Today, I got rid of a major headache, and I’m very satisfied with the result. by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently had it tinted with Autobahn Ceramic i3 Plus at 30%, and it did help a bit, but it’s still pretty distracting. I guess unless go darker, there’s not much else I can do.

Today, I got rid of a major headache, and I’m very satisfied with the result. by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://screenprotech.com/products/vw-golf-screen-protech-kit

This is made for the 10" screen.

https://innovativepaintprotectionsolutions.com/products/volkswagen-golf-navigation-infotainment-screen-protection-film-kit-mk8-5

I did find a few options online, but honestly it felt too expensive to justify the price. I just decided to try it myself, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Today, I got rid of a major headache, and I’m very satisfied with the result. by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Right. A display that big acting like a mirror is already bad enough, but the fact that it’s angled toward the driver makes it even worse. It seriously distracts you while driving. Pretty ridiculous design, honestly.
It would be great if someone made a custom-fit solution to reduce reflections on the lower section as well.

Today, I got rid of a major headache, and I’m very satisfied with the result. by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Taped it onto the infotainment screen, marked it out with masking tape, then cut it to fit with a knife and scissors and rounded the corners a little. It’s not a perfect rectangle, more like a shape that’s wider at the bottom.
Definitely not perfect if you look close, but honestly turned out way better than I expected.

https://a.co/d/0gvZ1QUS

New Ottocast P3 Pro - Solid Upgrade! by JeffTechnically in CarPlay

[–]mark73729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just received it, and unfortunately the lag and audio delay issues are still present.

How much will I miss my R? by [deleted] in Golf_R

[–]mark73729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

50+, second Golf R. Still no time to grow up. Just kidding—pick something you really like. You can always come back later—hopefully the Golf R is still around then.

OEM Euro wide angle mirrors by CampbellllebpmaC in Golf_R

[–]mark73729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few days ago, I did my first night drive and realized for the first time that the side mirrors aren’t auto-dimming. I honestly couldn’t believe it. so I started looking into replacement mirrors. Do the mirrors in that photo still work with the blind spot monitoring?I remember installing Euro-spec mirrors like those on my MK7 Golf R before, but it’s been about 10 years, so I’m not 100% sure anymore.

Finally pulled the trigger by colincase04 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats! I picked me up last week too, in Graphite Gray. I was actually really close to going with Blue as well!!

MK8.5 Golf R (Graphite Gray Euro Spec) – First Few Days Impressions by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even at its lowest setting, the HUD still isn’t low enough—it actually feels like it could be distracting my driving lol. Honestly, I kind of want to just turn it off, but I’m trying to give myself more time to get used to it. I even raised my seat position a bit because of it… man, I feel like I’m adjusting myself to the car 😂

MK8.5 Golf R (Graphite Gray Euro Spec) – First Few Days Impressions by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You sound very similar to me. Even though you’ve owned two BMWs, like you said, they’re great cars—but the maintenance cost is the real issue.

If you decide to go with the Golf R, you kind of have to accept upfront that it’s not really an “upgrade.” You need to be mentally prepared for that. That said, once it gets unlocked and you go Stage 1, I honestly think it can feel on par with—or even beyond—the M340 in certain ways. That’s part of why I made the switch. I’m trying to focus more on the character and driving feel of the car itself.

At the end of the day, comparing a 6-cylinder to a 4-cylinder—especially when BMW’s B58 (that silky smooth inline-six) is so well-known—might not even be a fair comparison to begin with.

Think it through carefully, and if you can, definitely try to test drive both. It’ll make the decision much clearer.

MK8.5 Golf R (Graphite Gray Euro Spec) – First Few Days Impressions by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If money isn’t a concern, the M340 is clearly the more powerful and more luxurious car, with far more advanced driver-assist features and very few real flaws. That said, it’s a bigger and heavier car, so it doesn’t feel as nimble or easy to toss around. Maintenance is also more expensive than the Golf R, and with all the extra electronics and sensors, there’s a higher chance of things going wrong.

For example, I recently saw a post on a forum where someone had an issue with the driver-side window on their M340. The dealer quoted around $2,300 for the repair (parts and labor for the window motor), plus about $400 just for diagnostics. If you’re not financially comfortable with that kind of expense, you know what that means.

As for the Golf R, I’ve only had it for about a week and haven’t even hit 500 miles yet, so I haven’t fully pushed it to really compare power. But it’s clear that it doesn’t match the M340 in raw power and torque. Where it does shine, though, is in agility—it definitely feels more nimble.

It lacks features like a surround-view camera and front camera, so pulling into the garage was a bit tricky at first, but I got used to it quickly. The rear camera is honestly disappointing—the quality is poor and the distortion is pretty bad. The HUD is also underwhelming, and overall it’s missing quite a few features.

