Golf R Mk8... will I regret it

[SiberianHills]

Potentially going to get a car I always said I’d never get, and one I never used to have much interest in - a Golf R.

Mostly because of the image, but also because I always had them down as being a bit safe/numb, fast, but understeery, not that connected, and a bit clinical. However, the Mk8 Golf R seems to address a lot of that with the rear torque-vectoring setup, and from reviews it sounds like it’s a much more involving car than previous generations. I also think they look decent now, and the MK8 is still fairly uncommon, and at around £25k they seem to make quite a lot of sense.

For context, I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love. It has loads of grip, rawness, character and that rally-car feel. The problem is it’s getting older, I’m dailying it, it’s worth decent money, and it probably needs £4k-£5k spending on suspension/brakes/alignment/mild power to make it how I want.

I’m looking for something newer, quicker, easier to daily, ideally auto, but still fun on B-roads/country lanes. I’ve considered M2/M4, RS3 8V, GR Yaris, FK8, A45s, V8 stuff, etc. A lot of those cars seem to do one or two things really well - power, sound, handling, theatre, grip, or daily usability, but usually with a fairly obvious compromise somewhere.

The Mk8 Golf R seems like it might be the car that does a lot of things very well overall. Maybe not the most exciting in one single area, but strong across the board: fast, DSG, AWD, compact, modern, usable, good tech, decent economy, good in poor weather, and supposedly more engaging than the older Golf Rs.

Main questions:

How good is the Mk8 Golf R in the real world?

Does the rear torque-vectoring setup genuinely make it more agile/engaging than the Mk7.5 R/S3, or is it mostly marketing?

How does it feel on B-roads, country lanes, sweepers and damp roads?

Would it feel like a proper step up from an old STI/M135i in terms of body control, grip, pace and daily usability?

I know it won’t have the character of the STI, RS3 sound, V8 drama or M-car rear-drive feel, but I’m wondering if it might be the best real-world daily performance car: newer, quick, grippy, compact, easy to use and good at almost everything.

Anyone gone from any of the cars mentioned into a Mk8 Golf R?

[BlueJazz]

Might also be worth looking at the Cupra Formentor which has the same platform, engine, suspension etc. My friend and I compared it to the VW Golf R, Skoda Octavia VRS and Audi S3 which are essentially all the same, just a different body and badge. In the end, he chose the Formentor.

[Pickle_Rick]

The formentor was an awful car. Granted I only suffered the 1.5 hybrid for 2 weeks, but it was so unbelievably st, the last thing you'd want in that car is a performance engine.

The mk7. 5 is the best imo before quality nose dived to save some pennies

[ZX10R NIN]

SiberianHills said:

Potentially going to get a car I always said I d never get, and one I never used to have much interest in - a Golf R.

Mostly because of the image, but also because I always had them down as being a bit safe/numb, fast, but understeery, not that connected, and a bit clinical. However, the Mk8 Golf R seems to address a lot of that with the rear torque-vectoring setup, and from reviews it sounds like it s a much more involving car than previous generations. I also think they look decent now, and the MK8 is still fairly uncommon, and at around £25k they seem to make quite a lot of sense.

For context, I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love. It has loads of grip, rawness, character and that rally-car feel. The problem is it s getting older, I m dailying it, it s worth decent money, and it probably needs £4k-£5k spending on suspension/brakes/alignment/mild power to make it how I want.

I m looking for something newer, quicker, easier to daily, ideally auto, but still fun on B-roads/country lanes. I ve considered M2/M4, RS3 8V, GR Yaris, FK8, A45s, V8 stuff, etc. A lot of those cars seem to do one or two things really well - power, sound, handling, theatre, grip, or daily usability, but usually with a fairly obvious compromise somewhere.

The Mk8 Golf R seems like it might be the car that does a lot of things very well overall. Maybe not the most exciting in one single area, but strong across the board: fast, DSG, AWD, compact, modern, usable, good tech, decent economy, good in poor weather, and supposedly more engaging than the older Golf Rs.

Main questions:

How good is the Mk8 Golf R in the real world?

Does the rear torque-vectoring setup genuinely make it more agile/engaging than the Mk7.5 R/S3, or is it mostly marketing?

How does it feel on B-roads, country lanes, sweepers and damp roads?

Would it feel like a proper step up from an old STI/M135i in terms of body control, grip, pace and daily usability?

I know it won t have the character of the STI, RS3 sound, V8 drama or M-car rear-drive feel, but I m wondering if it might be the best real-world daily performance car: newer, quick, grippy, compact, easy to use and good at almost everything.

