GaryP

I’ve recently picked up a new Passat Estate Hybrid having had to let the R Estate go as couldn’t legally fit a towbar on a 2019 model. Such a shame they didn’t do an R Passat, it would be awesome. Loads of space in it, and with 333ps it would be the ultimate affordable sleeper Wagon! Nearly went for an Octavia VRS though, in the lovely dark green colour they do. But this Passat came up on a good Contract Hire deal so jumped on this. Only a 1.5 Hybrid though so it’s quite sluggish. Will serve its purpose for a couple years, then reevaluate what I want next. Might put those winter wheels on it I bought from you a while back, when winter arrives. Good luck with your new car when it arrives.

Even in times of water hardship you get your car looking amazing!!!🤩

So after the Mk7.5 estate was sold to WBAC late last year, and I picked up an A5 Estate Hybrid 299ps, which then got sent back as it was riddled with issues, the most serious being a boot hatch that was just opening on its own accord, I’m now back in an R (Line). Searched high and low for a Mk8.5 R Estate but nothing was coming up, so jumped on a decent Contract Hire Deal on a Passat R Line Black Edition Hybrid in very very long Wagon style!! Nice place to sit and nice car to drive. It’s not as exciting as a Golf R, but I was getting desperate for a car and had been hiring a car for a while and that was getting too costly. This thing is massive!!! Haha. Loads of legroom for everyone and a great sizeboot, unlike the A5 Avant. Hangimg around here though as it’s a great forum for other vehicle/cleaning/detailing chat, and someday I might be back in a Golf R! A few pics of my new R (Line).

Can anyone recommend a good hosepipe to connect to my Karcher power washer, as my old cheap thing has given up the ghost, and was a right pain in the butt for kinking. Also looking for recommendations on a new hose for the Karcher as the stock ones are awfully rigid and difficult to ‘wind up’ to store when you’ve finished and are not very manoeuvrable when in full rinsing flight! Thanks for any recommendations anyone can make!!

Hey everyone On the lookout for an 8.5 R Estate used, new even if any lying around in some compound somewhere, but they are like hens teeth. Guess they are too new to start appearing as used sales very often. If anyone knows of one for sale/coming up for sale please do let me know. My Hertz rental is getting expensive now I am into Week 3 of it. Thanks.

How come you travelled so far for it? Had you got it through one of the brokers like Drive The Deal etc?

Where did you pick that up from if I may ask? I'd be in the market for an 8.5 Estate but can't find any on VW Used or on Autotrader. I guess they are not long out so not many for sale, and when they are they go quick. Cheers.

Don't be shy to try WBAC and Motorway when you come to sell the 7.5 on. I got an incredible price for my 7.5 Estate compared to what Dealerships were offering me by keeping an eye on what WBAC would offer me. I am now kicking myself though as the PCH Lease Car that I got to replace it, Audi A5 Avant Plugin Hybrid, ended up being sent back after 2 episodes of the boot opening of its own accord. One which happened overnight with about £2k of gear in the car (golf clubs and horse riding stuff). Luckily it was all still there in the morning when we woke up to find the boot wide open. The frost all over the gear was amusing, as it had been a frosty night. Couldn't risk that happening again so returned it whilst still in cooling off period. Apparently the new A5's are riddled with issues. Such a shame as it was a gorgeous looking thing I thought. I'm now in a hire car!! Family spare car was my backup plan, but the inlaw muppets got it valeted and didn't air it enough so it went as moldy as feck!! Other half's health condition means she won't sit in it nor let the kids in it - so can't use that. I still have your winter wheels I bought from you - not really needed them yet - maybe this year! Been considering a new'ish VRs myself as no 8.5 Estates are coming up for sale and I am getting desperate! LOL The VRs is still VAG group isn't it?? So hang around.

Hi all Does the Mk8.5 R Estate come with heated front seats and reverse camera as standard? Seem to remember at some point, and maybe it was on the Mk8’s that these were optional extras!! Thanks all. Gary.

