Scirocco Central

Hello boys and girls - hoping to get some insight into the Scirocco R from you.

I’d been looking at getting myself into a TSI for around four months now, but finding one in the right spec (Xenons, Pano roof, DSG, etc etc) and the right colour has proved to be somewhat tricky. I’m sold on the Scirocco for various reasons, but it’s the spec that has eluded me.

Thanks to my Christmas bonus, a slight bump in my budget has potentially put the R within my grasp, but I need to be careful that I’m not buying bottom-end and landing myself in trouble with a car that has not been cared for.

With a budget of £15k, should I be able to get myself a good R? And what are the typical warning signs of a poorly-maintained R? Ditch-finders, kerbed alloys and a lack of VWSH aside!

NB. DAB is something I regard as pretty much essential in a car, but finding a Scirocco with that in already is nigh-on impossible. I assume I can fit a DAB-enabled HU and then use something like this in conjunction with the standard aerial?

If you can stretch to an R it will be a better long term investment because you will spend a lot more than the price different if you want similar performance. I understand if it is a budget or insurance issue then any Scirocco I far better than not getting one. I usually change my car every 3 years but with the end of the Scirocco I have decided to keep it because lets face it no other model looks anywhere near as good.

I have a 3 year old R with VWSH and 18k on the clock, which I am told is only worth 20-23k. With that in mind you should be able to pick up a low mileage one owner R for your budget. I would look into little things like has the owner ever done 6 month oil changes in-between servicing. I wouldn't overly worry about a bit of kerbing because my mother is the worlds safest driver and has kerbed all of hers.

Sorted! Found a nice low-mileage R and bloody glad I did. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive and I’m so glad I went for the R over the TSI - worth the extra pennies.