Do you find the GTI good Value?

[jamiey]

Thinking about it...

and I find my answer is yes.

My old Subaru was 20k basic on top of which I had to add 1500 for air con and 350 for an alarm.

Now I know that Imprezas are better value now but looking at it the Golf is actually very good value.

I've spent 150 quid less for a car that is a far better long distance and town cruiser, that I find much more confidence inspiring when trying to get from point A to point B, which uses less fuel, which is packed with surprise and delight features (I love the hooks in boot, the bottle opener/cup holder, the interior lights, the needles, the cool 18s, the Xenons and well I love this car), which looks elegant and restrained yet cool and has more room than an E34 five series.

Opinions...?

[jason_s]

excellent value and worth every penny for the grin it puts on my face.

[RedRobin]

I think it's as you have said: The Mk5 GTI is such an excellent allrounder functionally and also with very enjoyable performance and some good attention to detail features. It's not cheap but it is good value imo. It feels a very safe car too. I've just been out in atrocious driving rain at night and with local standing water and the car totally takes it all in its stride.

[OzGTI]

I think the car is good value.

Not so much on a what you get for your dollar - there's faster cars, cars with more standard gear, cars with fancier badges and so on. IMO it is the way the GTI does things and how it feels.

The car here in OZ cost me $50k on the road (21,043.85 GBP to be precise). There are plenty of alternatives that might be better notional value than the GTI- but none I can think of the come close in terms of real world value - practicality, comfort, fun factor and so on.

[Rayza]

I totaly agree with all the comments, even though I dont have it yet. My personal opinion is that this is the best all round car available today and is good value for what you are getting. Hey I would of even paid more for it had that been the case - just don't tell VW!!

[Snoopy]

I think its ok value not good but ok i do think the options are over priced compared to other makes/models though.

But thats just my opinion and from previous threads seems a lone one, lol.

[steven_cs]

Viewing the whole GTI package as an ownership experience, I do think the GTI is very good value, BUT...

After charging us premium for buying a Golf GTI, why do VW then mark up the options over the equivalent Skoda and Seats?

Example: DSG is £1330 for the GTI, but £1010 for the new Octavia. It's the same box, in the same chassis.

Another example: Rear parking sensors - £260 for the Octavia, £295 for the GTI

Most of the options are higher priced on the GTI, despite them being either identical, or probably more expensive to produce on the Octavia (more metallic paint and leather, as the Octavia is larger).

I don't being charged a premium for the GTI itself, but it does irritate me to see identical options being sold on other VAG models for less money, presumably because that's what the market will bear.

On a related point, ridiculously priced CD changers, sat nav, or delibrately ugly alloys to force an expensive upgrade (BMW and Audi, I'm talking about you), are also very irritating. At least the GTI came with nice wheels as standard, and the 18 inch upgrade was reasonably priced.

Steven

[Tunner]

Give the GTI the 240-250BHP that it deserves, then you have an ultimate car.

Standard BHP is very good for a FWD car and its handling is AWESOME!

[RedRobin]

I agree about the factory options being not so good value. I can easily accept the extra cost for DSG but the SatNav is poor value, also rear sensors. Metallic paint shouldn't be extra imo either. I replaced the OEM SatNav & Audio with high-end Pioneer DVD gear costing £50 less.

[OzGTI]

That's the heart of the problem for VW with their multi brand approach. Differentiating the brands using the same or similar platforms must be a marketing nightmare.

VW need people to want a VW. Just as they need people different people to want a Skoda. They know that people (at least enough people) will pay more for the car wearing the VW badge than the Skoda or Seat badges. They also know the average VW buyer probably won't extend themselves to an Audi. However, on this last point I have the strong sense that there have been quite a few sales lost from Audi to the GTI - I for one went out to buy an A3 and came back with the VW.

Here in Australia the price difference between the Audi and the GTI is about $10,000 (4,200 pounds). I was prepared to pay the extra for the Audi ( I had done so twice before)- except the thing didn't ride that nicely, nor did it steer as well as the GTI. For the extra money I would have had xenons, a slightly roomier boot (the Sportback 5 door) and quality Audi interior....but little else other than the badge.

Thankfully we have neither the Skoda or Seat brand available here to to undermine the VW brand and its perceptions of value.

You might think that some of the options are a bit over the top on the VW compared to the Skoda or Seat but I ask you would you be happy in one of those other cars?

VW are betting you won't be and that you'll readily (if not happily) part with the extra $$ to have a GTI rather than Skoda key ring in your pocket.

If buying and owning cars were a rational, non emotional activity then we would all be driving Toyota's. They have four wheels, they move from place to place and they run for ever.

I reckon we should be thankful that we are passionate, irrational and emotional enough to actually know better.

There endth the sermon....

[silentandy]

The problem with VW is they are relying too much on a history of quality and high residuals to sell their cars.

