ubermick

Mate, I don't want to be the harbinger of bad news or anything but if there are electrical problems then it could rapidly turn into a bit of a nightmare. My own R was less than 24 hours old before it was towed back to the dealer and diagnosed with a dodgy control module (suspension.) Got it back, and not long after more electrical problems - ECU was replaced, still nothing, and at this point the dealer still has no clue whats causing it all, six weeks later. Thankfully I was able to get out from it, I called VW after a couple of weeks of this and demanded it be replaced as a lemon, and they were great about it. But the service fella is a mate of mine and still giving me updates on the original - last I heard, the engine had been completely disassembled with them trying to figure out if its a dodgy ground wire, or harness, or who knows what.

Within 24 hours of taking delivery, my R was being towed back to the dealer after it flashed a half dozen errors at me. Car barely started, power steering was unresponsive, and was barely delivering power to the wheels. Dealer rang me after a couple of days, said the suspension control module was buggered, and needed replacing. About 10 days after getting it back, was driving in mild traffic about town with the wife and daughter in the car, when the traction control light started going mad, and once again barely any power to the wheels. Pulled over, swore a bit, and the traction control light went off. Car drove normally for about 10 seconds, then same problem started again. Pulled over, switched it off, swore a bit more. Started it up again, no problem. Gingerly drove home and rang the dealer. Said to bring it down if I was comfortable driving it. Got back in it later that afternoon, and headed down there. Before I even got out of our estate, warning lights started going mad again. This time the car felt alright, so kept going, staying on the backroads. Got there, parked up, tossed the keys to the service fella. Who got in the car, started it up and... no problems. Rang me a couple of days later, all the error codes had been stored. The no power thing was apparently the engine limiter thingy kicking in, car thought I was doing 155. Cleared everything, started the car and limiter kicked in immediately. Two weeks later a new ecu had been ordered and was told it’d take about a month. Rang up VW of America and had a go at them, brand new car with a couple of hundred miles had this many problems, and my dealer had no idea when I’d get it back, or even if a new ECU would fix the problem. After dealing with them back and forth, they agreed to take the car back and refund me 100% of the price. About a month after the dealer got the car back, I finalised all that, and walked from the service manager’s office into the sales room and drove home in another one, exact same colour/spec as before. About 100 miles into that, had to replace the front passenger grab handle when the spring shot out and almost took my wife’s eye out, but other than that so far so good. Meanwhile, the first one had the ECU replaced, and still hasn’t fixed the problem. Last I heard, someone was coming out from der fatherland to look it over firsthand.

Cheers, Paul. Fingers aren't the only things I've got crossed of late when it comes to this! But a measly 400 miles in, and not a sniff of a code.

So had a bit of a kerfuffle. FINALLY bought an indium grey 2019 over here in America. Here she is looking all lurvly. Unfortunately, 24 hours later here she is being loaded onto a tow truck going back to the dealer. Three weeks later, I had a moan at VW directly, since after getting the car back, experienced problem after problem. And in fairness to them, within 30 days, they'd taken the car back and refunded every penny to me and the bank. So back to square one. At which point I went back to said dealer and... This one's been flawless so far, with the exception of the much dreaded grab handle going ping (and nearly taking my mate's eye out in the process). Keep yer fingers crossed for me...

So here in the colonies, the R comes with utterly manky Spielberg (or as they're known over here, "Englishtown") as standard, but for and extra few bucks, you can upgrade to Pretorias. Gloss black ones. Which look fine when they're sparkly clean, but the second there's a puff of brake dust they look brown and awful. Been trying to sort a set of the silver Pretorias for my Indium grey 2019, but they're as rare as hen's teeth on the West coast, so having to resort to reps. The CM ones look the best of the bunch, but oof that shipping price to get 'em here. (Another £250)

Leather is standard in the USA and Canada, I know. VW in North America seems to treat the R as a burden of sorts - there are scant few options available. You choose from one of five colours, and from there your choice is manual, manual with DAP, or DSG with DAP. That's it. (For the 2018 in Canada, you can now get DSG without DAP, I believe - nobody knows what the situation is in the USA with that, since it's still not released here.)

I hate you all. Still enduring the R drought here in the colonies with dealers not knowing their arses from their elbows, and VW of America being about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Not my R, but I was the passenger and I took the picture. This one belongs to Hazbot.

Hah! Don't think it's the dealers, though - you'd think they'd far rather be shifting cars out the door than shrugging their shoulders and looking confused. They're in the dark as much as consumers are, it seems.

Cheers! Unfortunately it seems like I jumped the gun in signing up - the dealers over in America can't seem to sort their arses from their elbows when it comes to this car. At this point there are no 2017 Mk. 7s to be had anymore, and not a single one of them has a clue when the 2018 Mk. 7.5s will be available, or even what the ordering/supply situation will be. One dealer is asking for a $500 deposit to get on a waiting list - when I asked what said waiting list would give me, I was told "We're not sure yet. We can't guarantee you'll get the car you want, or when you'll get it. Most likely it'll be very close though, and the delivery date will be some time in the first half of 2018." So sat here having a bit of a fume this morning...

Even better. There are a few available according to Autotrader, contacted each of the dealers and all said that the car wasn't available, had already sold, they just didn't update the listing. So at least here in the Bay Area, there are no 2017s to be had, and one dealer told me they were taking deposits to get on a waiting list for preorders. (!) Despite telling me that they had no idea when those orders might actually be fulfilled. AMERICA!

You lot are lucky. Walked into my local Volkswagen dealer here in California today, Here's how it went, more or less: "Hello. I'm interested in a Golf R." "Ooh, that'll be tough." "Really?" "Yes, we don't have any. And the 2018s won't be available until December, more likely January or February," "That late? Well, what about 2017s?" "Can't order them, haven't been able to order them. And no dealers with one won't transfer them. Too rare." "So can we talk about a 2018?" "Nope." "Wait, what?" "Come back in January." "Erm, okay. Can I have your card?" "No."

Alight lads. Currently trundling around Yankeeland in a 2016 Grand Cherokee Limited, which I picked up in a moment of madness having had our first child two years ago. Had a 2012 Audi S4 before that. But on a recent holiday back home to Ireland, had the opportunity to tootle around the roads of Scotland and Wales in the R of the mighty @hazbot and have gone into full lust mode. So apologies in advance for the masses of shambolic and utterly idiotic questions I'll have while I grind the wife down into acceptance. (And not exactly easy getting out of a lease just a year in without getting utterly bummed.)