Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "VW Golf GTI TCR 2019 review - is it the best performance Volkswagen? EVER!" video.

  1. Despite VW's earlier promises when the TCR was first unveiled we won't be getting the TCR in the US. That's not surprising. VW has a history of limiting the features and options of the GTI in North America, leading to all sorts of complaints from American GTI lovers. No digital cockpit, for example, and slightly lower HP and torque ratings. (It's unclear whether the power differences are real or simply the result of different testing methods.) And VW consolidates a variety of individual options into a limited set of trim levels in North America, likely to contain costs and prevent less popular option combinations from sitting on dealer lots. On the other hand, GTI's in the US are substantially less expensive than in Europe. I purchased a fully loaded 2018 Autobahn/DSG last spring for the equivalent of 24.5K pounds at current exchange rates ($32,000). Furthermore, though we won't be seeing the TCR in the US, its performance advantages are readily available from third party tuning firms (e.g. APR) that increase HP and torque to the levels of the TCR. And contrary to popular belief, tuning does not void the VW factory warranty unless problems can be directly traced to tuning changes. The cost of ECU tuning is less than $800 and most other mods top out at a total of less than $2000. GTI versus Golf R? The R is a great car but here in the US Pacific Northwest where supply was limited and demand was strong I found the price difference to be at least $10,000 (7650 pounds). And the 100 kilo weight difference was like driving around with an NFL running back in the back seat. Add to that the absence of a sunroof in the R. In cloudy, rainy Seattle we need all the light we can get in a dark cabin. All in all, I couldn't justify the price premium even though I loved the R.
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