VW Golf R v BMW M235i - Chris Harris
Discussion
I like the idea of the Golf R, very quick car point to point with AWD. Seems like the latest generation of Haldex also fixed most of the horrible understeer.
What I do not understand is the price. After rebate an Audi S3 which has essentially the same chassis, engine and drivetrain costs about the same as the Golf R but looks and feels far more special inside with its quilted leather sport seats. I guess most rent these on finance and the Golf R might be cheaper there.
Ideally I’d want a S3 with the calibration of the Golf R but they won’t do that for obvious reasons. (RS3)
What I do not understand is the price. After rebate an Audi S3 which has essentially the same chassis, engine and drivetrain costs about the same as the Golf R but looks and feels far more special inside with its quilted leather sport seats. I guess most rent these on finance and the Golf R might be cheaper there.
Ideally I’d want a S3 with the calibration of the Golf R but they won’t do that for obvious reasons. (RS3)
MichalPH said:
Thanks Dave Hedgehog, I was guessing it will be something like this.
It's actually sad to see something like Drive killed off.
Michal
Drive+ only costs £2.50 a month, give it a try.It's actually sad to see something like Drive killed off.
Michal
I have to say at the moment the quantity of uploads seems a bit on the low side... time will tell.
Kozy said:
the + version is 13 mins I think.scherzkeks said:
The M135i is the proper match-up for the Golf R/S3. The M235i is a coupe, and is quite a bit more performance oriented than the hatch. That makes this "a genuine mismatch," in CH speak 
Guess he didn't want to put the hatch up...
Most people will buy the M235i over the M135i unless the M135i is now discounted by a larger margin. Guess he didn't want to put the hatch up...The M135i is now getting a bit older. It's over 2 years old now. It is no longer fresh news and no real point in revisiting cars that have already been reviewed a million times over.
Most people I've seen buying the S3 or Golf R have opted for 3 door as they don't need the practicality of 5 doors and prefer the 3 door looks.
Is there really that much practicality differences between a 3 door hatch and a coupe?
Didn't Harris already do the S3 against the M135i a while back and concluded the BMW was better and faster? I seem to remember that and also the M135i being rated better than the old RS3.
Overall I was surprised to see Chris rate the Golf so highly.
Coming down to the crunch it did seem to be the petrolhead took over to make the choice.
Driver101 said:
Didn't Harris already do the S3 against the M135i a while back and concluded the BMW was better and faster? I seem to remember that and also the M135i being rated better than the old RS3.
He did a video review on the M135i vs RS3 (conclusion: old RS3 chassis is terrible). The S3 review was quite positive.http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...
The Golf R looked extremely neutral and thus quick, I suspect the S3 understeers quite a bit more.
It’s quite telling that he dropped the phrase "mini-GTR" somewhere in there.
RS3 vs M2 will be interesting. 400hp in a chassis like the Golf R... hmm.
Kozy said:
Oh, himmm. I remember him. Didn't he use to be a motoring journalist before disappearing into obscurity? contango said:
What I found confusing was the 235i was tricked up with various after market parts, specifically the Lsd which made easier to "skid". This ultimately led to the BMW being more fun.....is the standard car as much fun?...Probably not, would it have won?
You certainly wouldn't buy a Vag 4wd if you wanted an oversteer bias.
I appreciate a win is subjective in this instance.
There was no skidding apart from the bit on track, which he also did with the Golf. He actually highlighted the fact that you won't come out of corners sideways as seems to be the fear of every non RWD driver. You certainly wouldn't buy a Vag 4wd if you wanted an oversteer bias.
I appreciate a win is subjective in this instance.
He just explained briefly why RWD is better due to the feeling, the uncorrupted steering and the car being driven by a far better sounding 6 cylinder engine.
Chris seemed to want to drive home the words "competent" and "capable" when talking about the Golf and said them countless times to emphasis them.
I'm sure that's not the words Golf R drivers really wanted to hear.
It's a bit like "my girlfriend has a great personality". We all know that's not really the answer to the question we really wanted answered.
He did conclude the Golf was possibly the better overall car, but as earlier he said it was really dull looking, and it was more than clear he enjoyed the BMW more.
The noise,feel and driving side of the BMW seemed to impress him more than the Golf. If he didn't like the looks of the Golf either I'm pretty sure all those factors were the reason he went with the BMW.
Edited by Driver101 on Monday 18th August 17:38
It's rather confused me this video. Of the many cars Chris has reviewed the R is the one I have spent a bit of time with and I still don't understand the rave reviews. I'd add that I'm a massive VW fan and have owned several Golf GTIs and currently have a MK7 GTD, so it's fair to say I really, really wanted to like it. But when I've driven it it has only ever felt like a very fast Golf. Perhaps it's that it's missing a little of the GTIs nimbleness, or that I'm used to FWD, but it certainly didn't blow me away. It's massively competent, but just quite bland. In fact it makes the GTI seem flamboyant.
k the opinions of some mugs you don't know and shouldn't care about.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff