Mk7.5 VW Golf GTI TCR - 5 LIKES + 5 DISLIKES

[@gtiak274]

For me with the fist GTi the best GTI in history of VW. 🔥😍

[@peterdavies1185]

Andrew, why are you concerned about your age / having a " mid life crisis " (whatever that is supposed to be) and driving the TCR or any other performance car? It really does not matter what you may think others are thinking of you. I bought my TCR when I was 60 and still have it at 63. I love driving it and the way it looks. Some of my peer group said it was a " boy racer " car but I was not at all bothered by their comments especially when they drive around in Kia battery powered cars !! Keep driving these types of cars for as long as you can and keep the videos coming..

[@duncanh997]

Spot on, im 51 and love my TCR, i have the honeycomb graphics on mine and they are staying there. The car looks great and drives better!

[@Birmingham_racing]

TCR will always be the ultimate golf to me

[@andrewbarnard6935]

Great video, I agree with the seats, always thought this. I still like the styling though, it makes it, I do like the Matte mirrors though, again it makes it the TCR but it does only match the reifnitz alloys, I also love those wheels and not a fan of the Pretoria on r these as they were over done on the R. Missed an opportunity to mention the biggest downfall to the 7.5 with sunroof option and that’s them now having the surrounds crack, especially as they are all now out of factory warranty and the extended warranty doesn’t cover it.

[@glenlittlefair4767]

Agree on liking matte mirrors. Also front bumper surround is matte

[@RickGTI2019]

I bought my GTI at 75 years old. Way past any mid life crisis. Now I’m 80, and still get a thrill from it. Great video. Thanks, RickGTI….. 🇺🇸

[@gerardcahill3924]

fine chap im 64 the new 34

[@davidhall7744]

As a similarly aged child of the late 70’s/ early 80’s Andrew, wasnt TCR a rival of Scalextric? 🏎🏎😊

[@rshales007]

Recently bought a pure grey TCR with Pretorias, painted in anthracite rather than black. I really like the way it looks, however, not impressed with the way it sounds. On startup it sounds very much like a 1.5TSI. My neighbour's 2015 Golf R sounds much better. Having avoided automatics most of my life, the DSG ruins the car for me. Spent ages looking for a decent manual PP but gave up in the end. I know I'm going against the grain here as most people seem to like the DSG but 1. I hate the way they sound when pulling away. 2. The ridiculously fast gear changes sound silly. I want to hear the revs drop between gear changes and would happily trade that for a few tenths off the 0-60 time. 3. OK, a bit of a cliché, but I feel so disengaged from the car/driving experience. This is my daily. I also have a B7 RS4. I was worried I might not need the RS4 anymore ... but I really do! I usually take months to find a car and keep them for years. Not sure I'll be keeping the TCR that long, but I have no idea what I would replace it with. Might have to keep searching for that manual PP.

[@agood1280]

Sold mine 1 year ago just before I turned 50 I can feel your pain 😅 I still miss the TCR and I previously had a golf R before that

[@ap6584]

@agood1280 Honda Jazz's from here on

[@MrRonan3]

still got mine i am 65 time to get a remap,

[@coffeehouseguitars9214]

That luxury car tax is sickening… introduced in 2017 and it’s never gone up from £40k … whereas car prices have gone up considerably since then … very unfair indeed.

[@stevesje71]

The seats in that tcr are exactly the same shape as any other golf gti/r.

[@kevdavies3445]

three and a half years owner im 73 got the full decal pack love it its almost perfect 99% reliable never seen another seen 48 mpg at a steady 70mph

[@alexjacobs8874]

Into my 4th year of ownership now, pure grey 5 door with performance pack. Absolutely love it still

[@volkswizard]

That is a relatively long period of ownership Alex for which I applaud you🎬

[@richardjones9886]

Hey same here! September 2019! Pure Grey, 5 door with Performance pack reifnitz alloys, 16k mileage. And like you, still absolutely love it. Despite the styling, it's still a very deceptive Golf, and still surprises lots of people. It's becoming a really hard car to replace too, had a GTi before it, Mk7.5, and an R32 Mk5 before that. Waiting to see what VW do with the 8.5 for the 50th anniversary.

