2025 model RS3 or 8.5 Golf R
Discussion
Hi All,
Currently mulling over both of these cars and have got a couple of prices. Either a RS3 Carbon Black with pan roof due to I believe having the Tech Pro pack, or a Golf 8.5R Black Edition, no extras. Both brand new.
Put in enquiries for both cars and quite surprised at the discounts which I guess reflects the manufacturers RRP s versus actually being able to sell them.
After some haggling with the Audi dealer in particular, the deposit on the RS3 is £10k versus £6k for the Golf and the monthly price difference between them is only £55. Obviously aware the RS3 will drink more fuel and generally will cost more to run. But there s that engine and the kit on it is better.
Have watched some videos on them and wasn t expecting in particular Volkswizard to seem a bit underwhelmed with the RS3 as where the likes of Joe Achilles (and pretty much any review you read) saying its brilliant. Some vidoes point to the Golf being too firm. Neither car will have active dampers/DCC.
Just wanted to ask if anyone else has considered either before and what the outcome was? Need to make my mind up fairly sharpish! Thank you in advance
Currently mulling over both of these cars and have got a couple of prices. Either a RS3 Carbon Black with pan roof due to I believe having the Tech Pro pack, or a Golf 8.5R Black Edition, no extras. Both brand new.
Put in enquiries for both cars and quite surprised at the discounts which I guess reflects the manufacturers RRP s versus actually being able to sell them.
After some haggling with the Audi dealer in particular, the deposit on the RS3 is £10k versus £6k for the Golf and the monthly price difference between them is only £55. Obviously aware the RS3 will drink more fuel and generally will cost more to run. But there s that engine and the kit on it is better.
Have watched some videos on them and wasn t expecting in particular Volkswizard to seem a bit underwhelmed with the RS3 as where the likes of Joe Achilles (and pretty much any review you read) saying its brilliant. Some vidoes point to the Golf being too firm. Neither car will have active dampers/DCC.
Just wanted to ask if anyone else has considered either before and what the outcome was? Need to make my mind up fairly sharpish! Thank you in advance
Edited by AddyT. on Friday 9th January 22:58
As an outsider looking in and liking both cars I personally could not look past the RS3 because of that engine, it just adds something special to the mix in my eyes. Obviously you pay a premium for it but if you can afford it.
Performance on the 2 in the real world I bet Is fairly even.
Both good looking cars though and a tough choice.
Performance on the 2 in the real world I bet Is fairly even.
Both good looking cars though and a tough choice.
Ive driven an R for a few years as a work vehicle and it's an incredibly capable engine and chassis but there was nothing special about it. The Audi for me would take it as I imagine it'd be more of an occasion to drive due to the engine note. I also think the front looks super-aggressive. Even with an upgraded exhaust the R isn't much to shout about.
doogal said:
Have you asked about lead times at all? Was surprised to be told 4 - 6 months on a GTI Clubsport last week due to component shortages... Not sure if that affects the R as well.
Thank you so much all for your thoughts! The engine in the RS3 is what makes it so tempting. Having had a fast Audi before though I know the general running costs will be more than the Golf so not sure whether to go down that road again. (Last time it was fine for the first year or two and then started to grate a little after that) Have had a 7R for a few years now and know what you mean about the R’s being fast and capable but not that exciting. I have been having a very close look at nearly new Clubsports as well today as if the right one can be found there’s some nice extras (like the HK sound) you can find and for the same monthly payments as the new standard R I have had a quote for. Also looks from reviews like it would be a touch different to drive than an R (not mind bendingly different obviously) so is certainly in the mix too.
With lead times, there are new R’s currently on the factory line and just a few weeks away. I hadn’t asked about new Clubsports but there are some on the VW Approved site with as little as 1000 miles / 3 months old. It just depends on what colour and spec you are after. Out of interest what spec and colour are you looking for on your new Clubsport?
