My thoughts on the Golf R - Initial Impressions

[CraigW]

Apologies if this is a bit long winded 

So two weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a competition which gave me access to run around in a golf R for a week. I collected the car on Sunday and it's given me a great opportunity to compare the R to my GTI. I always kind of regretted rushing in to buying the GTI when I saw the R being released 6 months later and at a price point which was surprisingly not that much greater than the GTI. So after 5 days of driving the R backwards and forwards to work and then having some real time to play with it today I thought I would share some thoughts.

Firstly, the spec of the car is as follows

5 -Door DSG
Lapis Blue
Cadiz Wheels
Keyless Entry
Pano Roof
DCC
Vienna Leather

Looks
This is always going to be a very subjective topic. Personally, I find the front end to be a little too subtle however the double DRL’s are very nice and I really like the silver accents especially the strip that runs along the front lip of the car. Apart from that the front is just a little bland. I would still say I prefer the front of the GTI.

I love the rear. The quad exhausts just give it that aggressive presence that’s missing from the front and they are actually much larger than I thought they were. On a side note, I can’t believe how many R’s I see on the road with pipes that are filthy and look like they’ve never been cleaned. I also really lie the smoked rear lights that blend in nicely especially with the darker colours.
The cadiz wheels are ok but nothing special. To be honest I don’t think any of the wheels on offer are that great. I would probably be tempted to spec the prets if I was placing an order but it wouldn’t be high up on my priority list.

What really makes the car stand out on the road is the colour and I’m specifically referring to the lapis blue. The majority of R’s I see on the road are this colour and I can understand why. If you know your cars then when you see this colour approaching then you know immediately that it’s an R. I don’t think this applies to any of the other colours. Some people like the stealth look but I want the car to stand out and be easily differentiated from any other Golf. The blue is lovely and depending on the sunlight can really change your perception of it. I would definitely spec this colour but it would be nice if there were more unique colours to just the R.

The panoramic roof is a nice addition to the car but not necessarily required. For a change the weather was lovely up here today but I don’t think I had the sunroof open once. Not an option I would add unless it was ridiculously cheap.

DSG v Manual
This was a major eye opener having never driven an automatic before. After driving about for five days I’m starting to become more comfortable with it but my opinions remain conflicted.
The first issue is the car’s tendency to creep forward when the footbrake isn’t applied. If you’re not fully paying attention I could see that it would be quite easy to roll into the person in front of you. Then in slow moving traffic you feel like you’re having to apply the footbrake all the time which I take it means that the brake lights are constantly on when in stationary traffic?

The second issue with the DSG box is that it seems to be rather hesitant when setting off in first gear. When you apply a bit of pressure to the accelerator it just seems to take a few seconds to get going. Then once on the move it feels like it goes through the gears too quickly and only when you get to 4th doing about 40mph does it begin to feel smooth.

Where the conflict arises is when you put the gear shift into sport mode. Bloody Hell!! What a transformation. The revs go up, a low growl comes into the cabin even when static and then when you take off – wow just wow!! The acceleration and the noise (admittedly there’s a bit of fakery going on with the sound) with the pops and bangs coming from the exhaust is just so addictive. When the turbo kicks in it really does accelerate a fair bit quicker than the GTI but it’s the noise that’s so different to the GTI. The GTI is just so quiet in comparison. Then of course there’s the 4wd which just gives you so much confidence to get of the line without any tramping issues.

So would I opt for a DSG box? Difficult one as I’ve not driven a manual R but I’m tempted to say yes just to hear those pops and bangs. Yet, if I was reordering a GTI I think I would stick with the manual.

Other Observations
Another observation with the engine is that when just driving in non lunatic mode the engine makes this really annoying constant metallic ringing type noise. The only way I can kind of describe it is thats its almost akin to having loose cutlery vibrating/rattling on top of a washing machine if that makes sense, 

One aspect that seemed quite noticeable to me was the difference that DCC had on the car. In my GTI I’ve never felt much difference between any of the different modes but the change between Race and comfort in the R is quite impressive. Moving from comfort to Race you can definitely feel the suspension stiffen along with the steering which becomes a lot sharper.

