RE: Golf R Performance Pack: Driven
Discussion
So despite getting rid of a 200mph plus car because the Golf got all the use, and despite owning a motorbike that gets used often for fast road and track, I should be in a Prius because buying a 310bhp Golf R says I'm scared of performance and aren't a real petrol head.
Got it. Thanks for the heads up.
Honestly. What world are some of you people living in?!?
Got it. Thanks for the heads up.
Honestly. What world are some of you people living in?!?
I cant quite understand why the Golf R has everyone het up.
There's a huge amount of choice out there. So you want an extrovert looking car which feels like a touring car on every trip - buy the Honda.
you like a discreet car that isn't shouty and goes fast with the minimum amount of fuss, buy the Golf R
At least there's a good choice out there at the moment. I'm 49 btw and absolutely don't care what people think if I drive a young persons car. I saw a guy of about 70 in an Impreza STI the other day and thought "good on you"... don't be stereotyped - sometimes its only when you're over 50 you have the disposable income to buy performance cars of the type you lusted after when younger.
mrnoisy78 said:
I have had a few quick cars and still do 
.
Trouble is most modern Luke warm hatches feel exactly that because they’re bigger and heaving more around with them. Certainly feels that way. There’s no excitement or thrill factor.
Impreza STI’s with prodrive packs were making 300bhp as standard 15 years ago, and just as quick as the DSG Golfs but in manual form. The ride comfort on them was also far better than a modern civic or focus RS.
[b]It’s like the world hasn’t moved on except in terms of mpg and
in car entertainment / safety gadgets despite what journos tell us.[/b]
The Golf R I drove felt sluggish and boring in standard form and the engine note was pretty poor; I understand they respond well to a map - but my point is - why don’t the manufacturers offer this as standard rather than is having to resort to tuning.
Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it. It’s like having a P1 but driving it at 50mph everywhere, just why even bother, buy a Prius and be done with it!
I think you're missing the point some-what of the Golf R's place in the market. They're in no way direct rivals for Subaru's and Evo's, the formula is just similar in a few ways, which is where the comparisons come from. You don't have to get it, as not everyone does or is expected to. However, i can see why more people get these as apposed to the more hardcore cars out there..Trouble is most modern Luke warm hatches feel exactly that because they’re bigger and heaving more around with them. Certainly feels that way. There’s no excitement or thrill factor.
Impreza STI’s with prodrive packs were making 300bhp as standard 15 years ago, and just as quick as the DSG Golfs but in manual form. The ride comfort on them was also far better than a modern civic or focus RS.
[b]It’s like the world hasn’t moved on except in terms of mpg and
in car entertainment / safety gadgets despite what journos tell us.[/b]
The Golf R I drove felt sluggish and boring in standard form and the engine note was pretty poor; I understand they respond well to a map - but my point is - why don’t the manufacturers offer this as standard rather than is having to resort to tuning.
Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it. It’s like having a P1 but driving it at 50mph everywhere, just why even bother, buy a Prius and be done with it!
Edited by mrnoisy78 on Friday 15th June 07:19
A Golf with 300 bhp is progress. A Golf also aims to do everything as well as possible and market itself to as many people as possible. The market place for things like Evo's and Subaru's is niche, especially here in the UK, which is one of the reasons why we don't get them here anymore. A Golf R is not a luke-warm hatchback either. It's a hot-hatch, maybe even a hyper-hatch.
Edited by culpz on Friday 15th June 13:36
culpz said:
I think you're missing the point some-what of the Golf R's place in the market. They're in no way direct rivals for Subaru's and Evo's, the formula is just similar in a few ways, which is where the comparisons come from. You don't have to get it, as not everyone does or is expected to. However, i can see why more people get these as apposed to the more hardcore cars out there.
A Golf with 300 bhp is progress. A Golf also aims to do everything as well as possible and market itself to as many people as possible. The market place for things like Evo's and Subaru's is niche, especially here in the UK, which is one of the reasons why we don't get them here anymore. A Golf R is not a luke-warm hatchback either. It's a hot-hatch, maybe even a hyper-hatch.
Let's not forget it can get near 40mpg. I've no idea what they get with more aggressive use but it doesn't take much to drop my Subaru to 18mpg. That, along with the cheap tax, is progress. I wouldn't leave it standard though. It would be running 400 very quickly, no doubt sending the consumption up accordingly!A Golf with 300 bhp is progress. A Golf also aims to do everything as well as possible and market itself to as many people as possible. The market place for things like Evo's and Subaru's is niche, especially here in the UK, which is one of the reasons why we don't get them here anymore. A Golf R is not a luke-warm hatchback either. It's a hot-hatch, maybe even a hyper-hatch.