Dealer contributions are certainly less on the used ones but the deposit on the Clubsport I have been enquiring about isnt a million miles away from the standard new R. But the Clubsport has leather, HK and a couple of other options so quite a nice example.
DCC is the must have for me. I'd be coming from an FL5 Civic and the ride is so stiff it makes my wife and kids car sick! HK would be next on the list and ideally moonstone grey. A bit like you, if a nice one is available I could be interested but I'm not waiting 6 months for one!
I've had 2x mk7.5 GTIs previously and had them both over the R as that just felt one step too polished (?!)... it lost a bit of the fun.
Id also take the RS3 for the engine alone. I've been out in a colleagues and that noise would keep me interested far longer than the R
I've had 2x mk7.5 GTIs previously and had them both over the R as that just felt one step too polished (?!)... it lost a bit of the fun.
Id also take the RS3 for the engine alone. I've been out in a colleagues and that noise would keep me interested far longer than the R
doogal said:
DCC is the must have for me. I'd be coming from an FL5 Civic and the ride is so stiff it makes my wife and kids car sick! HK would be next on the list and ideally moonstone grey. A bit like you, if a nice one is available I could be interested but I'm not waiting 6 months for one!
I've had 2x mk7.5 GTIs previously and had them both over the R as that just felt one step too polished (?!)... it lost a bit of the fun.
Id also take the RS3 for the engine alone. I've been out in a colleagues and that noise would keep me interested far longer than the R
I think you and I are very similar!! I have just secured a 3 month old Clubsport in Moonstone Grey with DCC and HK!! I've had 2x mk7.5 GTIs previously and had them both over the R as that just felt one step too polished (?!)... it lost a bit of the fun.
Id also take the RS3 for the engine alone. I've been out in a colleagues and that noise would keep me interested far longer than the R
They are definitely out there for sure! doogal said:
Haha, great stuff! When do you pick it up? Interested to hear how you get on with it! 
Thank you mate! Confirming with them tomorrow but very likely will be Saturday! Its 2 hours away so will get a good drive home to get used to it! Will definitely let you know how its going! doogal said:
Haha, great stuff! When do you pick it up? Interested to hear how you get on with it!
Hi Mate, Quick note as I have already done about 400 miles in it so thought I would keep you posted! Really, really good is the initial feedback!
Definitely quicker than my 7R (except off the line but to be expected) and handles very nicely, especially with things dialled up. DCC I would say is a must and is very comfortable. Prefer it to my R as you have to concentrate a bit more driving it quickly and it really does shift! The infotainment is easier to use than I thought it would be.
The only negative I can think of is the HK system. It is obviously better than the standard one but it's not as good as my wife's Dynaudio or the Burmester I had in my Mercedes. Tony who is GE90 on here has contacted me about a centre speaker upgrade which I will do soon as the centre speaker is actually a standard one which explains it! Need to get the right EQ settings and have it in surround. Lossless tracks are best quality and did some Googling for advice on settings. Depends of course on what sort of music you like too.
Bar that, it's an excellent all rounder. I watched Car's video vs the CTR the other day. Obviously the CTR is the better drivers car but they gave the Clubsport the nod as an overall daily to live with. Definitely recommend test driving one!
The car looks great, glad you're getting on well with it!
I watched that Car review the other day and decided to have a test drive in one off the back their feedback!
DCC made the world of difference as you say, and being able to turn off the ADAS systems so easily is a relief compared to the FL5 as well!
Unfortunately the two Clubsport cars I've looked at were in pretty poor shape considering they both had less than 3k miles on them, but I've found a mint non-Clubsport 8.5 GTI with DCC / HK that I think I might go for instead.
I didn't have much of a play with the HK so could be interested in upgrading that if it's needed...
I watched that Car review the other day and decided to have a test drive in one off the back their feedback!
DCC made the world of difference as you say, and being able to turn off the ADAS systems so easily is a relief compared to the FL5 as well!