I don’t think I would bother speccing the leather if I was placing an order. Yes it’s quite nice but it’s not worth the money imo. I would rather have the keyless entry and the DCC in this car.

Verdict
Difficult one. I would still like to try the likes of the BMW M235i especially to experience how the autobox in the Beemer compares. Then we are now hearing rumours of possible mk8’s in 2018/19 so is it worth trading in just now? After trying the R I definitely regret not waiting for it when it was first released. I’m relatively happy with the GTI, I just wish it sounded as good as the R. I know that’s fixable by getting an aftermarket exhaust but ive never been massively into modding cars, I’d rather save up for the next car. All I can say is that those who are waiting on an R will not be disappointed.

I just want to say a massive thanks to the guys at GTI world in Edinburgh who made this possible and a particular shout out to Dean who is a top bloke. I'll be sad to see the car going back on Sunday.

[battleshipgray]

Good review and great pics. Sounds like you had a blast with it.

I'm picking my GTI up tomorrow afternoon. I'll try and do a similar review of first impressions.

[mcmaddy]

If the car is creeping forward then either you have auto hold turned off or your not pressing the foot brake hard enough. You shouldn't be moving anywhere.

[remlapeel]

On the metalic noise, that's a common warranty issue with the sound actuator buzzing.

[Hawaii-Five-O]

Really appreciate the write up Craig. Sounds like your torn.

I totally adore the car they lent you. Exactly what I would spec apart from the pano roof.

I tell you what it's so hard reading about all the GTI converters and hugely impressive R reviews. Makes me want to chop my GTI for an R. Must resist!!!

The trouble with VW making the R7 so good, stealthy and not that much more expensive, is that they have started to damage the GTI's brand. Some will say 'so what' but I feel it's important to protect the GTI's iconic status. After all it has taken VW 40 years to build this reputation. With the R brand they are in danger of undermining that position. Please don't read this as sour grapes, it's not, I'm simply saying that VW have made the R so good that people no longer desire the GTI. My personal view is that VW should have made the R but branded it GTI-R or GTI-S or GTI-300 to help preserve the GTI's iconic status. Just a thought. [going to write a new thread about this soon]

[mcmaddy]

Unfortunately I don't think the gti has iconic status in today's market. It's just another car to most people (apart from proper VW golf people).

[Hawaii-Five-O]

Unfortunately I don't think the gti has iconic status in today's market. It's just another car to most people (apart from proper VW golf people).

But it could be.

It's just there are too many models chipping away (GTD, GTE, Clubsport, ED40, R and possibly R400). Christ, is it possible for VW to squeeze in any more niche models?

In my simple universe there should be two models atop of the VW Golf tree: GTI-R and the GTD-R (or other imaginative naming conventions)

[mcmaddy]

I think VW are living off this famous iconic thing and its money orientated. No corporations these days no matter how big can escape the money/profit merry go round. Vw are doing it to the detriment of the golf gti. The gti,gtd and r aren't special anymore in an ever increasing market. They feel like just another golf but this has gone on for years, you can't tell me the mk4 gti was iconic 

[Hawaii-Five-O]

I think VW are living off this famous iconic thing and its money orientated. No corporations these days no matter how big can escape the money/profit merry go round. Vw are doing it to the detriment of the golf gti. The gti,gtd and r aren't special anymore in an ever increasing market. They feel like just another golf but this has gone on for years, you can't tell me the mk4 gti was iconic 

I hear ya

Maybe I'm just living in a rose tinted, parallel universe. It's nice up here. Even the Mk4 GTI is regarded a classic

[mcmaddy]

  it's the people on our forums that suffer in the end as VW will dilute the gti brand as far as possible.