[@TheCinderellaman10]

Brilliant 7.5 gti tcr. These are brilliant

[@dgg7377]

About time you got a haircut, those curtains are so 80's 😂

[@maverick4177]

Honestly that exhaust sounds terrible 😂

[@volkswizard]

It's better inside - I'm just showing that OPF is not obstacle for a characterful exhaust.

[@DawsoNFortnite]

Im 23 from the UK and own a 3 door high spec TCR, its such a nice car, was looking at selling it a few months back but no one offered the price I was looking, glad I didnt sell but may do in the future towards a house deposit if I get the money im after 😢

[@peterhawker3958]

Excellent and informative as ever Andrew, I absolutely love my 3dr tcr, the standard exhaust is esquisite, the drive is sublime and the car still stand up in resale values five years on.

[@philipguacci6452]

I thought A$60,000 down under was expensive. They still command $47k now. But golf GTI 8 is really not a cheap car and Golf R in excess of A$80k makes a used TCR look like a bargain.

[@jibosnjak9840]

Man, VW kills me. I love my GTI, but the forbidden fruits of TCR and Clubsport in Canada just hurts.

[@davereid8585]

Could have bought one 3 years ago great cars! Driven a few times. chose e92 m3 instead. Now deciding tcr or mk8 r. Please help😂

[@volkswizard]

I'd still get a good TCR over 8R, especially with the Mk8 facelift imminent which will right a lot of Mk8 wrongs

[@pendulum1997]

If the TCR had the wingbacks and the Clubsport spoiler it would have been perfect, I’m sure you could retrofit the wingbacks but the cost is prohibitive. Not sure if a Mk7 spoiler would fit on the 7.5 rear hatch though

[@volkswizard]

It's weird that there were no wingbacks. The hatch is the same so any spoiler from Mk7 with fit 7.5. Problem with that is that the CS was aerodynamically honed so you can't increase downforce at the back without doing the same at the front and you end up then with a car that's too similar to Clubsport. Plus they wanted that big diffuser to align with TCR racing car which I reckon is largely for show.

[@bokeerfamily-ox3yb]

U should do a drag race with the golf tcr and the clubsport s on carwow

[@step0601]

I had a 3 door 7R, and yes the seats were perfectly fine, comfortable etc but I always wished VW had fitted the wingbacks. Even if it had been an option, embossed with the R logo. This TCR is a lovely looking motor, peak Golf methinks.

[@volkswizard]

Yes it's weird that 7R didn't have that option either - you'd have thought easy money for VW to sell a seat upgrade for £3000 ish that doesn't have expensive airbags like the stock seats. An easier sell than a £3k Akrapovic!

[@stevesje71]

Some very questionable statements in this. I’ve owned a tcr, golf R and club sport S. the particulate filter does muffle the sound on the TCR. The best cars are the dual injection DJH CJX engines. The TCR is direct injection only DNU code and doesn’t idle as well or sound as good

[@volkswizard]

Have you heard a car with a particulate filter but no silencers? It’s deafening so what do you think muffles the noise? You can hear the external exhaust noise in the video, lots of pops, loud under load and almost too loud at idle.

[@stevesje71]

What do you think a GPF and a cat together would do to the overall noise level? Do you know when they started fitting GPFs? I was when the WLTP regs came in, which also resulted in power output from the EA888 being reduced and the dual port and direct fuel injection becoming just direct injection. All cars with no silencers make more noise, so that point is irrelevant the fact is the way a GPF works it restricts air flow when compared to a straight pipe and will reduce direct noise from the engine. Just the same as a catalytic converter will. Thats why some people illegally remove them to improve flow and for the louder pops and bangs

[@vr6280]

I think the TCR in grey with the Reifnitz wheels is my favourite Golf. I would love to put those wheels on my Moonstone Grey mk8

[@volkswizard]

Yeah they are inoffensive wheels, I bet they would look lovely in silver...

[@hotuc0]

Best looking Golf ever, I’m into my 40s and I loved the 90% factory tint , the black roof , 19 Reifnitz and the TCR logo on the sides. I did not have the decal. I traded my 69 Akrapovic TCR and 5K£ for a 20 Akrapovic R which is worth less now than TCR with similar mileage.

