What do you think...?

[Sandman GTI]

Sandman, are you happy with the PP, LP and DCC? I'm thinking about going with all 3 if I go the GTI route.

I had no idea the 2016 Rs will come in a manual. Hmm..

Eric

I need to review on my build thread but I will give some feedback now for you.

LP - everyone should get this. The light is great, looks good. Better than most other new cars. On high beam they light both sides of the interstate and you can see forever. It is fun to see the lights swing around when making turns.

DCC - first and foremost the R and GTI are performance based cars. They have a performance suspension. Even in comfort mode it does not make the car a cruising Cadillac. However, it might not be a Cadillac but I think it is better. My GTI is solid and smooth at 80mph. DCC allows you to feel more or less of the road surface. In sport the ride is still good but you feel more of the texture of the road. Not so much noise but more vibration. In comfort you are still well in touch with the road, just not having to have the vibration. If you are under 25 then you might get by without DCC. Over 25 years old I started to hate driving on interstates with expansion joints. This is my reason for getting DCC. I am now 50 and do not want to hear my wife complain about why the ride of my new car is so bad. In Comfort mode my wife felt the ride was very good on the interstate.

PP - most cars I have owned always felt weak on brakes. The brakes on my PP GTI feel like the strongest part of my car. The brakes feel like they can easily pull the car down from any speed and hardly break a sweat. For this alone I would get PP. LSD - I wanted this for safety reasons. I likely do not drive fast enough to make the most of this but in rain, snow and bad roads I know the LSD will be there to help me. I do not know about base GTI but my PP GTI has no torque steer. The 10hp with PP package. More is always better. With brakes and LSD It is good to have more horse power.

What to get depends on you. What have you driven the past? Is 4 wheel drive a must? For me the GTI fills all my needs. If you can afford, get all the items mentioned, you will like them. If money a factor then I would get in following order.
LP
DCC
PP

If young and ride quality not important then swap DCC and PP below.
With either car you will enjoy them. Solid and safe at any speed.

 

[BA9092]

I totally agree with Sandman.

I initially was in the market for a GTI with PP, DCC and LP. The only thing I was on the fence about was the 6MT vs DSG. So, I found a couple to drive back to back and loved the DSG - even after being a "manual guy" since the 90s!

Sadly, I only found ONE with DCC within a 900-mile radius from home after searching for weeks! It was a 2-door. I really needed and wanted a 4-door.

An R came into my local dealer and the salesman who was helping me with my GTI decision and location was nice enough to let me test drive it. Sweet!

Well, long story long, I ended up with the R. Not that exact one, but it was easier to find a fully loaded R (4-door, of course, DCC, LP, etc.) than a GTI with DCC.

I love the GTI! But I also LOVE my R! My only gripe is no sunroof option.

 

[vegasgolds]

I need to review on my build thread but I will give some feedback now for you.

LP - everyone should get this. The light is great, looks good. Better than most other new cars. On high beam they light both sides of the interstate and you can see forever. It is fun to see the lights swing around when making turns.

DCC - first and foremost the R and GTI are performance based cars. They have a performance suspension. Even in comfort mode it does not make the car a cruising Cadillac. However, it might not be a Cadillac but I think it is better. My GTI is solid and smooth at 80mph. DCC allows you to feel more or less of the road surface. In sport the ride is still good but you feel more of the texture of the road. Not so much noise but more vibration. In comfort you are still well in touch with the road, just not having to have the vibration. If you are under 25 then you might get by without DCC. Over 25 years old I started to hate driving on interstates with expansion joints. This is my reason for getting DCC. I am now 50 and do not want to hear my wife complain about why the ride of my new car is so bad. In Comfort mode my wife felt the ride was very good on the interstate.

PP - most cars I have owned always felt weak on brakes. The brakes on my PP GTI feel like the strongest part of my car. The brakes feel like they can easily pull the car down from any speed and hardly break a sweat. For this alone I would get PP. LSD - I wanted this for safety reasons. I likely do not drive fast enough to make the most of this but in rain, snow and bad roads I know the LSD will be there to help me. I do not know about base GTI but my PP GTI has no torque steer. The 10hp with PP package. More is always better. With brakes and LSD It is good to have more horse power.

What to get depends on you. What have you driven the past? Is 4 wheel drive a must? For me the GTI fills all my needs. If you can afford, get all the items mentioned, you will like them. If money a factor then I would get in following order.
LP
DCC
PP

If young and ride quality not important then swap DCC and PP below.
With either car you will enjoy them. Solid and safe at any speed.

so by getting a R, you are getting all these features included? Granted that you get the DCC.

