Evo: Video of Golf R vs new RS3 track battle

[KyleB]

Powerful RWD and FWD cars struggle with traction especially in the wet. And besides, the GTD is not a powerful car and it struggles in this respect.

Yeah I appreciate all that but why is a car that has infinite grip a bad point?

[matchboy]

A 7R vs RS3 is not a fair comparison - even though in this particular review the R comes out on top.  An R is an S3, so compare those.

As for the £10k difference, I specced an RS3 yesterday with the exact options that are on my R and it was £8k more.  Is it worth it for the extra horses?  I don't know, I haven't driven one.

Also, these track reviews are utterly pointless. 95% of us will never take our cars onto a track.  I'm sorry, but in the real world on the road I can't see how an RS3 wouldn't be quicker than an R.  It's got a lot more power.  If someone can explain that to me I'd appreciate it!

[drisser]

I agree.. not sure of the point of this test really its not comparing like for like and they both aren't really "track" cars they are family hatchbacks..

Having driven them all back to back same roads, its not just what is quicker, its about the noise, torque, power delivery etc..  and the RS3 is very different to the golf R.. and is without question a bit faster.

Does it matter ?  not really ...  if we all wanted just the fastest car we would all buy the same thing !

[CraigW]

I agree.. not sure of the point of this test really its not comparing like for like and they both aren't really "track" cars they are family hatchbacks..

Having driven them all back to back same roads, its not just what is quicker, its about the noise, torque, power delivery etc..  and the RS3 is very different to the golf R.. and is without question a bit faster.

Does it matter ?  not really ...  if we all wanted just the fastest car we would all buy the same thing !

Yeah, its a load of nonsense. Some of the R boys are getting very excited by this review but then a lot of them think that the R will destroy anything on the road including AMG's, 911's, M3's etc. These guys need a reality check.

The fact is if I were to pull up at a set of traffic lights alongside an R and an RS3 I know which one I would want to be in even forgetting which one is quicker (i'll give you a clue, it's not the former).

That's no disrespect to the R cause I would take that over the GTI

[matchboy]

Yeah, its a load of nonsense. Some of the R boys are getting very excited by this review but then a lot of them think that the R will destroy anything on the road including AMG's, 911's, M3's etc. These guys need a reality check.

The fact is if I were to pull up at a set of traffic lights alongside an R and an RS3 I know which one I would want to be in even forgetting which one is quicker (i'll give you a clue, it's not the former).

That's no disrespect to the R cause I would take that over the GTI

This is exactly right Craig.  This is why that video is tosh.  If you have a wander over to the R forum, you'll see a thread on this video, along with various other threads whereby the R owners are creaming themselves over how quick the car is.

Is the R a great car - yes!  Will it beat anything on the road - no!  An RS3 would beat an R off the line every day of the week, all this video does is feeds the R fanboys fantasies.  Honestly, as an R owner I'm embarrassed by it all - it's like the old Playstation vs Xbox arguments - the fanboys are so blinkered and biased!

[corgi]

You can always find someone who has a faster car...

But it is not just about how fast you can get away from the lights... but also about mid-range performance, grip, handling poise, style etc. etc.

Frankly, > £40K on a hatchback, no matter how much it has been fettled... I think I'd rather have a Boxster, Cayman new than either... and then if I were to look used, at that price it brings a whole load of proper sports cars...

They might not be faster 0-60 (although they could be) but in almost every other driving respect they will likely be much better.

I understand that people want a practical fast car... but once you're getting to the sort of sums you're talking about, I have found the two car method much more fruitful...

[am1w]

I love both the S3 and the RS3. The latter is a fantastic car and I don't give a jotting toss what the journos say about it. It is total eye candy for me, sounds epic and I love it to bits.

[Poached]

Powerful RWD and FWD cars struggle with traction especially in the wet. And besides, the GTD is not a powerful car and it struggles in this respect.

Yeah I appreciate all that but why is a car that has infinite grip a bad point?

The driver explains they want more play from rear axle, more fun/more adjustment available.

[Poached]

Not wanting to pi44 on your chips or anything but 5th gear had the R last. Said it was just to heavy.

5th Gear...the 5th wheel of motoring television.

[Poached]

I agree.. not sure of the point of this test really its not comparing like for like and they both aren't really "track" cars they are family hatchbacks..

Having driven them all back to back same roads, its not just what is quicker, its about the noise, torque, power delivery etc..  and the RS3 is very different to the golf R.. and is without question a bit faster.

Does it matter ?  not really ...  if we all wanted just the fastest car we would all buy the same thing !

Well it adds another dimension to the comparison of the cars, if it was just a drag race test then it would be obvious which car would win.

They did fail to mention the RS3 has a better soundtrack but the purpose of the review was perceived ability round the track rather than other attributes the cars have. I suppose you might save a few quid and buy an 8p RS3 instead if this was a deciding factor?