35 yrs ago this month Golf GTi v Escort XR3

[T66ORA]

The motoring press started a rivalry that lasted for nearly 14 yrs, with both cars evolving a few times, both mechanically and bodily.
In November 1980 the first XR3s started being registered, this eagerly awaited car was a obvious rival to the Golf in the new "hot hatch" category. Alfa had responded earlier in the year with a revised Sud 1.5Ti, ok its not a hatch but it was a cheaper rival. Both Ford and Opel had shown warm versions of there Fiesta(Supersport)and Kadett (SR) neither had the engine size or performance to seriously threaten the Golf. Both cars would become larger engined within 18 months, 1600cc (XR2). The Kadett would eventually become the Astra 1.8 GTE in Britain

Back to November 80, VW, well aware of the new Escort, brought there 1981 model GTi out slightly earlier to combat the XR3, new larger rear lights, new dash and seats being the main changes.

Today no self respecting petrol head or PHer would argue that the Golf was a far superior car in every respect to the old 4 speed carb Escort XR3, right..........er..nope.
If you read all the winter 80/81 road tests from the popular motoring press, Autocar, Motor, What car?, and Car( I have got them all, so has SM probably) These two were more evenly matched than you might believe.
The opinions of journalists of the day are as follows.

Styling/showroom appeal...XR3
Performance...............GTi
Handling..................Draw
Road holding/grip.........XR3
Ride..................... GTi
Engine....................GTi
Transmission .............Draw
Brakes....................XR3
Refinement ...............GTi
Fuel economy..............XR3
Overall Costs/Servicing...XR3
Seats.....................Draw
Instrument's..............GTi
Standard equipment........Draw
Options...................XR3
Interior space............XR3
Overall Verdict ..........GTi

So there we have it, the Golf GTi was still the hot hatch to beat, it wins this contest on a slight points decision, not the first round knockout, many today, would have you believe.
The opinion was, its not what they did, but the way in which they did it.
By the winter of 1982 the gap narrowed to basically a matter of personal choice, the Escort had become XR3i with 5 speeds and the Golf had increased engine size to 1800cc, soon every manufacturer had a hot hatch in its stable,some good, some bad. The game moved on quickly, RS Turbo, Golf GTi 16v, Abarth 130 TC and Astra GTE 16v were all fighting for the hot hatch crown by the middle of the decade.
But it was the French that were making massive inroads into the junior end of the hot hatch market, but that's a story for another day.

Me? I`m from Liverpool and wore shell suits, I bought a XR3

The 1980 originals.

Edited by T66ORA on Thursday 19th November 16:05

Edited by T66ORA on Thursday 19th November 16:07

[trickywoo]

Did the XR3 have the dreadful CVH engine when it first came out? What a nail (or bag of) that was.

[Theophany]

T66ORA said:

Me? I`m from Liverpool and wore shell suits, I bought stole a XR3

Fixed.

[Lensey]

1 x Mk1 and 2 x mk2 GTI's for me, MK1 was the best, I miss her

[jontbone]

An enjoyable read, thanks OP.

[zeb]

Theophany said:

T66ORA said:

Me? I`m from Liverpool and wore shell suits, I bought stole a XR3

Fixed.

damn....you beat me to it !

[sinbaddio]

jontbone said:

An enjoyable read, thanks OP.

+1

My mum had an original carb XR3 from new, think it was X reg. I was a nipper at the time and thought it was well cool. However it went back after about six months due to suspension failure, and she ended up with an R18 Turbo (cooler still in my mind).

For me though, it's the Golf every time. Blame that on Paula Hamilton who appeared on the telly screen as I entered into puberty.....

[V8A*ndy]

I remember my XR3 5 speed very fondly.

Having arms like Daley Thompson was a requirement to actually steer the thing.

Then one day my big Sister came home with a 1.9GTI. It was only then I realised how ste the Ford actually was.

Oh the joys of youth...

[Leins]

Nice thread OP, enjoyed that!

