Test drove a 2012 Golf R last night!

RaskyR1

RaskyR1

Well-Known Member
529
532
My local dealer called me last night to tell me they got one in and it was available for test drives.....out the door I went! :)

Before I get to the car I should note that I'm in the market for a new car. I'm bored with my '08 TSX and have been going round and round on what I want for my next ride. I have a list of "wants" for my next car and listing them from most important to least important it goes like this; fun to drive (power), AWD, upscale interior (leather/good material/quiet), sporty looks, sunroof, good paint (detailer thing), Nav.

The main cars I'm considering as of now:
  • Golf R
  • 135i
  • WXR
  • EVO
  • BRZ
So out of my list of wants the Golf R really has all of them. While it may not be as fast as the others, or the best bang for the buck, it is a pretty bad *** car! My test drive only consisted of about 15 miles as my wife was waiting at the dealer for me, but I was very impressed with everything! Great handling, nice ride that was firm, yet not overly harsh, great power, solid interior quality with very supportive seats...I want soooo bad!

Unfortunately I would never buy a German made car and I really like to lease anyway. I know a lot of people frown on leasing but I get bored with cars after a few years, like the newness, warranty, and worry free driving, and it lets me drive cars that are normally above my price range. So after my test drive last night and getting all giddy about leasing one of these bad boys I was let down big time with ridiculous lease rates. Below was what I was quoted.

36 months with 10,000 miles per year,
$2,000 out of pocket,
$555 per month with tax!

36 months with 12,000 miles per year,
$2,000 out of pocket,
$565 per month with tax!
I'm really hoping the rates come more in line with the competition over the next 6 months, because at those rates, I'll definitely have to pass and look at the others instead.
For reference BMW is offering the 135i for $439/month with more down, but it also costs $7000 more than the Golf R. On top of that the EVO lease special is $349/month and the WRX is $299/month.


Anyway, if anyone is looking for a fun test drive I'd suggest checking out your local VW dealer. My sales person said this unit was going to be for test drives only and won't be sold for some time. I'd love to hear what other think of it too! :)


Cheers,
Rasky
 
The 2012 Golf R Lease Special.

$469*/Month. 36-month lease. $1,999 due at signing.(Excludes title, tax, options and dealer fees.)​

Lease a 2012 Golf R 2-Door with manual transmission for $469* a month. 36-month lease, $1,999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, options and dealer fees). See your local VW dealer for this limited time offer or for one of many other great lease deals available on Golf R models. More about the golfr.
National Offer | Offer ends February 29, 2012

*Based on MSRP of $35,810 (including destination charges) for a 2012 Golf R 2-Door with manual transmission, excluding title, tax, options and dealer fees. Monthly payments total $16,884. Amount due at signing includes non-refundable security deposit of $0.00. Requires dealer contribution of $885, which could affect final negotiated transaction. Purchase option at lease end for $20,403.60. At lease end lessees responsible for $0.20/mile over 36,000 miles and excessive wear and tear. Dealer sets actual prices. Lessee responsible for insurance. Closed-end lease offered on approved credit by Volkswagen Credit through participating dealers. Supplies limited. U.S. cars only. Additional charges may apply at lease end. See your Volkswagen dealer for financing details or for general product information call 1-800-Drive-VW. ©2012 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

====
if this is a "national offer", I wonder why your lease was so much more? This was on the VW site. Did you add a bunch of additional options above this lease offer?
 
Hmmmm....I hadn't seen any leasing info on their site the last time I looked....I'll be sure to forward it to my sales person though! :)

I was looking at the 2dr with Nav, but the MSRP for that is $35,490*

Thanks! Webby! Still seems a bit high but it's a start! ;)
 
still seems like a lot of coin. Over 3yrs you'd have essentially 19 grand in payments, plus taxes/fees. Seems like a lot for "renting" a vehicle.
 
webby said:
still seems like a lot of coin. Over 3yrs you'd have essentially 19 grand in payments, plus taxes/fees. Seems like a lot for "renting" a vehicle.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd like to see it under $400/month...any more than that and it's not worth it for me.

The way I look at it, buying a vehicle and selling it after 3 years is still renting, but with a higher payment. I'll never own a car for the full 5-6 years my loan would be for so why not just lease it and have the lower payment? BTW, I work only 4 miles from home and staying under 10K-12K a year is not an issue. ;)

If I decide to go with the WRX Limited I'll likely buy that one as my payments will still be manageable and likely only a bit more then the lease payment.
 
previous civic I had for 4 yrs/45k miles and sold it for 5k under what I bought it for.
 
webby said:
previous civic I had for 4 yrs/45k miles and sold it for 5k under what I bought it for.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I understand buying is the better financial decision. With buying you will pay more up front and get more in the end, I get that. I still had $2000-2500 in equity after the lease was up on my TSX, which was why I just bought it at lease end. Sucky thing is that I had to pay the sales tax which ate up a lot of that equity. :(

Was your civic brand new when you got it?
 
yea, I bought it new. I guess that's why the civic is looked at as cheap transportation by some people. They hold their value usually pretty high. Heck, there were (1yr old) used civics at dealerships (with 10-15k miles) for like $4-500 under the msrp on a NEW civic. I'm sure they'd come down some with negotiations, but still.
 
Buy a used RS4.. your payments will be less and you'll have a much more interesting vehicle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top