[@crocoman776]

Hi Andrew. Another fantastic video. I must say, one of my favourite things about my 2017 A45 is that manual mode means manual mode. It will bounce of the limiter and doesn’t kick down. Ok, it’s still not a manual gearbox, however it does give you some level of engagement when driving.

[@volkswizard]

Thanks SO much crocoman. Interesting the A45 does fully manual, I would expect no less from AMG. You are right about it still being engaging, even more so when the paddles look and feel good as they do in the Merc I think? I just wonder if there is some durability issue with not kicking down, such as too much low rpm torque damaging something or sitting on rev limiter likewise, having said that we had manual gearboxes in most cars until recently so I can't see the difference.

[@cooperSpartan117]

Is there any real difference between one of these and an equivalent leon cupra? A late model gpf cupra 290. Both the same engine, turbo, power, VAQ diff. Just a cut price tcr without the cost or exclusivity. Dcc as standard

[@volkswizard]

A fair point. The DCC chassis tune is definitely different but needs a back to back to compare. I guess the main difference is badge perception. The TCR even in its battle dress (but spec dependent to some degree) is a classless car i.e. it looks right anywhere. The Cupra while technically the same ingredients doesn't have this broad appeal. And this is most clearly reflected in the interior material quality. If you aren't bothered then a good Cupra is a bargain but a TCR can do all the Cupra can and still look and feel classier, how much more you'll pay for that is very subjective.

[@cooperSpartan117]

@@volkswizard recently sold my cupra 290, debated a tcr but could justify the huge premium at the time. For a badge a bit of exclusivity and some nicer materials. Personally find the cupra dash layout of the higher screen more convenient and the standard fit digital dash more modern the golf too. Even in the mk8 I find the golf a harder and harder option to justify

[@andrewjohnston2901]

Lacks the quality of the vw but similar in performance for sure

[@alanpatterson2759]

Ah like me little polo gti.....sorry....🙂

[@damo5701]

The rarity or the possible collectors value probably precludes models like the TCR from being modded however the first thing that comes to mind when I think of high powered GTIs is traction, traction and traction. Love GTIs, driven many including the Australian version of TCR, owned a tuned mk 5 GTI DSG for 16 years, only real weakness, traction. Purchased Cupra Formentor VZx with DSG & brembos to replace the GTI. Slightly different beasts, pros & cons to both, traction and drive more than compensates for the weight in real world driving. Surprisingly entertaining. My advice to those intending to tune and chase more power on this platform, awd & dsg is the best configuration, with fwd & manual being the hardest to get the best out of whilst simultaneously the slowest.

[@richardjones9886]

The TCR gets around the traction issue slightly by having a Haldex front diff, traction into corners is good, traction and grip out of corners is excellent! (Just remember to service the diff! :))

[@kevdavies3445]

good review i love my grey decalled tcr im 72

[@volkswizard]

Different strokes for different folks Kev and please don't remove those decals, if you are doing TCR you might as well go all in!

[@wynhughes9072]

MLC is for people who hit 50 and perhaps comments from a younger generation think they now have to drive something sensible and mundane to ferry the grandchildren about. Don't do it. Still buy your performance car, motorbike or whatever. Life's to short. Still driving my S3. And enjoying the performance. Been seriously looking at RS3s and I'm 71 and I know it's a cleche. But I'm still only mid 20's in my head

[@kevdavies3445]

couldnt agree more@@wynhughes9072

[@anUntouchable]

I think Golf's with black leather interior is a must and makes the car so much better

[@colingibsoneg6rallycivic300]

Great review and comparisons Andrew. At 67 years old guess I'm having an MLC here in NZ. Black Mk7 Clubsport on Belvederes.

[@jimmyjamal2392]

Did you guys get the clubsport s in n.z ??

[@volkswizard]

Thanks so much sir! Black CS especially on the Belvederes is the right side of MLC, just 😁

[@colingibsoneg6rallycivic300]

Yes apparently 40 cars but mine is actually an import from Japan.@@jimmyjamal2392

[@duncanh997]

To have a Porsche is a MLC, to have a golf gti TCR at 50+ is classy fun.

[@Lukey-jy4ez]

DCC - when car hunting is there a quick way to spot a car has DCC?

