The Volkswagen Golf R ought to’ve been a brand new automotive I used to be giddily ready for the second it was obtainable for testing. Each it and the GTI have lengthy been on the brief record of the vehicles I’d really purchase, even with worth as no subject. I’m not alone round right here. “You should buy a GTI” was principally a working joke in the course of the Autoblog Podcast’s “Spend my Money” phase. However then one thing occurred with the latest-generation Golf R and GTI: The inside grew to become infuriating.
Whereas many of the rightly deserved vitriol for Volkswagen’s new inside format/controls/idea was directed on the ID.4 that obtained it first, the GTI and Golf R obtained the identical convoluted touchscreen interface and unlit slider controls changing completely usable previous-generation screens and buttons. True, there are nonetheless rear window switches on the motive force door, and the mirror knob markings don’t disappear in daylight, so hey, completely higher. This inside irritated me a lot within the ID.4 that I used to be bored with driving the Golf R and GTI as a result of, fairly frankly, it was going to make me offended. After which unhappy.
However then issues obtained sadder when Volkswagen introduced it could not provide the GTI and Golf R with a guide transmission come 2025. Properly, now they’re simply attempting to piss me off. Tremendous, so if that is going to be the final hurrah, I’d higher get a remaining take a look at earlier than it’s too late.
Listed here are my ideas …
1. The touchscreen remains to be dangerous
It might not undergo from the identical lagging as earlier variations, nevertheless it’s nonetheless dangerous. Listed here are my three foremost beefs … The multi-menu heated seat course of with too small buttons. No completely docked menu shortcut icons. The radio that doesn’t present your favorites record and track data on the identical time.
I’ve different beefs, and I initially devoted 500 phrases to them, however you don’t need to learn that. So transferring on …
2. That mentioned, the contact sliders are additionally nonetheless dangerous
It’s not simply that they’re not illuminated, particularly since VW is including illumination for 2025, simply because it did for the 2024 ID.4. You continue to gained’t be capable of see them usually within the daytime due to glare off the piano black trim. There additionally nonetheless gained’t be haptic suggestions. And also you’ll additionally nonetheless be prone to unintentionally press considered one of them whereas resting your hand on the ledge they reside in whereas utilizing the touchscreen. Different automotive firms actually put a ledge in the identical place for this very function. They’re simply good sufficient to not put touch-sensitive controls on it.
3. And yeah, the contact buttons on the steering wheel are additionally nonetheless dangerous
The amount management is simply terrible. A slider is even worse on a steering wheel, and urgent it’s simply so imprecise. Fortunately, this nonsense will probably be swapped out for one with actual buttons, very similar to the 2024 Atlas.
4. The digital devices have three ineffective view selections
To be clear, I’m not towards view/format choices for digital devices. The extra the merrier. I’m not even towards these explicit view/format choices. It’s simply that three of them are lacking a key ingredient: a tachometer! Clearly, these weren’t designed with a guide transmission in thoughts. Which I suppose gained’t be an issue for much longer. There may be one with a big-old tach front-and-center, in addition to a selected R gauge format. That, nonetheless, has radio info simply as prominently displayed because the bar-type tach and your pace is in, like, 14-point font down within the decrease right-hand nook. I’m undecided it’s as performance-oriented as its designer meant.
5. Proper, so that is skewing awfully adverse …
… and I really loved my time with the Golf R. I ultimately made peace with the touchscreen and I don’t suppose it could be a dealbreaker for me. That’s as a result of there’s nonetheless a lot that’s proper about this automotive.
6. The adjustable suspension has 15 settings!
In vehicles that provide an adjustable suspension and a customized/particular person drive mode, it’s commonplace to make every little thing Sport aside from the suspension, which works to Consolation or perhaps Regular. That is for 2 potential causes. First, the automotive’s Regular or Consolation settings for steering, throttle and transmission are numb, lazy slop I don’t need to take care of, but in addition don’t need some agency Sport trip whereas driving round city. Second, the Sport suspension setting is simply too agency for mountain roads with imperfect pavement, the place mid-corner bumps can upset the chassis. Extra suspension compliance is sweet on this situation.
The Golf R has a Customized setting to go together with Consolation, Sport, Race, Drift and Nurburgring. Let’s simply put these final two apart. Apparently, the automotive really defaults to Sport, which is commendable, and totally different than the norm. To be clear, I’m completely OK with this and the Sport setting normally. Undoubtedly not slop. However! Check out all these DCC changes, aka DCC, aka adjustable dampers. Not solely can I choose the Consolation suspension with every little thing else being in Sport, I can go three clicks under Consolation!
