M3 vs Golf R as a daily driver

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Decided to go with '18 F80 next year when my lease is up. Not paying $40k for a friggin Golf. Had a GTI been there done that.

[turtl631]

Thanks for the input Mic_Crispy. I previously had an AP2, now in a C6 Z06 and debating F80 vs Golf 7R for a backseat equipped daily. I think I've talked myself into the M3 because I want to keep this car for several years and I think I will get bored with the Golf. I really enjoy big power rear wheel drive cars on the street. A little wheel spin and countersteering is fun, there's not much drama to be had with all-wheel drive safely. My track car is a S13 240SX with a built SR so having another turbo 2.0L I4 in the fleet seems kinda lame even if they're in cars as different as those two. That said, I've test driven Golf R a few times and really enjoyed it. If I couldn't stretch my budget to the M3, I think I'd be quite happy with the golf.

[stylinexpat]

Wait for 2018 Golf R. Should be good with new 7 speed transmission. 0-60 is pretty damn fast. I read 4.4 or 4.6 which is pretty good. Should be more economical on fuel consumption also. Interior looks very nice too

[Captain45]

Anyone that's been behind a mk7 GTI and mini cooper S have any input on how the two compare on the zippy funness factor?

I've got a mini R56 that I need to replace with something more family friendly but the Golf feedback here's making me a bit nervous.

[AirForceOne]

Currently own a MK7 GTI and I gotta say the is20 turbos (non-R) are complete garbage. I've blown TWO turbos with just dp/stage 2 tune. Countless GTI owners from the forums have blown stock turbos on stage 1 tunes, and even stock tunes.

It's a fun little zip around DD, which is why I'm keeping it, but the M3 is in a different class which is why I'm shopping around for my next M3.

[FriskyDingo]

Originally Posted by Captain45

Anyone that's been behind a mk7 GTI and mini cooper S have any input on how the two compare on the zippy funness factor?

I've got a mini R56 that I need to replace with something more family friendly but the Golf feedback here's making me a bit nervous.

I cross-shopped the current MINI 4DR S before buying my GTI. It was a pretty fun car, but it had some major fundamental flaws that kept me from further consideration.

For one, the back seat is tiny. It's too small for regular use, imo. I thought it'd be more or less equal to the Golf, but I was wrong. It's cramped, and lacking rear seat vents like the GTI has.

The overall feel if the interior as a whole is just one of kitsch and goofiness that I can't get behind. I'll take ergonomics and intuitiveness over whackiness. Plus, it just feel as nice as the GTI.

The ride is considerably worse on the MINI. The steering is a little better, and turn-in a bit sharper, but it's an inconsequential amount, really.

The power delivery isn't as good in the MINI. It's not quite as quick or responsive.

The manual trans is slightly better, both in shift action, and clutch feel/take up in the MINI. The AT doesn't hold a candle to the GTI's DSG, however. I honestly think the GTI is better with the DSG than with the 6MT.

Then there's the matter of price. MINI's pricing is out of control. Add some options, and thanks to their crushing residuals and no lease deals, I was looking at $100 more a month on a lease for the same price car.

Thought about waiting for the Clubman, as it offers AWD and has more space, but pricing on it is beyond insane. Decently equipped, you can by a Golf R and have a whole different level of car from MINI.

Long story short, the GTI's refinement, practicality and usability, performance superiority, and cost won out for me by a large margin. And that's to say nothing of reliability.

If you a fun, practical daily that won't break the bank and will still allow you to dabble in tuning/aftermarket modding, there's nothing else on the market that even comes close. It's still the benchmark for this class of car by a safe margin.

Originally Posted by AirForceOne

Currently own a MK7 GTI and I gotta say the is20 turbos (non-R) are complete garbage. I've blown TWO turbos with just dp/stage 2 tune. Countless GTI owners from the forums have blown stock turbos on stage 1 tunes, and even stock tunes.

It's a fun little zip around DD, which is why I'm keeping it, but the M3 is in a different class which is why I'm shopping around for my next M3.

This was an issue that was almost exclusively limited to 2015's, and early build cars at that. I'm very active in the VW community, and to say this is an issue that even warrants concern on the average car is a massively gross overstatement.

[AirForceOne]

Originally Posted by FriskyDingo

I cross-shopped the current MINI 4DR S before buying my GTI. It was a pretty fun car, but it had some major fundamental flaws that kept me from further consideration.

For one, the back seat is tiny. It's too small for regular use, imo. I thought it'd be more or less equal to the Golf, but I was wrong. It's cramped, and lacking rear seat vents like the GTI has.

The overall feel if the interior as a whole is just one of kitsch and goofiness that I can't get behind. I'll take ergonomics and intuitiveness over whackiness. Plus, it just feel as nice as the GTI.

The ride is considerably worse on the MINI. The steering is a little better, and turn-in a bit sharper, but it's an inconsequential amount, really.

The power delivery isn't as good in the MINI. It's not quite as quick or responsive.

