I've been circling the idea of IS38 GTI in my head but can't justify it with what is an already complete lack of 1st and 2nd gear traction as is with Cooper RS3S tires, not to mention add a little water and forget about touching the gas pedal at all. I have good friends with both the Golf R (Stage 2 ED) and S3 (1.5 ED). Love them both but I've been somewhat holding out for the R to drop into the 20k's. Looks like they're starting to pop up in the 29k range as of recently. Who has gone from GTI to R and can you elaborate on the awesomeness of doing so?
7
Who came from an MK7 GTI? Talk to me..
- Thread starter Venumous
- Start date
NCM
Ready to race!
- Location
- Fort Wayne, IN, USA
- Car(s)
- 2015 Golf R
I'm not coming from a GTI, but that's what I had originally planned to buy. I wanted to replace my 05 Mini Cooper S as a daily, but VW really wasn't on my radar at all. Then a friend bought a Mk 7 GTI and I had the opportunity to drive it. Pretty nice! I took my wife to the dealer and we drove another one there — she liked it too, so there's the green light.
I'm a lifelong stick shift guy, but having tried out dual-clutch cars on both street and track I wanted to get one in my next car. My wife can drive a stick just fine, but prefers not to, so bonus points to VW's available DSG.
I would have ordered a loaded new 2015 GTI w/PP, so $35+K MSRP less whatever deal was to be had. And then the question of the about-to-arrive NAR Golf R came up... Hmmm, lots more power, AWD, nice spec, $42K, what's not to like? I've instructed a couple of times in the old V32 and had been impressed — especially that one time in the rain when my young female student spanked everybody else! I could afford the new R, so I went for it.
Haven't had the slightest regret. Love that wet weather traction when accelerating away from a stop light. For everyday use there's no downside over the GTI (well, unless you feel strongly about a sunroof) and the upsides are so worth the extra money.
Which brings us to your only problem right now: budget. I don't follow used car pricing, but imagine a 2015 R will ratchet down another notch once the next model year hits our shores, whenever that is. Maybe you'll find an R at the price you want to pay then?
Neil
I'm a lifelong stick shift guy, but having tried out dual-clutch cars on both street and track I wanted to get one in my next car. My wife can drive a stick just fine, but prefers not to, so bonus points to VW's available DSG.
I would have ordered a loaded new 2015 GTI w/PP, so $35+K MSRP less whatever deal was to be had. And then the question of the about-to-arrive NAR Golf R came up... Hmmm, lots more power, AWD, nice spec, $42K, what's not to like? I've instructed a couple of times in the old V32 and had been impressed — especially that one time in the rain when my young female student spanked everybody else! I could afford the new R, so I went for it.
Haven't had the slightest regret. Love that wet weather traction when accelerating away from a stop light. For everyday use there's no downside over the GTI (well, unless you feel strongly about a sunroof) and the upsides are so worth the extra money.
Which brings us to your only problem right now: budget. I don't follow used car pricing, but imagine a 2015 R will ratchet down another notch once the next model year hits our shores, whenever that is. Maybe you'll find an R at the price you want to pay then?
Neil
I went from a MkVI GTI to a Mk7 R. Both were/are base 6MT models. I bought my R in January 2016.
Differences? The R had more equipment, like the lighting package and keyless, but that's available on the GTI.
*The transmission was pretty equivalent; the GTI had longer clutch travel and throws by a small margin. (I finally replaced the stock stuff with a Dieselgate short shift kit and a Raceseng knob on the R, which I'd do on the GTI as well if I still had it.)
*The power comes on a bit later, to my senses. In the GTI, it came on at 2500rpm or so. In the R, it is about 500-750rpm later that you get the whoosh. YMMV
*The R is pretty much totally unflappable, regardless of weather (within reason). Into or out of a corner, you don't lose grip, there's no wheelspin, you just stick and go.
*The R feels less fast even when it's going faster. It's heavier and planted so well that you don't get as much of the sense of speed or driving on the edge that you can get in the GTI.
*Even as a base model the R feels more like a small Audi than the GTI does. It makes you look at S3s and say, why pay that much more for what's pretty much the same? The GTI is a fabulous car at its price point, though.
*Gas mileage is moderately worse. I average about 24-25 in my R year round, about two to three MPG less than in the GTI.
*The leather is meh. The plaid seats in the base GTI are pretty good, though my wife hated them. The leather in the R is not going to give a Mercedes or Lexus owner anything to think about for sure.
*If you want power, I think the R is a great platform with the AWD for whatever shenanigans you want to indulge in. With the usual caveats about a clutch if you're going that route, it can take a lot of modding.
*The car is stealthy, and that may or may not be good for you. It looks less racy than the GTI, and most non-car people have zero clue that it's a beast. The four pipe exhaust is sort of subtle, and the front fascia is understated. This may or may bot be what you want!
