My New Car

[SJ_GTI]

So just got back from the dealership/bank/etc...nothing really to say about the delivery experience. They don't schmooze you as much as an Audi dealership but I am fine with that. They do attempt to show you all the features but I feel like I am going to learn most everything by myself on my own.

The car is obviously very fun to drive, but it is going to take some time before I can get smooth with the clutch. I remember having the same issue when I bought the S4...just takes practise. If I am really paying attention I am fine but habit and muscle memory sometimes cause some jerkiness.

Have only driven it about ~100 miles so far but I am getting used to the powerband. On the test drive I felt like you need to keep it over 2500 RPMS to keep it on boil, but on the drive home I intentionally took the "scenic" route so I could get some non-highway practise with the car. After some more time the boost really does start a bit below 2000, and really I feel like if I want to keep things smooth/comfortable it actually seems to work best if I keep the RPMS between 1800 and 3500 (give or take).

Haven't really gotten in to the features too much yet. I played around with apple carplay and it is kind of "meh" since you can't really do much with it. The on board NAV feels better than the carplay MAP function. It has a nice feature that my S4 did not have in that it displays the road's speed limit right there on the display. Pretty handy when driving through unfamiliar territory. The sound system itself sounds fine, although I will say now that I am older I am playing music with less volume than when I was younger. I actually enjoy the sound of the engine more than the music most of the time. 

The DCC system really works, FWIW. I couldn't really tell much difference on the test drive but after playing around with it comfort really is more comfortable. I mean no matter what it is more stiff than a standard Corolla or something like that, but the difference between comfort and race is pretty big.

Anyway As I get more time in the seat I will post more thoughts on the car. For now here are some pics:

First pic taken at the dealership when I got there this morning:



These other pictures are from when I got home.

Side profile:


Front (notice the lack of license bracket! was surprised the dealer was willing to do this):


Back:


Rear Angle:


Front Angle:


Wheel closeup (I am liking these wheels the more I see them):


Open hatch area (love this):


And last but not least the interior:

[93JC]

From BMW to Audi to VW; next I suppose you'll buy a Dacia, Lada or some other Eastern European POS. What a downgrade.

(j/k, have fun with the new car)

[Raza]

 

[FoMoJo]

I kinda like the wheels.

[Cookie Monster]

Congrats!!

I love the color. Great choice.

[2o6]

Well done.   

[shp4man]

Very sleek looking 4 door! 

[CaminoRacer]

POS

[BimmerM3]

Great looking car.

(Only minor criticism is that I think the wheels would look better 1" smaller).

[Laconian]

OOOOoooooooooooo, you got an R!

[MX793]

Great looking car.

(Only minor criticism is that I think the wheels would look better 1" smaller).

Agree on both counts.

[giant_mtb]

Awesome.  I like how minimally they badge it.

[12,000 RPM]

Very nice bro, damn. Stance is damn near perfect, looks really good. Congrats

[68_427]

That color is awesome.  NA gets absolutely shafted in that regard but at least we get this blue.

[Vinsanity]

congrats! although these were never my cup of tea, I'm sure it's a blast to drive.

[MexicoCityM3]

Congrats. Seriously, that is a kick ass ride.

The wheels look huge. What are they? 20s?

[MX793]

Congrats. Seriously, that is a kick ass ride.

The wheels look huge. What are they? 20s?

19s.  But the tires are ultra low profile (235/35, only 3.25" of sidewall), which makes them look larger.

[CJ]

I sincerely hope you got wheel/tire coverage. It's worth every penny.

[CaminoRacer]

POS

But seriously, nice car

[Rupert]

Nice.

[CALL_911]

Man the more I see this thread, the more I'd love to replace my GTI with one of these.

Too bad the GTI and I are parting ways in like 10 years

[SJ_GTI]

So did so m e driving around town this afternoon and evening. I am getting more comfortable just accelerating at normal (or slightly above normal) speeds, but still cannot make the 1-2 shift smoothly if I am accelerating hard.

I've been playing around with the nav system and it is definitely an upgrade vs the S4's which is nice. The backup camera is an interesting gimmick but I feel like just turning around and using mirrors is still easier. The parking sensors (front and rear) on the other hand are quite handy and useful. One feature I was not keen on and planned to turn off was the "soundaktor" but I actually kind of like it. I know its fake but it does provide good aural feedback on what the engine is doing (especially when the DCC is in race mode).

