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Going up a tyre size is an intriguing idea. Of course that would put the speedometer and odometer out, but perhaps the different tyre sizes can be compensated for in the ECU options? (via VAGCOM or similar?) My tyres are all new though, including my winter set, and are all of the standard size, so I won't be making any changes there for quite a while.
I've had this car for two years and have never used the roof bars yet, and I don't own a roof rack (attaching luggage to the longitudinal roof bars without transverse roof bars is pretty difficult) so my guess is I will never use the roof bars. I didn't in my last car either and I had that three years.
I reckon it would be possible to remove the bars in a temporary and easily reversible manner by cutting neat round holes in the head lining (with a sharpened length of pipe in an electric drill?) to access the six securing bolts, and using PVC electrical insulating tape of a matching colour (black) to cover the six holes in the top of the roof. (I reckon that covering the holes with tape will make corrosion on those holes LESS likely than having the holes hidden under the roof bars, where corrosion can develop undetected.)
As you say the difference that removing the bars will make to mpg will be real but probably unmeasureable. The non-estate version of the Golf has no such bars so I doubt they contribute in any way to aerodynamics.
I'd also like to try a front air dam, as it seems that can have a surprising effect on mpg, but I am nervous that it would look too weird. That's certainly less work than a full belly pan.
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