VW Golf R road test

[s m]

In Autocar today

Tested in the streaming wet

0-60 4.8
0-100 12.0

Ss 1/4 13.4 @ 105.2mph

30-70 4.3

1410kg ( 143kg lighter than 2006 R32 Golf )

Average mpg 28.7mpg

[Veeayt]

Impressive stats for a golf

[s m]

Veeayt said:

Impressive stats for a golf

Shame they couldn't get a dry lap time for it because of the weather

[Basil Hume]

Very impressive...DSG (especially for 30-70 figure)? I suspect it has low transmisson losses and / or higher output from the factory too. I'd expect similar figures for the new S3.

As a Golf R32 Mk5 driver, the only things I'd miss are the noise and a discretion (no need for 4 tailpipes IMO).

[s m]

Basil Hume said:

Very impressive...DSG (especially for 30-70 figure)? I suspect it has low transmisson losses and / or higher output from the factory too. I'd expect similar figures for the new S3.

As a Golf R32 Mk5 driver, the only things I'd miss are the noise and a discretion (no need for 4 tailpipes IMO).

Yes, correct, it was the DSG model

[Vladimir]

Is the box tuned for the car?

The DSG boxes I have used have made me angry.

[Actus Reus]

Then buy a manual - it's cheaper.

Doesn't a DSG box learn your driving style to an extent? Perhaps you just made the DSG angry?

[GravelBen]

IS that mpg figure what they actually got while testing it? Or just the manufacturer's lab figure?

[anonymous-user]

Vladimir said:

Is the box tuned for the car?

The DSG boxes I have used have made me angry.

But you get angry with everyone and everything

[aka_kerrly]

GravelBen said:

IS that mpg figure what they actually got while testing it? Or just the manufacturer's lab figure?

Fairly sure Autocar quote their figure during testing.

Those times are dam quick, faster than 90s supercars!

[Ali_T]

Same as Mitsi quoted for the Evo X FQ300 SST so entirely plausible. But has it got character and is it fun to drive? The old R32s might have been slower, but that engine made up for all their flaws. This has piped exhaust noise IIRC, which is just wrong IMHO. I'm still waiting for the local VW dealer to get back to me with figures and a test drive. Getting bored waiting though. Everytime I phone I get a 12 year old girl telling me all the sales staff are busy and taking my number. No-one ever gets back. Bad start that. If that's how they sell cars, what will the after sales service be like! It's not all about performance figures!

Edited by Ali_T on Wednesday 9th April 13:22

[GravelBen]

aka_kerrly said:

GravelBen said:

IS that mpg figure what they actually got while testing it? Or just the manufacturer's lab figure?

Fairly sure Autocar quote their figure during testing.

Those times are dam quick, faster than 90s supercars!

Pretty good fuel economy if thats the case, testers usually drive things fairly hard.

Similar performance figures to 90s rally-reps!

[Lucas Ayde]

Veeayt said:

Impressive stats for a golf

Impressive stats for anything around the 30k (new) mark.

The fact that to the average person it could easily pass for a standard Golf is a major plus point too, IMO. I definitely like the idea of a common car that has sportscar-level performance.

[Vladimir]

Actus Reus said:

Then buy a manual - it's cheaper.

Doesn't a DSG box learn your driving style to an extent? Perhaps you just made the DSG angry?

I like autos or manuals. This "in between" stuff is annoying. It's why the only option we didn't tick on the van was DSG.

Anyway, good numbers for the Golf but I still don't want one.

[pti]

aka_kerrly said:

GravelBen said:

IS that mpg figure what they actually got while testing it? Or just the manufacturer's lab figure?

Fairly sure Autocar quote their figure during testing.

Those times are dam quick, faster than 90s supercars!

Quoted figure will be a lot higher I'd imagine. Seems like a decent package to be honest.

[Actus Reus]

Shame it was raining - would have been interested to see how quick it was on the dry circuit. Mullered the BMW in the wet, but that's hardly a surprise with 4WD. Anyway, I'm looking forward to mine - but since I'm driving a 10 year old Corolla at the moment, that is not a great surprise.

[Vladimir]

In Autocar - Yet despite the increase in size, Volkswagen says the new three-door Golf R has shed 45kg, bringing its kerb weight down to 1476kg in manual guise - that's exactly the same weight as the mk4 R32 I had.

[s m]

GravelBen said:

IS that mpg figure what they actually got while testing it? Or just the manufacturer's lab figure?

Average over testing period.

They got 12.6 mpg for the track testing and 33.7mpg on the Touring route.

Claimed Urban = 32.1, Extra-urban 47.9, combined 40.9

[hondansx]

Lucas Ayde said:

Veeayt said:

Impressive stats for a golf

Impressive stats for anything around the 30k (new) mark.

The fact that to the average person it could easily pass for a standard Golf is a major plus point too, IMO. I definitely like the idea of a common car that has sportscar-level performance.

And this is why it is frustrating when i see people write stuff like "£40k for a Golf!!!!".

Remove the badges, and look at what you get for the price; a rocketship that swallows a family and can do 40mpg. You have to spend A LOT more to step up from what the Golf offers.

Edited by hondansx on Wednesday 9th April 14:32

[elementad]

While on paper it looks good, I'm still struggling to understand how much pace it and the m135i must lose on corners compared to the Peugeot RCZ R which Autoexpress show on its track battle that it laps quicker than those other two in the damp as opposed to the dry laps the Golf R and M135i had.