Is the 2023 VW Golf R a BETTER hot hatch than a Toyota GR Corolla?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 16. 06. 2023
- This Golf R is in its 8th generation and VW brought it back for more in 2023. On the outside you will see a familiar shape with special touches. There are 19in wheels, unique rear wing and new "R" badge. On the inside there is leather interior, large infotainment system and digital gauge cluster. Under the hood there is a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 that produces 315HP & is mated to a 6-peed manual and AWD. Is the 2023 VW Golf R a BETTER hot hatch than a Toyota GR Corolla?
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Videography: Steven Flood đ„ - Auta a dopravnĂ prostĆedky
I don't care what car you're reviewing, I just love the off the cuff comments in all your content! Very entertaining. Plus, you do a great job of high lighting what the car does well and what the joys of ownership would be. There are too many channels that spend 20 minutes talking about what's wrong with a car and its off putting. Keep it up!
Itâs awesome how both hot hatches youâre comparing both have a 6 speed manual. Thatâs the way they should be bought
You are so very right mAtt
Why?
@@AmericanBusinessman422 theyâre a lot more enjoyable and fun to drive with a manual
I agree with the 6 speed manual. fun to drive
If you like transmissions that feel like a toy. im a spoiled s2k owner. I think i will buy the golf r as my daily as dsg and my s2k will go back to be the weekend car
A sweet ride and as always an excellent review. Congrats again on over 1,000,000 subs đđœ
Joe you are so good at giving your truth on the reviews. Im only watch you for my next vehicle. You and the Team keep up the great work.
I have a Mk8 R and I just wanted to point out some corrections. Iâll edit as I keep watching the video.
1). All of the cars donât have engine covers. This isnât just your press car. Thereâs a recall about them coming in contact with hot parts and melting or something. I think they came loose and moved around was the issue. Regardless, they havenât been on cars in a while. So any new purchasers, donât expect one.
2) The 0-60 for the manual isnât 4s. For the DSG it is but the manual is a tad slower. The 1/4 mile time of low 13âs is accurate for manual though. (DSG is like 12.5). **tuned DSG (stage 1) is like 11.4ish for those wondering**
3). Everyone I know who has a radar detector taps them in the mirror :P. Not a âcorrectionâ but Iâm just saying.
4). To be fair, you *clearly* moved and tried to turn the heated wheel on. It was clear as day lol. Iâve driven my car now for over a year and never once came close to hitting it accidentally. Theyâre haptic buttons, not just touch sensitive. You have to âpressâ them still. For those watching, itâs not nearly as easy as people make it seem. The system is intuitive and really is hassle free when you own it for a day or so.
5). Big one here, there IS a heads up display (HUD). I donât know why he said there isnât, maybe his car has it turned off. But it shows your speed, speed limit, traffic alerts with the lane and cruise info, navigation directions, etc. Itâs fully adjustable and moveable in the settings.
6). The DSG has launch control :)
Excellent points! I own a 2023 20th Anniversary for four months now and not a single issue with the steering wheel button being inadvertently activated.
*C&D got 3.9 for DSG and 4.9 for manual...
I own a 2018 Golf R completely stock and itâs always calling me to come drive it! đ very addictive car to own. They are definitely driverâs machines
Joe those left to right transitions and you laughing made me smile from ear to ear!!! And awesome job Steven
Iâm so glad you could take the ride with me!
I've got a 2023 Golf R (manual). I love how enthusiastic he is in this review. One thing I noticed, it does have a heads up display (HUD). Sounds like it might have been turned off.
I had no idea they did a Golf R in manual still, repsect.
@@FragGile Yeah, for the MK8 the manuals were North American exclusive.
My dad has this car and let me drive it. The HUD is impossible to see with some polarized glasses.
@@FragGile 2024 is the last year with the manual
Had a dip on the GR. I switched to the R. I need it to not only rip, I need it to haul my every day tasks without looking like a midlife crisis. I do like the way the GR looks, but ultimately, I like clean lines & more sophisticated looks.
