VW Golf R vs. its own hype
Is expectation the only thing the all-conquering Golf R can't out-accelerate?
From STI...
Price figures nearly as highly as on-road performance in any discussion of cars at this level. £30K is technically the price we're looking at or around for the R, the M135i, RS and a host of other talented rivals. We've never had it so good either - for this relatively realistic benchmark you can now expect 300hp or more, a choice of manual, auto or dual-clutch gearboxes, three- or five-door bodies according to need, clever diffs, adaptive dampers, front-, rear- or four-wheel drive and looks ranging from the heart on sleeve track refugee to understated Q-car. Credit where due to the R - it boasts nearly all these choices in one very polished package and even offers an estate option too! I can't help but think we'll be looking back on this era in a few years time as a bit of a golden one in terms of the all-round, relatively affordable and internal combustion powered performance car.
... to M135i. It was kept busy!
For now bottom line OTR price might have symbolic significance. But given the way many of us now buy our cars it is less and less relevant, the myriad lease deals creating moving targets for what's hot and what's not. And the potential for bragging rights on both performance AND monthly payments has certainly inspired many a 'spirited' forum discussion.
I'd like to concentrate on what the R is like as a car though. But will defer to James's impressions, given he spent more time at the wheel than I did. "Looking back it seems unfair that more or less my only gripe with the Golf R was a slight lack of flair in how it went about its business," he says. "The simple fact is the Golf R is an incredibly effective way of getting from A to B at pace, and for a lot of people that alone makes a car fun, even when lacking a bit of drama."
People have different priorities in their cars and the incredible choice means pretty much all tastes are accommodated. Personally I can't let go of the BMW M135i's grip on the heartstrings though. The fact £30K can buy you a rear-wheel drive car with a 326hp turbocharged six-cylinder engine, which offers a choice of bodystyles and can be bought with a manual gearbox, still seems astonishing to me. We of course ran an M135i for a few months and I can still remember leaving the door open to enjoy the Skyline-esque cold start, appreciating the exotic feeling low-slung stance and, of course, the rear-driven balance. The looks remain an obstacle for many and there are some dynamic rough edges to polish off. But the appeal of a big six - especially compared with the Golf's awful synthetic soundtrack and soulless power delivery - remains strong.
Well it was subtle right up until the sticker...
The Golf R owner's riposte would be boasting of enjoying all the car has on the same wet, wintry B-road that would expose the BMW's traction limitations. A valid point. To which I'd say speed for speed's sake isn't always everything. And, sometimes, the speeds the R is easily capable of should perhaps raise your pulse a tad.
Much of the time the Golf R was on the fleet I spent in another rival - the Subaru WRX STI. Many of the arguments comparing the two can be lifted straight from our much-discussed 'Battle for the B-road' story where we pitched the Subaru against the Audi S3, the Audi to all intents and purposes mechanically interchangeable with the R.
When we put the Golf against the Subaru at our PHTV test track the R, predictably, annihilated the STI off the line and in a straight sprint. Launch control and DSG can claim much of the credit, the Subaru losing a car length to the relentless Golf with every gear change. Which was better round the twisting, greasy infield section of the test track? There were no stopwatches there but I'd wager, again, the Golf was in all likelihood the faster car.
There's a fast Focus waiting for you next year!
Spotting a theme here?
I have huge respect for the Golf R. And it's not like there's anything 'wrong' with it, just aspects of its character that aren't to my particular taste. Quite a few of these were addressed/trampled on by the bonkers 450hp Revo Technik version we had in not so long ago. When I first drove it I said I suspected it was startlingly capable but just a little overly synthetic and the front-driven Golf GTI Performance was the better car. 18 months, several thousand miles and time behind the wheel of a ton of very diverse and accomplished rivals - including the GTI Clubsport - I can't say I think any different.
FACT SHEET
Car: 2015 Volkswagen Golf R
Run by: Everyone!
