Golf R

[Ess_Three]

Manual will change exactly when you want it....

...as long as it decided you want it too, you don't hit kickdown or you don't decide to 'manually' choose a gear that it disagrees with.
DSG is not for everyone.
You either love it...or hate it...and never the twain shall meet.

[veneeringman]

Update: Seen a manual golf r advertised at vw crewe rang up to see if i could go look at it today and guess what ? they don't physically have the car yet !?!! :angry:why advertise the f**king thing everywhere if you don't have it yet 

[Steve30]

Update: Seen a manual golf r advertised at vw crewe rang up to see if i could go look at it today and guess what ? they don't physically have the car yet !?!! :angry:why advertise the f**king thing everywhere if you don't have it yet 

I know where theres a brand new R if your interested in black looks the business, they also have an ed35 in white

[sundaydriver]

I've  got a manual R so can't comment on DSG but can comment how different the R is to the GTI as having owned 2 MK6 GTI's and a Golf R.

IMHO, no bullsh!t about the R is better than the GTI etc etc. The first thing i noticed when driving home from collecting the R is the ride is a lot firmer, especially on the 19" talladega's, it feels more planted and responsive BUT it also feels a lot heavier, where the GTI feels nimble and light. The traction and grip on the R wins hand's down on the GTI, especially round corners.

Power delivery on the R is also different, it's not as smooth as the GTI. Where the GTI's torque is immediate the R's especially under 2500rpm's is hesitant. All of a sudden there's nothing then its whooooosh your away BUT over 2500rpm's its a different animal.

MPG there's a BIG difference, if you do a lot of miles your gonna have a big fuel bill. I use mine as a weekend car as i have a daily driver so fuel bills don't bother me as such. Insurance, the GTI cost me £350 per year compared to £500 on the R fully comp.



Look's wise IMO there's no better looking Golf than a rising blue R on 19" Talladega's. Xenon's are fantastic. I've never had them before and would'nt spec a car without them now.

If your expecting "A HUGE STEP-UP" i'm afraid your going to be dissapointed. For me the R is a great car but so is the GTI to be honest!, they are different in their own ways and it depends what you want out of a car. I love my R and don't regret changing for one minute!

[Jimble]

Great write up, it does fit with my short experience tbh although i still suspect the one i drove had seen better days.

thanks mate.

[Snoopy]

I've  got a manual R so can't comment on DSG but can comment how different the R is to the GTI as having owned 2 MK6 GTI's and a Golf R.

IMHO, no bullsh!t about the R is better than the GTI etc etc. The first thing i noticed when driving home from collecting the R is the ride is a lot firmer, especially on the 19" talladega's, it feels more planted and responsive BUT it also feels a lot heavier, where the GTI feels nimble and light. The traction and grip on the R wins hand's down on the GTI, especially round corners.

Power delivery on the R is also different, it's not as smooth as the GTI. Where the GTI's torque is immediate the R's especially under 2500rpm's is hesitant. All of a sudden there's nothing then its whooooosh your away BUT over 2500rpm's its a different animal.

MPG there's a BIG difference, if you do a lot of miles your gonna have a big fuel bill. I use mine as a weekend car as i have a daily driver so fuel bills don't bother me as such. Insurance, the GTI cost me £350 per year compared to £500 on the R fully comp.



Look's wise IMO there's no better looking Golf than a rising blue R on 19" Talladega's. Xenon's are fantastic. I've never had them before and would'nt spec a car without them now.

If your expecting "A HUGE STEP-UP" i'm afraid your going to be dissapointed. For me the R is a great car but so is the GTI to be honest!, they are different in their own ways and it depends what you want out of a car. I love my R and don't regret changing for one minute!

thank you for this, nice to read a well balanced comparison.

[Damo66]

Sundaydriver could not be more right, I had an R and sold it and now have a 35 after briefly living with a diesel, the R is harsh to live with, most of my driving is on B roads which with rock solid suspension and 19 inch wheels with rubber bands as tyres does your back in over a period. Also on a long run you get out feeling slightly exhausted as if you have just completed a couple of stages. The thirst of the R can be brutal especially when thrashed. All round for me is back to a GTI and the 35 has a great spec. It has to go in next week to get the alignment set as it is currently out, so will test the handling when I get it back..

[Steve30]

Sundaydriver could not be more right, I had an R and sold it and now have a 35 after briefly living with a diesel, the R is harsh to live with, most of my driving is on B roads which with rock solid suspension and 19 inch wheels with rubber bands as tyres does your back in over a period. Also on a long run you get out feeling slightly exhausted as if you have just completed a couple of stages. The thirst of the R can be brutal especially when thrashed. All round for me is back to a GTI and the 35 has a great spec. It has to go in next week to get the alignment set as it is currently out, so will test the handling when I get it back..

I used to feel like this in the CTR trek up to Manchester from London I was completely worn out high revving motor!! I do think you have the best of both worlds in the ED35     

[RickS]

Drove to scotland today to test drive a Golf R in rising blue with DSG, 4 hours driving for dissapointment!!! The car was a 2010, dealer told me it was in mint condition, bonnet had stonechips and light scratches on it, leather interior looked as though it had been cleaned with something that didn't agree with it, 1st service only done at 23K, cill plates 1 of them had a dent in it, passenger side seat had a loose piece on the back of it at the bottom( done by someone getting out of the back i assume )
The test drive was awful, it felt as if the DSG didn't know what gear it wanted to be in !!! it was very slow to react and by the time it did it was too late !! it was nothing like the s-tronic that i had on a previous S3 i owned 2 years ago. also the way it drove wasn't a patch on the GTI i was going to part ex for the R, you'd think it had 129000 miles instead of the 29000 on the clock.
If i look at another one it'll be a manual.  

I take it that car was at an independent dealer not a VW dealer? Sounds like a real dog that hasn't been looked after and you shouldn't touch it with a barge pole imo. It could even be stolen/recovered. Also the DSG should be pin sharp, sounds like that's got problems also. If you are foolish enough to buy it at least run a data check first.

[Steve30]

Good right up Sunday driver , it gave me something to think about ?? i'm considering getting an R ??