I have been keeping my eye open for a new'ish Golf R Estate that I could fit a removable towbar to, or better still with a factory fit one on. Only 3 or 4 new'ish Estates on AutoTrader and none on VW's own Used Car website. I might end up taking the Audi A5 for 2 weeks and cancel within the 14 day cooling off period if no word back about towbar, or just risk putting on the Removable type, which doesn't impact the asthetics of the car and probably nobody would notice at time of return!

I said a sad farewell to my Lapiz Blue 2020 MK7.5 R Estate this morning, courtesy of a purchase of it by We Buy Any Car. I was very surprised at how much they offered this morning for it. £600 more today than they had offered me middle of last week. And actual offered value in person, not the headline figure from the website that they always knock down. I did have it on Motorway yesterday too, best offer via that was £580 below We Buy Any Car so just took the offer this morning. I need a car that has, or can have, a towbar fitted, and the Mk7.5 could not 'legally' have one fitted and tow something so it had to go. I want an M340 Touring next, ideally with factory fit towbar. Missed out on a couple of used ones yesterday by 'hours' that would have fitted the bill perfectly. I have an A5 Plugin Hybrid Avant 299 Edition 1 due on a PCH deal - not completed all the paperwork yet - so that is the back-up and it was on a fairly nice deal price wise. Might be nice to step in to a brand new car for change, and run it as much as possible on local trips/school run etc in EV mode (we have a charger at home). But the M340's are such an epic drive. Still waiting to hear back from Audi Finance if I can get a towbar fitted myself if I take delivery of the A5. If they say no that deal is off the table straight away. It's all coming down to the wire though time wise. Not unusual for me to be juggling plates like this!! Haha. Anyway - I'll still lurk around as I enjoy hearing what everyone is doing with their cars, what they get next - and referring back to Bec's many posts on car detailing/maintenance/washing etc. I'll have a few bits and pieces up for sale in the Classifieds section soon if anyone interested - JB1 Box, Pedal Box and the ST brand flappy padels. How she looked before being left off, and what the replacement will look like if I go ahead with the A5 Avant (next week eek)...!

Tyre costs!! Over this year between myself and Mrs GaryP we must have had 3 new tyres and about 4 puncture repairs due to getting nails/screws in them. I was beginning to think someone had a grudge against us they were coming that frequent. Luckily the wifes ID.4 is covered for Tyre maintenance, but we were starting to get worried that the lease company would start to take exception on how often we were back at the Tyre shop with it. I have a new A5 Avant Hybrid Edition 1 in the pipeline on a Contract Hire deal, and before I pushed the button I did look up the cost of replacing the 20" tyres. Very similar to the 19s on the R so can stomach it as long as we dont have a repeat of this year!

This is what is currently stopping me buying a new or used 'luxury car' at the moment. Was eyeing up an M340i Touring but then when I think about how much the VED will cost me over 4 year ownership it puts me right off. Then again, life is, or certainly can be, too short to worry about an extra £425 a year. A few less Latte's from the local coffee shop and that would soon be covered!

Well maybe, just be in 1st gear!

Close the door on your way out please.

If you under and inside the 'void' of the diffuser does it look like this:

Hey captjack, Thats all good to hear! Are you in the UK? As you have an 8.5 R Estate would you do me a huge favour and let me know if your rear Diffuser has the pre cut hole in it that would have facilitated the retractable towbar? My understanding so far is that R Estates come with that diffuser whereas the Hatch comes with a more aggressive looking one with no towbar hole in it, or a simpler looking diffuser with the hole in it when the Towbar was added as an option. Your help on checking what yours has would be very very appreciated!! A couple of photos of it would be even more appreciated! Thanks.

You legend Phil...!! Just been out and found that setting and disabled it.