OK so they may still be marginally better on quality compared to a lot of other brands but it's nowhere near as big a difference than it used to be due to the cost cutting exercises they've gone through. The price difference between VW, Seat and Skoda is not just down to how they are positioned in the market but also because both Seat and Skoda can actually produce the cars cheaper due to VW having an over inflated German workforce.

However something summed up VWs attitude when I was looking around my stealers showroom the other day while waiting to pick my car up. On the walls are printed some interesting facts, below those VW quotes such as "on average a Polo will be worth £963 more than a Fiesta in three years time" or something along those lines. They need to change their attitude otherwise it's going to bite them on their behinds.

[RedRobin]

Great "sermon" Oz!! . Like you, I considered the 5dr Audi Sportback but the GTI had more appeal. I've heard that the Skoda is a particularly good car but I don't go for it's styling and I had a standard Mk4 Golf on 12 months loan and liked its practicality (NOT its performance or handling!!). I had a BMW for many years and if I was led by badges I would have got another Beemer....A professionally modified Series-1 would be a good car.

I agree : Thank goodness for being human and therefore passionate, irrational and emotional (and females tend to demonstrate this even more so!!).

Cheers Oz

[GTiMK5]

[ QUOTE ]

I replaced the OEM SatNav & Audio with high-end Pioneer DVD gear costing £50 less.

[/ QUOTE ]

Red, did you replace it and if so have you still got the OEM SatNav?

[Snoopy]

[ QUOTE ]

You might think that some of the options are a bit over the top on the VW compared to the Skoda or Seat but I ask you would you be happy in one of those other cars?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes i would.

I have always been a VW group fan and don't care about the badge on the front.

I bought the following over the years.

SEAT Ibiza 2.0 16V LE over a Mk3 golf GTI 2.0 16V

Why the ibiza was a better handler and felt more alive and also looked far better in my eyes it IMHO was more a true sucsessor to the mk1 golf than the mk2, mk3, mk4 golfs.

SEAT Leon 1.8T Cupra R bought over a mk4 Golf 1.8T GTI

the leon was a car i much enjoyed nice steering weight and a good all rounder also far faster and better chassis than the golf.

SEAT Ibiza 1.4 SE 5 door bought over the polo 1.4 16V SE.

Why looks really like the look and was cheaper also good service from dealer.

SEAT Leon 1.9 TDI130 over the mk5 TDI.

Must admit this was bought as a stop gap before the GTI and also because my dad said he would buy it off me when the GTI arrived was bought on price (£4K cheaper) and always liked the leon look and interior, i was impressed with this car far more than i ever expected to be.

VW Golf 2.0T GTI 200 bought over the new Skoda octavia vRS

The octavia felt like a HUGE car to me and looked it nice car but too big for what i wanted. The new SEAT Leon im not keen on the looks so went for the golf this time.

[RedRobin]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

I replaced the OEM SatNav & Audio with high-end Pioneer DVD gear costing £50 less.

[/ QUOTE ]

Red, did you replace it and if so have you still got the OEM SatNav?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi ....I didn't order the OEM SatNav because I didn't think I liked SatNav (until I got lost in the high hedged lanes of Wiltshire on a dull wet and grey day with no sight of the sun for dircetion!). I am even on record somewhere in the depths of this forums threads as saying how much I disliked SatNav and couldn't see the point!! Now I LOVE it!!!! I was always going to change the head unit to get better audio quality anyway.

So I only replaced the standard VW audio unit. Something tells me that you didn't order OEM SatNav either and now quite fancy one....Yes?

Btw, when are you at West Tuning? - I'm there next Wednesday. Cheers

[mixit]

Naaah! That Fookus is much better value

An that blue badge ... ooooh!

[RedRobin]

Well, you can argue that the "Fookus" gives more bang for the buck, but it's as Oz said earlier: Buying/owning cars is not a rational and non-emotional activity. The ST looks good on paper and costs less but it only comes down to whether you want it....A lot like girlfriends and the one who might not be the 'best' in theory but has that extra indefinable something you cannot resist (no need to elaborate guys!!). Perhaps you are taking the mick Mixit.

[GTiMK5]

Hi Red,

Nah, not looking for an OEM SatNav at all, was just curious when you said you had replaced yours as I thought this was an expensive way of doing it and you would have surely lost money as you are never going to get back what you paid for it. But now it makes sense knowing you didnt order it.

Not sure when I will be at West Tuning, hopefully in the middle of this month but I am still in Iraq at the moment and not sure when I am back yet.

[OzGTI]

Hi Snoopy,

I did say things were less confusing here with no Seat or Skoda product to consider.

I 'downgraded' out of Audi's into the GTI.

The issue I have with the Skoda and Seat brands is that they are clearly derivative. The Golf product is the original. Now I know that this doesn't make sense because the A3 is also derivative but it does reinforce what I said earlier about the relationship between some men and their cars being irrational and emotional.

It might be a function of age or preceived status or something else altogether but I would never be a Seat or Skoda buyer.

I think the fact that you have been able to find a range of cars to own in the VW stable just goes to prove that the marketing segmentation VW employs in large markets like the UK works.