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Golf R or A35 AMG

slipperywhenwet

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Calgary, Canada
So, Mercedes is bringing the A35 AMG hatch to Canada (sorry everyone to the south), which brings me to a huge dilemma.

I'm currently in a 2016 GTI, and will be switching either to a 2019 R, or a 2019 A35 AMG. I have no significant complaints about the GTI, and honestly, the R is the car that I should have gotten from day one. The problem though, is that the A35 looks SO good and the interior looks incredible, but I have no experience with Mercedes, and I'm a little hesitant to get into a car that is on a brand new platform, with a brand new UI, and potentially will not have the level of customization that the R has.

Does anyone on here have experience with Mercedes in general? Costs aside (the A35 will be ~$5000 more than the R), anything really against the new A series?
 

randomhobo130

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Niagara falls NY
Car(s)
2020 Autobahn DSG
You listed a lot of question marks that make sense. Also, how will the maintenance costs compare to the R. The insurance costs could be higher as well. Even though you're talking about an R, it's still a VW on paper which tends to help keep ins. costs relatively low. That Merc looks amazing though. I would go R and look at the AMG in a few years once all of the possible kinks have been worked out. Whatever you decide, I'm jealous lol.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 

Navi

Autocross Champion
Location
BK/NYC/Hamptons
amg's take a huge hit on depreciation. I would try to find a used one after a year. You'll save a lot, unless you really want it new... I am pretty against used cars though. If I had to choose between the two, it wouldn't even be close. A35 all the way.
 

CarlosCanizares

Autocross Newbie
Location
Surrey, BC, Canada
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf R
So, Mercedes is bringing the A35 AMG hatch to Canada (sorry everyone to the south), which brings me to a huge dilemma.

I'm currently in a 2016 GTI, and will be switching either to a 2019 R, or a 2019 A35 AMG. I have no significant complaints about the GTI, and honestly, the R is the car that I should have gotten from day one. The problem though, is that the A35 looks SO good and the interior looks incredible, but I have no experience with Mercedes, and I'm a little hesitant to get into a car that is on a brand new platform, with a brand new UI, and potentially will not have the level of customization that the R has.

Does anyone on here have experience with Mercedes in general? Costs aside (the A35 will be ~$5000 more than the R), anything really against the new A series?

Going by your sig, I’d be hesitant to lose the MT, if put in your shoes.
 

vj123

Autocross Newbie
Location
The Detroit
Car(s)
19 & 16 GTI - sold
Not sure how its gonna be with the AMGs but in general, maintenance is going to be higher as you are switching to a luxury brand. This would be a big aspect of my thought process.

On paper, A35 looks great in every aspect but i would never buy a first MY vehicle of any brand especially the germans. Maybe i am more conservative but i prefer choosing a platform which had been in the market for a while and well established. In that case, my vote is for the R.
 

pnwbrdr

Ready to race!
Location
WA
Maintenance will be more than the R. Insurance will be more than the R. Depreciation will be more than the R. First MY cars are almost always problematic, so expect more warranty work (MB service is top notch, but you pay for that).

Subjective: you lose the option for MT with the MB. Interior is so tacky with those big jet-like air vents, and the verticality of the dash makes the interior seem like a truck. It's like they tried to go "less is more", but IMO, they overshot the mark.

The MB would be a hard PASS for me. I'd vote to save the cash, buy an R, and do some minor power mods to put you above the merc.

That said, I see the desire to move on from the MK7 platform since you already have one. Not much else in the category any more...
 

slipperywhenwet

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Calgary, Canada
You listed a lot of question marks that make sense. Also, how will the maintenance costs compare to the R. The insurance costs could be higher as well. Even though you're talking about an R, it's still a VW on paper which tends to help keep ins. costs relatively low. That Merc looks amazing though. I would go R and look at the AMG in a few years once all of the possible kinks have been worked out. Whatever you decide, I'm jealous lol.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Some very valid points here too. I can work on my GTI, and the R will be no different. Plus, the modification community for the VW cars is unlike anything I've seen.

If only VW had made the R look like the AMG, and given it the most bonkers cool UI system that I've ever tried, then there wouldn't be any hesitation.
 

slipperywhenwet

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Calgary, Canada
Going by your sig, I’d be hesitant to lose the MT, if put in your shoes.

In all honesty, whether I go with the R or the A35, I'll be going flappy-paddle.

If all goes well, by this time next year I'll have a 1+ hour commute in some of the most painful stop-and-go traffic on the face of the planet. As much as I enjoy rowing my own gears, it'll drive me crazy to have to do it every day.
 
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