The R definitely rides a bit better than the GTI and GTD. Having spent enough time in examples of each I'd say the bump absorption on the R is much more refined over sharp motorway joints and such like. The trade off for some odd reason is the R's turning circle being like an oil tanker's.
I've had plenty of cars I've added suspension kits to in the past and generally grew to hate them as the springs were always too firm for UK roads but I've never felt the need for DCC, and I'm quite fussy. I've run GTI PP and R on both 18" and 19" wheels and although there's a difference in ride quality you'd have to be extremely sensitive to notice it in general use on normal roads.
I sometimes wonder why people buy hotted up hatches if they're not prepared to accept limitations caused by the necessity of stiffer suspension, and it's not as if VW are hardcore enough to go for extreme settings in their conservative range of cars.
I've run various permutations over the years on all generations of Golf right through from mk1 to four mk7's plus numerous hire cars. Cars I've changed for stiffer springs have all suffered in the ride department but stiffer dampers have improved body control no end. I tried Koni FSD's on a mk5 GTI, but again they were a compromise, and although I initially liked them as they made the car a bit more fleet footed I found they bottomed out on the bump stops too readily and actually raised the suspension height on standard springs.