Just picked up a GTI because I could get it for MSRP. If it wasnât for markups, the Golf R would be tempting. However, I have already fallen in love with my GTI. Such a fun car. And yes- manual is the way to go.
I recently purchased a 2023 20th Anniversary R in manual and in addition to the power, the ride is phenomenal. I also love the fact that it is a sleeper car.
Youâre lucky! I just picked up a 23 Jetta Sport 6-speed because all the GTIâs near me were marked up and I really wanted a 40th Anniversary Edition. They wanted $3-5k over for them which was just ridiculous.
@@DM72513 that is crazy. A couple dealers in my area were actually doing 3-4 k off the autobahn trim and I saw a discounted 40th edition. I wasnât planning on buying but when I saw the spec I wanted in the exact color for MSRP, I had to go check it out.
2018 GTI Autobahn love it. R's are often traded in @ 3 years
@@jimsimpson546 usually due to warranty expiration or any reason why?
The short answer is: YES, of course. That thing is ballistic. Standard ones eat sportscars for lunch. APR tuned version can beat supercars.
Amazing review as always!
This was my dream car, but dealerships are so greedy the last 2 years they mark up this car 10k literally everywhere I looked across the country. So I got an Audi S3 instead for MSRP no mark up. I do wish Audi would have brought the S3 hatch to the states, but I'm happy with the sedan for now.
Good choice Audi s3 way hotter
Even without markup for the S3, you didn't really save much vs the golf R.
@@porfiriato84 you can find new s3 as low as 49 k at dealers lots , but golf r basically same price so I agree
@hwoo562 51k vs 55k and Audi has much nicer interior and actually has buttons and its an Audi. Only zonk is no ventilated seats
@@Topazviper1 way nicer interior and exterior lol
Just gotta say your video intro is perfect: great (compelling) music, graphics, and perfect short length! The intro really sets an exciting stage. đ
Thatâs so awesome of you to say John
@@RaitisRides Likewise, Joe!! đ
I was just thinking about the golf R as a GR corolla alternative yesterday (because apparently the wait is over 2 years for a GR corolla in my part of Canada) and this video comes up. perfect timing
Oh wow thatâs crazy! Iâm glad that I could bring it to you!
Wait till VW adds buttons back for MK8.5
Thatâs a safe bet
Jose Canseco bobble head doll with a syringe and a bag comment was an absolute classic. Love the content.
Thanks for letting me share the laughs
hey Raiti, congrats on 1 million subscribers! I've been your follower since way way back. definitely way before 100k followers. You're the best bro!
Joe u the man⊠love ur reviews and side comments!
20:14
I have a B7 S4 in 6spd, and the travel distance between the brake and gas pedals are similar - too far apart with the brake pedal being far up. I can easily heel toe downshift NOW, but it took a few weeks of tinkering my foot position to get it right. My previous s2k and e46 m3 didn't have these issues, and heel toeing was a breeze. I wish these types of cars had adjustable pedals lol.
I havenât seen you smile and laugh like this in a long time. These are great cars.
Nothing beats a volume knob and physical HVAC controls.
Bring back the basics, VW.
Y'all overreact every time with that.
@@porfiriato84VW was always about ergonomics and easy operation. No looking and know where everything is with ease.
Only physical buttons allow that. VW even admits they made a mistake on this model. Next model, they will go back to physical buttons.
Also haptic feedback buttons are a bad trend in a vehicle. Ferrari did it and nothing but issues too. More complaints.
Itâs been rumored that VW is bringing back physical buttons and knobs next year.
Agreed. I would have to get the piano black or gloss black around the infotainment and cluster wrapped with something matte. Too much dust/fingerprints/scratches and reflection for me.
i prefer the body style of the golf way more.....but i trust more the reliability of corolla
I get cars by value and performance--I bought a Kona N out of all these cars because of the markups of the Golf--Civic and corolla--all were 10 to 15k more then a Kona and the wet dct clutch on the Kona gets it off the line very fast.BTW at the price thy are asking you can get an AWD Stinger with a 3.3 TT v6 which i had for a year and it is faster then these cars and I have had zero problems with hyundai products and dragged all of them at public drag a few times.Price for price i would get the Golf R--because after 100 mph the corolla 1.6 runs out of steam compared to a 2 litre turbo.
