Re : PH Carbituary | Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7)
Discussion
Having owned a first Gen M135 then going onto 1st Gen M2 and now in a modded R I can honestly say that out of the 3 cars the R is the best all round all weather bargain of the 3.
I liked both the BMW’s but can say that unless the surface is bone dry and in good repair both cars are ditch finders.
Yes the sonorous straight 6 lumps are fabulous the M2 had quite a spikey torque delivery.
I tracked both cars the M2 was fab on a dry circuit but it went thru rear tyres quickly if on 10/11 tenths !! That said the balance was great but out on a normal A or B road driving it hard meant you had to have your wits about you coming out of bends as you knew it was going to go but it was a guessing game as to when.
In the wet both BMW’s would struggle no matter how good a driver you are.
Certainly up against my stage 2 R with a big brake kit some suspension mods and sticky rubber it was equally if not slightly quicker against my M2 around Donnington and Combe. Even against and following a significantly more expensive M2 Comp it could shake my R off.
So all In all I’d grab a good used low mileage DSG R give a stage 1 or 2 some decent stoppers for a bit of track action and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Even a stock car is a hoot and can do things equally matching far more expensive machinery.
I liked both the BMW’s but can say that unless the surface is bone dry and in good repair both cars are ditch finders.
Yes the sonorous straight 6 lumps are fabulous the M2 had quite a spikey torque delivery.
I tracked both cars the M2 was fab on a dry circuit but it went thru rear tyres quickly if on 10/11 tenths !! That said the balance was great but out on a normal A or B road driving it hard meant you had to have your wits about you coming out of bends as you knew it was going to go but it was a guessing game as to when.
In the wet both BMW’s would struggle no matter how good a driver you are.
Certainly up against my stage 2 R with a big brake kit some suspension mods and sticky rubber it was equally if not slightly quicker against my M2 around Donnington and Combe. Even against and following a significantly more expensive M2 Comp it could shake my R off.
So all In all I’d grab a good used low mileage DSG R give a stage 1 or 2 some decent stoppers for a bit of track action and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Even a stock car is a hoot and can do things equally matching far more expensive machinery.
Jon_S_Rally said:
Jaypc18 said:
I could never get this new 2.0 litre 4 cylinder m135i when the previous was a 3.0 litre straight six. Shocked that people will, and while it does look a little better in the flesh than it does in pictures, it still looks pretty grim to me.
Also I’m pretty sure the MK 7.5 R will be about to lease from new for a good while yet, before the MK 8 R comes in a year or so. Yeah maybe not from factory as per se but buyers will still find what they want for a while yet from lease companies.
I'm not sure it's that difficult to understand is it? The transverse 4 means more interior space, more efficiency, while the 4WD means more of the performance can be used more of the time. Outside the perverse world of PH, most people don't care what configuration the engine is, they just want a car that meets their needs. The new car will meet more people's needs more of the time. It's that simple.Also I’m pretty sure the MK 7.5 R will be about to lease from new for a good while yet, before the MK 8 R comes in a year or so. Yeah maybe not from factory as per se but buyers will still find what they want for a while yet from lease companies.
BMW sales guy by any chance?
3.0 straight six vs 2.0 four pot. Hmm clearly the driving enthusiasts wouldn’t want the latter.
Gweeds said:
I guess that depends on whether you assess a car based on its engine alone.
Plenty of driving enthusiasts are choosing the A110 over cars with a bigger (and arguably better) engine, the M2 CP with it’s 3.0L twin turbo six, or the TTRS with it’s 2.5L five pot for example. andrewparker said:
Gweeds said:
I guess that depends on whether you assess a car based on its engine alone.
Plenty of driving enthusiasts are choosing the A110 over cars with a bigger (and arguably better) engine, the M2 CP with it’s 3.0L twin turbo six, or the TTRS with it’s 2.5L five pot for example. General punters think bigger engine equals poor economy/more insurance/more tax/more for servicing etc...which is all true in fairness. You have to really want a bigger engine in this climate and they are being frowned upon.
Jaypc18 said:
BMW sales guy by any chance?
3.0 straight six vs 2.0 four pot. Hmm clearly the driving enthusiasts wouldn’t want the latter.
No. I wouldn't have either of them, they do nothing for me.3.0 straight six vs 2.0 four pot. Hmm clearly the driving enthusiasts wouldn’t want the latter.
I am just aware of how the automotive business works. Like I said, outside of the adenoid-fueled world of PH, most people don't give two hoots how many cylinders a car has.
Gweeds said:
I guess that depends on whether you assess a car based on its engine alone.
you hit the nail on the head.In the UK, BMW could produce a car better than any other and i still would not drive it because it is a BMW.
Some people love Beemers and Mercs but i would
need to be living in Germany to drive one.
Bought a 2017 7.5R Estate a few weeks back to replace an ageing Forester 2.5 XTen manual. Totally different vehicle of course but similarities in abilities that I require - being able to fill the boot with work kit and make good progress in pretty much any conditions and not get unstuck in heavy winter weather if any arrives. I also like the fact that it doesn't stick out - I have a shouty red motorbike with no baffles in the exhausts if I want that.
The vast majority of people who talk them down seem to like to think of themselves as professional ten-tenths helmwrights and are offended by the car having more ability than they really do. In the future I will probably buy something like a Westfield 7 to chuck around on the three or four days of the year when the sun shines and the roads aren't covered in slime and I don't need to carry stuff/kids/dogs or want any comforts/electronic stuff/4wd/DSG. Rest of the time the Golf R does it all better than anything else out there for the money.
