krs
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Las Vegas, NV
- Car(s)
- MKVIIS R
Back then you could buy a decent house for $170k in Idaho, same house is now $370k.
I’m sure the dealers go home and cry at night after reading the forums.
7
Is VW Making a Lot of 2024 R's?
- Thread starter The Fed
- Start date
Back then you could buy a decent house for $170k in Idaho, same house is now $370k.
I’m sure the dealers go home and cry at night after reading the forums.
VDubberinDE
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- Delaware
- Car(s)
- 2018 VW Golf R
Wow My 2018 was 38500.00 when I bought it, and I thought that was high back then. 53000 and they don't really have any more than what I have. In fact, mine still has button controls as opposed to that horrible capacitive stuff. So, I actually like my 2018 better and it has run perfect since day one. No incentive to upgrade at those prices.
aloha_from_bradley
Autocross Champion
- Location
- AZ
To be fair, I also paid 38.5k for my 2019 R. It was 43 OTD. We need to be specific about the numbers as many people just talk price instead of looking at the taxes & fees associated with the purchase. 43k punched into an inflation calc = $52,715.
The numbers speak for themselves. Car companies have to become more clever each year to seemingly offer more for what appears to be the same money (or close to it) when in reality the margins are razor thin. Today, a Honda Civic starts at 25k. In 1996, they didn't cost a whole lot less. "Upgrading" to a MK8R for 48k isn't necessarily more than you paid for your MK7 in 2018, it just feels like it.
The numbers speak for themselves. Car companies have to become more clever each year to seemingly offer more for what appears to be the same money (or close to it) when in reality the margins are razor thin. Today, a Honda Civic starts at 25k. In 1996, they didn't cost a whole lot less. "Upgrading" to a MK8R for 48k isn't necessarily more than you paid for your MK7 in 2018, it just feels like it.
Salami
Autocross Champion
- Location
- North Carolina
- Car(s)
- MK7.5R
Starting MSRP in 1996 was $10,350.
aloha_from_bradley
Autocross Champion
- Location
- AZ
I mean, yeah. That was almost 30 years ago. Do I really need to spell out the fact that I’m factoring for inflation? And for what you get as standard in a new Honda today, it’s amazing they don’t cost more.
HalfGerman
Go Kart Newbie
- Location
- NH
- Car(s)
- 2018 Golf R
You really want to be shocked , go price out the same R in Germany. I found it crazy ( back in 2018) that I could get a German car cheaper than in Germany. Almost everything that came standard on the US car was optional on the German one, like 4 door, leather, digi dash. Priced a new one out quick on vw.de ( a lot less optional now, vs US standard model) and I was at 57,600 Euros = $63,500 US . 
geokilla
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Car(s)
- 2018 VW GTI DSG
I believe the prices in the EU include all applicable VAT. Don't forget Europeans generally earn less than North Americans either. North America has some of the cheapest cars in the world.You really want to be shocked , go price out the same R in Germany. I found it crazy ( back in 2018) that I could get a German car cheaper than in Germany. Almost everything that came standard on the US car was optional on the German one, like 4 door, leather, digi dash. Priced a new one out quick on vw.de ( a lot less optional now, vs US standard model) and I was at 57,600 Euros = $63,500 US .
ZERO815
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Köln Germany
- Car(s)
- 2017 GTI SE DSG
Prices in Germany include the VAT. In March '17 I paid USD 28500 OTD for my SE, so basically 26500€. A similar GTI in Germany was 36500€ list price. With some negotiation you were able to lower that price, but not by 27% tbh. And yes, income taxes are higher in Germany, and the wages are lower.
Guess why VW is currently struggeling.
Guess why VW is currently struggeling
.
Ezekiel81923
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Royersford, PA
- Car(s)
- 2019 Volkswagen GTI
Sticker MSRP on my '19 GTI S was $28,940 when new. I paid $23,625 after tax, title and tags in August of 2020. Had 8,200 miles.
I can afford a new R but I can't fathom why I would want to.
I can afford a new R but I can't fathom why I would want to.
geokilla
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Car(s)
- 2018 VW GTI DSG
Isn't that for a lot of products in the EU though, not just cars? It looks like a lot of stuff are priced 1:1 in terms of the amount, with some deviations obviously. For example, iPhone 16 is 949 EUR while USA is $799 USD + tax. Crazy.Prices in Germany include the VAT. In March '17 I paid USD 28500 OTD for my SE, so basically 26500€. A similar GTI in Germany was 36500€ list price. With some negotiation you were able to lower that price, but not by 27% tbh. And yes, income taxes are higher in Germany, and the wages are lower.
Guess why VW is currently struggeling
bentin
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Austin, TX
- Car(s)
- 23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
Magna diffs? Better resale retention. Heated steering wheel. Comically lightly cooled seats? Wildly faster infotainment that is stupidly easy to use and never involves accidentally turning on the wrong thing? I have no regrets. I only miss the cloth seats and storage cubbies, they really screwed that part up.
Ezekiel81923
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Royersford, PA
- Car(s)
- 2019 Volkswagen GTI
Not going to sell it. I drive everything into the ground.
Bought an S for a reason - I don't want the bells and whistles.
AWD would be the only reason, but what I saved buying a one year old GTI paid for a whooooole lot of mods.