[@volkswizard]

On a TCR, if has factory fit 19s (all black) then they all has DCC as part of performance back but possible to order dcc separately and these are the gems as on 18s they are sweet. Other ways are in driving mode screen it will say ‘drive profile selection with DCC’, , physically you can look at bottom of rear shocks and see the plug, should be visible if you crouch down to look at rear brakes

[@Lukey-jy4ez]

@@volkswizard perfect 👌🏻 thank you very much for the reply.

[@anony-mousex]

I dont really get the point of this car aside from being a 'collectors' item - like why would someone choose to buy this over a Golf R? No 4motion and worse performance, makes no sense?

[@volkswizard]

It's not actually worse performance that a Golf R once you are moving, if anything it's quicker in gear as power to weight is more favourable, it's also significantly lighter. Tell you what, I'll shut up and direct you to this video :) 10 reasons why GTI TCR beats Golf R kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqOke2B7nq17sLc

[@anony-mousex]

​@@volkswizard but in wet UK weather I can almost guarantee it'll be worse performance with no 4motion? Not to mention what happens to performance once I slap a stage 1 on the Golf R - it'll leave this thing in its dust

[@glenlittlefair4767]

Got TCR , wife has 7.5R. Both prefer TCR

[@anony-mousex]

​@@glenlittlefair4767 Stage 1 the Golf R and I guarantee you'll change your mind

[@ap6584]

@anony-mousex I imagine a stage 1 golf r would destroy a lotus elise s1, but is the lotus not fun to drive? All the cars mentioned are too fast really for the public roads, so there's got to be more to it than ultimate performance

[@Mavericks104]

4 years now with my Red TCR and still love getting inside it every time really can’t see me having another car for a long time even with the premium tax added on 😆 - DCC, akrapovic exhaust, carbon fiber wing mirrors, the 19in rims - I’m 32 so not mid life crisis yet only thing I agree on is the seats could of been sportier - now debating wether to give it the racingline remap but can the fronts handle another 50+ BHP?

[@bestcrazyboy8487]

Best you get a decent haircut now that you’re over 50 😉, who cares about age and what car you drive , life is too short

[@volkswizard]

It’s on the list ✂️

[@mufasa6511]

Hi Andrew Great video thank you! I agree with some of your dislikes, first one being the auto kickdown and upshift especially being a front wheel drive with too much power going into a lower gear isn't the wisest choice sometimes and on a track you definitely do want to stay in gear quiet often! The other also being in my 50s i have felt the same way regarding the way i drive my GTI...😂😂😂 Stunning white TCR in video!!!

[@jimmyjamal2392]

Hi Andrew long time viewer of the channel keep up the good work and videos tcr was a let down in my opinion..... recently bought a manual edition 40 this in my opinion is the best golf to date as this is the only model we got in Australia. But not as nice as your clubsport s !!!!

[@Tristanbirdyt]

I have to say I do really love the Mark seven generation and 7.5 that’s where Volkswagen are about their prime and Mark five golf from the Mark eight. I’m not too sure personally a very interesting video thank you very much

[@volkswizard]

Thank you Tristan and I think history will agree with you about the peak Golf generation.

[@nickaf5262]

i want a low mileage 7,5 golf gt td estate but just cant find one where are disel cars dissapearing too dsg

[@jonathonbrett-qn1ic]

Hi Andrew, just a great GTI love what VW did with this and love the styling. You are never to old :) Brilliant episode looking forward to the next video as always. Thank you VDub:)

[@DarrenJMHughes]

I like the TCR a lot, but I would rather have my GTi performance over it. I agree with you of their their practicality, performance and build quality. Shame they could not of made the TCR more like the full Oettinger body kit. But I guess the average enthusiast just wants a faster, slightly rarer GTi. I would like those reifnitz alloys in mine….

[@andrewjohnston2901]

Great too see some more tcr content was waiting for you to comment about the steering wheel and sticker pack 😂 great for us tcr boys 👏👏

[@keesvanderboef3226]

Is it worth upgrading from a 7.5 gti 245hp to a tcr ?

