2018 Volkswagen Golf R real-world review
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- čas přidán 21. 01. 2018
- Finding out if the 310bhp Golf R is the ultimate everyday performance car..
This video was created with the support of:
www.footmanjames.co.uk/
www.classicandsportsfinance.com/
Follow me on Twitter @harrym_vids & @harrysgaragevids on Instagram - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Love this guy. He makes a car review sound like a nature show.
Sir Harry Attenborough
Unusual to find a reviewer who actually says something interesting - and tells you about the car. A lovely change from 'Here's how it looks going sideways around a track'.
Seeing him scroll through the modes brings up my modern car bugbear: how much of drivers' attention is taken away by them playing with the screens in their cars?
Mr Metcalfe is something special, he has that extra when it comes to cars and also he is not afraid to say what he thinks
Also, he is a bit of a different version of Captain Slow, who i also adore
Julian Evans it's funny you say that because I owned an mk4 gti with an apr tune. It had just the right amount of luxury in it. Heated seats and cruise control. I test drove one of these and it was just to complicated.
Those pops and bangs really are the soundtrack to central Bradford..
Chavs
As someone from Bradford, this statement is accurate. So much so I'm sick of hearing them now :(.
I got an R and the previous owner got a cat delete. I bought it from a dealer and it took them 3 weeks to sort it out. I had to fight with VW to put emissions equipment back into the car...but I'll tell you how annoying and obnoxious I felt driving that thing. When I drove my MGB and I heard pops and bangs, my heart would skip a beat thinking how expensive the rebuild would cost.
My favourite fact about this car is. Hans-Joachim Stuck helped VW set the car up. what a legend. great video .
So..Juan Pablo Montoya helped settup the Cupra R..
Harry does the best reviews anywhere. Please keep them coming.
Having ran this car for 2 years (pre-facelift) I'd say Harry is spot on with his evaluation. Fantastic car, great at everything and has very few negatives, it just needs a little bit more flair. If only VW had offered the Recaro bucket seats (the same ones as in the Clubsport S) to the UK market like they did the European market then it would have made it feel that little bit more premium/special above the GTI range.
My guess is that they were restricting the R for the R400 project (400bhp, 5pot mega Golf) but that unfortunately got canned thanks to dieselgate. The Mk7 Golf will always go down as a great car, it's just a shame they never got to really give it the halo model it's platform deserved.
More like the R400 would have cost as much an RS3...the Golf R (which I own GIAC Stage 1+ tune $600, 0-60 in 3.7 and quarter mile in 12.2 seconds) is already really expensive for a Golf. It's a niche market. An R400 would be extremely unprofitable. VW gave us the GTi, the R...they would loose money by giving us the R400. *****disclaimer***** this is just my opinion...
"I want race engine sound, because i'm a hooligan!"
Harry old chap you are so current. So immediately simpatico. Always on the ball. In this case, a Golf ball.
When you see what Harry's got in his garage, and the cars he's driven and owns -the praise he gives the R is crazy good! Goof R for the win. Lucid, cogent review - unlike the Stateside equivalents....
People who think this car is boring are missing the point. It's designed to go under the radar that's why I loved my old one. Although that mad exhaust and the black rims are a different story.
It’s the refined hot hatch and like the GTI it’s subtle
I own one but absolutely agree the interior needs a lift over standard at £46k it’s not that difficult to use better leather and touch points
Am looking at getting one of these. Harry's half smile through the entire review has convinced me. I love sleeper cars. I don't want any bling.
I love Harry’s presenting style. A complete natural and not showy 👍
Thanks, Harry. I'm very late to your videos, but slowly catching up. Really enjoying your presentation.
Stumbled upon this channel after recognising the garage pictured on the homepage....Harry M of Evo fame!!....still love the mag!! 😎
Even the review of cars i care nothing about are great
Couldnt agree more 👍
Love the chasing camera. Brings a very high end feel to the video.
I see why you like that particular road Harry! I’ve just had a blast along it in my GTi and with those peaks and troughs it’s like a roller coaster, love the channel..
Illegal to use a phone in your car but manufacturers think it's ok these days to spend seconds staring at a screen to set up your suspension. Crazy world...
At least this has manual controls for the heating etc. But the suspension thing is not that bad. It's one but to cycle through the modes, or more useful is the DSG and the gear stick is just a notch away for sports mode. But the mode button should really be on the steering wheel.
James Dickenson I have the Passat version of the R and it’s also packed with tech, all of which is presumably ok to fiddle with while you’re driving.
