Drove the MK7 Golf R
Discussion
Strangely, there have not been any tests of it yet, but lo and behold, there was one at my dealership and I took one for a quick spin. Five doors, DSG.
I didn't have much time with it, but here are some quick thoughts. (I used to have a Mk6 R and now have the MK2 Mini GP)
Looks.
Can't quiet put my finger on it, but somehow it looks blander then before. I also prefer two central exhausts then 4. On winter alloys it looks like an R-Line Golf to be honest. The GTI is more interesting looking inside and out.
Interior.
Blandoori. Grey, more grey, shiny black plastics. A mass of mismatched plastics. Blasted electronic parking brake. Seats seem to have 10% less support then before. Same crap driving position with the front lip of the seat too high. You sit like you've fallen into the toilet. Somehow a lot of trim feels brittle and/or hollow.
Driving.
The new engine is much better then the old one. Sharper throttle response and less lag. The noise is miles better too, although it feels artificial somehow, like it's playing out of your hi-fi. DSG good as always. The brakes are mushier then before. Steering seems unconnected to anything and has no weighting. It rolls quiet a bit.
First impression. Golf 6 R with Golf 7 R engine would be much better. I didn't like the M135i so can't really recommend one over the other.
I didn't have much time with it, but here are some quick thoughts. (I used to have a Mk6 R and now have the MK2 Mini GP)
Looks.
Can't quiet put my finger on it, but somehow it looks blander then before. I also prefer two central exhausts then 4. On winter alloys it looks like an R-Line Golf to be honest. The GTI is more interesting looking inside and out.
Interior.
Blandoori. Grey, more grey, shiny black plastics. A mass of mismatched plastics. Blasted electronic parking brake. Seats seem to have 10% less support then before. Same crap driving position with the front lip of the seat too high. You sit like you've fallen into the toilet. Somehow a lot of trim feels brittle and/or hollow.
Driving.
The new engine is much better then the old one. Sharper throttle response and less lag. The noise is miles better too, although it feels artificial somehow, like it's playing out of your hi-fi. DSG good as always. The brakes are mushier then before. Steering seems unconnected to anything and has no weighting. It rolls quiet a bit.
First impression. Golf 6 R with Golf 7 R engine would be much better. I didn't like the M135i so can't really recommend one over the other.
zeduffman said:
Was it on 19s? Was the DCC any good?
EDIT: just re-read the bit about winter tyres. Don't fancy going back when they have summer tyres on do you?
No DCC. I had my R on 17's and winters and it still felt less mushy.EDIT: just re-read the bit about winter tyres. Don't fancy going back when they have summer tyres on do you?
Not really sure about the raison d'etre for the new R. It's too boring to be a sports hatch (like a Megane RS) and no shopping trolley needs 300 hp.
I think the interior shocked me the most, mismatched trim and lines.
David87 said:
Interesting. I too have an R56 MINI GP and have been considering one of these as a kid-carrying car for me my wife, but wasn't sure it represents very good value. Although not 4WD, the new Leon Cupra 280 might be a better bet.
I would go higher or lower. Either a Golf tdi AWD or a low mileage A class AMG???
Are these being delivered to customers yet?
Could anyone who has received one, let me know how they are getting on with it and in particular, what is the real world fuel economy?
How are they on the motorway? Noise/ride comfort...?
I've read the standard VAG press release, re-hashed everywhere stating 40.9mpg, which means it could just about work for me, but I have this nagging concern that I'd never see that and be forever poor....
Thank you in advance..
Could anyone who has received one, let me know how they are getting on with it and in particular, what is the real world fuel economy?
How are they on the motorway? Noise/ride comfort...?
I've read the standard VAG press release, re-hashed everywhere stating 40.9mpg, which means it could just about work for me, but I have this nagging concern that I'd never see that and be forever poor....
Thank you in advance..
Test drove the Golf R in a 5 Door manual today. The manual is extremely difficult to find as a demo, its taken me a couple of months of searching to find one near me, and I still drove an hour to get there.
The car is comfortable, I'm a big guy and the roominess is good.
(In comparison I find the M135i a bit cramped, which is a shame, who designed the interior door handles !!)
Initially the car, the Golf R, drove great, but after a while the artificial engine noise started to annoy me, it just doesnt sound real.
I would rather have the option to deactivate the sound actuator. Apparently it can be removed, its somewhere around the front windscreen !