The manual trans is slightly better, both in shift action, and clutch feel/take up in the MINI. The AT doesn't hold a candle to the GTI's DSG, however. I honestly think the GTI is better with the DSG than with the 6MT.

Then there's the matter of price. MINI's pricing is out of control. Add some options, and thanks to their crushing residuals and no lease deals, I was looking at $100 more a month on a lease for the same price car.

Thought about waiting for the Clubman, as it offers AWD and has more space, but pricing on it is beyond insane. Decently equipped, you can by a Golf R and have a whole different level of car from MINI.

Long story short, the GTI's refinement, practicality and usability, performance superiority, and cost won out for me by a large margin. And that's to say nothing of reliability.

If you a fun, practical daily that won't break the bank and will still allow you to dabble in tuning/aftermarket modding, there's nothing else on the market that even comes close. It's still the benchmark for this class of car by a safe margin.





This was an issue that was almost exclusively limited to 2015's, and early build cars at that. I'm very active in the VW community, and to say this is an issue that even warrants concern on the average car is a massively gross overstatement.

I wouldn't say a majority of GTI's blew their turbos, but it wasn't uncommon to see postings of is20 failures. My 2nd turbo was a newer version, but failed as well. I wouldn't tune the car again unless I was doing an is38 upgrade.

[Captain45]

Originally Posted by FriskyDingo

I cross-shopped the current MINI 4DR S before buying my GTI. It was a pretty fun car, but it had some major fundamental flaws that kept me from further consideration.

For one, the back seat is tiny. It's too small for regular use, imo. I thought it'd be more or less equal to the Golf, but I was wrong. It's cramped, and lacking rear seat vents like the GTI has.

The overall feel if the interior as a whole is just one of kitsch and goofiness that I can't get behind. I'll take ergonomics and intuitiveness over whackiness. Plus, it just feel as nice as the GTI.

The ride is considerably worse on the MINI. The steering is a little better, and turn-in a bit sharper, but it's an inconsequential amount, really.

The power delivery isn't as good in the MINI. It's not quite as quick or responsive.

The manual trans is slightly better, both in shift action, and clutch feel/take up in the MINI. The AT doesn't hold a candle to the GTI's DSG, however. I honestly think the GTI is better with the DSG than with the 6MT.

Then there's the matter of price. MINI's pricing is out of control. Add some options, and thanks to their crushing residuals and no lease deals, I was looking at $100 more a month on a lease for the same price car.

Thought about waiting for the Clubman, as it offers AWD and has more space, but pricing on it is beyond insane. Decently equipped, you can by a Golf R and have a whole different level of car from MINI.

Long story short, the GTI's refinement, practicality and usability, performance superiority, and cost won out for me by a large margin. And that's to say nothing of reliability.

If you a fun, practical daily that won't break the bank and will still allow you to dabble in tuning/aftermarket modding, there's nothing else on the market that even comes close. It's still the benchmark for this class of car by a safe margin.





This was an issue that was almost exclusively limited to 2015's, and early build cars at that. I'm very active in the VW community, and to say this is an issue that even warrants concern on the average car is a massively gross overstatement.

Great feedback thanks! I agree, the new Mini's styling and price is out of control. Id have to agree, they have lost their way after the r56's.

Im looking at a few GTI sports across the US. seems they are discounting the 2017's by up to 6k. The new '18's LED heads and tails and larger infotainment are definitely enticing however a 22k new '17 sounds good too. Would you guys wait for the new '18s or pull the trigger on a discounted '17 sport? I hear the sport is going away in 2018

[s1k0ne]

Have a '17 Golf R and ordered a '18 F80.
I love everything about the Golf R but haven't modded it as it's a perfect DD car in my opinion. I've modded all my previous cars but the Golf R (manual) gives me the joy when I need it to and a perfect commuter with the soft suspension settings.

only reason i'm getting the '18 F80 is the fact that in my line of work, i may seem a bit.. kiddish with a manual Golf.

Other reason is that.. every civic, golf, focus wants to race me just because they see the R badge and .. i got pretty annoyed of that which may lead me to selling my car as i don't want to deal with those situations with my kid in the backseat.

If it's going to be your only car, i'd go with the M3. if it's your toy car, i'd get a Golf R on the side.
For my situation though, M3, wife's X5.. with a Rubicon in the future =)

[jmg]

Originally Posted by s1k0ne

Have a '17 Golf R and ordered a '18 F80.
I love everything about the Golf R but haven't modded it as it's a perfect DD car in my opinion. I've modded all my previous cars but the Golf R (manual) gives me the joy when I need it to and a perfect commuter with the soft suspension settings.

only reason i'm getting the '18 F80 is the fact that in my line of work, i may seem a bit.. kiddish with a manual Golf.

Other reason is that.. every civic, golf, focus wants to race me just because they see the R badge and .. i got pretty annoyed of that which may lead me to selling my car as i don't want to deal with those situations with my kid in the backseat.

