Golf R depreciation & justifying

[Motoforlife]

Very serious about buying a golf r for around the 14k bracket, so 14 plate with 50-60k on. I’m running around in fiesta st currently but want something a bit more adult as I’m almost 30 and soon to have a family. I want some thing fast, but practical at the same time, & running costs don’t bother me too much doing little mileage.

How do people seethe golf r depreciating over the next 3 years or so? as they are common with good lease deals, also the mk8 should be coming out in July I don’t want something that will drop like a stone.

I’m buying outright, but can’t afford to keep chucking 6 grand into a car every 2-3 years in depreciation. I also have a mortgage, but with some decent savings I won’t be financially pushed. Do people stick to a limit of spending vs income etc. My hearts telling me to go for it but head is saying I should put the extra 8k I’ll need to the mortgage.

Thoughts?

[SWoll]

If you can't afford to keep throwing money at depreciation then your only choice is to buy older where most of it has already been done. Maintenance costs likely to go up but will be offset by not jut losing lot of money whilst it sits there.

A Golf R really isn't an interesting enough prospect to get yourself into financial issues over IMHO. Plenty of interesting and more 'grown up' cars for <£10k that won't drop value like a stone and be a magnet for local lowlifes.

[markymark34]

Golf R values are pretty good. Have a look at 2018 cars right back to the earliest ones. Unfortunately anything you buy from a dealer is instantly losing money. If you can find one at a private sale for the right money there are much worse cars to own.

Leon cupra even more affordable.
Focus st
Good luck.

[Weezywee]

100% depreciation when you wake up one morning and its no longer on your drive

[Funk]

Weezywee said:

100% depreciation when you wake up one morning and its no longer on your drive

<yawn>

I've had mine for over two years and it's only been stolen 14 times! Remarkable really.

OP - they seem to hold their value pretty well as a used proposition, mainly thanks to cheap leases a few years ago meaning a good supply of 2-3 year old ones in the marketplace. They're also no longer for sale new and the Mk8 version will be at least a year away I reckon so can't see them depreciating that much certainly in the next 12-18 months.

Worth a look at the estate version too - something very cool about a fast estate and with a young family it'll be pretty practical as well as quick.

[nickfrog]

Weezywee said:

100% depreciation when you wake up one morning and its no longer on your drive

Unless you have bought an insurance policy that covers theft.

[Motoforlife]

That’s fair enough. I do fear they will drop dead in value and turn out to be a yobbo car. It’s not that I can’t afford it, as I could it’s how to find the balance between savings and luxuries.

My plan was to get the golf then maybe 2-3 years down the line get a 320 or 330d, for 10k Mark. I could keep affording to put the 6k in every 2-3 years but it wouldn’t be my priority to be honest, I just fancied a one off spurge. Then maybe concentrate on house, family etc.

I know what the right thing to do is, but then why go through life penny pinching and not having nice things when you work hard.

I’m sure a lot of people on here have been in a similar situation?

Any other suggestions on different cars? My fiesta is pretty nippy with 230bhp weight 1060kg so good power to weight. I don’t want anything slower but also practical too.

[Jamescrs]

I would have thought (depending on how many miles you are doing) that 4-6k depreciation over the next 3 years is entirely feasible on a Golf R, Whilst they are very impressive cars I don't think they are special enough to maintain a collector value in the same way that say Ford RS cars do.

I think if depreciation is a real concern for you though then you should probably consider an older car, maybe a Golf R32 which was sold in much smaller numbers and has more of a cult following.

[Motoforlife]

I have taken into consideration focus st but I don’t feel like it would be a upgrade apart from been larger.

I actually really like the Leon’s 290 too but they’re not 4wd which swayed me to the golfs

I’m not cursing anything but don’t seem to live in a bad area (I know thieves can travel) but my cards generally well down the drive out of sight and blocked in.

On that note I think I’ll try and find a few when all this corona has blown
Over. Hope there’s some good deals. I’m open to cat s/n if the price is right and pics of damage etc.