It was on 19's with the DCC Adaptive chassis control...we messed around trying the different settings then stuck it in race mode and tried the eco pro, we were averaging around 25 mpg with some hard driving and cruising over a few miles. This seems to be about right for these 2.0 4 cylinder (in my S3 P8 61 plate S tronic I'm getting similar) The Gti PP should be a bit higher otherwise its a waste of time...Insurance is similar for me for all the cars discussed.
To be honest I think the settings are more of a play thing that you will try and then forget about, I noticed a bit of a difference but not massive...but they are fun to have.
It is quick but I would say a DSG will always be quicker but in the end less involved as a driving experience, no torque steer, good clutch and brakes, but it doesnt feel that nimble, it feels planted which is what you want from a 4 wheel drive...it felt safe and quick....very very good if the noise actuator can be changed.
I'm trying to decide whether to go back to manual from an S3 Stronic
In the last few days Ive test driven three cars on my list the Golf R, the Gti performance pack
M135i, too cramped for me, no digital speedo option, fuel economy around 20mpg so not great, rear wheel drive so will need a set of winter tyres/wheels.... but the engine does feel and sound great...couldnt get comfortable though, would have to have the electric memory seats and get used to looking at an analogue speedo again...BMW always seem very close up with their dials, as opposed to the Audi where I struggle to get close enough, the Golf GTI/R is pretty much perfect for me !
Was very impressed with the Golf Gti performance pack, the car I tested was a 3 door...really good, but its a pricey car, and I'm struggling to find one with a high enough spec and right colour combo....whether I could live with the drop in horse power, I dont know. It did feel a bit sharper than than R, its a five grand price difference, on new ones
My next option is to try the new 300PS S3 in manual, a demo nearly new...if its no better than those I'll stick with what Ive got
Main dealers do make me laugh...they give around 5 to 10% off a new car to anyone that asks, then totally undervalue your part ex by 15% to make it back. Insulting people isnt gonna get you any business.
A new Golf R fully specced is almost 40k which is crazy, The Golf Gti Performance pack is around 35k which is also a hell of a lot. The S3 is around 33k as a high spec demo
M135i best prices Ive seen for a 13/14 plate with leather etc is 25K to 28k
I also like the megane Rs 265 cup but wouldnt buy one new, found the brakes quite poor, handling and engine excellent though
20K for a very new pre facelift model.
Best manual all round car so far Ive tried is the golf gti in performance pack, but I expect the Audi S3 to blow it away...maybe not really a fair comparison....we'll see !
The car is comfortable, I'm a big guy and the roominess is good.
(In comparison I find the M135i a bit cramped, which is a shame, who designed the interior door handles !!)
Initially the car, the Golf R, drove great, but after a while the artificial engine noise started to annoy me, it just doesnt sound real.
I would rather have the option to deactivate the sound actuator. Apparently it can be removed, its somewhere around the front windscreen !
It was on 19's with the DCC Adaptive chassis control...we messed around trying the different settings then stuck it in race mode and tried the eco pro, we were averaging around 25 mpg with some hard driving and cruising over a few miles. This seems to be about right for these 2.0 4 cylinder (in my S3 P8 61 plate S tronic I'm getting similar) The Gti PP should be a bit higher otherwise its a waste of time...Insurance is similar for me for all the cars discussed.
To be honest I think the settings are more of a play thing that you will try and then forget about, I noticed a bit of a difference but not massive...but they are fun to have.
It is quick but I would say a DSG will always be quicker but in the end less involved as a driving experience, no torque steer, good clutch and brakes, but it doesnt feel that nimble, it feels planted which is what you want from a 4 wheel drive...it felt safe and quick....very very good if the noise actuator can be changed.
I'm trying to decide whether to go back to manual from an S3 Stronic
In the last few days Ive test driven three cars on my list the Golf R, the Gti performance pack
M135i, too cramped for me, no digital speedo option, fuel economy around 20mpg so not great, rear wheel drive so will need a set of winter tyres/wheels.... but the engine does feel and sound great...couldnt get comfortable though, would have to have the electric memory seats and get used to looking at an analogue speedo again...BMW always seem very close up with their dials, as opposed to the Audi where I struggle to get close enough, the Golf GTI/R is pretty much perfect for me !