I understand why people buy them, they're great, I'm just saying that personally I'd buy the base model GTI over the R every time.
tmw2442
Autocross Newbie
- Location
- Approved NPC storage contanier
- Car(s)
- Mk7 R
Unless you want to donuts in a damp parking lot, the 8R with the touch screen/button nonsense just isn't enough of a pull for 7-10K more than the 7/7.5s were new. I remember my 1st GTI that I bought new in 2006 was 21- ish OTD, 2nd 2011 was 23-ish because I wanted a sunroof and a Dynaudio system was worth it at the time. Unfortunately, we lost some Mk5 R models, due to people buyer them and not understand what they are and got destroyed in the "cash for clunkers" scheme, so sad.
Stealerships are still operating in a 20/21 mindset thinking they have un-obtainium, when most uneducated car buyers(today) are well upside down with negative loan equity. Every dealer in my area has used VWs priced 3-5K over KBB value and refuse to move on price. You look at a vehicle advertised price online and call with interest, ask for their OTD price, and it goes up another 2K before tax/tag, with a bunch of dealer added nonsense or advertised incentives. Dealers are struggling because for most reason instead of getting volume, they are attempting to gouge every single person coming through the door. That Dinosaur business model (different price for every different person) is going to and is slowly collapsing on itself. The price(s) my have kept up with inflation(almost exactly), but the wages of the average buyer has not.
IF you buy a car for "resale value" your doing it wrong, a fallacy for the majority of people. 911-R/GT3/GTS, R8, Ferrari, etc.., maybe you could make an argument for resale on something like that (boutique, very low volume) purchase. But imo, buy an R because of 1st kind of cool (you like it, want it) and can afford to pay it off 2nd, don't buy an R model if you are just going to keep it for 2-4 years and "upgrade", just get a S/SE gti if you "need" a nice "new" car. The most financially sound() way to purchase an "updated/new to you" vehicle is 1-2 years old will less than 20K miles on it. Let the first sap take most of the financial hit on it. Or let them sit on the lot for over a year, then go to the dealer, but use the super power of always being able to walk away and not get FOMO'd nonsense Adjusted Market Value over MSRP by a salesman.
For the overwhelming major people, the base gti is a far better option/value for all, unless you just have to have the R model and your are going to keep it as VW enthusiast long term purchased and can get it around MSRP. Another problem is your paying all this markup for a vehicle that has been wiped with a dirty rag for 2 months and needs a 1 to 2K paint correction.
Stealerships are still operating in a 20/21 mindset thinking they have un-obtainium, when most uneducated car buyers(today) are well upside down with negative loan equity. Every dealer in my area has used VWs priced 3-5K over KBB value and refuse to move on price. You look at a vehicle advertised price online and call with interest, ask for their OTD price, and it goes up another 2K before tax/tag, with a bunch of dealer added nonsense or advertised incentives. Dealers are struggling because for most reason instead of getting volume, they are attempting to gouge every single person coming through the door. That Dinosaur business model (different price for every different person) is going to and is slowly collapsing on itself. The price(s) my have kept up with inflation(almost exactly), but the wages of the average buyer has not.
IF you buy a car for "resale value" your doing it wrong, a fallacy for the majority of people. 911-R/GT3/GTS, R8, Ferrari, etc.., maybe you could make an argument for resale on something like that (boutique, very low volume) purchase. But imo, buy an R because of 1st kind of cool (you like it, want it) and can afford to pay it off 2nd, don't buy an R model if you are just going to keep it for 2-4 years and "upgrade", just get a S/SE gti if you "need" a nice "new" car. The most financially sound(
) way to purchase an "updated/new to you" vehicle is 1-2 years old will less than 20K miles on it. Let the first sap take most of the financial hit on it. Or let them sit on the lot for over a year, then go to the dealer, but use the super power of always being able to walk away and not get FOMO'd nonsense Adjusted Market Value over MSRP by a salesman.For the overwhelming major people, the base gti is a far better option/value for all, unless you just have to have the R model and your are going to keep it as VW enthusiast long term purchased and can get it around MSRP. Another problem is your paying all this markup for a vehicle that has been wiped with a dirty rag for 2 months and needs a 1 to 2K paint correction.
Last edited:
Kushdaiin
Go Kart Champion
- Location
- Connecticut
- Car(s)
- MK7 R, MK7 GSW SEL
Not to be pedantic, but $42k in 2018 moneys is equal to $52.5k in 2024 moneys when counting for inflation. Not that I don't agree with the 8R being overpriced (kind of), but the reality is that the price has kept up with inflation. So all those 'good deals' on 18-19 Rs are unfortunately, pretty close to the same price.
bentin
Autocross Champion
- Location
- Austin, TX
- Car(s)
- 23 Golf R - 3 Pedals
Shut up, facts.
Not sure who’s waiting for it to be damp to take advantage of the Magna setup, it works fine in the dry, even with 200tw tires.
I got mine for sticker two years ago, there are marked down ones now in some markets. I picked mine up with the stickers on it but it still needed a paint correction, like any new car.
Not sure who’s waiting for it to be damp to take advantage of the Magna setup, it works fine in the dry, even with 200tw tires.
I got mine for sticker two years ago, there are marked down ones now in some markets. I picked mine up with the stickers on it but it still needed a paint correction, like any new car.