If you think Toyota is reliable then you have been brainwashed by the marketing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one
That EAAA motor is extremely reliable, in all kinds of VW Audi cars
New Toyotas are just like any other brand in reliability at this point. Plus coming from someone with a 2019 GLI and had a 2017 Alltrack, the EA888 Gen 3 and 4 motors are VERY reliable
"That soft felt lining will make sure you don't scratch your french fries." SOLD! đ
The man's a poet.
Hey Joe! Unexpected Car review. I just wanna say that I love your content!
You are the best!
@@RaitisRides Thank you!
Looks nice and looks good Joe .
Thanks Steve!
He is a great guy!
I got a 2015 MK 7 Golf R and freakin' love it ! đđ
I canât get enough of your videos, they are too quality and exactly the commentary I need !!! â€
Golf R. Had a 2012 GTI and it still is the winner as my favorite car of the cars ive owned. The level of fun is just so high in the GTI/Golf R. For a mid 30 year old, this Golf R just seems more mature and subtle than the Corolla. Hands down Golf R or even a GTI.
Thanks for sharing the great ownership experience
Also owned a 2012 GTI that I bought new. So many issues with it. Turbo going out at 60,000 miles, regulator in a rear window went out, water got in the cabin every time it rained. Just so many issues for something I took very good care of. Great car for the first 4ish years of ownership. A constant headache for the next four years. But was definitely fun to drive when new.
3 years 92k miles not one issue. Got totaled when I was rear-ended by a kid on his phone.
Awesome Steven you have got a nice eye to catch the small details on the car đ â€đ
Great work Steven for noticing the details.
He really has a good eye!
The lack of buttons is a real irk for me. It makes no sense to have to access a computer in order to heat my seat. Plus, I need real control over the volume. I can't fumble for that when hitting a bit of twisty road. I call that unsafe at any speed...
Excellent points for sure!
The problem is how they integrated it. I have all my climate controls in a screen but itâs a massive screen in my ford edge and all the climate stuff is always at the bottom of the screen, no matter what menu you go into and while their was an adjustment, the way itâs set up makes it easy to get used to. The way they did it in this golf is just sloppy.
I love that you gave tribute to the VW R32
I would take this over a GR Corolla only if its reliability is excellent. This car is much better looking with its clean purposeful styling.
The golf 8 looks awful all around
VW reliable? hmm
I would go with Toyota quality and reliability !!!
Toyotas are extremely basic and boring. This car is exciting and the DSG gearbox is unbelievable.. really feels like something out of a 100k sports car. Toyotas donât feel like that. If you are a true enthusiast you would go for the golf R. Just test drive them and see.
Can't believe Joe didn't zonk the rear wiper!
Itâs a hatchback
Love that the camera guyâs name is Stephen haha , fell in love with this car today and currently locating one.
22:04 I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure there is a head-up display, it can show your speed and warnings. Great review though!
Have driven both and the GR clutch/shifter/ driving feel is so much better. Great feedback from the clutch, crisp (but long ) shifter throws, you do get more technology with the R tho. Both easily dailyable but the GR takes it for me. Also the fact the R doesnt have autorev-downshifting is wild at the price point its at, considering the GR does get it.
so The vVW has a true manual shift?
The less technology would be more appealing for me
@@pmscalisi well auto rev match is technology
@@toledotoledo7297 I think drivetrain tech is a positive thing. Iâm no fan of all the other bells and whistles
How did you know I was eating a Twinkie? :) Great reviews Joe!! and Stevenâs camera handling, awesome seemless job!
I have to be honest here. You had the best time of your life driving this Golf R. Kinda wish you wouldâve spent more time behind the wheel. Your camera man who spotted the Golf in the Taillights excellent details. I love the beautiful views you captured while on the course. I also admired the end shot as well. I definitely love the Golf R but the price of $48K is outrageous.