Slightly before my era though, I was a young lad when the Mk2 Golf 16v came out and that's still the definitive hot hatch for me

[300bhp/ton]

Cars I've never really got or understood tbh.

I'd rather a Dolly Sprint over either if I needed the room. If not, then a sports car.

Mate had an XR3i back in the late 90's. I actually don't mind the looks tbh. But very much enjoyed over taking him in my supposedly slower TR7 2.0


I owned a very tidy 1.6 Ghia Orion for a while. I sort of enjoyed trashing it. Felt very old inside though, despite being near mint. My 'older' MG Maestro 2.0 EFI was however superior in every way and felt one or two generations newer.


Never really understood the fuss over the Golf tbh. Think it's mostly media hype.

[SuperchargedVR6]

T66ORA said:

Brakes....................XR3

The MK1 GTI had awful brakes, so not surprised the Ford won that one! It also had a terrible heater, naff wipers and 3 candle power headlights. It always amused me how the Germans took a light touch approach on seeing where you're going and stopping - in a 'hot hatch'.

[Slidingpillar]

I had an early XR3i for a couple of years. Engine was the not very good CVH, but it handled brilliantly. On good tyres (I put a set of Yokohama A008s on it) you could go round just about any corner without slowing - it drove like a go cart!

Sold largely because I was fed up with being treated with contempt by other road users.

[graham22]

I would say most of the comparisom results still stand.

Showroom Appeal/Styling - don't forget, the Escort was a very new model and the Golf had been around for 5 years or so and was a little more dated styling wise at that time.

[CorvetteConvert]

I had an RS1600i, very similar to the XR3i IIRC.

[aka_kerrly]

T66ORA said:

T
The opinions of journalists of the day are as follows.

Styling/showroom appeal...XR3
Performance...............GTi
Handling..................Draw
Road holding/grip.........XR3
Ride..................... GTi
Engine....................GTi
Transmission .............Draw
Brakes....................XR3
Refinement ...............GTi
Fuel economy..............XR3
Overall Costs/Servicing...XR3
Seats.....................Draw
Instrument's..............GTi
Standard equipment........Draw
Options...................XR3
Interior space............XR3
Overall Verdict ..........GTi
.

What really matters.

I always liked the mk1 gear shift more than the Escorts at the time, even better with £10 worth of short shifter/weighted shift rod. The brakes I agree with, the standard mk1s were woeful due to the rather horrendous RHD linkage kit. With better mk2 Golf GTI brakes the mk1 would have been close to perfect.

[gforceg]

Thanks OP, enjoyed that piece.

I had all four of the most obvious versions; 1.6 and 1.8 Mk1s and 8V and 16V Mk2s.

[T66ORA]

zeb said:

Theophany said:

T66ORA said:

Me? I`m from Liverpool and wore shell suits, I bought stole a XR3

Fixed.

damn....you beat me to it !

Very good, but Calm down, Calm down.

[T66ORA]

1980 hot hatch performance is laughable by todays standards. But back then it made so called sports cars obsolete over night.
I have averaged the key performance figures from the 4 magazines listed in the OP for you reading pleasure

Lets start with the Golf GTi

MAX....111.7

0-30...3.1s

0-60...8.75s

0-100..31.3s

30-50 in 2nd..3.2s

50-70 in 3rd..6.2s

70-90 in 4th..9.9s

Escort XR3

MAX....112.4

0-30...3.4s

0-60...9.5s

0-100...31.4s

30-50 2nd..3.8s

50-70 3rd..6.1s

70-90 4th..11.7

footnote Golf 5 speed, XR3 4 speed

[Biker's Nemesis]

I'd have the XR3 over the MK1 Golf any day of the week.

[lee_erm]

But everyone on Pistonheads says the XR3 was crap!

The CVH was a fine engine, it's just another case of Pistonhead experts jumping on a bandwagon.

Edited by lee_erm on Thursday 19th November 18:40