Anyone gone from any of the cars mentioned into a Mk8 Golf R?

Test drive a Civic Type R & the A35/45 & the 135i, the last three have all the same attributes, the last three give you everything listed above but imo are better packages.

[scot_aln]

Are the Golf Rs still as much of a theft target as they seemed to be a few years ago? [When I think loads had them on the silly cheap lease deal of the time]

[Legacywr]

DCC is a must if it has 19in wheels.

The torque vectoring wasn't vastly improved until the 8.5R.

I had an 8R which I'd still have if it had DCC, I now have an 8.5R which has it fitted, the 8.5 has quite a few improvements over the 8.

[Jamescrs]

I believe the Mk8 had a number of issues around haptic buttons particularly on the steering wheel which were criticised by a lot of owners as being wither overly sensitive or frustrating to use, especially in the dark and these were replaced on the 8.5 model. Something to consider, i'd be looking at the M135i and the Mercedes A45 as well if you want that type of car

[MattyD803]

Pickle_Rick said:

The formentor was an awful car. Granted I only suffered the 1.5 hybrid for 2 weeks, but it was so unbelievably st, the last thing you'd want in that car is a performance engine.

The mk7. 5 is the best imo before quality nose dived to save some pennies

Interesting. We had one of the earlier 310bhp VZ2 Formentor for 2.5 years / 25k miles and enjoyed every mile. Note: This is the same Engine and Gearbox as the Golf 8 R, but with a few less bhp and no torque vectoring rear diff.

For a hatch/SUV crossover, it was a remarkably good all rounder - Quick (mid 4's to 60 according to my timing box), handled very well, practical, funky/different aesthetic and generally served us very well. It was efficient on a run too, considering the performance. Great spec as standard too, what with the leather 'bucket' style seats, DCC suspension, heated seats and steering wheel etc. Anyway, I digress - Engine and Gearbox were spot on, performance wise.

What did let it down however (and somethings which may very well impact you, to the point of regret), were the electrical gremlins - The infotainment was infuriating to use and riddled with glitches, although admittedly we did have one of the very first cars (Feb 2021), but it had to go back to the local dealer 4 times for software updates, which typically took all day. Also, the SOS module had to be replaced, twice and the final straw was the auto electronic handbrake which would not release in time to pull away and regularly led to a stall. A software update never resolved that.

Lastly, the gearbox 'map' in eco/normal mode was very poor - it would shift up way to quickly, which would ultimately lead to potentially dangerous situations when say, pulling off from a roundabout, where by the box would be in 3rd or 4th but you needed some immediate power to get going, but there was none whilst the box was thinking about what to do and the engine then waited for the turbo to spool. Really quite horrible to drive at times and would often require driver engagement of the paddles to get the correct gears primed for such situations.

It should be noted that the latter items I describe/complain about, did/do also affect the Golf 8, so make sure all the necessary updates etc have been completed and you do an extended test drive first, to make sure you are happy to live with these 'design features'. I believe these are a gripe of many reviewers/owners.

Edited by MattyD803 on Wednesday 1st July 09:39

[SiberianHills]

ZX10R NIN said:

Test drive a Civic Type R & the A35/45 & the 135i, the last three have all the same attributes, the last three give you everything listed above but imo are better packages.

I don’t really want a Civic Type R. I know they’re meant to be brilliant but I can’t get on with the looks and I ideally want AWD/auto this time.

The A35 feels too much like a halfway house. Not as sharp as the Golf R, not as special as an RS3 and not mad enough like the A45s, at least from the reviews I've seen.

I’d love an A45s but they’re still a bit too expensive for where I want to be. And once I’m spending A45s money, I’m also close to things like an 8V RS3, which brings the five cylinder engine and more sense of occasion.

I don’t want another M135i either. I had the previous RWD one and really didn’t get on with the handling. Great engine and power (tuned 380bhp), but the chassis felt vague, rolly and not very confidence inspiring. The newer xDrive one seems to lose the special engine and from most reviews, doesn’t seem to gain enough dynamically to make up for that. It just doesn’t really appeal.

That’s why the Mk8 Golf R keeps making sense to me. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it seems objectively better for what I want: AWD, DSG, compact size, proper pace, new rear torque vectoring diff, good daily usability and enough grip/body control to be enjoyable on B-roads.

I’m also not that bothered about having a super premium interior. The Mk8 R interior would already be better and more modern than anything I’ve owned before, so that side of it is fine for me.