 

[Sandman GTI]

Buyer should remember nothing is free.
R, cost more.
More to maintain.
So, just depends on needs and wants and how you use.
By getting the GTI when I am 50, I now have room to move up to the R when I am 60.

That is if we are still allowed to drive cars in 10 years.
Fight for your rights!

 

[Abbott Martin]

The Mk6 R will feel very old compared to the Mk7

 

[EricM]

I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone here who responded, especially Sandman. Really good input!!!

I've decided against the 2012 R and am now considering a 2016 R versus a 2016 GTI SE with PP, LP and DCC. My dealer has given me a quote of just over $31K for a fully loaded GTI SE. I expect the R would come in about $7K over that with DCC. I need to figure out whether the difference in cost is worth it to me. I will be placing a factory order so I can get what I want. No worries about searching for the right car. I plan to do an APR Stage 1 so that makes me wonder whether the R is worth paying that much more over a GTI.

Eric

 

[vegasgolds]

the difference is the R has better internals in the engine to handle whatever power you go up to and the most important differences.... putting that horsepower down on the ground! R is all-wheel drive, FTW

 

[matimer]

Do you want the DCC? An entry base R is around 36.5k. You can probably get the GTI at a better price, but Just something to think about. What the R has going for it is the AWD. After a stage 1, wheelspin starts to become a problem for the GTI. You would need to spend a few extra to reduce It.

 

[Tk_mkv1]

I need to review on my build thread but I will give some feedback now for you.

LP - everyone should get this. The light is great, looks good. Better than most other new cars. On high beam they light both sides of the interstate and you can see forever. It is fun to see the lights swing around when making turns.

DCC - first and foremost the R and GTI are performance based cars. They have a performance suspension. Even in comfort mode it does not make the car a cruising Cadillac. However, it might not be a Cadillac but I think it is better. My GTI is solid and smooth at 80mph. DCC allows you to feel more or less of the road surface. In sport the ride is still good but you feel more of the texture of the road. Not so much noise but more vibration. In comfort you are still well in touch with the road, just not having to have the vibration. If you are under 25 then you might get by without DCC. Over 25 years old I started to hate driving on interstates with expansion joints. This is my reason for getting DCC. I am now 50 and do not want to hear my wife complain about why the ride of my new car is so bad. In Comfort mode my wife felt the ride was very good on the interstate.

PP - most cars I have owned always felt weak on brakes. The brakes on my PP GTI feel like the strongest part of my car. The brakes feel like they can easily pull the car down from any speed and hardly break a sweat. For this alone I would get PP. LSD - I wanted this for safety reasons. I likely do not drive fast enough to make the most of this but in rain, snow and bad roads I know the LSD will be there to help me. I do not know about base GTI but my PP GTI has no torque steer. The 10hp with PP package. More is always better. With brakes and LSD It is good to have more horse power.

What to get depends on you. What have you driven the past? Is 4 wheel drive a must? For me the GTI fills all my needs. If you can afford, get all the items mentioned, you will like them. If money a factor then I would get in following order.
LP
DCC
PP

If young and ride quality not important then swap DCC and PP below.
With either car you will enjoy them. Solid and safe at any speed.

imo, xenon's are a must for these cars. Because the halogens on these cars are inferior in comparison, I had a passat rental in Miami last summer, and i remember they were worse in other cars i've driven with halo's. I also hear the mk6 is less bright compared to mk5, so I naturally opt for xenons. I'm also spoiled with them, but that's personal lol.

My mk6, which they never added an LSD as an option, heck there isn't any optional upgrades regarding suspension and brakes, didn't have any issues with torque steer, especially when my mk6 was APR stage 1. My mk7 (which when i bought when PP wasn't out) doesn't have that either. If I were in a market for a mk7 now, i'd get the PP.

 

[Nyanga]

No question..choose Mk7 over Mk6.

Horses for courses and personnel choice; both GTi PP & R are great cars.

I love my GTi PP DSG with DCC, ACC, Electronic Parking Brake and Autohold. Stress free motoring in difficult traffic. The pulling power in Sport mode is awesome and exciting, but watch out for speed traps!!

I cannot wait to try out a R400 (and am saving like heck!!)

 

[Abbott Martin]

The 2016 stage 1 R is a completely different level of performance. If you have the money just do it.