Test Drive: 2013 Volkswagen Golf R

By Kevin Harrison

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions because I think they’re stupid. If someone truly wanted to change their life for the better then they would just do it. Why wait for a particular time of the year before deciding  you’d like to lose weight, be more prudent with money or go hand gliding? I find New Year’s resolutions to be gimmicky and pointless.

With that said, I can still appreciate what it’s like starting the New Year off on the right foot. A big reason why is due to Car Driven’s first review of 2013: the Volkswagen Golf R.

Straight off the bat, I’m going to declare that this car is decidedly good. Fantastic even. I’ll let you read the rest of the review to find out why, but I must address the elephant in the room before we move on: the GTI.

For those who may not know, the GTI is the Golf R’s baby brother. It’s not quite as powerful, has no all-wheel drive option and costs about 10 grand less. That seems like enough of a business case to develop and sell the Golf R, right? Well here’s the thing. The GTI is also decidedly good. In fact, for decades, it has been consistently among the best of the best for value, performance, versatility and refinement. This still holds true today. As a result, it makes for a tough task for Volkswagen.

How do you make near perfection even better?

One of the very few faults against the GTI has always been that it needed a bit more power and all-wheel drive. Volkswagen added both with the R.

But is it enough to justify buying one over a GTI?

Distinguishing the R from the GTI takes a trained eye. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the unique wheels which are similarly styled to wheels off a Bentley (Volkswagen owns Bentley). They look great and unlike most eye-catching wheel patterns, they don’t appear to be too difficult to clean. Other things to look for are the LED running lights positioned under the head lights and the dual exhausts in the centre. There’s also some ‘R’ badges, a slightly more aggressive front fascia and my tester’s exclusive Reef Blue Metallic paint. Other than that, you’ve got yourself a a pretty standard looking Golf, however it does generate stares, albeit from other Volkswagen owners only.

Inside the R should feel quite familiar to GTI owners. It gets the same flat bottomed steering wheel, the same large flat touch screen and seats that make sure you stay put when the roads get twisty. The R also gets  Dynaudio speakers which sound great. In fact, all the goodies you can think of are standard on the Golf R – there are no options available. As you’d expect, material quality is top notch as is the overall layout. And since this performance hatch is based on a regular passenger vehicle, outward visibility is excellent as is headroom. There is also a decent amount of cubbies and good cargo area, especially with the rear seats down. Bottom line is, there are very few faults to be found inside. Rear seat legroom could be described as adequate I suppose but at the end of the day, the R could easily take on double duties as a family hauler.

Or perhaps it could even be described as a bit of a sleeper considering this mildly aggressively styled Golf packs 256 horsepower and 248 pound feet of torque under the hood making it the most powerful production Golf yet. The old R32 got its power from a 3.2 litre V6. The R gets is power from a 2.0 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder. Torque comes in at around 2,200 RPM while peak horsepower comes into play at around 3,200 RPM. That makes the R feel like a very powerful car. As a result you get a 0-100 time of 5.6 seconds. That said, power comes in progressively rather than all at once, making it difficult to make the tires lose grip, which is a good thing. In North America the R comes only with a six-speed manual which is absolutely fine with me. There have been complaints though that Volkswagen should have offered their admittedly brilliant DSG transmission. While the DSG is impressive to be sure and is quicker than your traditional manual, that really only matters on the track. On windy back roads you won’t notice the 0.5 seconds quicker the DSG is. The manual allows for a more engaging and enjoyable driving experience.

Like any performance car, when you push the R hard, it gets quite thirsty. But you won’t care too much about how often you go to the pumps when you hear the exhaust note. All you’ll want to do is produce the symphony of sound that comes from the dual exhaust. In fact, the exhaust note is so intoxicating that, despite the excellent Dynaudio stereo system, I found myself driving with the music turned off most of the time. And the best part is, despite the semi-loud exhaust, you can still hear the turbo spool up. Match both together and you’ll give most gearheads goosebumps. But let’s get back to the GTI for a moment. While the R is noticeably quicker than the GTI, it isn’t blow-the-pants-off quicker. Even though the GTI is down about 50 horses compared to the R, it has the advantage of being lighter and front wheel drive. The 4 motion all-wheel drive system in the R adds weight and makes it more difficult to get it off the line. Obviously in a race the R would beat the GTI, but I’d be willing to wager that it would be a bit closer than you’d think.

However, that all-wheel drive system obviously has its upsides. For instance it felt sure-footed on ice and snow, even with the traction control turned off in an empty parking lot – much welcomed for Canadian winters. But when the pavement is dry, the system still ensures great handling giving it a planted feel in the corners. But if you do push the R to its limits, the end result is some mild understeer. The suspension is tuned to eliminate body roll, but it does so without compromising ride comfort too much. That’s not to say that you won’t feel the bumps, but they are not as harsh as you’d expect them to be. The electric power steering is good and direct, however I would prefer a bit more feedback.

One thing to note is that the Golf R’s brakes, while very good, don’t seem to like cold weather too much. At temperatures around -10 degrees, the brakes would squeak and squeal quite badly and low speeds. This generated some rather embarrassing unwanted stares, however in warmer temperatures the noise seemed less noticeable -albeit still there.

At the end of the day, the Golf R is a GTI on Red Bull. And that’s definitely not a bad thing. But let’s get to the price. At just under $40,000 the R’s value for performance becomes a factor. Volkswagen claims the R’s competitors are the Subaru Impreza STI and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO MR. Here’s the problem with that. The STI has 306 horsepower compared to the R’s 256. The STI’s little brother, the WRX, makes about 265 horsepower putting it much more in line with the Golf R’s numbers. The EVO on the other hand isn’t a hatchback and is about to be discontinued for a while. So when using the WRX as its true competitor, the Subie wins in price as its about six grand cheaper and is more powerful, however not nearly as refined and premium-like.

That then brings us back to the original question. Is the R worth the extra money over a GTI? Probably not. You’ll get the same thrills, arguably the same great looks, same quality and attention to detail and same versatility for about 10 grand less with the GTI. But you know what? I don’t care. A part of me would still go with the R. I’ve had plenty of press cars and have written plenty of reviews and to date I’ve only ever had three cars that made me feel like they fit me like a glove: the BMW M3, the BMW 135i and the Volvo S60 R-Design. And I’m going to add the Golf R as a fourth to that list. When a car gives you a certain feeling of bravado and contentedness (and that’s rare) nothing else really matters, price premium included. But one thing is for sure, whether you go for a Golf R or a GTI, you’ll be driving away from the dealership with a smile on your face.

Price As Tested: $39,675

Pros:

  • Subtly aggressive looks
  • Interior quality and layout
  • Great handling abilities
  • Intoxicating exhaust note
  • Versatile
  • Good at doubling for a family hauler
  • Powerful and refined engine
  • All-wheel drive helps it stay stable in all weather conditions

Cons:

  • Thirsty when pushed
  • Mild under steer when pushed
  • Brakes don’t like cold weather
  • Price

Immediate Competition:

  • Subaru Impreza WRX
  • Volkswagen GTI

Overall: 9.5/10

 

 

 

 

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