2016 Golf R test drive--no dice
 

This is the thread where I would post impressions from my test drive of a 2016 Golf R, except that I've been to a couple of dealers now and both absolutely refused to let me drive one.

I guess they are too busy selling TDIs to bother?

Seriously, there is nothing more irritating than a "special" model, especially from a mainstream manufacturer. Dealers suck.

Today I asked the manager how I would know whether the car was worth buying without driving one. His response? "It's more performance than what you've got now."

Um. Fuck you? That might actually be what I said. Or maybe it was "fuck off."

Anyway, the good news is that I'm not tempted to do something dumb. Other than swear at VW dealers, I mean.

Makes buying an RS that much easier...

I guess you didn't take the Tesla.

Yeah, annoying. That being said, I put a deposit down on the 1M without ever driving one.

Yeah but we're talking Volkswagen-level performance here.

I was in the Porsche, ironically. But I don't think they saw it.

Thing is, they had 5 of them. Not sure how the "no test drive" thing is really working for them.

I put a deposit down on the '12 Golf R without driving it, too, but that's because there weren't any on the ground.

Maybe TD will weigh in with whether he got a test drive in his. I think he bought it off the lot.

Unreal. Until just now, I didn't think anything could make me less interested in buying a VW.

That's ridiculous and unacceptable. What car did you drive to the dealership?

The Boxster.

TD has been uncharacteristically quiet about his car replacement searching. Glad to hear he found something.

No, TD didn't buy a new R (AFAIK)--I meant back when he bought the white 2013 that he just sold.

When I got that 2013 R, dealers were already looking to unload the copies they had left. I was able to test drive without any hesitation and they didn't even ride along. I was gone for a while with it. And then they were quick to agree to a deal below invoice.

Maybe the lesson is wait until late in the model run, I don't know. But they do seem to go from protecting them irrationally to not wanting to be stuck with one in inventory. It's a matter of timing.

Thinking back, months before than a different dealership let me test drive the GTI and R back to back. And this was still when they were charging premiums.

Now you have me curious as to whether I could swing a test drive of the new one. I loved my 2013 but I'm honestly totally not interested in having another.

And, no, I haven't bought anything yet. Eager to, but I'm waiting out some uncertainty at work before I do anything. I've been daily driving the M3.

I was able to test drive a 2015 Golf R when actually wanting to order and buy the GTI with the Performance Pack. There were no GTI's with the Performance Pack anywhere to be had and my dealer had a blue Golf R just sitting there. Maybe try a different dealer?

I may. Part of the problem is that with work and kid schedules I've got a severely limited set of windows to go on drives. I get the chance, realistically, once a month. Maybe.

That's one reason I was so pissed about this one; they wasted my time.

So, I suppose I could call around and see if there's another VW dealer that has the car and is willing to do drives, but honestly it's a bigger pain in the ass than it's worth, esp. since I've already been to the two closest ones.

Clyde--I had the same thought about the RS, though I have no illusions that I'll be able to easily find one of those to drive, either.

That is so frustrating that 2 dealers said no to a test drive especially with the trouble VW dealers must be having since the whole tdi situation.

I would try a different approach that might work ... Try using the Internet to give you pricing then make an appointment to go in and test drive.

The problem is with some special cars like the R the dealers know that buyers don't want to buy a car that has been test driven ... I know I would not buy any car that was used to be test driven by someone else heck I won't even buy a car if it was sitting on the showroom floor.

That's a good approach, but I don't really care enough to do it. I'm not going to beg for a test drive. If they don't want to sell me a car, fine.

This happened to me with the original STi. Subaru dealer wouldn't let me near the one they had in the showroom so I walked next door to the bmw dealer and ordered an m3.

I can kind of see the dealership's perspective. If they get a limited allocation of them, why bother offering test drives? I'd rather have something on the showroom floor with 0-5 miles on it than something that has 100 of the hardest miles a car will ever see. :dunno:

Sure. I understand the dealer's perspective, too. Doesn't mean I'm going to buy the car without driving it. Maybe someone else will.

Ideally they should have a demo car. If there is enough demand they could still sell it for good money.

Same experience here except substitute these: Mazdaspeed3 wagon, Audi, and A3 Wagon.

Yep, I wouldn't either.

That and the endless parade of boy racers who want to come in for a "test drive" but have no real interest (or funds) in buying the car.

The best solution for the current business model is to have "drive days" sponsored by the marque, like BMW used to have, and Mazda and some of the others still do. You sign up for a time slot and drive one or more of the many models available over a prescribed course. No pressure to buy and no salesperson chattering away in the passenger seat.

The only car I've bought without a test drive is my current 3.

I figured with so many Top 10Best awards and winning so many comparos , I couldn't go wrong.

And I was right.

I'm happy that this particular VW dealership has pride in their products. The R must be amazingly fast.

I am awestruck.

What does the speed of it have to do with anything?

#sarcasm

bumping this thread. we just had a baby and need to get a bigger car than the Smart. most dealers in the bay area suck (asking 3-10k markup lol) but I was able to put a deposit down for a base model MT R in the pipeline at MSRP at Sunnyvale VW. Gonna go test drive one this weekend.

:line:

Cool. Interested to know how it is. A friend just got one, so I may be able to cadge a drive at some point without having to deal with the VW dealers.

EDIT--oh, and congrats!

That is great news about the baby congratulations ....

Congrats on the baby! My buddy got one (an R not a baby although he has two booster seats in the back of the R) I posted about it in John V's what next thread. Nice car, but based on JST and TD's lathering over their versions, I expected more.

haha yeah, I'll see how I like it this Saturday. I drove an R32 years ago and it was alright, liked the MR more so I got that instead.

There actually aren't very many cars that meet my requirements:

- enough backseat space for 👶
- 4-door
- MT
- AWD for Tahoe
- doesn't look like a boy racer car (had the Evo, done with that)

The only alternative is like an S4, which is a bit bigger than I'd like to drive/park in SF, and obv a lot more expensive.

S4 = no more MT :(

I think I can still find them while they last.

Focus RS. But, yeah, it's basically a list of 2 cars at this point.

RS will probably be harder to find or get at a decent price than the R and imo it's kinda ugly lol

Way to go Andrew and Sherry :D