Overall, I love the R. I don't regret getting it at all. I can't say it's "better" than a GTI, because IMO it is really delivering a different if closely related experience.
Differences? The R had more equipment, like the lighting package and keyless, but that's available on the GTI.
*The transmission was pretty equivalent; the GTI had longer clutch travel and throws by a small margin. (I finally replaced the stock stuff with a Dieselgate short shift kit and a Raceseng knob on the R, which I'd do on the GTI as well if I still had it.)
*The power comes on a bit later, to my senses. In the GTI, it came on at 2500rpm or so. In the R, it is about 500-750rpm later that you get the whoosh. YMMV
*The R is pretty much totally unflappable, regardless of weather (within reason). Into or out of a corner, you don't lose grip, there's no wheelspin, you just stick and go.
*The R feels less fast even when it's going faster. It's heavier and planted so well that you don't get as much of the sense of speed or driving on the edge that you can get in the GTI.
*Even as a base model the R feels more like a small Audi than the GTI does. It makes you look at S3s and say, why pay that much more for what's pretty much the same? The GTI is a fabulous car at its price point, though.
*Gas mileage is moderately worse. I average about 24-25 in my R year round, about two to three MPG less than in the GTI.
*The leather is meh. The plaid seats in the base GTI are pretty good, though my wife hated them. The leather in the R is not going to give a Mercedes or Lexus owner anything to think about for sure.
*If you want power, I think the R is a great platform with the AWD for whatever shenanigans you want to indulge in. With the usual caveats about a clutch if you're going that route, it can take a lot of modding.
*The car is stealthy, and that may or may not be good for you. It looks less racy than the GTI, and most non-car people have zero clue that it's a beast. The four pipe exhaust is sort of subtle, and the front fascia is understated. This may or may bot be what you want!
Overall, I love the R. I don't regret getting it at all. I can't say it's "better" than a GTI, because IMO it is really delivering a different if closely related experience.
KevinC
Autocross Champion
- Car(s)
- '19 Golf R, '21 M2c
Wombat's summary above is excellent and I agree with all his points. I'll throw in that the value of 4Motion can't be understated, though I've read a few posts lately in GTI forums that try to call it "not real AWD", and other dismissals of its prowess. Utter BS. It's a great system especially for a street-driven car. All the traction issues the GTI has are gone. Much safer in any kind of inclement weather. Sure, the car is primarily FWD, but Haldex kicks in when it needs to, and it's seamless and instantaneous.
One more point is that the R motor has some beefed-up internals to handle the additional power, that the GTI lacks. Will the GTI motors that have been puffed up to Stage 2 or higher power hold up in the long term? Too soon to tell. But I'd be concerned.
One more point is that the R motor has some beefed-up internals to handle the additional power, that the GTI lacks. Will the GTI motors that have been puffed up to Stage 2 or higher power hold up in the long term? Too soon to tell. But I'd be concerned.
M3bs1
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- North Augusta SC
I have a friend with a Mk7 GTI PP with JB1. I found it frustrating to drive in lower gears (1-3) due to the amount of wheelspin, especially while cornering. My R just goes. No fuss. Some find that the R's capability makes it less "fun", but I'm still impressed every time I drive mine, and it is just as it left the factory.
I came from a MKV GTI with Stage 2.
Having FWD was really frustrating once I started to mod my car. Before the MKV I had a B5 A4 Audi 1.8t Quattro and I dearly missed AWD.
I got the R because of the AWD and the massive OEM performance.
You will have no regrets if you buy the R!
Having FWD was really frustrating once I started to mod my car. Before the MKV I had a B5 A4 Audi 1.8t Quattro and I dearly missed AWD.
I got the R because of the AWD and the massive OEM performance.
You will have no regrets if you buy the R!
Just over a week ago, I went from a 2016 DSG GTI to a 2017 DSG R.
Did around 11000 miles on the GTI, and probably around 200 miles in the R. (Not much experience with this vehicle yet)
Firstly, I rate the GTI very very highly, I think it is an exciting car, smooth, refined, comfortable etc etc. (most people have similar opinions)
A friend bought a Clubsport around 3 months ago, this got me very interested. I then drove a couple of Clubsports, and felt a tremendous improvement on the GTI. Even though the Clubsport has DCC, I still did not like the lack of traction from a pull off, which is by far my biggest gripe I had with my GTI.
(EDIT: many forumers install mods that improve lack of FW traction, so there are options to improve on standard)
I decided to purchase a Clubsport around 2 weeks ago, as a friend loved my GTI and offered me a great price for it.
Went back to the dealership, and the sales guy, (he sold me my GTI) insisted I drive the R. I took this for a spirited drive early on a saturday morning, and at first I did not like the extra noise coming from tyres/haldex, steering felt a bit less rewarding, generally was not overly impressed.
But as I drove more, understood the differences the R offers, and stuck the DCC into Race mode, the car really livened up, started growling and showed a side that neither the GTI and to a lesser extent, the Clubsport could offer.