The vast majority of people who talk them down seem to like to think of themselves as professional ten-tenths helmwrights and are offended by the car having more ability than they really do. In the future I will probably buy something like a Westfield 7 to chuck around on the three or four days of the year when the sun shines and the roads aren't covered in slime and I don't need to carry stuff/kids/dogs or want any comforts/electronic stuff/4wd/DSG. Rest of the time the Golf R does it all better than anything else out there for the money.
bitcrusher said:
Bought a 2017 7.5R Estate a few weeks back to replace an ageing Forester 2.5 XTen manual. Totally different vehicle of course but similarities in abilities that I require - being able to fill the boot with work kit and make good progress in pretty much any conditions and not get unstuck in heavy winter weather if any arrives. I also like the fact that it doesn't stick out - I have a shouty red motorbike with no baffles in the exhausts if I want that.
The vast majority of people who talk them down seem to like to think of themselves as professional ten-tenths helmwrights and are offended by the car having more ability than they really do. In the future I will probably buy something like a Westfield 7 to chuck around on the three or four days of the year when the sun shines and the roads aren't covered in slime and I don't need to carry stuff/kids/dogs or want any comforts/electronic stuff/4wd/DSG. Rest of the time the Golf R does it all better than anything else out there for the money.
I think, for me, it wasn't that the car's abilities exceeded my own (most cars do that), it was just that it never felt special doing it. I replaced my 7R with a Megane 265 and, while objectively slightly worse, with the Recaro seats, fancy Brembo brakes, and purer steering, it just felt more special more of the time, especially once I had the middle silencer removed. The Golf was a brilliant car, but it just lacked the X-factor in my view.The vast majority of people who talk them down seem to like to think of themselves as professional ten-tenths helmwrights and are offended by the car having more ability than they really do. In the future I will probably buy something like a Westfield 7 to chuck around on the three or four days of the year when the sun shines and the roads aren't covered in slime and I don't need to carry stuff/kids/dogs or want any comforts/electronic stuff/4wd/DSG. Rest of the time the Golf R does it all better than anything else out there for the money.
Same for me really. My Impreza GB270 was objectively worse in almost every area but was more engaging to drive. Part of the reason could be the DSG box although I do quite enjoy that, especially when going over the bridges or tunnels into Manhattan, partly it's because I'm a bit more nervous about the police and low speed-limits here in the US but I think, for me, it's that it's a bit too "insulated".
I do think it's a great car and there aren't many things it can't do well, but it probably means that when I get back to the UK I'll get a second hand estate and a fun car
Mind you - I keep drooling over an RS4 or Alpina B3 touring so...!
I do think it's a great car and there aren't many things it can't do well, but it probably means that when I get back to the UK I'll get a second hand estate and a fun car
Mind you - I keep drooling over an RS4 or Alpina B3 touring so...!
Mannginger said:
it's a bit too "insulated".
Perfect word right there. Sometimes it's nice to be insulated, sometimes it's nice to be exposed to everything. For my daily driver I'm happy with the insulation, but I get what you are saying - my old BMW 328Ci was way slower than the R but more fun to drive apart from in bad weather conditions.scottos said:
I always enjoy reading the comments on Golf R articles 
For me they are the perfect 'enthusiast' daily driver for the UK (or other wet climates). People that say they are dull havent spent enough time driving one and nearly every journalist article on the cars says otherwise but people on the internet with no experience know better of course. I agree you could buy something thats more rewarding to drive but you'll only get that rewarding drive when the conditions are right and 80% of the time they arent.
I'm really a bmw fan boy but the m135/m140 isnt best suited to our weather. I like to go out for drives for the sake of driving and have some very good roads near me. If i got the m135i/ m140i, i'd have wanted to upgrade the suspension or at least fit a proper diff and i think i'd have still been frustrated enough not to bother going on drives out so much in wet/ greasy conditions (i've had this in the past with other powerful open diff bmw's). My previously modified edition 30 gti wouldnt get traction in the wet up to 70-80mph either, useless for the drives i like to do so that went for the journey for a mk5 r32 which was miles better.
Also worth noting you can adjust the haldex 4wd settings with OBD11/ VAGCOM on the mk7 golf r, same with the XDS electronic diff to make them a little sharper.
Similarly most VWAG cars with driving modes have 'straight line running' active in the steering module which provides automatic correction to camber changes, cross winds and torque steer. It makes the car easier to drive but makes the car feel insulating to an enthusiast. I'd be willing to bet the S3 will certainly have this as active as Audi seem to think it gives the car a luxury feel for some crazy reason. It's the first thing I disable as it makes the whole car instantly feel more interactive and alive. Certainly then significantly better than BMWs numb steering too.For me they are the perfect 'enthusiast' daily driver for the UK (or other wet climates). People that say they are dull havent spent enough time driving one and nearly every journalist article on the cars says otherwise but people on the internet with no experience know better of course. I agree you could buy something thats more rewarding to drive but you'll only get that rewarding drive when the conditions are right and 80% of the time they arent.
I'm really a bmw fan boy but the m135/m140 isnt best suited to our weather. I like to go out for drives for the sake of driving and have some very good roads near me. If i got the m135i/ m140i, i'd have wanted to upgrade the suspension or at least fit a proper diff and i think i'd have still been frustrated enough not to bother going on drives out so much in wet/ greasy conditions (i've had this in the past with other powerful open diff bmw's). My previously modified edition 30 gti wouldnt get traction in the wet up to 70-80mph either, useless for the drives i like to do so that went for the journey for a mk5 r32 which was miles better.
Also worth noting you can adjust the haldex 4wd settings with OBD11/ VAGCOM on the mk7 golf r, same with the XDS electronic diff to make them a little sharper.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff