RE: VW Golf R: PH Fleet
Discussion
RoverP6B said:
Husaberk said:
That's because you're carrying some much baggage around you've forgotten how to have fun. If you were talking about the GTI perhaps I'd understand a little more why you think it's dull to drive but the R lives up to all the reviews it had, it's nimble, adjustable and engaging in a word FUN! and so we're clear not the most fun ever because motorcycles top ALL cars for that but definitely not dull like, I don't know, pretty much every Rover ever*
Done 6000 miles in mine since January and only thing I can knock it for is the blandish looks.
I assure you that I have not forgotten how to have fun by any means. Thrashing my BMWs down some really challenging B-roads is sure to put a smile on my face. Motorbikes are for suicidal idiots. My old Rover was far from dull, too - could be driven astonishingly hard for something designed c.1960 on 185-section tyres. RWD and plentiful adjustability are the sine qua non of any enjoyable car - the Golf, being a front-biased Haldex thing, just won't be adjustable or rewarding.Done 6000 miles in mine since January and only thing I can knock it for is the blandish looks.
St John Smythe said:
Have you driven one?
Don't need to, knowing how the Haldex system works and reading owners' testimonies that it's just not playful or adjustable are enough to put one off. Really, the Golf R serves only to highlight what jolly good value an M135i is - now, if only that was naturally-aspirated...Pistonheads used to be the place you could come up for a grown up chat. Nowadays, it has just descended into thread after thread of self righteousness, argumentativeness and the typical "my car is better than anything else" tosh.
The above post is the embodiment of this. Not interested in the car, not willing to give it a chance and not even driven it, yet will still happily 'review' it. Against a 1960s Rover
The above post is the embodiment of this. Not interested in the car, not willing to give it a chance and not even driven it, yet will still happily 'review' it. Against a 1960s Rover
Err, I wasn't making any direct comparison between this and my old Rover, which someone else mentioned as proof of me being dull. It was a lovely fun car, apart from the dreaded tinworm. I was simply comparing this to its direct rival, the M135i, which sends its power to the correct wheels. Haldex will never be an acceptable substitute for RWD or a proper full-time 4WD system such as that used by Subaru.
RoverP6B said:
St John Smythe said:
Have you driven one?
Don't need to, knowing how the Haldex system works and reading owners' testimonies that it's just not playful or adjustable are enough to put one off. Really, the Golf R serves only to highlight what jolly good value an M135i is - now, if only that was naturally-aspirated...
RoverP6B said:
I assure you that I have not forgotten how to have fun by any means. Thrashing my BMWs down some really challenging B-roads is sure to put a smile on my face. Motorbikes are for suicidal idiots. My old Rover was far from dull, too - could be driven astonishingly hard for something designed c.1960 on 185-section tyres. RWD and plentiful adjustability are the sine qua non of any enjoyable car - the Golf, being a front-biased Haldex thing, just won't be adjustable or rewarding.
My 1960's Suffolk Punch lawn mower can also be navigated with haste and would be much faster through the flowerbeds than the inferior Haldex of the Golf. With its shiny roller spinning at full power on wet grass and dog s
t it can be steered from the rear and its fully adjustable blade height is most rewarding. Credo quia absurdum est.Just skimmed this while I was eating my lunch - wow, you guys go in hard! as I previously said, I love my R; cant think of a standard 1 or 3 series with anywhere near the balls of this car. As for family, as I think someone asked - Yeh its good, but the boot is a smaller than the "standard" Gti (i guess because of the 4WD) & especially as I went for a spare tyre rather than the foam. But its massively do-able unless you are downsizing from an estate. That said, judging by these posts, Im guessing there may be a few estate drivers in here, with small displacement diesels & a penchant for getting angry on a blog(!) Less Hate, more Love ppl; its an awesome car & you know you want one. Ha.
St John Smythe said:
Great. So you know how a car drives without driving it. PH delivers.
It's called physics... just as anyone can predict how a 911 will behave through the laws of momentum...wormus said:
My 1960's Suffolk Punch lawn mower can also be navigated with haste and would be much faster through the flowerbeds than the inferior Haldex of the Golf. With its shiny roller spinning at full power on wet grass and dog st it can be steered from the rear and its fully adjustable blade height is most rewarding. Credo quia absurdum est.
I was simply responding to someone who claimed all Rovers were/are dull. I was contradicting this by stating that mine was an exceptionally capable sports saloon that gave me a lot of enjoyment. RWD will always be more predictable and rewarding than the deeply flawed Haldex system - which makes the M135i a much better buy than a Golf R. 3-litre straight six RWD vs 2-litre four Haldex AWD, for about the same money - no contest!t it can be steered from the rear and its fully adjustable blade height is most rewarding. Credo quia absurdum est.And yes, the Rover would do this happily all day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMOT3jBxdLA
RoverP6B said:
St John Smythe said:
Have you driven one?
Don't need to, knowing how the Haldex system works and reading owners' testimonies that it's just not playful or adjustable are enough to put one off. Really, the Golf R serves only to highlight what jolly good value an M135i is - now, if only that was naturally-aspirated...Er, hang on a sec.....
Broccers said:
RoverP6B said:
J4CKO said:
If only BMW produced a Normally aspirated version, and perhaps called it a 130i, that would be awesome !
Er, hang on a sec.....
They did with the previous generation. No more, alas. All BMWs are now turbocharged. Great, great shame.Er, hang on a sec.....
RoverP6B said:
St John Smythe said:
Great. So you know how a car drives without driving it. PH delivers.
It's called physics... just as anyone can predict how a 911 will behave through the laws of momentum...RoverP6B said:
I don't pretend to be able to pronounce conclusively on all cars, but anyone with a modicum of knowledge of the laws of physics and of how Haldex functions can come to the conclusion that it's not going to be a satisfying or predictable way of putting power to the ground.
I would imagine they are pretty predictable, the reviews all seem to say that it isn't the bore fest that some earlier gen Haldex systems were.Just my 2p's worth, cant really get into a full on debate about it if neither of us have driven one !
Broccers said:
Its a golf. A good golf. The master of all golfs.
I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
It's a nice car. Just didn't light any fires in my belly. Certainly not enough to bother trying to to negotiate a good price with the sales chimps. Mind you, the Alfa is on the drive partly because I wanted to own another Alfa. It's a non rational thing that had to be done, but I'm beginning to covet the new Focus RS just a little bit. Never thought I'd say that! Hopefully it'll drive as well as the rally reps of old....I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
Ali_T said:
Broccers said:
Its a golf. A good golf. The master of all golfs.
I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
It's a nice car. Just didn't light any fires in my belly. Certainly not enough to bother trying to to negotiate a good price with the sales chimps. Mind you, the Alfa is on the drive partly because I wanted to own another Alfa. It's a non rational thing that had to be done, but I'm beginning to covet the new Focus RS just a little bit. Never thought I'd say that! Hopefully it'll drive as well as the rally reps of old....I'm no vw fanboi but I quite like mine.
Those that dislike them so much I think you are protesting too much. Maybe your own choices were wrong.
Alfas are nice, prettier than the golf. It is just a golf not a Ferrari after all.
Blown2CV said:
There seems to be this strange groundswell in the R's detractors that feel that unless it can be proven to be the best car ever made, then it's worthless.
And to counter it, there is plenty of groundswell in the fans that say its the best car ever.If you like golfs you'll probably like it a lot.
If not you may well have a different opinion.
For me, ultimately it doesn't make we want to jump in the car and go drive somewhere. It doesn't want me want to go throw it down a b road. It didn't even really make me want to spend time inside the thing. But we're all different, I personally don't see what the hype is about.
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