I’d like to think that you’d already have suspension setup already before driving 🤔
Technically in the UK, you can be charged with distracted driving, just for eating a chocolate bar or smoking a cigarette! My friend got charged for moving his phone from the passenger seat to the centre console, so I'm guessing you can be had for playing around with the settings on your screen?!
@@computerbob06 Yep, it isn't the manufacturers who make it illegal. The rozzers can hit you for anything they decide is "dangerous" driving.
Nice to see you review a car that is somewhat accessible to the normal folk out there, more videos like these please Harry!
Very good show again Harry. It's a bit like Top Gear, but for people with common sense (and budget).
RumbleBelly and minus the morons
I love my Golf R. It is really good in the snow and the performance is fantastic.
I have been waiting for so long to hear your opinion on one of these!
I've been looking into the R for the past week, and here is a Harry's garage video about it. Harry, if you get one, it's worth looking into APR. Their Stage 3 is crazy!!
Excellent video yet again! Loved the sounds with the Akrapovic exhausts
I was just thinking this afternoon 'I hope Harry does a new video soon!'. Looking forward to some more of your road trips in 2018!
Awesome review as always. And congratulations on becoming a Grandfather Harry!
Any video from Harry = instant thumb's up
This guy is like a David Attenborough for cars 😂
Ha. 5 years late,but perfectly said.
Great video, thanks Harry!
I recently picked up a pre-owned 2016 Golf R in Lapiz Blue with the 6-speed manual, Dynamic Chassis Control, and just 4,000 miles. Bought it for under $30K USD, and at that price level I'm extremely happy. It's so good at just about EVERYTHING that I find myself driving my 'fun' car (a Mazda Miata) far less often than I would have thought.
I will say that although I'm a die-hard manual transmission fan, I think the personality of the R is better suited to the DSG, but I've grown to enjoy mine with the manual as well...can't really go wrong :)
I have driven both maunal and dsg r golfs! The dsg is nice but the manual is the best for driving! 👍
@@TIM612826 it's one of the only cars I didn't prefer manual, the gearbox is really lifeless so DSG all the way for me.
Happy new year Harry! It's good to see you back :)
I tested the DSG version with the akrapovic exhaust, it sounds amazing! Really worth the money, especially if you take the sunroof option as well! Sounds as good as the A45 AMG!
Been watching a lot of reviews of Golf R's lately and this is probably the best. Great work.
That signature .:R interior you're looking for came on the original 2004 R32. It had it's own special steering wheel, own seats, and .:R logos littering the interior on front and rear seats, shifter, door sills, floor mats, pedals, and instrument cluster and probably a couple more places I forget now. Dunno why VW thought that making the new R interior less unique was a good idea, but as an owner of the original, I get appreciate just how special it is. There is no mistaking its interior for *any* other Golf's.
Best reviewer on CZcams by a long shot! 10/10
Chris Harris
Loved the video, Harry! A few personal observations: VW dealers will do pretty good deals on this car so as you’ve said elsewhere, the price you mention is more a starting point. Bargain hard, shop around.
I’ve owned both R and GTi(they were DSG’s), adored both and wallowed in the pleasure both cost me substantially less than an equivalent A Class or 1 Series yet were such fun.
The R’s stealthy, driving like your dad’s saloon but press those race buttons and it’s a hooligan. Nice. Compared to the great GTi they’re different cars to me, really. The GTi youthful, extroverted while the R is mature like a great wine - silken smooth with a Rottweiler bite when you need it. Then there’s the noise. Oh that sound! My vote goes to the R!
Both are great cars for young people, especially if you’re 60!
Yes for older people I like the subdued, conservative styling. I’m 62 years young and I feel just as young driving my Ferrari FF as well.
Harry you have given the Golf R 2018 a fabulous review! I have modified many cars including Sierra Minker twin turbo, Escorts, Mk2 Cortina savage etc.... all being Fords with manual transmission which is of course my previous driving preference at the time. The 2018 Golf R manual in stage 1 is an absolute weapon of a car, if & when you want it to be? The car looks great without going over the top & is a conservative choice if you choose to enjoy driving & not be noticed too much. A car of this choice is a person who is professional, refined or an elder who perhaps does not want too many over the top visuals spoilers including pops & bangs. On driving the manual 6 speed the car is very low geared and you can drive in 5th at 30mph. The 2nd gear should be longer to reach the 62mph which is the clever part in the debate of your own choice DSG or manual. Personally there is nothing like whacking it down a cog and pinning your passengers to the seat!!!
Great show Harry!
