A $399 Burger JB1 is plug-n-play and adds 35-40 HP. There are $500-700 ECU tunes (APR/Revo/Unitronic) that add more (360 HP/385 FT/LB). 0-60 goes down to 3.8 with a DSG & tune!
Good review. I have a 2016 GTI with the PP, and it's amazing already. I can only imagine how nice this is. Perfect for Canadian winters too. Why would people pay the money for a 335xi these days when the R is more fun, much cheaper, more practical, and very close luxury wise.
Awesome review! I hope you get the Golf R. I tried getting one last year but the markups on it were out of control so ironically I ended up getting a better deal on an S3 instead. Nonetheless, both great cars.
+Frederick Hwang You must be in the US - here in Canada, car dealerships can't sell vehicles over MSRP. I love my golf R with tech package, took delivery this past jan, waited 8 months! But so worth it, amazing in the snow, rides nice, individual mode is a superb feature. The 8" discover pro system is leagues better than the old 5.8" screen from the past. If only we got the toys Europe gets like the LED tails, spare tire, folding mirrors and optional tan leather interior. The only thing I really hate about the car is the cheap, recycled water-bottle plastic climate control knobs.
+Everyday Reviews Great review and btw you can easily tune these cars. I have a mk7 gti and tuned it makes about 300HP, and 320TQ. I believe the R tuned will be around 350HP and 380TQ.
Also glad you went in-depth with the driver assistance package. I've been trying to figure out if my R will have this package or not, and based on your review, it will!
Wow! Yours changes colors from red to blue?? Guess it really is a chameleon ;) In all seriousness, great review! Thanks for including some nice videography effects.
+vara fouroneone Thanks. My wife ended up taking a longer maternity leave so I haven't had to replace our second vehicle. It's sill at the top of the list. I'm testing the BMW M2 right now and it's fantastic but the size and 2 door is a no no with the 2 little ones. Thanks for watching.
Everyday Reviews Best of luck to you and congrats on your family. I drove a DSG Golf R 3 days ago and loved it. Need to drive a manual now to make my mind on which to get.
Spot-on review and excellent vid! Congrats on your future R purchase. I got mine last October. Ticks all the boxes for me, too. Get it! You won't regret it. :-)
Even IF you were a 'fanboy' (I hate that vapid term), there would be good reason to be! The Golf platform has a long pedigree that has become classic and known worldwide. From the first VW 'Rabbits' (as named in the U.S.) and GTI's to the R32's and R's, it is an amazing car! They are quick, fun, and tight to drive! And they are very practical too. How do I know all this? My family has owned 4 over the decades! ALL of them lasted many years, with great reliability!
Seriously one of the best cars our there for non-crazy money, they are just so competent! The Golf ‘R’ epitomizes why German engineering is held in such high regard!
thanks for including the car seats to show the size of the back seat area. I would be in the same situation but the mushed cheerio's and muddy back of the seats from kids boots would drive me mental if I bought a nice car before the kids are older.
Great review. I liked the addition of having the family in the car. It was original for a car reviewer. I have the S3 and love it. I do want to get a ABT power upgrade and exhaust though.
Thanks for the vid, Bryan. Quite in-depth. Do you imagine driving it within winter conditions with snow tires? And I'm surprised you didn't mention that the 2016 has the ability to disengage the stability traction control (for when you're driving solo, w/o your baby). Kudos, D.G.
I've had my 16 golf r for a few months now and installed jb1, vwr springs and cts turbo intake. I really have no complaints about the car. It's a great vehicle and fun to drive. I still have my eye on my dream car though of an Audi R8 or a Porsche 911 turbo but the golf r is a great car.
+Everyday Reviews Hi Brian, I got DSG cause the Vancouver traffic is brutal (especially my commute to Richmond). I actually had deposits on two 6MT ones first before finding a DSG. Really glad I got my first choice of Lapiz Blue too. Would've been fine with Pure or Oryx White, but my GTI was white and I needed a change. The Oryx White is gorgeous and easily my second choice. If you don't HAVE TO have a sunroof, I don't think there's a better car for the money for your needs to be honest, with a young family. Which colour(s) are you considering and transmission? The Tech Package is a no-brainer of course, great value for $2000, even if you only consider the 8" screen and resale value.
+William K I would order a 6MT for sure but because of the same reason (Everyday Use/Traffic) I'd most likely opt for the DSG. Haven't seen the Oryx white, might have to check that out. Do you use the adaptive cruise in slow crawling traffic?
+Everyday Reviews I've only had mine for a few months and I'm slowly learning to trust the ACC, but I've only been testing it on one-lane roads when the traffic is sparse for now. Seems pretty intelligent to me, and the UK folks on the vwroc forums seem to think the ACC is brilliant in crawling traffic. We've got quite a few members in our local R club with the Oryx White and it always makes me wonder "what could have been" for a few moments before I gaze lovingly at my Lapiz Blue again. One of the guys has Reflex Silver and it looks pretty darn classy too.
the mk7 golf R is a complete game changer. Getting this with the DSG and doing just a downpipe and tune through any reputable company puts this vehicle in the same performance bracket as cars worth much much more. 0-60 in the same time as a supercar? VW has really raised the bar.
