Jalopnik's Review of the Golf R

[xxmagnusxx]

http://jalopnik.com/5930559/2012-vol...alopnik-review

Discuss.

[Thedude4bides]

69 perfect score! What else could the guy conclude on a stock R lol...

[papaskot]

can't get two sentences in without mis-information?

In 2004, VW decided enough was enough and gave the Golf all-wheel drive, a wider body...

[BluDemon]

Everyone is really missing the boat and forgetting about what the R really means.

R = Rallye as in MK2 Rallye Golfs of the late 80's with a 16v supercharged 4 banger AWD.

The Rabbit and the Golf has always been one of the best "Hot Hatches" around and even the current R, to me at least, isn't really a sports car.

[CasbahBoy]

I'm a little disappointed in just how much of the Jalopnik crowd (them, of all people!) is suffering from the usual pitfalls. There are people comparing this new car's price to used car prices, and even more people looking at ONLY price per unit of performance...though people do seem to realize that the price makes a little bit of sense when the feature difference costs are considered next to the price of an Autobahn GTI.

[b-R-ad]

The review is Meh...obviously written by someone who thinks the care is something different than it is and wrote the article based on pre - conceptions.

The comments are by internet twits who actually think that their opinion matters.

I chuckle at those trying to say a Yaris has as good of controls and fit and finish as any VW.

I thoroughly enjoy my R...every time I drive it, I smile from ear to ear.

Plus...these type of reviews are written for those who will never buy an R. Most people who would buy an R don't do it because some internet blogger says it is a good or a bad car. We go out, compare it via a test drive to other cars we test drive and then buy it because we like it.

Car reviews are like movie reviews. All subject to personal opinion, and you what they say about opinions...

[luckeydoug1]

I think the review is a decent, honest review. The reviewer pointed out both the strengths and weaknesses of the vehicle as he saw them. Having owned one for over 2 months now, I find myself in near agreement with the assessment. Some areas I might have scored a bit higher while others a bit lower.

Is it a perfect car? No
Is it better than quite a few similar cars? Yes
Could areas be improved? Yes
Are there other cars that are better in some areas than the Golf R? Yes

Overall, while my evaluation is 72/100, I find his score of 69/100 to be an honest, accurate number.

I would rate the car as follows:
Exterior: 9/10 (nicely done, not overdone. I might have chosen a darker wheel)
Interior: 10/10 (Very well done, understated. Near perfect in every way. Awesome seats for long trips. I prefer the leather from my 04 Passat over the newer leather in both my 08 and the 12)
Acceleration: 7/10 (More than adequate for day to day driving)
Braking: 8/10
Ride: 9/10 (more comfortable than my 08 without sacrificing control)
Handling: 8/10 (more under control in high speed curves than my 08)
Gearbox: 5/10 (Not the best, not the worst. Rather just average. 4-5 shift is a long throw compare with 2-3. Also, 6th needs to result in lower rpms)
Audio: 2/10 (perhaps the single worst audio system I have ever experienced from VW. Unnecessarily busy controls, barely adequate in the sound department)
Toys: 6/10 (missing the following that were standard in the 08: auto headlights, rear mirror and wipers for a start. The dual climate is a step down from the 08. Nav is not as good as my TomTom)
Value: 8/10 (another $800-900 of improvements would go a long way to making this a 10/10)

[Saracen]

I'm a little disappointed in just how much of the Jalopnik crowd (them, of all people!) is suffering from the usual pitfalls. There are people comparing this new car's price to used car prices, and even more people looking at ONLY price per unit of performance...though people do seem to realize that the price makes a little bit of sense when the feature difference costs are considered next to the price of an Autobahn GTI.

The Jalopnik commentariat can't get past regarding it as an "overpriced GTI" that's priced the same as an STI or an Evo..

[Charlie84]

Meh. People just don't get this car. I actually sent an email to Travis (writer of the review) to suggest that the entire point of the Golf R is to sell it to VW fanboys who then mod it. He replied saying that he recently drove an APR Stage 1 Golf R on Pilot Super Sports and thought it was "far better."

I think VW made two huge mistakes in how they spec'd this car for the North American market and the price is not one of them:

1.) The all-season tires. Yes, I know tires are the most easily changed item on the whole car. But reviewers are still going to do their instrumented testing on the stock tires. They could have AT LEAST made proper summer tires an option.

2.) The stated power output is 256...possibly to avoid stepping on Audi's toes. Wtf? How did they even arrive at that number? Of course, it doesn't make a difference, performance-wise. APR said that they couldn't find any differences in the tune between the North American and Euro versions. But it changes how consumers and enthusiasts perceive the car, anyway. 270 horsepower is beyond what you can make with a simple Stage 1 re-flash on a GTI.

I do agree with Travis' review in his criticism of the Haldex AWD. A Haldex controller should be at the top of every Golf R owner's wish list. The difference is night and day.

[CasbahBoy]

The Jalopnik commentariat can't get past regarding it as an "overpriced GTI" that's priced the same as an STI or an Evo..

swedishmeatball was a real ass in that thread (if you could even call it a thread, holy hell the Gawker commenting system is such an abortion now.) Apparently comfort is worth nothing to him when talking about the merits of a car as it is 'subjective' - I imagine he drives a metal plank with bits of foam glued onto it as a seat and an engine strapped to the back of it.

You're not the car snob, the car snob is him.

[macky]

Ha! The lead picture at the top of the page is me this weekend at the HPDE, #42! I noticed they used a few different cars throughout, but I was pretty shocked to see that.

As for the review, meh, seems about right. It's not for everyone and that's fine. After 3 months and 1 track day, I freaking love mine.

[Saracen]

swedishmeatball was a real ass in that thread (if you could even call it a thread, holy hell the Gawker commenting system is such an abortion now.) Apparently comfort is worth nothing to him when talking about the merits of a car as it is 'subjective' - I imagine he drives a metal plank with bits of foam glued onto it as a seat and an engine strapped to the back of it.

You're not the car snob, the car snob is him.

Yeah, that guy was a dick. Comfort is incredibly important to me. My bro has a WRX. Even stock, it was not the best car for driving long distances. Now that he has it tuned to around 450hp it's barely tolerable. That pretty much turned me off since I figured current WRX's or STI's will have about the same lack of noise isolation.

When it comes down to it, you just can't beat a sporty German car's balance of fun and refinement

[Aonarch]

I thought it was pretty dead on. Saying VDubb kills his credibility IMO.

I'd bump Accleration to a 7/10.
I'd bump Ride to a 8/10