Unfortunately the two Clubsport cars I've looked at were in pretty poor shape considering they both had less than 3k miles on them, but I've found a mint non-Clubsport 8.5 GTI with DCC / HK that I think I might go for instead.
I didn't have much of a play with the HK so could be interested in upgrading that if it's needed...
RS3 (2016) owner here, mulling a similar proposition to the OP's.
I wanted to add that the 2025+ S3 is really worth a look, considered now at the same dynamic level as the Golf R and kitted better on the whole. The Vorsprung model comes with the adaptive dampers.
Speaking as someone who has gone back and forth between the Golfs, S & RS3... the RS3 isn't as discreet as the other two (admittedly spec sensitive) and thinking carefully about how you use and fund it are important.
If you want something "special" to use sparingly - often without family on board, not just going to the supermarket etc - and intend to change / sell in 3-4 years, then an RS3 can stack up really well on paper as well as being a more emotive product. Yet we're all different, and as an example I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my current & very loud RS3 to a funeral or on some of my trips where I might be parking it in a dodgy area.
If you want to use your car as a daily, in a wider range of situations and are looking at the long term costs, then IMO the S3 & Golf can make more sense. In the short term they are still somewhat cheaper to buy & run than an RS3, and over a longer period this gap opens up (20-25% less). While they trade a little desirability and emotion, in use they are more than enough for most use cases.
I wanted to add that the 2025+ S3 is really worth a look, considered now at the same dynamic level as the Golf R and kitted better on the whole. The Vorsprung model comes with the adaptive dampers.
Speaking as someone who has gone back and forth between the Golfs, S & RS3... the RS3 isn't as discreet as the other two (admittedly spec sensitive) and thinking carefully about how you use and fund it are important.
If you want something "special" to use sparingly - often without family on board, not just going to the supermarket etc - and intend to change / sell in 3-4 years, then an RS3 can stack up really well on paper as well as being a more emotive product. Yet we're all different, and as an example I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my current & very loud RS3 to a funeral or on some of my trips where I might be parking it in a dodgy area.
If you want to use your car as a daily, in a wider range of situations and are looking at the long term costs, then IMO the S3 & Golf can make more sense. In the short term they are still somewhat cheaper to buy & run than an RS3, and over a longer period this gap opens up (20-25% less). While they trade a little desirability and emotion, in use they are more than enough for most use cases.
doogal said:
The car looks great, glad you're getting on well with it!
I watched that Car review the other day and decided to have a test drive in one off the back their feedback!
DCC made the world of difference as you say, and being able to turn off the ADAS systems so easily is a relief compared to the FL5 as well!
Unfortunately the two Clubsport cars I've looked at were in pretty poor shape considering they both had less than 3k miles on them, but I've found a mint non-Clubsport 8.5 GTI with DCC / HK that I think I might go for instead.
I didn't have much of a play with the HK so could be interested in upgrading that if it's needed...
Thank you very much for your kind words! I watched that Car review the other day and decided to have a test drive in one off the back their feedback!
DCC made the world of difference as you say, and being able to turn off the ADAS systems so easily is a relief compared to the FL5 as well!
Unfortunately the two Clubsport cars I've looked at were in pretty poor shape considering they both had less than 3k miles on them, but I've found a mint non-Clubsport 8.5 GTI with DCC / HK that I think I might go for instead.
I didn't have much of a play with the HK so could be interested in upgrading that if it's needed...
Ah nice glad you watched the video!! Glad you liked the DCC and indeed turning off ADAS is fast and becomes second nature thankfully!
I am sorry to hear the Clubsports you looked at weren't great....that's really surprising with such low miles. What was wrong with them to put it bluntly? Really keen to hear!
That sounds like a great find there
Let me know if you have a test drive and if you think there's a big difference between it and a Clubsport as I haven't driven one. Yep definitely worth playing around with it to see what you think. It's very subjective depending on what you have experienced before I think. But most definitely not as good as Dynaudio or Burmester I can definitely vouch for that!
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