I miss my R mk6
Best car I ever owned
Love all of your videos Harry. Thanks for doing what you do. Forgive the question. Am I correct in saying you own ALL of the cars in your garage ?? If so, you Sir are a legend !! The variety of vehicle is superb. The content of your videos is excellent. Thanks
Thanks Harry I love the way you call it a weapon
Great video as always Harry!
Regarding the lack of "flair", it's actually one of the reasons I bought it. I really like the understated design and that it just looks like a normal golf to the uninitiated. Otherwise everything Harry says in this review is correct - I use a daily driver on N Yorkshire roads and it's pretty much perfect, the 4WD in winter is very good. Reasonable servicing costs, reasonable economy, good performance when you want it. Overall a superb car and the mk7.5 is the last with physical buttons rather than the horrible gesture control the new version has adopted.
A friend of mine has the DSG version but it’s otherwise almost identical to this one. It’s a great car. The interior is very nice and it’s properly quick. It handles pretty well and the fuel consumption isn’t too outrageous (at least not compared to my M5). The Golf R really can make a pretty good fist of almost any situation.
I was thrilled to see one of my favourite car channel review what is essentially my dream (sort of affordable) car. Thanks Harry! How did you decide to test it?
$41,000 in Canada for the Manual plus we get all the Custom colours.
I picked one up recently-2018 Lapiz Blue w/ DSG.
Amazing in the snow with Hakkapelitta R2's!!
Really wish we had the performance pack option as well as that exhaust setup.
Though I don't think I'd drop $3000 (nevermind the currency conversion) on an exhaust setup, brakes though for sure.
Golf R is a perfect subdued, conservative performance hatch that is brilliant. No need for advertising knowing you have a very capable hot hatch when you got subsidiaries that flash for you like Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti and Audi to name a few . Thanks for the ride .
First time viewing this channel and I learnt alot and enjoyed it
As always Harry, great video.
I've always been a big fan of the R but after watching your review I'm having second thoughts - perhaps the GTI is the sweet spot. Would love to see a 'in comparison' review. Great vid as always.
I was thinking the same til I drove both. The R is so much quicker and better out of the corner no matter if it's wet or not. It still does 0-60 in under 5 seconds in the wet. 4WD is not essential, but it means you can driver safer in the wet and the power gain really is substantial.
But GTI does look better. VW down played the looks a little too much.
Even his first negative I find to be positive. I like the extreme understated appearance.
Couldn't agree more... I just picked up a 2017 Golf R (literally yesterday) with 26k on the clock, and coming from a 2012 GTI 6MT (owned since new) I think I'm gonna really love this car. Personally, feel the GTI is more "hey, look at what I got" and the R is more, "I know what I got, and you don't need to know". :-)
Jon Cochrane Congrats on the upgrade! From everything I’ve seen and read, the MK 7 Golf R is a phenomenal car for the money. I currently own a 2012 Golf R that I’ve owned since new. I am planning to sell that to my nephew shortly and will be looking to pick up an MK 7 once I find one that ticks all the boxes. Cheers!
I test drove a golf r 7.5 today, I was so shocked how fast it drives.
Where did the signature shot of you entering the vehicle go?
Except for that great video as always and i wish you a happy grandfatherhoood!
Love Harry...grandfatherly style
Hi Harry,
Been done before elsewhere, and not really relevant now, but would have been interesting reference your views of the rival BMW M140.
Always enjoy your videos and found your podcast with Chris Harris very entertaining!
Good luck with your farm in not the ideal conditions this year
Perfect timing for this episode. I am currently deciding between the GTI and the R. Thanks!
GTI
R
You won't be disappointed with a GTI. I have a bare-bones '16 and love it. Buy the cheapest one you can find and enjoy. A set winter wheels & tires make it work in the snow.
Check the 2017 GTI Clubsport on my Channel then! - Best of Both Worlds... Enjoy! ;)
Excellent review. Really enjoying the reviews of the more attainable cars! RS3 next Harry?
Great informative video Harry. Thank you.
Great vid, Harry! The unoptioned version of the R or a GTI are right in my wheelhouse.
On the strenght of this review from Harry I took delivery of a new R last week. And I couldn't be happier with it. I do a North London to Worcs roundtrip frequently, so I need a practical all rounder that's good in heavy London traffic, cruises at high speed on motorways, and with a serious burst of acceleration for overtaking on A roads. The road holding is excellent too. So, thanks Harry!
First time watching your video Harry, and I have to say "Very Good".........You have another Subscriber👍
These Golfs are a proper weapon. Few minor tweaks and you've got a supercar eater
awesome vid as always harry .