Edited by culpz on Friday 15th June 13:36
yellowstreak said:
Let's not forget it can get near 40mpg. I've no idea what they get with more aggressive use but it doesn't take much to drop my Subaru to 18mpg. That, along with the cheap tax, is progress. I wouldn't leave it standard though. It would be running 400 very quickly, no doubt sending the consumption up accordingly!
Mine gets approx 28mpg per tank over past 6 months, used for commute and nursery runs as well as for fun.40mpg is possible on a long trip taking it rather easy, boring to do this though!
Using the performance a fair bit over a tank would drop to 25mpg and no doubt closing in on low 20s if having lots of fun. Go mad and I’m sure you could get under 20.
mrnoisy78 said:
I understand they respond well to a map - but my point is - why don’t the manufacturers offer this as standard rather than is having to resort to tuning.
Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it.
But then you could say the same for your Subaru? My Evo (stock) was 276bhp (IIRC). Aftermarket coilovers and a hefty tune have completely changed the car. Ergo - perhaps nothing has changed?Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it.
Edited by mrnoisy78 on Friday 15th June 07:19
Chuck328 said:
mrnoisy78 said:
I understand they respond well to a map - but my point is - why don’t the manufacturers offer this as standard rather than is having to resort to tuning.
Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it.
But then you could say the same for your Subaru? My Evo (stock) was 276bhp (IIRC). Aftermarket coilovers and a hefty tune have completely changed the car. Ergo - perhaps nothing has changed?Some of us DO want the car to give it’s all, rather than 7/10 because it’s wound down for joe public who wants a fast car but is afraid of it.
Edited by mrnoisy78 on Friday 15th June 07:19
There are exceptions, where power is restricted to provide a suitable gap between that car and the next performance version above.
It’s never been about the driver being able to handle the power. Why? Because the driver could usually buy a more powerful car.
Reliability and fuel quality.
You want your car to work and not self destruct. You also want it to work when you fill it from a backstreet petrol station in Belgium when there's no 98RON available for miles around.
That's why they don't tune the absolute balls out of them at the factory. Plus, bear in mind a lot of peak power maps are peaky as hell and sometimes offer less driveability than the factory one in an effort to get some higher pub numbers.
Like the post above says, if you want to go faster, buy a faster car. There are lots available.
You want your car to work and not self destruct. You also want it to work when you fill it from a backstreet petrol station in Belgium when there's no 98RON available for miles around.
That's why they don't tune the absolute balls out of them at the factory. Plus, bear in mind a lot of peak power maps are peaky as hell and sometimes offer less driveability than the factory one in an effort to get some higher pub numbers.
Like the post above says, if you want to go faster, buy a faster car. There are lots available.
Someone earlier referred to some common elements (wth Mitsubishi / Subaru) not meaning that a direct comparison is relevant.
I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
Peanus said:
That exhaust is crazy money. It’s nearly 10% of the price of the base car!
It's ludicrously expensive and (like the rest of the stuff in the -performance pack) doesn't really add any performance.If they included an official retune to add 20-30bhp then it might be a bit more appealing.
Hackney said:
Someone earlier referred to some common elements (wth Mitsubishi / Subaru) not meaning that a direct comparison is relevant.
I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
4500 miles. For those of us who don't use it as a daily drive (myself and most I'd assume), that's not a problem when I do less than that a year. I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
Chuck328 said:
Hackney said:
Someone earlier referred to some common elements (wth Mitsubishi / Subaru) not meaning that a direct comparison is relevant.
I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
4500 miles. For those of us who don't use it as a daily drive (myself and most I'd assume), that's not a problem when I do less than that a year. I totally agree.
People have also said how much more exciting the rally cars are and how dull the Golf is.
IIRC didn’t the last iteration of the Evo need a service and oil change every 1500 miles?
Call me dull and boring but my job, kids, life can’t really accommodate the car being off the road for a service *every week* so I’ll take the dull and boring Golf R estate every time thanks.