Was very impressed with the Golf Gti performance pack, the car I tested was a 3 door...really good, but its a pricey car, and I'm struggling to find one with a high enough spec and right colour combo....whether I could live with the drop in horse power, I dont know. It did feel a bit sharper than than R, its a five grand price difference, on new ones
My next option is to try the new 300PS S3 in manual, a demo nearly new...if its no better than those I'll stick with what Ive got
Main dealers do make me laugh...they give around 5 to 10% off a new car to anyone that asks, then totally undervalue your part ex by 15% to make it back. Insulting people isnt gonna get you any business.
A new Golf R fully specced is almost 40k which is crazy, The Golf Gti Performance pack is around 35k which is also a hell of a lot. The S3 is around 33k as a high spec demo
M135i best prices Ive seen for a 13/14 plate with leather etc is 25K to 28k
I also like the megane Rs 265 cup but wouldnt buy one new, found the brakes quite poor, handling and engine excellent though
20K for a very new pre facelift model.
Best manual all round car so far Ive tried is the golf gti in performance pack, but I expect the Audi S3 to blow it away...maybe not really a fair comparison....we'll see !
Edited by ALXJ on Monday 26th May 18:52
So I just went and test drove one today. Black 5 door DSG. Super disappointed! Although I'm wondering what exactly I was expecting....
I think part of it is where I'm coming from....I have a Mk5 GTI (well specced 3 door manual) and in my job drive a lot of stuff with a lot of power. This means I'm a) spoilt and b) super critical of cars.
Everything about the car is fantastically well engineered and calibrated. The DSG is very impressive, throttle maps are good and the steering cal (considering it's EPAS) does a very good impression of HPAS (apart from the occasional bit of stickiness or catchup).
But....and here's the thing, it doesn't feel like a 296bhp car, and if blind folded, I'd honestly think I was in a brand new Mk5 GTI! I back to backed my car with the R on the same roads, and the difference in performance is so marginal it's hard to detect. But I guess, with 4wd sapping some of the power, an extra 100kg (plus perhaps 60kg for the saleswoman) and 'improved' NVH, it doesn't really give much more over the Mk5.....real world, it's probably equivalent to 250bhp perhaps? That's what I'd think it was if I knew none of the specs. Perhaps also the Mk5 GTI really was just 'that' good. It was a class leading car at the time, and from the reviews I read of the Mk6, better than that car by some margin.
However...it is a good car, just not an amazing one. It's probably better in many ways than a Megane 265 (I'd say that feels approximately similar in straight line performance) but is a lot less tinny inside and has a lot more toys and the added benefit of AWD traction. But then as I said, what was I expecting?
I'd also say the active damping is a waste of time, and the sound actor thing sounds better in the flesh than on videos, but rattles (!) in some situations. It looks classy and understated, and fulfils the autobahn stormer hatch thing very well. It's a bit of a bargain at £31k for the DSG car as well. But it's not special in the sense that the original Mk4 R32 was.
So, in summary...I'd say it's a good car, but not a great one. I think it's what the GTI should feel like (the performance seems like the Mk5 plus another 10-15%), but it's not what I'd expect from a 'top of the range performance Golf'. Maybe it leaves room for the R 400? Although that would need to be seriously quick to genuinely entertain/justify the price.
It's back to the drawing board for me....the finance wasn't good enough to make it a 'I'd be stupid not to' choice. I'm sure whoever buys one will think it's a really nice and very capable car, but it lacks emotion. It feels very, very German. It lacks soul!
I think part of it is where I'm coming from....I have a Mk5 GTI (well specced 3 door manual) and in my job drive a lot of stuff with a lot of power. This means I'm a) spoilt and b) super critical of cars.
Everything about the car is fantastically well engineered and calibrated. The DSG is very impressive, throttle maps are good and the steering cal (considering it's EPAS) does a very good impression of HPAS (apart from the occasional bit of stickiness or catchup).
But....and here's the thing, it doesn't feel like a 296bhp car, and if blind folded, I'd honestly think I was in a brand new Mk5 GTI! I back to backed my car with the R on the same roads, and the difference in performance is so marginal it's hard to detect. But I guess, with 4wd sapping some of the power, an extra 100kg (plus perhaps 60kg for the saleswoman) and 'improved' NVH, it doesn't really give much more over the Mk5.....real world, it's probably equivalent to 250bhp perhaps? That's what I'd think it was if I knew none of the specs. Perhaps also the Mk5 GTI really was just 'that' good. It was a class leading car at the time, and from the reviews I read of the Mk6, better than that car by some margin.
However...it is a good car, just not an amazing one. It's probably better in many ways than a Megane 265 (I'd say that feels approximately similar in straight line performance) but is a lot less tinny inside and has a lot more toys and the added benefit of AWD traction. But then as I said, what was I expecting?