I am just glad that I could share it with you!
Wanted one of these so bad lol. All dealers around me had it marked up to 60k.
Ended up buying a new Stinger GT2 instead.
Same I had to fly to the mid-west to get a deal and drive it 1,200 miles home đ
Amazing you have finally brought the manual golf R.
I prefer the Golf R for the following reasons...
- Larger so it's more practical
- 1 extra cylinder for more potential power with upgrades
- More comfortable ride in comfort mode with adaptive dampers
- Also even though I enjoy manual, I do enjoy a dual clutch too. For a enthusiast with back issues like me this is HIGHLY appreciated!
I agree
Toyotas are 100% more reliable than vw's Volkswagens in my opinion are not very good vehicles always something going wrong with them
@@dobermanguy9437 6 years & 61k miles on my GTI and not a single issue so far. Toyota may be a little more reliable, but VW is not unreliable from my experience. If you arenât keeping the vehicle beyond 100k miles its a non-issue.
@@dobermanguy9437nope they are not
@@dobermanguy9437vw are reliable too
Hey Joe, Great review on the Volkswagen R, You said it had a air cooled engine, no liquid cooled, did you miss the radiator?
I will forgive you for that, but do not let it happen again! If you want some crackles and pops, just put a stage 1 tune on it.
If you want a beast, put a stage 2 on it. Thanks for the review.
Very good reviewing a car đ€â
I appreciate that
Love the R! I'd love finding a Spektrum R one day and holding onto it for a long time.
Great review as always! I love my 2017 Golf R. It's the most fun to drive car I've ever owned...I wonder if there's any chance VW will listen to the negative feedback they've been getting and go back to buttons and knobs?
Love my my 2018 7.5 R Lapiz blue. I wish it came with the xenon and most importantly the Pretoria wheels but still a great car.
I doubt it. Changing back would be an admission of defeat. I think they will keep them as long as people keeping buying new GTIs/Rs. And dealer markups indicate theyâre not having any problems moving units.
@@ericcarson342 I love the Lapiz Blue....couldn't get it when I bought my R. I got the Limestone Gray. It is a great car. The Pretorias look amazing, but I took mine off. I lived in NYC metro area at the time and the roads were terrible. So many flats and blow outs with those things I swapped down to 18" BBS wheels.
At least they'll change back to buttons on the steering wheel. Not sure if they'll do the same on the infotainment
I have had my R for four months now and although I anticipated issues with the info center, as most reviewers have brought up, I have not had a problem. I also have yet to accidentally activate the steering wheel heat button even once.
I bought one. Love it.
Your comment about Jose canseco had me laughing out loud. Just like you were in the "twisty bits " Another awesome video!
I think a lot of the negatives were blown out of proportion. It took me a day and a half to get used to not having buttons. I actually love it. There are 4 buttons below the screen that get you directly to the drive mode screen, air conditioning options, park assist. Very easy to use and it actually works really well. HK sound is fantastic once you set the equalizer as they are set neutral from factory. Love the look of the GR Corolla as well but the R just looks more adult. Sleeper. I actually prefer that over the flashy Corolla or type R.
you can also get used to being locked in a prison, but that doesn't mean it's great. Having buttons, especially for the climate is the best. VW's approach is really stupid
@@silimarina. I actually love the interface. Especially love the capacitive buttons on the steering wheel.
Joe, I know you know this but you said drift mode sends all the torque to the rear wheels. The torque sensing diff get no more than half the total torque but can send all of that to one rear wheel. Itâs a hokey drift simulation but that doesnât detract from the excellence of the R for the street. If you want a car for the track, look elsewhere (Camaro SS 1LE?) for for an all weather daily thatâs rewarding to drive, the R is hard to beat. I might buy one if they ditch the haptic controls before it goes away.
I've been on a waiting list for a Golf R for almost a year now. The dealer has only received 3 this year and they don't expect anymore for the 2023 model year. Hopefully I'll be able to get one in 2024. In the meantime I bought a GTI 40th Anniversary Edition . Great car!
