What to replace my VW Golf GTI with?

Hi,

I am in the process of changing my beloved Golf Mk 7.5 GTI but cannot decide what to go for! I have narrowed my search down to a Golf 8.5 R Black Edition, the new Audi S3 Vorsprung or a BMW 340i xDrive. The latter will need to be a six-month-old car rather than new to fit within  my budget. All are great cars! Which one of those three would the CompleteCar.ie team go for?

Love your YouTube videos btw - have used them a lot for my search.

Many thanks!

Paul

Paul James (Belfast)

Aug 2024 Filed under: choosing new car

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Expert answer

Hi Paul,

I asked Dave and Neil on the team to answer this as well as myself so you get a cross-section of opinion. Here's what Neil said: "There’s no point in going for the Audi over the Golf. Sure, it has more power and 4WD but it’s no more fun to drive, and will be more expensive to run. The GTI is the better of those two. However, the M340i — Touring especially — is one of the best BMWs that has ever been made, and I reckon if you have the chance to own one, you should take it. "

Dave was in agreement: "I’m with Neil on this one, the move to the Audi or the Golf 8.5 R from the Golf 7.5 isn’t going to deliver as much overall fun, even if the performance figures increase. The BMW is not only a lovely thing, but it’s a different style and should be much sweeter overall. "

I have to admit, I'd agree with them both. The S3 is good, but very subtle, perhaps too subtle? The 8.5 GTI is notably changed from the 7.5 (I'm the only one of us that has driven it so far and it's a cracker), but even so, I'd find it difficult to ignore the allure of the BMW's six-cylinder engine and rear-lead chassis balance.

Do let us know which way you go on this.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor
@Shane_O_D