[@malcolmscott4150]

Clubsport S with rear seat would be my preference as a manual daily but this is a close 2nd - great value and not too lairy for an OAP 😝

[@MatthewHenly-py2lo]

You mean clubsport 40?

[@gardupgti4609]

Thanks for the informative video.

[@The-Audi-driver]

Iv never had a golf of any kind. I was looking at the gti’s but the insurance changed my mind on that idea. 7k a year, that’s double what I pay now for a 2.0tfsi Quattro. Insurance is a cons con

[@briankeenan6553]

I was so close to going for a tcr over another 7.5 r but just couldn’t do it. Not sure if I regret it now as these do look pretty special

[@volkswizard]

It's never too late Brian!

[@briankeenan6553]

@@volkswizard now your tempting Me Andrew 🥸🤠🙏

[@glenlittlefair4767]

Got TCR, wife has 7.5 R. Both great but TCR bit more nimble and less heavy.

[@ChadanythingVW]

MLC😂😂😂😂

[@volkswizard]

I thank you...😁

[@ap6584]

Someone tell me why I shouldn't trade my 7.5 GTI PP in for an A35 AMG, got overtaken by one the other day and it sounded really good, and the interior on them is so nice...

[@volkswizard]

Sort of easy one - I never see a 7.5 GTI PP and think the owner couldn't afford an R, I actually highly respect their choice. With A35 it's always a case of "poor mans A45" unless it's a case of less is more?

[@honestreview1043]

Because all the kids drive A35's.

[@dhaneshramdial4873]

A35 is not a proper AMG ,45 or nothing.

[@ap6584]

@dhaneshramdial4873 yeah fair point!

[@leemace9638]

The TCR you was driving for the year in that grey is stunning I keep hearing how bad the roads are I moved to Australia 20 years ago and haven’t been back are they really that bad ??

[@maverick4177]

Like ploughed fields most of them

[@volkswizard]

Some counties are worse than others - Warwickshire isn't bad but cross into Oxfordshire or Northamptonshire or Gloucestershire and you need an Ineos Grenadier. www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-maintenance-funding-allocations/additional-budget-2023-highways-maintenance-and-pothole-repair-funding-2023-to-2024

[@billx4266]

Is it faster then a 2016 regular clubsport? It also has 290 hp sometimes.... BTW i have those belvedere wheels and in pothole country belgium, where i live, you still can destroy that wheel here....Another question, will you buy the 8.5 clubsport?

[@volkswizard]

Hey Billx, interesing feedback on Belvederes, yes I know your roads - out by Luxembourg they are terrible! Light wheels rarely equal strong. TCR is faster than Clubsport yes. Clubsport S is 2 seconds slower to 100kph than TCR so Clubsport manual must be slower. Clubsport DSG might be quicker than CSS though...? With regards to Clubsport 8.5, you never know. As you are in Belgium can you help me find out when the 8.5s are arriving at dealers? I will come over for a video if it's earlier than UK. Email me if you can [e-mail] Happy to meet up if convenient for you :)

[@billx4266]

@@volkswizard Thx for the answer, dont know yet but it will be before summer i heard...

[@Rotciv1929]

Great content as always Andrew

[@volkswizard]

Thanks man!

[@TheNorville2]

Apparently the Integrated Engineering gearbox tune does away with the kick down....

[@gerardcahill3924]

The Golf GTI TCR is the road version of the 350 PS Golf GTI in the TCR race series...15:20 you rushed through that graphic Andrew. 350PS with a fair amount of reliability I recon. Think of the possibilities!

[@Birmingham_racing]

Don't get my wrong I like the styling but hate the attention it from everyone who wants to suddenly start racing you. I know how much that contradicts my name

[@kevinneary2283]

The gearbox is the reason I only owned a Golf R for a few weeks terrible for a performance car .

[@volkswizard]

How old was the R? 6 or 7 speed

[@kevinneary2283]

@@volkswizard I Purchased around lockdown I had just sold a car with DCT gearbox the Golf R was a 6 speed I was encouraged by a enthusiastic owner who was at the dealership at same time said you won't regret it . After a few weeks I traded it in for a for M2 competition DCT that made me happy again 😁

[@ianjenkins4641]

I don’t think it sounds nice at all

[@andrewjohnston2901]

It does in real life trust me