During night driving I have to also say I like the blue accent lighting. On the practical side it has a feature where when you are turning an auxiliary light illuminates the area where you are turning. This is far more helpful than I expected. The headlights themselves are pretty bright and I can tell from reflections they are a much bluer tint than the S4's headlights.

Looking forward to driving it as much as possible this weekend.

[12,000 RPM]

So the S4 is gone or wat.... Carmax? Either way time for new sig boss

Glad you are enjoying it. Still having regrets about not gettin gthe SS? As awesome as that thing is it's a fucking boat man.

[SJ_GTI]

So the S4 is gone or wat.... Carmax? Either way time for new sig boss

Glad you are enjoying it. Still having regrets about not gettin gthe SS? As awesome as that thing is it's a fucking boat man.

S4 was traded in. Dealer offered me 2k more than carmax's offer (incl. the tax savings).

Definitely will be some regrets on the SS. For now I am just trying to enjoy the R, but it is a compromised car in plenty of ways. No V8 obvious lee, but I feel like I will probably miss having a sunroof come the fall. A couple of small issues I think I have found a way to resolve (the lack of spare and the non-opening center console are both on deck to be fixed).

[12,000 RPM]

I missed not having a sunroof up north. But the Z and this down south heat ended my love affair with them. I hope that doesn't become a deal breaker down the line

[Raza]

I'm happier that it's you trying to cope with a lack of sunroof than I would be if it were me.

It's a strange choice. They sell it with a sunroof everywhere else in the world.

[SJ_GTI]

Been driving around some today. I started trying to mess with cruise control and discovered all the driving assistance features were turned off. I turned them all on and was playing around with the adaptive cruise control and the lane assistance. It was kind of freaky but these things actually work.  Had never used features like this on a car but it was pretty neat.

[cawimmer430]

Thanks for helping the German economy!!! 

Congrats!

[SJ_GTI]

So just finished my first "mod" on the car.

I noted before that in the US VW had to "lock" the center console in the Golf R (forums seem to suspect it has something to do with customs clearance but I could not find anything official). But luckily VW fanboys will spend a ridiculous amount of effort/money to make their cars as "EU" as possible, so some enterprising owners eventually figured out a way to mostly convert the console back to EU specs. The one thing it will still miss unfortunately is the ratcheting mechanism that allows you to set the closed lid at different heights. Still, just being able to open close it is a huge advantage over what is there now. Overall took me about ~15-20 minutes (mainly because I am not real enthusiastic about this type of stuff..don't like removing/replacing parts).

First thing to do is remove the trim behind the trim behind the center console. This step was surprisingly easy. I would have thought you need special tools for something like this but it popped right off.


Second step is to remove the hex bolts that stop the ratcheting arms from moving back and forth.


Had to use a magnetize rod to keep the washer from falling down in to the trim but so far so good.


Next step was to put something in between the ratcheting arms and the gears. If you do not do this step the center console still works, but it will only down down to the "highest" setting. Most people prefer it to see at the lowest setting so this is what I went with.


Et voila! My center console now opens...


...to let me use the center storage...


...and then closes back up again.


Then I just snip off the excess zip tie ends.


Replace the trim.


Check to make sure everything is lined up properly.


And I am done. Horay for mods. 

Next up is to fit in a spare tire (and accompanying accessories). This requires ordering some parts and spending money unfortunately, but I would like to have a spare tire for emergencies (the car comes with a tire repair/inflator kit). I have ordered the main parts needed, unfortunately this involves a different trim peice than wheat we get in the US so I had to order the part from Europe (latvia of all places). The part itself is actually pretty cheap (30 euro IIRC) but with shipping I am spending a bit over 100 USD to get the trim and the faom surround (that holds the jack/tire iron/etc...). It will be a little more involves than the above but should still be within my very limited capabilities. 

PS while I was uploading pics anyway I adjusted my sig pic for 12,000RPM. 

[MX793]

Is the spare a full size?  I'd be really leery of using a mini-spare on an AWD vehicle.  Bad for the differentials.