I did simply that in a three-hour drive all the way down to San Diego (and again), completely having fun with this distinctive mixture of sharp throttle response, spot-on steering and a trip that subtly wafted over greater bumps. Implausible! Plus, because the automotive has a guide, I didn’t have to fret in regards to the Sport Drivetrain setting blocking out high gear and hampering gas financial system.
Later, I’d use this identical performance out on a mountain street. I put every little thing in Race however the suspension, which I put into Sport. I might have additionally ticked up or down on both aspect of Sport if the street demanded or allowed it. And by the best way, that is principally what the Nurburgring mode does, together with making the inside ambient lighting befitting the monitor referred to as the Inexperienced Hell.
7. No, I didn’t drift
The Golf R has a twin-clutch, torque-vectoring rear differential. That’s an ideal factor no matter which Drive setting you’ve engaged, and it pleasantly doesn’t draw an excessive amount of consideration to itself as torque-vectoring AWD typically can. It simply works with the remainder of the automotive to whip itself round tight corners brilliantly.
The diff additionally allows that Drift mode, which helps you to do donuts by overpowering the surface rear wheel and sending you right into a purposeful skid. Zac Palmer tried that in our first drive. I didn’t. Sorry?
8. We’re doing a crap job saving the manuals
Volkswagen manuals have been by no means the darling of the fanatic set. Throws and clutch take-up are on the lengthy aspect, and shifter really feel is gentle and a bit spongey. That is one of the best VW guide I’ve ever skilled, however somebody who simply jumped out of a Miata would nonetheless stage the above criticisms. I like ’em, although. They’re tremendous straightforward to drive, which makes it simpler to maintain a automotive with a guide within the first place. I actually loved this one and I am actually going to overlook it. I undoubtedly would not purchase a Golf R with out the guide.
9. Guide caveat No. 1
There isn’t a automated rev-matching within the Golf R. The automotive makes it fairly straightforward to heel-toe downshift, however I like auto rev-matching, and it’s discovered within the Civic Sort R, GR Corolla and different surviving guide vehicles.
10. Guide caveat No. 2
Beware switching between Consolation and Sport mode. As a result of throttle response differs by drive mode, I unintentionally stalled the automotive after placing it in Consolation after a prolonged driving stint in Sport. From a guide transmission perspective, it seems like leaping into a completely totally different automotive. You all of the sudden need to depress the accelerator extra whereas letting out the clutch, and since that alters your leg timing … clunk clunk you appear like a dork.
11. You may put the heated and ventilated seats on on the identical time!
Why on Earth would you do that? Let’s say your again is sore and also you’d like to use some warmth, however doing so would make your butt sweaty. That is the answer! Mercedes has allow you to do that for years.
12. The seats aren’t plaid, however they’re nonetheless sensational
Zac’s Golf R again in 2021 had blue plaid upholstery, which is a completely excellent reply to the GTI’s crimson plaid. Sadly, you may’t get that on this nation – it’s simply black leather-based. Boo-urns.
Fortunately, the seats that leather-based covers are sensational. Bombing round a mountain street? Grippy. Sitting on my butt for 3 hours all the way down to San Diego? Supportive.
13. There’s enough room for a kid seat
I plugged two totally different forward-facing youngster seats into the Golf R, one with LATCH and the opposite with out, and located the expertise straightforward each instances. Hmm, it’s like folks use the Golf for household transport in some international locations. There was additionally adequate leg clearance for my son in his seat with out utterly robbing the entrance passenger seat of area.
14. The ambient lighting is tied to drive mode
The draw back with driving in Customized on a regular basis resides with gauge, infotainment and ambient lighting in mustard yellow. Different colours are teal (Consolation), blue (Sport and Race, which is bizarre since sport is sort of all the time crimson), crimson (Drift, which I suppose is sensible now), and inexperienced (Nurburgring). My son requested some type of pink mode. Sorry, bud.
15. There are solely three colours
Dude, actually? This Lapiz Blue is clearly nice, however the one different selections are black and white? Lame.
16. I would get one as a substitute of a Civic Sort R …
Ultimate worth for this automotive is $46,890, which is so much, nevertheless it’s enjoyable to drive, and people seats and the 15-way adjustable suspension makes it tremendous snug to drive, too. It’s additionally all-wheel-drive, which makes it a viable winter journey automotive with totally different tires.
A Honda Civic Sort R can be principally the identical worth. It too has adjustable dampers, and though I didn’t discover the suspension as disagreeably agency as different reviewers have, it undoubtedly doesn’t provide Golf R Stage 1 cush. It’s additionally front-wheel-drive. Then again, it has a greater guide transmission, a much bigger trunk and inside controls that don’t encourage 500-word diatribes.
Maybe the final word reply is “pay more for Integra Type S,” however as is, I’m nonetheless undecided which I’d select. That I’d even contemplate the 2024 Golf R is reasonably stunning.