Thanks for the advice so far, the wife literally is telling me to go buy it but unfortunately I’m a bit more sensible than that! How often does that happen? Haha

[Motoforlife]

Ill be doing 6k a year, luckily I don’t have to use it for work, and can use the wife’s car too. I do like to look after my cars generally speaking. I can take £1500 a year on the chin depreciation but any more and it would take some of the pleasure out of it.

[Baldchap]

I had a 7.5 R estate and it was an absolutely excellent daily and a pleasure to live with. As a package I don't believe there's a better car for sale today.

[Funk]

Baldchap said:

I had a 7.5 R estate and it was an absolutely excellent daily and a pleasure to live with. As a package I don't believe there's a better car for sale today.

My 7.5 R hatch as been one of the best cars to live with and drive. @OP - you'll get a load of people saying they're 'boring' etc but they really aren't; as a daily driver (and especially for you with family considerations) I don't think there's a better-value all-round performance proposition on the market. Even most of the drivers' mags agree and that's a rarity.

Yes you'd get an 'n-th' more degree of precision out of a Civic Type R or Megane RS of some sort, you'd probably save money initially buying a Focus ST or Cupra but to live with day-to-day the Golf takes some beating. It probably isn't the best at every individual thing, however it's more than good enough in every category to come out better overall than anything else in the segment.

Someone mentioned the R32 - I had a MkIV 2.8 V6 4Motion which was the 'poor man's R32' and I've also driven the MkIV R32 which was a great car but they're old now and even a MkV will be showing its age. They were also a great way to turn petrol into noise though, the V6 sounded fantastic.

Same could be said of the Focus ST - again, I had a Mk2 (2.5L 5-pot) for 3 years and put 70k on it. It was great fun and had enormous character but it was woefully slow for the amount of fuel it consumed and the handling, especially in the wet, was very under-steery. Mk2.5 STs kept the engine and updated the looks (although I prefer the original) and the Mk3 dropped the one thing that made the ST special for me which was the 5-cylinder engine. All the ST interiors aren't a patch on the VWs either, and that's the bit you'll be touching and seeing the most of...

I have a new car on order (although delayed due to the lockdown) and with the current circumstances I'm thinking I might just stick with the Golf. Even with a Shiny New Toy coming I'll genuinely miss the R when it goes, it's been my favourite car to date and I don't think you'd regret buying one.

[Actus Reus]

Had one when I became a Dad. Great car, though the boot was a little bit too small - an estate will be easier to live with as a family.

Beyond that, yeah, great car - though left me a little cold ultimately. Just never managed to gel with it like I did my Cayman or even MX5. As a quick daily though, yes, great choice.

And mine was never stolen.

[AyBee]

Given 2010/11 Golf and Scirocco Rs are £10-12k, I think if you can buy at £14k, you'll probably be at £1-1.5k p.a. depreciation.

[Motoforlife]

Funk said:

Baldchap said:

I had a 7.5 R estate and it was an absolutely excellent daily and a pleasure to live with. As a package I don't believe there's a better car for sale today.

My 7.5 R hatch as been one of the best cars to live with and drive. @OP - you'll get a load of people saying they're 'boring' etc but they really aren't; as a daily driver (and especially for you with family considerations) I don't think there's a better-value all-round performance proposition on the market. Even most of the drivers' mags agree and that's a rarity.

Yes you'd get an 'n-th' more degree of precision out of a Civic Type R or Megane RS of some sort, you'd probably save money initially buying a Focus ST or Cupra but to live with day-to-day the Golf takes some beating. It probably isn't the best at every individual thing, however it's more than good enough in every category to come out better overall than anything else in the segment.

Someone mentioned the R32 - I had a MkIV 2.8 V6 4Motion which was the 'poor man's R32' and I've also driven the MkIV R32 which was a great car but they're old now and even a MkV will be showing its age. They were also a great way to turn petrol into noise though, the V6 sounded fantastic.

Same could be said of the Focus ST - again, I had a Mk2 (2.5L 5-pot) for 3 years and put 70k on it. It was great fun and had enormous character but it was woefully slow for the amount of fuel it consumed and the handling, especially in the wet, was very under-steery. Mk2.5 STs kept the engine and updated the looks (although I prefer the original) and the Mk3 dropped the one thing that made the ST special for me which was the 5-cylinder engine. All the ST interiors aren't a patch on the VWs either, and that's the bit you'll be touching and seeing the most of...