You lot are right putting me off ordering a brand new Golf R Estate that is about to hit the production line soon 😂. Contract Hire deal so wouldn't maybe feel as aggrieved about issues as if I'd put more money in to PCP/Buy the car - but even so - any way of getting in an R is not cheap relatively so you'd expect it to be of higher quality. My current Mk7.5 R Estate is faultless. Just need a replacement of something highly similar that I can put a towbar on, or has a towbar on already. A new R Estate hits all the buttons for driveabilty, power, space, looks (love a sporty estate) and affordable. M340i Touring would be the rival, but that comes with a bigger price tag! Noticed the other day on our ID.4 that when adjusting the drivers side door mirror the passenger side one also moves!! We then have to switch the mirror selector the Left mirror and correct that one. I mean that is just mental. Also notice occasionally when the front windows are open that when you pull the switch up to close it, that the window opens further.

I was more meaning that ordering seems to be paused. On the VW UK site when you go to config an Estate it shows a little message saying 'Available from stock only' and when speaking to the finance team in a UK dealership the other day they confirmed that they couldn't actually place an order right now for me for an estate. Having said that, there is apparently a block of vehicles ordered, due to be built, and available through various lease companies - vehicles ordered by Group1 and due to be delivered in October. So who knows what is actually going on. Only other thing I can think of is I read somewhere about plans to move production of R or R Estate to Mexico from Germany?????

I am looking at contract lease/hire deals and the vehicles are due to be built - but the spec cannot be changed, so I can't add a factory fit towbar annoyingly. So I would take the brand new vehicle to a tow bar fitting workshop and get an aftermarket detachable towbar installed. That trim looks exactly like a couple of photos I have had sent of Mk8 R Estates that DO NOT have a towbar fitted - but have that trim with the large cutouts in it. It appears that they just used that trim on all of the estates rather than having another trim that looks a bit more aggressive like the one on the Hatch version. When you say the 'the trailer function is blocked........' - what do you mean by that, and what would I not have if we didn't unlock it? We have a VW ID.4 with a factory towbar on it - and not sure what functionality it offers me - apart from doesn't set off the parking sensors when I reverse with a trailer on it, and I get a different looking Indicator symbol on the dash screen that is maybe letting me know that the trailer indicators are working?? Thanks for commenting on here - you know more than the VW guys at the dealerships I have been speaking to..!! Thanks.

Looks amazing. How did you locate this car did you just search the Audi network on Audi website or were you also using the likes of Auto Trader? Was obviously an in-stock car at the dealership. Enjoy that buddy - I bet it is amazing to drive. Might have to go test drive one myself, although I need more of an estate - and then it just gets more and more expensive.

The reason I ask is that I am either going to order a contract hire vehicle for 3 years - and have the ok to add a towbar on, or may purchase a 2023/24 car and add a towbar to it. Ordering of new R Estates looks to be paused at the moment, and I can't get the 'stock' of contract hire cars due to be built changed to get a factory one fitted. That would be the ideal obvisouly, and given they are not due for delivery until October I would have thought that was plenty of time to add an option - but apparently not according to a couple of the Lease Companies I have enquired with.

If you have an 8 or 8.5 R Estate could you do me a huge favour please and have a look at your rear diffuser(the shiny black trim under the bumper and that goes under the car a little way) and let me know if there are any holes/panels/hatches that would be there for the purposes of a Tow Bar being fitted. It sounds like non R Golfs have a hole there ready for a towbar being fitted (tow bar prep I suppose we can call it), but from what I understand the R Estate does not have this, and should you have ordered a towbar as an option, that the factory would fit a version of our diffuser/trim with a nice factory cut hole in it. If there is something - could you be so kind as to take a photo or two of it please. Many thanks.

Hi Does anyone have an 8 or 8.5 R Estate and has had a towbar fitted either factory or retro fit? Interested to know/see what the fitment entails around the rear valance/trim that the R has under the rear bumper. Hopefull someone has, as it is a deciding factor on whether I push the button to order a new estate or not. Thanks all. GaryP.