I'd also say the active damping is a waste of time, and the sound actor thing sounds better in the flesh than on videos, but rattles (!) in some situations. It looks classy and understated, and fulfils the autobahn stormer hatch thing very well. It's a bit of a bargain at £31k for the DSG car as well. But it's not special in the sense that the original Mk4 R32 was.
So, in summary...I'd say it's a good car, but not a great one. I think it's what the GTI should feel like (the performance seems like the Mk5 plus another 10-15%), but it's not what I'd expect from a 'top of the range performance Golf'. Maybe it leaves room for the R 400? Although that would need to be seriously quick to genuinely entertain/justify the price.
It's back to the drawing board for me....the finance wasn't good enough to make it a 'I'd be stupid not to' choice. I'm sure whoever buys one will think it's a really nice and very capable car, but it lacks emotion. It feels very, very German. It lacks soul!
va1o said:
I'm wondering if its just a little bit too clinical? The Mk5 GTI has quite a lot of character and sense of occasion.
If I assessed the car without knowing what it was I'd probably say it felt like a good development of the Mk5 GTI. It feels very similar in character, but marginally quicker. It's a good car, but if you're coming from a Mk5 GTI or similar, I just don't feel like it's worth it. The Mk5 is 80% of the car for 25% of the money! My first comment when I floored it in 2nd gear was 'have I got it in Eco mode'?Best description I can give it is 'Mk5 GTI with an extra 40 bhp, more traction, a snazzy Sat Nav, Bluetooth Audio and a few other modern toys'.
Interestingly....I've never timed the 0-60 on my GTI. They're supposed to be about 7.2 for the manual. 2 runs and I got 6 and a bit. One with TCS still on (and holding it back), the other with it off and lots of wheelspin. I reckon 2nd gear flat out, there'd be naff all in it between the two. Certainly not enough to really make any difference.
All I will say is coming from a 180bhp Skoda Octavia RS to the Mk5 GTI, I remember being genuinely shocked just how much quicker it felt for an alleged 20bhp difference. And I had a go in a GT86 recently and that felt really asthmatic in comparison. I'm 99% sure my car is standard (a friend has a Mk5 GTI also, and mine came from a VW dealer as Approved Used) so it obviously just feels like a quick engine for 200bhp.
Edited by RacerMike on Monday 7th July 19:53
Interesting thoughts. I think our Mk V GTI we have had from new is unrefined, uncomfortable yet rolls too much, skips on bumpy roads, sounds poor, has no steering feel, poor brakes, poor quality interior away from your immediate field of view, poor traction in the wet, only understeers and is unreliable. It doesn't depreciate much and has good economy, but it is a shopping car and no more despite the folklore. The idea of the Mk VII being a contender has gone out the window if it is only a slight improvement, even if I do have a legitimate business through which to lease it.
We had a few days between my wife's company vRS 180 and her own GTI 200, they felt very similar to me. She likes it, otherwise I would have got rid of it years ago. Hateful car, only second to E46 M3.
We had a few days between my wife's company vRS 180 and her own GTI 200, they felt very similar to me. She likes it, otherwise I would have got rid of it years ago. Hateful car, only second to E46 M3.
Edited by john banks on Monday 7th July 20:16
ALXJ said:
I also like the megane Rs 265 cup but wouldnt buy one new, found the brakes quite poor,
What was wrong with them ? Is that because they're not over servoed like most German performance hatches' brakes ?The one I drove had fantastic OE brakes, they did need a push but that was not at the detriment of power obviously and it gave them far better modulation than the usual (Audi/BMW/VW) on/off switch feel.
I was lucky enough to drive the R, the S3 and the Magane 265 on a press thing recently. IMHO the S3 is much better than the R - it does feel a lot more expensive from the inside, and smaller/nimbler as well. The Megane, work of genius that it is, is a different kettle of fish. The R is a lovely car, but it feels quite a bit larger than the previous generation.
I own the new R and an m5 (e39)...I had many of the same thoughts about performance and involvement when I picked it up but after a week in it I had completely changed my mind. Spend s little time in these and they really gel. The performance is silly once you understand it and how to deploy it. I thought the m5 had more charge, now I know different. It may lack some drama compared to a massive v8 but it has amazing comfort and ability and I think the interior is great. It's very comfortable and well screwed together! I should add mine is a manual aka real man edition 
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