On fleet since: March 2015
Mileage: >14,000
List price new: £32,220 (£36,055 as tested including £895 for 19-inch 'Pretoria' wheels, £1,765 for Discover Pro Nav, £815 for Dynamic Chassis Control dampers and £360 for Winter Pack).
Last month at a glance: Can the Golf R out-run its own shadow?
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You can also tell they're readily available on cheap leases judging by the amount of them being driven by muppets who think they're in the fastest car on the road. Definitely a future chav chariot for me.
Each to their own, but for me driving is not all about the fastest and most capable.
t but not a chav Ultimately for me the R is a car which I can enjoy it's performance on an almost daily basis, in all weathers, without it biting your head off. Something that can't realistically be done in cars like the Type R/M135i/Megane RS etc. If I didn't want/need a car that could be enjoyed 95% of the time, I wouldn't be buying a hot hatch and it's for that reason the R, for me, is the best one around at the moment.
Each to their own, but for me driving is not all about the fastest and most capable.
I'd rather have a Mk5 Gti Edition 30 than the R I think.
Arriving very late in the game to VAG-ownership and unaware of what was going on in the lease-marketplace, I bought mine; outright. Based upon nostalgia from my teen years of long ago for the original GTI, Reviews and hype alone.
I reserved my hard-earned money this time around for a more sound financial investment in Property and went for a base-spec R thinking it seemed to have all the bits I actually use on a day-to-day basis - and I was right.
I like my toys but I can do without many that are simply extras and not really used much when I want to.
So the R is to me a bit of an eye-opener and somewhat of a revelation. You'd think VAG products were rubbish reading some folks comments on PH but, for me, the opposite is surely true if this little Golf is anything to go by. It is well put together and feels like a premium brand product. It is ergonomically functional, neat and tidy. It is a genuinely quick car and handles itself better in the wet than any vehicle I've owned previously.
Ok, so it is "bland". I'll concede that, but maybe I am too, so we are perfect for one another. If by "bland" we mean it doesn't scream 'Race Car, Boy Racer, Yobbo Mobile, Chav Chariot' then it certainly fits. It does, after all, only look 'slightly sporty'. While I appreciate cars like the Civic Type R, Subaru and Focus RS are good in their own way, they aren't for me on appearance alone. I'm not sure I would have wanted those looks on my driveway as a teenager either. Too Halfords I would have thought, even back then. Too 'trying too hard to be in your face sporty'. The AMG A45 falls into this category with its wing too.
I guess then, I like "bland". Others will like the RS etc and good for them - if they enjoy their choice as much as I enjoy mine, we're all happy.
"Soul". Hmmm. A tougher one. "Soul" often means different things to different people too. Quirks that can to some be annoying can be evidence of soul to others. Does the Golf R have soul then? To me...actually yes.
It's character isn't in the same vein as my BMW Z4M's was. That car was a hooligan; a lairy barnstormer. No, the Golf R's character to me is found in its willingness to be everything - to behave sedately and, dare I say, mundane, one minute but thrilling the next. Thrilling, of course, can only be soulful to some when it is forcing you to fight it, to be keeping you on the edge of your seat and challenging your skill-set. That's nice. Thrilling for me is demonstrating how accomplished the car is - making me nod to the Engineer's who made it and smiling at how good it is as I take a corner really, really fast.
Less skill and therefore less challenging, the latter. But then I'm not a car racer. I have never been to a Track and, truth be told, I have no ambition to either. Just not my thing. I do like to go around corners really quickly and accelerate quickly too. Simple likes. The Golf R provides those in all weathers, with aplomb and puts a smile on my face whilst doing so.
I would quite happily go out with an attractive girl (8-10 range) even if she was a bit boring but it was much better to go out with an average bird (6-7 range) if she was a bit of fun; and herein lies the problem the golf is average looking and a bit dull to drive so it hasn't taken me long to start looking for what's next.. Oh and for those that haven't worked it out yet the attractive ones that are fun aswell can get expensive.. same goes for women! 
Funny as when I was mid 20's it was either the Evo or the Imprezza, the golf's of the time were just ok at best, I chose the Evo, classy looking chariot
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