Due to a new job role im looking for a 2nd car, as im currently doing 500miles a week & best part of £500 in diesel a month!

As pleasurable as it is in the FF the milage is also racking up (126k) so looking to get another car to share the mon-fri commute & don't want a boring car.

Looking at a GTI edition 35 or a bit newer Golf R. As, if I'm getting a 2nd car it's gonna be one I want that'll double as a fun toy
Any experience on realistic costs in terms of mpg / insurance / day to day service costs, generally realistic cost of running one.

I do a few miles of country lanes with mainly motorway into Nottingham.


Tia,
Rob. 2011 (MY12) 4.4 TDV8 Vogue
2016 Golf GTI PP

Gone
Audi A4
VW Passat
VW Corrado G60
VW Golf GTI
BMW E30
Mini
Vauxhall Chvette

Never had a golf but it is on the shortlist for SWMBOS next car.

That and another Octavia VRs estate..... which i have a strange hankering for. Our 55 plate we sold 3 years back was one of the best cars I’ve owned for a combo of speed, q car factor, and ability to Chuck a whole load of stuff in it!! There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

I don’t think you will save anything, yo will spend something like 75-90% of the same value in fuel plus insurance, tax and servicing. You will get 28-34 mpg depending on how you drive the golf. It won’t add up but then again heart rules the head with cars. 👍

I think ur20v ‘s advice is worth thinking about. I ran an M135i as my weekday car, then swapped to a 2017 VW Golf GTD. The GTD is proving a fair amount cheaper on fuel (50mpg vs 29mpg) and insurance and tax (£30 pa as just before 1st April 2017 rule change). I do about 25,000 miles a year in the week day car, so it is making a Big difference financially.......................however I do miss the engine in the M135 🤪 2004 L322 4.4 V8 Vogue Bonatti Grey
(205,500 miles and counting.......)

I'm probably too late with this reply, but only just joined and spotted this as browsing through the forum.

We bought a new Golf R just under 2 years ago and it's a cracking car. It's difficult to say what the insurance will be as it varies so much around the country and for different people, but it's about half that of the RR. Overall economy over 18,000 miles is 33.4 (calculated, not OBC) and that's due to a fair number of short journeys and enjoying the performance. It can do 40mpg+ on longer motorway journeys fairly easily and is surprisingly comfortable, at least it is with DCC (adaptive dampers) fitted.

Great fun to drive and it flows down a bumpy B road really well. Decent level of kit as well (adaptive cruise, LEDs etc) but we added the Dynaudio speakers, keyless, memory leather seats and the bigger/nicer alloys.

I'm going to use it a bit more to help keep the mileage sensible on the RR, as we do a combined 35-40k miles a year.

Best looking hatchback to my eyes too.

Great looking R Martin, like the silver Prets with the blue paint.
I ended up buying a Gti in the end, dsg, performance pack, bigger brakes, more power & LSD.
Agreed best looking hatch, I preferred & managed to find a rarer 3 door also
Picked it up 1st March just in time for lockdown although I was kind of working all the way through so it still got plenty use. great fun to drive & love it.

Rob.



 2011 (MY12) 4.4 TDV8 Vogue
2016 Golf GTI PP

Gone
Audi A4
VW Passat
VW Corrado G60
VW Golf GTI
BMW E30
Mini
Vauxhall Chvette

Last edited by RJH on 1st Jul 2020 4:27pm. Edited 2 times in total

Sounds great!

I wasn't sure between the 3 and 5 door, but my wife car allowance policy changed and said no 3 doors, so it made the choice easy! That's one of the reasons we sold her Boxster and bought the Golf. MY23 Panamera E-Hybrid
MY19 SDV8 Autobiography - Sold

Just seen this thread, lovely GTI @RJH

We've had a Golf 7R for about 3 years now and absolutely love it...

It's a fantasic car... the only slight criticism is there is a lack of 'theatre' compared to a GTI, a friend has the GTI Performance Pack which is an absolute riot... whereas the R just feels so understated in comparison.

But then I have the best of both worlds, as we also have a Mk1 Golf GTI 'Campaign' edition.

Here's the pair of them at a petrol station in Austria.... which is one of the central hubs of the 'Wörthersee Tour' where the GTI-Treffen is held every year (well Covid Permitting )



...and I agree it's all about 3 Doors on a hot hatch... sadly VW don't see it that way

Andrew.

Martin2 wrote:

How do you find the Pretoria's? We've had to have all 4 repaired once so far.... 2 were cracked, 3 were badly bent and one was buckled...

The guy who repaired them asked if we were putting them back on the car, when I said "Yes" he said 'See you Again then...' So far so good though... although we have a set of 18's (and an FFRR) for the winter

But they're *such* a good looking wheel.... (IMHO)

They’ve been OK so far..... I’ve got a set of 18” Pretoria’s and Crossclimate+ tyres for the winter, so they’ve done about 13-14k miles (our of 20k) in the 2 years we’ve had it.

It’s a great looking wheel. MY23 Panamera E-Hybrid
MY19 SDV8 Autobiography - Sold

Cheers Andrew,
Id love a mk1 but 2 cars is enough at the mo.

Not driven an R but the GTI is lively, great fun on the B roads home & cruises on motorway in comfort. Love driving it.

Been looking for a set of Prets since getting it, had a great result last week as managed to get 2 original mint ones FOC off a mate who's work (not VW Dealers) had replaced a set as 2 were potholed. It didn't take me long to reply when he said I could get FOC, just need to find a couple of clean straight ones to complete the set now. Or sell em & get some Belvedere or Brescia instead think any 19s are susceptible to potholes but hear of a few Prets failing.

Shame the 3 door has come to an end, personally think they look so much better. I think Ford started it off by stopping 3 door's 1st as apparently consumers don't want them!!

Rob. 2011 (MY12) 4.4 TDV8 Vogue
2016 Golf GTI PP

Gone
Audi A4
VW Passat
VW Corrado G60
VW Golf GTI
BMW E30
Mini
Vauxhall Chvette

I think, as you say a lot of the modern 19" wheels are susceptible to damage... but it appears the pretoria is a fairly soft wheel... (we managed to bash one of the flat spots with a tent peg rubber mallet before getting it repaired...

but it *is* a good looking wheel! haha

the belvedere also does look good - a friend has them on his Clubsport...

I'm fairly sure that individual / pairs of wheels come up occasionally, given the chocolate construction (and the extortionate cost to replace) I think a lot of people cut their losses!

That said (and I'm not usually one for replica wheels) I've heard good things about the CM Wheels Pretoria Replicas - you could probably sell the 2 genuine ones you have and have enough for 4 Reps with good tyres! haha

You’d easily have enough, a set of replicas from CM wheels is less than £600. Apparently they are a bit heavier but a lot stronger and there’s a choice of 3 colours. Silver is very (too) bright, but the anthracite look really good. MY23 Panamera E-Hybrid
MY19 SDV8 Autobiography - Sold

Yep, I was almost tempted to get the reps before I found someone who could repair my original wheels for less.... but given the state of the roads in the UK, when they (inevitably) go again, I'd gladly sacrifice the lightness for some strength...