If it's going to be your only car, i'd go with the M3. if it's your toy car, i'd get a Golf R on the side.
For my situation though, M3, wife's X5.. with a Rubicon in the future =)

Get ready for C63s, Mustangs, Camaros, and GT-RSs now wanting to race you.

[ssabripo]

Originally Posted by jmg

Get ready for C63s, Mustangs, Camaros, and GT-RSs now wanting to race you.

AND the ricers as well (Civics, WRX's, mazda 3's, etc)

[bloke79]

I currently own both cars (and daily both). The S3 has all the options as does the M4 ZCP.

S3 has an APR tune (Engine and DSG) so has 380hp, M4 is stock (so 450hp).

The S3 is probably just as fast as the M4 in a straight line (Especially when off the line), but as a car to drive/have fun with, it just doesn't put a smile on your face.

As a daily, it's very nice, radar cruise, lane assist etc are all cool features and mean if you're in stop start traffic, they're excellent on that front.

I've always had a second car in addition to the S3 (previously had a Lotus Exige V6S) and I've never gone and grabbed the S3's keys for anything other than transport.

It's not a fun car that makes you enjoy going for a drive, but point to point and over a tight mountain pass, there's not a lot which will stick with it...

Horses for courses I guess. I had a mk6 GTi with a flash tune in it prior to the S3, and I think GTi was probably a more "fun" car to drive, as it had more character.

[gatorfast]

As a daily driver in the truest sense the Golf R is likely the better choice. More comfortable ride, better gas mileage, lower maintenance, etc. The Golf R has plenty of power too for a DD and is considerably cheaper than an M3.

That said, for the amount of performance you get in the M3 it does an excellent job of blending the criteria I mentioned above to an acceptable level.

[dopper99]

Here is a Nick Murray vid of the Golf R. Interesting point is that he owned his M4 at the time, although doesn't really compare the two in the vid.

[Bsmith75]

My second car is a '17 Golf R 6MT currently at APR stg2. The original plan was to go right to stg 3 power with the larger turbo, but APR ran into some issues with the ECU tunes for the '17 MYs. Which we found out after the new turbo was installed...

I also put in MSS springs for the DCC shocks and AP racing brakes up front. I've gotta say, in its current form the car is pretty quick. Pushing somewhere ~390hp w/ 410ft/lbs.

Which only makes me that much more excited to see what it can do with the full 460+hp that stage 3 delivers. At only 3300lbs, I'm expecting an AWD pocket rocket.

B.

[Vectors2final]

I have a 2017 R right now that's pretty fun... Especially with R888Rs on all four corners along with a JB4. I'm canning that when I go back to the 2018 F80 this fall.

[PoorLurker]

I like reading these threads. Either people live in states where sales tax doesn't apply for cars or depreciation+sales tax means nothing. I wish I could throw away money like that. It would help my car ADD because I love choosing fun cars. I am not sure what to get next after my Jetta.

pheerlx Depending on the financial situation, I would choose F80 over the Golf R everyday of the week. Cut back on starbucks and a couple other misc. expenses and the "look backs" and feel of the daily driver will be worth the loss of those other expenses.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

I like reading these threads. Either people live in states where sales tax doesn't apply for cars or depreciation+sales tax means nothing. I wish I could throw away money like that. It would help my car ADD because I love choosing fun cars. I am not sure what to get next after my Jetta.

pheerlx Depending on the financial situation, I would choose F80 over the Golf R everyday of the week. Cut back on starbucks and a couple other misc. expenses and the "look backs" and feel of the daily driver will be worth the loss of those other expenses.

This has been a good thread. I think my mind is made up on the M3. Only thing I have to cut back on is investment funds but who knows how much longer any of us have left so in the spirit of this current generation: Eff it YOLO

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by pheerlx

This has been a good thread. I think my mind is made up on the M3. Only thing I have to cut back on is investment funds but who knows how much longer any of us have left so in the spirit of this current generation: Eff it YOLO

Eat more rice, beans, and chicken - keep investing.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by pheerlx

This has been a good thread. I think my mind is made up on the M3. Only thing I have to cut back on is investment funds but who knows how much longer any of us have left so in the spirit of this current generation: Eff it YOLO

I just cut back on eating out. I've managed to cut it down by a couple hundred by brown bagging to work. Of course, most of that savings was no more lunch beers!

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Eat more rice, beans, and chicken - keep investing.

Lunch is free at work despite there being no such thing as a free lunch.

[mjcecil]

Originally Posted by pheerlx

Yea sort of afraid the M will spoil me forever

I knew I was whipped by the ///Mistress the moment I sat in my first ///M car in '99. That's two M3's and an M5 ago, not including Sexy the F80, and there's no signs of me stopping.

I have switched to an S4, once as a second car, and once as primary, and also to a Mini (which I LOVED), but in the end, I always wind up here, gripping the Blue, Purple and Red.