Why Buy A VW Golf GTI When You Can Now Pay The Same For The Golf R At Dealerships?

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is all-new for 2022. So new, in fact, that many dealers still don’t have them in stock. For the dealers that do have these hot hatches in stock, they’ve put them out with hot new markups. Once again, dealers have gone and made the once relatively affordable vehicle unaffordable, putting this hatch at a price level comparable to its spicy brother, the Golf R.

The 2022 GTI comes with three rim levels with pricing ranging from $29,545 to $37,995, that’s according to VW. As for dealers’ plans, of the nearly 400 new 2022 GTI’s I found for sale across the country, over 130 have pricing over $43,000. That’s at least $5,000 to over $13,000 over standard pricing.

AutoFair VW of Nashua in Merrimack, NH has a ‘22 GTI in stock for $43,899. What’s wild is that this is the price after a $3,000 price drop.

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Or how about Vista VW in Pompeo Beach, FL who’s asking nearly $47,000 for their GTI (remember the SE starts at $34,295).

Then there’s Northhampton VW in Northhampton, MA. They have what looks to be the highest-priced GTI in the country right now. There is a blue ‘22 GTI SE in stock that they claim has an MSRP of $47,339 with a suspiciously absent window sticker link. Except that MSRP is impossible to achieve on a GTI SE. With every option box ticked, even accessories, a GTI won’t crack $42,000. But the dealer is asking $47,787 for it, a price ironically called the “Love It Price.”

If we look at pricing for the more powerful sibling, the 2022 Golf R, it starts at $43,645 and can top out at $45,440 if you opt for the seven-speed DSG transmission. So, you can pay the same money for a less powerful car?

Unfortunately, if you’re shopping for a GTI, it looks as if a $3,000 to $5,000 markup on top of MSRP isn’t really uncommon, and might remain common for a while. Buyers looking to purchase a GTI may have no choice but to pay these prices, and I’m sure once the Golf R starts hitting dealers, they’ll go for Audi money.