28th May from memory, so it's coming up for 6 months now. I've managed to hammer the mileage though (change of contracts at work!) so I'm now on 16,000 and I've just got the service reminder; needs doing in 2,700 miles apparently. That's seems like a pretty decent interval for relatively highly tuned 2.0litre engine?

So far I love it; easily the best car I've had (I've had some boring cars though). Does everything fairly well, I regularly spend ages in it (6hr journey yesterday for example) and it's really comfortable and easy to drive. Over the first 16,000 miles it's averaged 31.5mpg and last week I drove from Dartford to Yorkshire and averaged just over 41mpg on a 200 mile journey. On the other hand I've also taken it out for a few drives where I've averaged <10mpg though!!
Also, despite many people not liking the sound, it's quite loud and I like the overall sound when you're giving it 100% through the gears. With the estate being a long body with a correspondingly longer exhaust pipe and the cabin being a bit more of an echo chamber I think that maybe makes it sound louder inside and outside (compared to the hatch).
Another good thing is that 6 months in, I've still only seen 2 other R estates (red one near Ikea Nottingham, and LSG one in Sheffield).

There are some negative points;
stop/start is a pain in the arse
I never want another black car - impossible to keep clean for more than a day.
The front radar occasionally goes berserk for no reason, and once it shutdown entirely, but reset itself when I turned the ignition off and back on again.
Some ahole scratched all down the side (another vehicle, not a key) recently. Left no details and no wotnesses so I'm waiting for a quote on repairing the damage.
I still can't get used to the quad exhausts. Fortunately the "active" pair are totally black now and you have to look quite closely to see there are 4 tips rather than 2. I think it would look better with the quad tips being replaced by something like a slightly smaller version of the Audi RS dual oval tips (but they'd have to be real exhausts not just fake tips). Anyway, I'm not fitting any aftermarket parts, it's just an observation.

Well that's just a few thoughts. Overall for an initial payment of £740 and £280pcm I'm very happy with it. I'm already sticking a bit aside for the excess mileage sting though!! Could be a couple of grand at this rate!!

How is everyone else getting on with their estates??

Edit: apologies for such a long winded post!!

Really interesting to read your post. I've had my R Estate since June and I have done approx. 5k miles in mine so far.

I would mirror pretty much all of your comments to be honest. It really is a great car and does so much so well that it can come across as a little staid. I personally haven't found that albeit I have to confess that my previous Fiesta ST (current version) was more exciting to drive but then the golf is a family estate and the Fiesta begs to be bounced down country roads.

My only real gripe with the R (as with so many other people) is the DSG gearbox can take some getting used to. There can be no doubt it makes the car quicker and I assume slightly more economical in many situations. However, it has a number of annoying foibles including the occasional refusal to react to the throttle (usually when you a pulling onto a roundabout or turning into a road across traffic and need it to react quickly!). This issue isn't constant but it is annoying all the same.

I also find that you need to be prepared to occasionally flick between the different gearbox settings in certain situations such as preparing for an overtake etc. For me, the best daily combination is to have the car in race mode (I like the noise it makes in race mode but accept that many don't) but the gearbox in normal drive mode. This seems to keep the throttle response reasonably sharp and avoids the gearbox hanging onto gears to the red line which it tries to in sport mode. Then, when opportunity strikes, I find myself flicking to manual or sport mode on the gearbox so that it can be given the beans.

In terms of economy, I find it really very easy to get 30(+) mpg when doing the day-to-day stuff. It will, however, drink the fuel rapidly if pressing on albeit that is to be expected when you are asking for all 300hp to fire you down the road quickly. I can also confirm that you can achieve the heady heights of 40mpg if doing longer distances but if you so much as look at the throttle, the figures will dive straight back down to 30(ish).

In the 5k miles I have done, I have not had any issues with it save for the soundaktor (or whatever its called) rattling from time to time. You can switch this off in the settings or by changing the car to eco mode but I find it doesn't always rattle so have learned to live with it being left on.

Finally, I agree that the 4 exhaust tips are over the top and I agree that exhausts like the Audi RS style or even those from the Leon Cupra 280/290 estate would be far classier and more in keeping with what is a relatively subtle package. However, there is the schoolboy in me that quite likes the 4 exhaust tips which in my opinion suit the estate styling better than the hatch.

It will certainly be a hard car to replace in 18 months time.

Edited by madmatteo on Friday 18th November 15:42

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Start engine, seatbelt on, stop start off. Automatic routine for me