Joe, you are such a vital presence for the car enthusiast community. You consistently deliver and bring the people what they want. I was grinning ear to ear and laughing along with you as you were tearing through those twisty bits. Thank you for everything you do!
P.S. I think I would take the Golf R over the GR Corolla every day of the week and twice on Sundays!
If someone canât love themselves then they canât love somebody else. I love how Joe just thinks of this stuff on the spur of the moment , pure genius my man !!!
Thanks Steven I really appreciate that
@@RaitisRides Np my man Iâve been watching you since the beginning and love how youâve grown!! Congratulations!!!
Haa, you are so sweet... đ
Yes, the answer is YES! Itâs much more handsome snd the interior feels more in line with the asking price. The Corolla is fun, but the interior is straight rent-A- Car
Joe Iâm Definitely digging that color
There is a head up display that shows you speed limit and your speed.
I love the term "All-Wheel-Drive Supremacy"! I was the guy in the back with the twinkie screaming "red" Wish it was a two door vice 4. Just my preference. Engine Prop rods are fine. Six-speed manual all the way for me! That GR Corolla engine seems too small, but Toyota overall has better reliability than Volkswagen. The Volkswagen seats look real nice. Well at least the infotainment is a touchscreen. Wish the steering was drive-by-wire. That would be so cool. Nice job as usual Joe!
The GR is a smaller car and the visibility isn't that great. About the size of the '05 WRX I owned. With on the six speed, it is the way to go on a performance car
Joe, you forgot to zonk the rear wiper.
Hey Joe, they actually don't come with an engine cover from the factory anymore. They were catching fire and haven't came out with a replacement.
I just had one delivered with the cover on it
Iâll take this over the GR any day of the year.
If you could mix last gen interior and exterior of this gen it would be the best ever
Nice, might consider one!
Dealers in the Chicago area are asking up to $59K for an R and all are automatic. I lucked out last year and got one of the few 2022 GTI 6sp's available and had to pay full sticker of $40. Not sure I'll ever be able to afford that R, but it's a great car!
Where? The ones I have seen have been between 46k and 50k. I live just outside the city.
@@killfox101 That is the list price. Contact them and request the ASKING price. No one in Chicago is selling for less than $5K over sticker. I drove nearly 400 to a dealership in Missouri that had a '24 R 6sp with a much better price. It was worth the long drive and I'm a happy man!
tight⊠the laughing around 30:20 was great⊠your welcome in cali with the sweet canyon roads anytime Joe
Thanks for saying that and letting me share it with you! I already want to come back!
Did you feel the rear power kick in at all? Thoughts?
No hot hatch will ever beat Golf R đ„
except there are planty of hot hatches that beat Golf R on a track
Lmao, CTR says hello, which is the "hot hatch" king.
can you turn off the any of the buttons from the settings menu just so you dont accidentally hit it while doing the twisty bits ?
Sucks that here in PR the dealer markup is 20k or close to that on most cars. Really like this Golf R!
Love those wheels. Love those seats too
They really are great
32:18 that bag would literally be my dog if I got this carđ
I'm pretty sure there is a heads up display on this car it was probably just turned off pretty sure you can see the projector in the reflection on the windshield
Test drove one recently. Dsg. Had a HUD display.
Eagle Steven & on throttle with a smile on my face,& hands sweating đ
Joe I can relate to that feeling of fun fun fun driving VW and that is the perfect road for that bad boy R!!! As some Golf fanatics say it is the poor manâs Porsche. Well letâs just have some kind of respect for the road users sorry guys Joeâs laughs and smile on his face is just being truthful. Wear your safety belts, keep your eyes on the road, NO TEXTING.
you mentioned wishing that there was a hud in the golf R. my mk8r manual actually has one
Vw is the best in its category hand down
Miss the 2 door! I'd take the Manual and a lot of Speed parts to add..
Your reviews are consistent and top notch but I have never seen a video where you were laughing this much with joy while driving. Looks like the VW truly gave you the driving enjoyment. Thanks again for another great review.
You missed out on the LC (yes the manual has LC) and the drift mode.
