Two years ago today, I wrote this blog post. It was an overall update where the weather had warmed up and I was blogging by the river. I miss that little gazebo by the river. It was so relaxing. In that post, I wrote this:
Next week, I’m picking up a brand new, never driven Toyota Corolla. My salary sort of means I could afford any car on that lot and I’m not bragging, it’s just true but, being a first time car buyer who traveled from 17-24, I don’t have much credit so I had to get a cheap car to prove that I can pay payments on time.Believe it or not though, I kind of love the car. I don’t need a huge SUV (nor do I want one) but I’d love to drive a Mercedes off the lot but my credit said no to that. So, this $21,000 Corolla with leather trim, bluetooth, upgraded sound system, larger engine, extra bod kit and all kinds of features like a mooon roof and steering wheel car controls is mine. I’m paying for it over 36 months and I got a great deal on it considering I’ve never had a car before or a credit card for that matter.
My first new car and it was a fun one. While I enjoyed the Corolla, it wasn’t my choice, it was the only option I had with the lack of credit history. It was also a lease, so the car was due back or I had the option of buying it when the lease was up but the buyout was considerably higher than the worth of the car after paying $315 a month for the past 24 months, that’s $7560 and then they asked me to pay $15,000 or $22,560. Not much over the value of the car but for a car I didn’t want, it was a lot.
In January, the search began for a new vehicle. I was pretty set on a Mini Cooper S, a Toyota Avalon or a Toyota FJ Cruiser. They are 3 radically different vehicles (sports car, luxury and 4×4 truck) but each catered to a desire of mine. I love going fast, I love luxury / comfort and I’m tired of getting stuck in the snow / mud on my dirt road here in New Hampshire.
A couple of things happened. The first is that Mini Cooper would require I drive 2 hours to Boston when i needed car work done since there is no BMW or Mini dealership in my area. The Avalon I was laughed at for wanting a grandma car and the body was huge, it’s a full-size and a lot of wasted space especially considering the back seats don’t fold down aside from a small hole for skis, I can’t put anything in it and the FJ cruiser well, I think it’s going away or at least no Toyota dealers in my area could get one for me. “They’re all stuck at port. we don’t know when we’ll ever get any in” and that lasted for 2 months. My dad has an FJ and I love the look of it but, trucks eat gas and have bigger tires, brakes and other parts. It’s a pricey car and lacks the technology and conveniences. It was a practical choice but I couldn’t drive any of the new models since none were available locally.
While my friend Justin was here from SF on the 17th of March, we looked at the Volkswagen Golf R. He told me it’s the perfect car for me, all wheel drive and a lot of fun to drive. I thought Golfs were cheap cars that kids bought used and added a ton of modifications. I thought Volkswagens were the black sheep of the German car makers where Audi shined and BMW / Mercedes were the crown German vehicles. I see Audis all over town but I don’t see many VW vehicles.
A few days after Justin and I peered at the Golf R through a window on a Sunday at the local VW dealership, I went to the dealer locally. Thank goodness there’s one near my work. After test driving the Golf, we set up the paperwork and I finally took it home 2 weeks later. That was 3 weeks ago and now that I have finally received all of the paperwork to register the vehicle, insurance squared away and a few tanks of gas later, I wanted to express the excitement on this blog and share with you a few photos. First, here’s the Golf R in a nutshell:
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The VW Golf is the original hot-hatchback. Golf vehicles spend many thousands of miles on the road, retain a nice resale value and each generation is followed quickly by many aftermarket parts, modifications and tweaks that can be made. The VW GTI is a Golf on steroids and it’s faster, slightly larger and more fun to drive. The Golf R is a vehicle that comes around every few years (previously called ‘Golf Rabbit’ or R32) and it’s basically a wickedly improved GTI but with the Golf name. This forum post breaks than down better than I can. While the Golf R is around $6,000 more than the VW GTI, this Autobahn race between a Stage 2 GTI and a stock Golf R shows an idea behind just how much faster the Golf R is.
The Golf R is dangerously fast and the German engineering is awe-inspiring. Every little thing is special. When the wipers aren’t in use, they hide so you can’t se them and engaging the front windshield cleaner also sprays wiper fluid on my front headlights. The lights move as I turn the steering wheel making it easier to see around corners. The steering wheel is ergonomic if that’s even the right word for it and the built in computer manages the entire driving experience. Did I mention how fast it is?
By default, I’d say this car prefers going 90 miles per hour. That’s the normal speed for it. If I am on an interstate in Vermont, cruising along with not a car in sight (happens more than you think up here in the woods), I’ll realize almost once per day I’m going 90. Cruise control is your friend and keeps you in check. If the speed limit is 55 and someone on a single lane road is going 40, passing them is a breeze. You drop the gear from 6 into 4, realize you’ve just hit 80 miles per hour and then turn on your blinker to get over and let off the gas until you get back to 55. I’ve never passed a car so easily before. It’s pretty remarkable.
Also, I’ve never driven an all-wheel-drive vehicle before. This video explains VW’s 4-Motion system. On Friday, there was an inch of ice on the ground and another inch of snow. In just the stock factory all-season tires, I was passing cars in the lane on Interstate 91 that had not been plowed. In fact, the snowy lane was easier to drive in than the lane covered in black ice. I’ve never before driven the speed limit during a snow storm. I didn’t slip or slide or feel at all that I was driving in a snow storm. The car just drove and I did a few tests in a parking lot covered in snow to get a feel for the handling. Each time the car loses control, I can steer a tad and recover easily. The all-wheel drive makes driving fun again in both snowy and dry conditions.
The 3300 pound car with all wheel drive and a heavy all metal frame means lower gas mileage than my Corolla. It averages 24.8 MPG versus 31.3 in the Corolla. Not only that, it requires premium gas and maintenance will be treated like a sports car…we’re talking sports car brakes, air filters, windshield wipers, clutch and fuel pumps. Turbocharger repairs aren’t cheap. I mentally prepared myself for that cost and hope it remains within my budget on par with how much fun this car is to drive.Right now, the gas + monthly payment are in line with just how much fun it is. Every time I get behind the wheel, I’m happy and in love with every aspect of it.
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As the first car that I picked and am stoked about, the car continues to impress me. It has ever amenity I want (except for cooled seats and auto-retracting mirrors). It’s insanely fast, looks sexy on the road and has every bell & whistle of the luxury offerings from BMW. It is expensive but I see myself in this car for a long time. It has been a huge pleasure to own and I am thrilled to have it!