Added to this is the fantastic grip from a stop, the R started to feel like a very compelling package.
Plus the demonstrator that I bought has just about every extra factory option installed, my GTI only had xenons, s/r, leather, PDC & DSG.
TLDR: GTI is brilliant, adequate for most people. R is special, more for the enthusiast.
GTI offers more feel when driving, R more competent and mature.
Did around 11000 miles on the GTI, and probably around 200 miles in the R. (Not much experience with this vehicle yet)
Firstly, I rate the GTI very very highly, I think it is an exciting car, smooth, refined, comfortable etc etc. (most people have similar opinions)
A friend bought a Clubsport around 3 months ago, this got me very interested. I then drove a couple of Clubsports, and felt a tremendous improvement on the GTI. Even though the Clubsport has DCC, I still did not like the lack of traction from a pull off, which is by far my biggest gripe I had with my GTI.
(EDIT: many forumers install mods that improve lack of FW traction, so there are options to improve on standard)
I decided to purchase a Clubsport around 2 weeks ago, as a friend loved my GTI and offered me a great price for it.
Went back to the dealership, and the sales guy, (he sold me my GTI) insisted I drive the R. I took this for a spirited drive early on a saturday morning, and at first I did not like the extra noise coming from tyres/haldex, steering felt a bit less rewarding, generally was not overly impressed.
But as I drove more, understood the differences the R offers, and stuck the DCC into Race mode, the car really livened up, started growling and showed a side that neither the GTI and to a lesser extent, the Clubsport could offer.
Added to this is the fantastic grip from a stop, the R started to feel like a very compelling package.
Plus the demonstrator that I bought has just about every extra factory option installed, my GTI only had xenons, s/r, leather, PDC & DSG.
TLDR: GTI is brilliant, adequate for most people. R is special, more for the enthusiast.
GTI offers more feel when driving, R more competent and mature.
mk7gti2.0
Ready to race!
- Location
- De Soto, MO
I agree completely, I had a 2016 gti pp lp for 6 months before getting my R. I wish I would have just gone the R route to begin with. It's kinda hard to stay off the throttle once you start soy mpgs went down a few compared to the gti.
TheProfessional
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- Texas
I have both a base manual MK7 GTI (2017) and a base manual MK7R (2016). I like both, but feel the GTI is more nimble and overall more practical. I have averaged 36 MPG in the GTI thus far, whereas I never get above 27 in the R. I like the driving position in the R better and it sounds slightly better. Straight line acceleration is obviously better in the R. I plan to take both to an autocross (I have been taking my R thus far) to compare real world times (I suspect the GTI might be quicker).
If I had to choose one, I would take my R of course since I already own both. But if I was in the market for a new one now, I would choose the GTI since the price delta is quite large. I paid 33,200 for the R during dieselgate rebate time, so that was enough for me to jump into one. I said in another thread, the GTI is about 90% of the performance for 60% of the price.
If I had to choose one, I would take my R of course since I already own both. But if I was in the market for a new one now, I would choose the GTI since the price delta is quite large. I paid 33,200 for the R during dieselgate rebate time, so that was enough for me to jump into one. I said in another thread, the GTI is about 90% of the performance for 60% of the price.
domyalex
New member
- Location
- BC, Canada
Coming from a Mk6 GTI, I fully agree with the posters above, lack of traction in the GTI (especially during our long and rainy months) was infuriating for me. And yes, the GTI made power a bit earlier and "seemed" faster, but at higher rpm it fell flat on its face, whereas the R keeps going.
I'm at ~2,000 km on my R and have yet to hear a wheel spin; in the GTI it was pretty much a common occurrence.
I'm at ~2,000 km on my R and have yet to hear a wheel spin; in the GTI it was pretty much a common occurrence.
Appreciate all the responses and agree with pretty much everything that I have read. I also agree that the GTI is a great car and absolutely good enough for 99% of people. Unfortunately/Fortunately I fall in the 1%. I currently own a Stage 2 16 DSG, a 700whp 5.0, and a 700whp Terminator. I've owned a 05 & 09 WRX as well as a 15 STI for daily drivers before and miss AWD dearly. I think I will be in an R before winter at this point.
Has anyone here leased an R? My DDs last 2 to 3 years so I may look into that route.
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Has anyone here leased an R? My DDs last 2 to 3 years so I may look into that route.
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Diggs24
Autocross Champion
- Location
- de plains! de plains!
- Car(s)
- 2015 GTI
From what I understand the lease prices are never attractive on Rs.
I would believe that. Probably going to be a used 10-20k mi DSG.
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Tweaker
New member
- Location
- Dunnellon, Florida
I'm new to the R and this forum. Just traded a 2016 GTI Autobahn DSG for a 2015 R with APR stage 2 tune 42DD down pipe and VWR springs. Best decision I ever made. This R rides more harsh than the GTI which was very compliant but in every other way it outshines the GTI.
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