I have a new car on order (although delayed due to the lockdown) and with the current circumstances I'm thinking I might just stick with the Golf. Even with a Shiny New Toy coming I'll genuinely miss the R when it goes, it's been my favourite car to date and I don't think you'd regret buying one.

Thanks for your detailed reply! Yup again you have backed up the points I have been making to myself. I see my fiesta as a one trick pony at the moment. Great for B roads but a nightmare the rest of the time! I also hate the interior and fear the focus wouldn’t be much better.

I still wanted something fairly new to keep some form of good reliability, which throws the r32 out instantly.

I genuinely can’t think of another car with the performance, practicality, and running costs that I could get for the money. I have considered 135i and Leon as said, but the 4wd is a big factor for
Me, especially after the fiesta it gets tiring after a while fwd with a decent amount of power in a light car.

I hope they’ll be some bargains to be had when corona is said and done, and it’s allowing me more time to save so I won’t feel as bad when I do buy if I’ve got more cash left over to put into other things!

[Funk]

You'll find the 135i cramped with a family. I had an '09 123d for nearly 3 years and to say it was tight in the rear seats is an understatement. Handled well though and was my introduction to RWD (it would hang its arse out in the wet on roundabouts if asked!).

One thing I'd say with the Golf - get one with DCC. Mine's on standard suspension (on 18" wheels) which is just about live-with-able but DCC would be a priority for me if I were buying today and mandatory if looking at any with 19"... I can't imagine how much firmer it'd be with the bigger rims and less sidewall! Also I love the DSG for a daily but others will say they're awful - certainly in the 7.5 R I think it's a superb gearbox and I wouldn't swap it for a manual if you paid me. It suits the character of the car well and when left to its own devices in auto it's smooth and seamless for just getting about.

[Motoforlife]

Ahh that would be a certain no go then defiantly looking for it to be spacious in the rear. I’ll be aiming for a dsg if so. Frustratingly it seems a lot are manual, or at least in the lower price bracket that I’m in, but I’ll hold out to find the right one. They seem a solid gearbox will little issues? I’ve heard to stock clutch is chocolate too.

[Driver101]

AyBee said:

Given 2010/11 Golf and Scirocco Rs are £10-12k, I think if you can buy at £14k, you'll probably be at £1-1.5k p.a. depreciation.

Using Autotrader there is 49 Scirocco Rs, and around 40 MK6 Golf Rs for sale and a few are convertibles. There's about 1250 MK7 Golf Rs.

Asking prices of the MK6 already overlap the MK7. Enough people seem to prefer the older and rarer cars although they are inferior. I don't think using MK6 prices will be too relevant given the oversupply of the MK7.

I don't think depreciation is going to be a big issue with a £14k Golf R. I do think there will be drops in value once past the current crisis. That'll not be specific to the Golf.

[Motoforlife]

I have considered the mk6 though the
Mk7 seems a much better platform, granted the
Mk6 are few and far between. Does anyone think the s3 would hold value better? Either way it’ll be a golf r or s3 however I do prefer the interior and looks of the golf. The s3s seem slightly less common. Think it will come down to the best deal I can find

[fourstardan]

Motoforlife said:

Very serious about buying a golf r for around the 14k bracket, so 14 plate with 50-60k on. I’m running around in fiesta st currently but want something a bit more adult as I’m almost 30 and soon to have a family. I want some thing fast, but practical at the same time, & running costs don’t bother me too much doing little mileage.

How do people seethe golf r depreciating over the next 3 years or so? as they are common with good lease deals, also the mk8 should be coming out in July I don’t want something that will drop like a stone.

I’m buying outright, but can’t afford to keep chucking 6 grand into a car every 2-3 years in depreciation. I also have a mortgage, but with some decent savings I won’t be financially pushed. Do people stick to a limit of spending vs income etc. My hearts telling me to go for it but head is saying I should put the extra 8k I’ll need to the mortgage.

Thoughts?

If you wanted something more adult you should be buying a Passat fella.

Id sit and wait based on current situation.