Thanks for the heads up!
Beautiful!
Hey Joe, the MK8 Golf R puts out 310 pound-feet of torque compared to the previous gen which had 280 pound-feet of torque. I checked cause I found that a bit low. I have a BMW X2 M35i and it puts out 332 pound-feet of torque with the B48 inline 4 turbo.
Thanks for the great info
Nah, it's 310TQ in the UK, US figures are 295TQ for the DSG and 280 for the 6sd manual.
Itâs amazing so much thought and engineering on the drive train isnât reflected in the lackluster controls on the interior. Iâm in the market for a sleeper hot hatch and Iâm actually considering getting a used MK7 because of the shitty interior design on the MK 8
The 333 golf R only in Europe sells for $80k and sold out in 8 minutes. Lastly the DSG MK8 GTI performance is on par, and beats in many instances, the manual R. All manuals are gone for 2024 too
Thanks for the info Steve
Straight line acceleration is quite a bit slower in the manual R vs DSG. Car and Driver did 0-60 in 4.9s with the manual and 3.9s in the DSG. And if you plan to increase HP with a mod chip the DSG will hold up with the power, the manual won't without a clutch disc upgrade.
Wanted a Golf R but settled for a GTI instead because the new R was not available in 2021 at the time, and even if it was, not sure I would have gone with it because of the big price difference. Yes, you might get a little better performance with the R, but I tell you what, my GTI is not too shabby. I'm still digging it.
This is what the integer Type S should be priced at!!
What would you price the Type R then?
@@RaitisRides 42k for Type R. 45k for Type S, even 47k for Type S isn't bad. 52k is just absurd I'm sorry
Except you struggle to find a golf r at msrp for the mk8
Agree. Love the Teggy Type S. $52 is too much money for it.
@@Hiddentrax fact is you canât buy type r with less than 50kđ
100%! Theyâve been making GTI/Golf since, forever.
Now my car to buy!
I can see you in this one!
I think reviewers should really stop mentioning MSRP as a thing since everywhere you look they are really no where near those prices anymore.
I love my golf r. Itâs great for those roads. Really itâs enough power. Was it worth 10k over msrpâŠ.. probably.
The DSG Golf R is in a performance bracket above the GR Corolla, CTR, ITS, etc. 400+ HP with a tune and the transmission advantage competes with the $50-60k+ performance cars.
I hope it competes with $50k cars ; considered all the dealers In Ohio Pennsylvania Virginia NC and SC are quoting $55-63k out the door.
Didnât know they still made these. Never see any on the road.
Tell me about it Tom
That Jose Canseco comment had me in tears lmao đ€Ł
Joe it looks like you're liking those California twisty Canyon roads.
I think you need to move there brother get out of that hot humid Florida climate where all the roads are straight as an arrow.
The GR Corolla has a much harsher ride compared to the Golf R.
So if it's your daily driver, something to consider.
The Golf R is far easier to live with than the GRC.
Also the interior of the Golf R is of a much higher quality and more luxurious, a much nicer place to spend time in better seats leather interior, getting into the GR Corolla you can easily see its economy car roots.
This is what a lot of the detractors don't consider. The GR is more of a track car, but that also makes it less of a daily car. Consider, would you take granny to Sunday meeting in a GR? You'd also get pretty roughed up on an all-day cross country in GR.
On the other hand, the Civic R is roomier and does do a lot of things better. Even so, the all-wheel drive would be the better choice if you live in show country/Canada.
I wish they keep the manual handbrake which makes it more driver's car
This man sure knows how to properly describe any vehicle. Makes me run to a dealership closest to me to buy one. Great work as always.
That is so very awesome of you to say!
@@RaitisRides I want this car so bad. I just can't get over the dealer markups in the Boston area. I have a 2018 Red model and love it. Guess I'll have to love it a little longer until I find a dealer willing to sell it for MSRP without the dealer markups. Any suggestions?
Markup galore for all three.
Hey does that thing play Chef Leppard on the radio?
when are you going to do the 2024 Golf r review?