Gotta love the placement of the dash cam lol :P
Love my 2015 Golf R - Simon's Motorsport ECU tune + RacingLine R600 intake and it's under the radar bonkers.
Harry, thank you for covering this car. It's far more attainable than so many of the other cars you feature. I disagree with you about the steering wheel. It's very easy to learn, if you actually own one. And sure, 50K is too much to spend, but you can get them for a lot less. Push the car in a turn which engages the rear wheels, and it becomes a really fun, frisky car to drive. I am really liking mine. Cheers.
GrotrianSeiler iI'm
Agree on the steering wheel. It is busy at first, but super easy after a few days.
Such a good video. Such a great car expert in Harry - on any car - he REALLY knows his stuff - a JOY to listen to and watch. Oh yes, the Golf R is good too!
Welcome back!
Harry, in my humble opinion you're slightly missing the point of the R (I've owned the 7 and have a 7.5 currently) You refer to it as the "second car" early in the video. Not all of us are wealthy and the Golf R is an everyday car for the majority who choose to own and drive it. It mixes practicality and the ability for hooliganism perfectly in one package. I think most people choose it for the simple fact it doesn't look as loud as a Type-R or Focus RS. I go as far as to remove the badges on mine to further dip below the radar. It's the ultimate stealth Golf - good review overall and fan of your work. (I have a Mk7 GTI too and they are very different propositions)
The appeal of the Golf Gti vs the Golf R will always be the bigger question. I look at it like this. When I was 35 years old, I would buy a pair of shoes that had the manufacturers name stitched on the side, I wanted people to know what I've bought and to remind myself I was doing ok. Now at the age of 50 I choose to buy a pair of quality suede shoes from Northamptonshire, costing far more money but without the label. I'm very content.
Bear Deeble at least you can always go online to tell people you bought your shoes from Northamptonshire, and that's what is important.
I own a MK6 Golf R and love it. I’d really like to have this newer version with the extra horsepower but I’d have it in a manual please
Harry - the only guy who thinks a £50K Golf R is a sensible choice as your "spare, everyday car". I'd love to be in your world for a day or two! Great review as always (Though I'm concerned you are confused by the steering wheel controls, give me a call I'll show you how they work and I'll have a drive in the Aston.....)
Great review! I am looking at this car now, as a replacement for my current 2017 GTI lease. I hope we can get the optional Akropovic exhaust!
3:23 nice transition you got there sir.
Thank you for such a great review. One thing I need to bring up is the in-car audio quality. There is a lot of low rumbling road noise which masks the voice and makes it quite difficult to hear. A simple High Pass Filter on the audio (at roughly 120Hz) would clear this up substantially.
Thanks again for the review.
Woehoe i was waiting for a review Harry :) car sounds nice but looks to much like a standard golf. Nice to see that you still have the clio trophy!
The Golf R is the best daily driver for the money bar none, for me.
as always a beautiful review
I bought an S3 for the same price as one of these. This would be my choice if a manual was a must as the S3 is auto only. Anyway, keep up the great reviews Harry.
I own the Canadian Spec. 2016 GOLF R in this colour blue. I love it! USA / CANADA did -NOT- get a space saver spare in the trunk; however, I've added it, the Styrofoam and tools.
Another top class review Harry. Love this car but I think a Golf GTi with a £250 remap would boost power up to 280 bhp which is 90% of what this car offers and for a lot less money :)
jonscoupe - traction is key in our damp greasy climate
the R AWD system, DSC, engine internals and other items make it so it doesn't bunny hop and stays planted on the road yet can whisk you over 62mph in under 4s. GTI is just a showboat in comparison. Like a plastic pony with glitter
You're right! I specified how I'd order my R, and it came to £46700. That's a lot. Think I'd save £12,000 and have the Focus RS. I did try specifying a GTi, and that came to £36750.
You are the best English speaker on the entire Internet. Oxford University publisher must introduce Harry's speech as a pattern of proper pronounciation. Apologize if did any error, I am just a foreign learner
Love your show!
Right, now I know what to watch whilst eating dinner tonight, hitting the like button already :)
Same! Haha. The video was the perfect length.
An interesting comparison would be the BMW 140 X drive, and you get a lovely 6 cylinder soundtrack.
Love it. Thanks Harry :)
My uncle have one with ABT exhaust and chip tuning, it is very quick indeed!
Ive yet to see a GTi tailing an R on a good road to see if it can keep with it. Now thats a video I want to watch.......