Edited by Baldchap on Thursday 21st June 17:02
Another thumbs up for the Golf R here - I’ve had mine 6 months or so and love it for the everyday all-round brilliance. Much less compromised than a number of the other brilliant (yet flawed) cars I’ve owned over the years as daily drivers - including 2 hot Subarus, Abarth 595, Seat Cupra, Civic Type EP3 R, 2 M3s (e90 and f80), Lotus Elise 111R, Lotus Exige S, NIssan GTR, TVR Sagaris, previous gen Focus RS, Audi RS4 B7, Aston Vantage V8VS and V12 ....
The Golf just doesn’t seem ‘bad’ at anything. And it does handle, easily, as well as both STI scoobies, which seem to be a common comparison point for people.
Tried the new Focus RS and yes, it drove well. But it is still a s
tbox inside comparatively. I commonly drive 4+ hours a day and so interiors are important too....
The Golf just doesn’t seem ‘bad’ at anything. And it does handle, easily, as well as both STI scoobies, which seem to be a common comparison point for people.
Tried the new Focus RS and yes, it drove well. But it is still a s
tbox inside comparatively. I commonly drive 4+ hours a day and so interiors are important too.... Part of me thinks people get all misty eyed about Japanese Rally Reps because, if you had one it was not that common compared to modern hot hatches, so if you had one you had something unusual and a bit special, you could amble away from any hot hatch on a part throttle, stifling a yawn.
Now, buy a Golf R, M135i, S3 etc and you will see hundreds of others, driven by just about anyone, school run mums, pensioners, reps, youngsters and they arent really enthusiasts, they can run one and aside from it being a bit heavier on fuel it doesnt really ask any more of it owner than any other model, you used to have to suffer for your art with an Evo for example, 4k services, 10 to 18 mpg, Mini Cab interior and the fact it looked like a rally car. both a pro and a con, great when you are in the mood or completely oblivious to it, but very easy to feel a bit of a tit, turn up for an funeral or interview in an Evo ?
Were they really that much better, that much more engaging ? tuned Evos maybe ? I drove a few Imprezas and they were great but unless tuned they werent *that* exciting, but they were a revelation in 1991, 27 years ago, nothing came close for the money but things have moved on, I remember expecting a UK Turbo to be much faster than my 850 T5, from a standstill it was due to 4wd, once rolling it wasnt that fast and I suspect it would feel a bit lame now compared to a Golf R.
Now, buy a Golf R, M135i, S3 etc and you will see hundreds of others, driven by just about anyone, school run mums, pensioners, reps, youngsters and they arent really enthusiasts, they can run one and aside from it being a bit heavier on fuel it doesnt really ask any more of it owner than any other model, you used to have to suffer for your art with an Evo for example, 4k services, 10 to 18 mpg, Mini Cab interior and the fact it looked like a rally car. both a pro and a con, great when you are in the mood or completely oblivious to it, but very easy to feel a bit of a tit, turn up for an funeral or interview in an Evo ?
Were they really that much better, that much more engaging ? tuned Evos maybe ? I drove a few Imprezas and they were great but unless tuned they werent *that* exciting, but they were a revelation in 1991, 27 years ago, nothing came close for the money but things have moved on, I remember expecting a UK Turbo to be much faster than my 850 T5, from a standstill it was due to 4wd, once rolling it wasnt that fast and I suspect it would feel a bit lame now compared to a Golf R.
catfood12 said:
I am lucky enough to have one, with PP & Akrapovic. It's a great great package for £40K. 
I think anyone that spends 40k on a golf needs shooting!I have a gti pp mk7 and it’s retail was 37 but I got it at 29 which I even think that’s too much! But 40k is crazy! Especially when you consider the tax hike as well
ghost83 said:
I think anyone that spends 40k on a golf needs shooting!
Why, if that's what they want? My estate has every box ticked (barring the smoking pack), including the overpriced but lovely carbon Nappa leather and was from memory about £44k after Carwow discount.
Having lived with a GTI but wanting an estate there was absolutely nothing else on my shopping list and I didn't look in any other dealership. I'm aware I could have had something perceived as a 'better' car for that price but I don't want anything else right now.
In my opinion (and many other people's) the Golf is absolutely the best car on the planet to live with on a daily basis and to me is absolutely worth the money I paid for it. It goes well, is well specced, looks good and does absolutely nothing wrong whether I'm pootling or wringing its neck.
As far as a few extra quid on road tax goes, I'd rather be driving the car I want than wish I'd got option X every time I get into it.
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