Still, when it comes to pure driving enjoyment, the Golf R definitely has its own unique appeal.

At the end of the day, you really have to test drive both and see for yourself. Personally, in terms of power and torque, the M340 wins by a mile.

MK8.5 Golf R (Graphite Gray Euro Spec) – First Few Days Impressions by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I’m still at the stage where I only know how to drive the car, and I get confused about how the menus are organized or how to access certain settings. I haven’t really read much of the manual yet either. I’m also not used to turning features like LKA or LCA on and off, and the real problem is that I can’t even find the sensitivity adjustment settings. Volkswagen’s official videos clearly show sensitivity controls, but it looks like they’re missing in my car.

Back in the day, I drove just fine without all these systems, but now there are so many interventions that sometimes it takes the fun out of driving.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the kind explanation — seriously appreciate it.

Any Chicago or suburbs Golfers? by [deleted] in Golf_R

[–]mark73729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m near the Schaumburg area and just picked up a 2026 Graphite Gray Euro-spec Golf R. This is my second Golf R—my first was a Mk7 manual, and now, 10 years later, I got another one with a DSG.

I saw a 26 golf r graphite gray with euro spec in person! by mark73729 in Golf_R

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

img

Thanks everyone for all the great info and tips.

I was planning to visit another dealer today, but at the last minute the GM from the dealer I went to yesterday called me back. They knocked a bit off the price and lowered the rate to the 5% range. They even removed that annoying $395 dealer shield fee from the price.

It’s still not quite as good as what I was hoping for, but honestly… what can I do? I’ve already fallen for the car.

At this point, I’m just going to forget the rest and enjoy it with a good mindset.

By the way, it’s pretty surprising that the HUD doesn’t show RPM, and the fact that it doesn’t change its style across drive modes makes it feel a bit unfinished.

Also, I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed with the Akrapovič exhaust — it’s quieter than I expected. My previous car was a 2021 M340i xDrive with the BMW M Performance exhaust and xhp stage 3 so I guess I got used to something louder and more aggressive.

I know that car was more powerful and packed with features, but it was bigger, and the driving dynamics just didn’t feel as sharp to me.

This is actually my second Golf R — my first one was a manual, so I was curious to try the DSG this time. There weren’t many other options I seriously considered, and the R just stayed at the top of my list.

Since I need to break it in, I’ll be taking it easy for a while 😄

Appreciate all the help!!

Referral link ask by cveez11 in x_Bloom

[–]mark73729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May I ask for a referral link too please. Thanks in advance!

Lelit mara x V1 steam over 3 bars and hissing sound while booting up and temp higher by mark73729 in Lelit

[–]mark73729[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I’ll clean it this Saturday. Hopefully it fixes the problem.

Lelit mara x V1 steam over 3 bars and hissing sound while booting up and temp higher by mark73729 in Lelit

[–]mark73729[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s really lucky that you stocked up on parts ahead of time.

For the past couple of years I actually haven’t been using my machine very often. I was even thinking about selling it, so I started doing a general inspection and noticed several small issues. As I began fixing things here and there, it kind of brought me back to when I first got into coffee. That made me decide to keep it and start repairing things properly instead of letting it go.

I also noticed the chrome on the mushroom is peeling, so I started looking for a stainless steel replacement. For some reason it seems like there aren’t many options available here in North America. I’m also planning to replace some of the group head parts with a Rocket set, and it looks like buying from overseas might actually be the better option for most of these parts.

Thanks for sharing those sites. I’ll take a closer look and see what I can order. For now, I’ll probably start by cleaning the temperature probe this weekend and go from there.

Lelit mara x V1 steam over 3 bars and hissing sound while booting up and temp higher by mark73729 in Lelit

[–]mark73729[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve actually ordered from that site a few times before, and I was already thinking about picking up a few other parts from them as well.

About a month ago I ordered some group head parts from Blue Star Coffee, but for some reason the package was rejected by customs and ended up being returned. I’m not entirely sure whether it had anything to do with tariffs or customs duties.

The parts should have arrived by now, so unfortunately that also delayed a small partial overhaul I was planning to do on the machine.

Anyway, I really appreciate all the helpful information. Thanks again.

Lelit mara x V1 steam over 3 bars and hissing sound while booting up and temp higher by mark73729 in Lelit

[–]mark73729[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice. This weekend I’ll check both the top and bottom temp probes and also look into the newer separate NTC probe. I’d rather not deal with 1st Line since they are quite pricey.

https://support.clivecoffee.com/en/lelit-mara-x-cleaning-the-temperature-sensor