I'm curious how these new performance Golf's feel, I've only ever driven the MK5 GTI. I have driven a lot of Renault sport cars and the Megane 265 and 275 still stands out as the best I've ever driven. The way it felt made me smile every single minute.
Nice vid! I just picked up a 2017 low end model S for cheap and am enjoying it. The fake exhaust was a bit drone-y and loud for me, so I disabled it. Not sure I dig the new digital displays either. My base model doesn’t have the DCC driver control, but looks like a lot of fiddling to me anyway. Otherwise, I am jealous - would love to have one of those on the local mountain roads.
Another great review, 40 up to 50k Nuts, when are you going to drive the Type r, i'm old but love the Honda road and track.
Stunning looks. So cool. Sure want one. 2 doors and manual transmission.
About 7:50, his "favourite road" appears to be the B4437 off the A361, near Downs Lodge Farm. You can easily find it using your favourite online map website.
Seems to me vw should give the R leather with tartan middles as standard,and charge extra for the same on the gti.
That would give it a bit of a usp.
But that is part of GTI heritage not R so it wouldn't make sense. They need something new for it. The silver grille, V6 engine and blue paint made it pretty special in the first gen but 2/3 of them are gone.
Yeh that's a GTI not an R thing. While it is a bit bland design wise, I think that's actually broadened its appeal and why VW seem to have sold so many.
Leather and tartan? That sounds awful.
edition 30 been there done that
4wd and 310 bhp are it’s usp’s
Crazy how much they are over there. Here in Canada the msrp is just over $42000 which is about 24000 pounds. Leather, digital cockpit and all that fun stuff is standard as well.
My wife has a GTI Performance for three years now and is extremely happy with the car. It does everything but still offers enough usability for every day use. Since she is so happy with the GTI I bought a 10 months old second hand R Variant a year ago and sold it a few weeks ago. The R‘s fake sounds are very annoying in the long run, one can rarely use the added power but you‘ll pay a significant premium at the fuel pump and for insurance. I even think the GTI is more fun on B roads because of it‘s different engine characteristics and the less hesitant reaction of the smaller turbo. With it‘s differential the GTI doesn‘t even lack traction... I‘d say the R is a waste of money, you‘d be better off with a GTI Performance instead.
Federstahl Checkcout the 2017 GTI Clubsport on my channel! ;)
The reason it was so popular in the UK was due to the very affordable lease deals. It was actually cheaper for a while than the GTi. The mk7 gti is actually a bit of a rarity on our roads, I hardly ever see them, whereas you see ten of these a day.
No way would i pay $55.000 for a GTI performance.thats how much they are here in Australia. when you pay $57.500 for a golf R.
I have had 5 x GTI's and im now going to buy my 3rd Golf R. the R is much more hardcore and aggressive than the softer GTI,
but the younger drivers dont go for them.they are not flash enough as harry mentioned they are under a cloak!.
My neighbor has one and loves it. He is an orthopaedic surgeon and can afford what he wants (USA healthcare system). Likes the fact it doesn't look idiotic like a GTI. Not a jock-sniffer M car. It was this or a 991.2, but wanted the seats and boot.
Great review, thanks.
any aspiring car reviewer should view Harry at least once. This is what matured enthusiast stuff made off
First posr for quite a while. I was getting concerned that you might have disappeared! Great review. Upto £50k for a full house spec'd Golf R is bonkers. The Audi S3 is IMHO a far superior car - especially in Ara Blue with the S-tronic (DSG) gearbox. Can be had for £35-38k depending on the options. I'm bias as I've got one. Keep the content coming!
s3 and the golf both have the same engine and gear box dont they? I think 50k pounds is crazy for a golf R, base MSRP in the US is around 39k.
That exhaust note sounds more like a "flat-plane v8" than an inline 4, Awesome.
It has the exact sound of a manual turbo Subaru with a large bore exhaust. Especially when he was cruising along, rolling from over-run to power. Have ridden in & driven so many with that exact sound!
I find myself in a similar situation regarding the price. When friends ask, I have to explain to them (and not being car guys they seriously don't care). I had to have a manual, or I would have gotten the S3. Decided to switch from BMW, and I really love the car. The dynamics aren't quite as good as I had hoped for (very nose heavy for my taste). My only fear is these are very, very tuner-friendly, and I keep finding myself looking at hybrid turbos, offset bushings for camber (I have the DCC), and rear sway bar. But then there's coilovers, then there's the brakes, then there's the intercooler, then there's ecu management...and that can turn a relatively expensive car really really expensive in no time at all.