Thanks for your review it was probably the last thing I needed to see to reassure me in getting one of these next year. 😊 I'll be interested to see if there is anything you add to the car after you get it or if indeed you do choose something else or if there's another car you're also considering.
Decent review, my only comment would be that the Golf R with the Haldex AWD system on this car essentially a FWD car that can send 50% of the power to the rear wheels. Thought I heard you say the system can send up to 100% power to the rear, but from other reviews not too sure if that's true. From seeing other reviewers they say that with this car under power in corners is very neutral which is good but if you take your foot off the gas through a corner in harder canyon carving the car tends to want to under-steer which those reviewers didn't like.
+Marc89GTI I've asked and the explanation is kinda complicated. I've been told now that the system when NOT under full load CAN transfer power to just the rear wheels but not the full torque. So 100% only rear drive but not 100% power. Does that make sense? It can tend to under steer when lifting but that can also be a great thing when you push it too hard and it's over rotating, you just lift and it comes right back. I experienced this on a racetrack.
I just got one of these on a lease.. (Haven't picked it up yet though, there's quite a long wait for them) It's my car before I jump from petrol to electric!
I love my MT R, I wish there would be a bigger difference in comfort between the 3 modes. And the fake noise should have a 3rd setting of "off". Only 2 small issues I have so far.
+Everyday Reviews no you can put average noise and loud. (Forgot the real terms in the settings). How hard would it be to have a 3rd choice to select of "off" really. Feels like the defaults setting in comfort should be "no noise", in normal "average" and in race "loud". Seems simple enough but it isn't the case. You can have the dealer put it completely off. Or some people much smarter than me can connect with a laptop and change everything from fake noise volume to LED taillight density.
Wish they offered some of the European features. Power folding side view mirrors and sunroof. But for the life of me I don't understand why the armrest doesn't open up to access the storage space. It does on Europe. Can anyone explain?
Nice review! I'm trying to decide among Golf R, M240i, and XE 35t rwd for my next car. So far, Golf R is my top choice because of practicality and lower price. What do you think about the build quality of the R? Did you hear any rattling noise during your test drive? Thanks.
+Xiao Zhang build quality and materials seem very good. No rattles or squeaks but this is a brand new car so I wouldn't expect it to have any issues. M240i is a great car as well. You've got a tough decision. I haven't driven the XE yet so I can't comment.
Xiao Zhang I've had a Golf TDI previous gen and have been meticulous about maintenance. After 135,000 km the interior looks new and everything has held together pretty perfectly (I've lost two oxygen sensors and had an intercooler replacement under warranty). Thing with German cars is, you need to maintain them pretty much on the schedule, don't ignore the little stuff. Think about the German precise mentality - I have no idea if this is actually the key but it seems to work for me.
Hi Brian! What are your thoughts on the DSG transmission in rush hour Vancouver traffic? I heard mixed things as well being deal breakers for some out there. I guess same question goes for the GTI which you drove if there were any differences there. Great review!
it was the first choice for my next ride, however saw your other review on the Q50 red S. I am really debating myself. Infiniti has always been a bargain in luxury segment, and VW ' s leasing plan has never been good. May ended up be within 100 bucks different monthly payment
great review. how are vw dealers in other counties ? Here in Australia they are pretty horrible. i love vw's but due to bad service from the dealer, specially when something goes wrong with the car, i stay away. once they get their money from you they dont want to know you !
The Golf R Fully loaded in Quebec/Canada is 55K with the Tax, while the Subaru STi Fully loaded (Sport-Tech package) is 52K with the Tax. So you're wrong, the Golf R is much more expensive by at least 3000$ with Tax. I compared the other venues as well, the Focus RS Fully loaded is 67K with Tax, although you get more power I doubt the reliability and the Audi S3 Fully loaded comes at 56K, so the STi is a bigger value for the money, unless you need a Hatchback, which the STi doesn't currently offer.
Hello! I find that my Cla250 has suspensions that are too harsh and jerky transmission at low speeds, are these problems for the Golf R? I love the fact German cars hide their rear-view cameras so they area always clean.
@9:55: your info about the Type R's awd system is wrong on many accounts. Its not really a full time all wheel drive system. Most of the time the Type R is only sending power to the front wheels so most of the time the Type R behaves like a front wheel drive car. When the Type R detects wheel slip on the front wheels it will send SOME power to the rear wheels. Also, this system is NOT capable of sending 100% of the power to the rear wheels like you say. The system is only able to send 50% of the power to the rear wheels.
Never knew that honestly. I Lived in the Italy now in the Emirates, I'm about to get a GOLF... don't know if it will be a 2016 GTI FO or an R 2016. Yes R more power and AWD, I believe the GTI is less stiff in normal mode. Tough decision and add 4500Euro between the 2.
Unitronic makes flash files, there stage 2 file brings the power up to 390hp based out of quebec, excellent service personal experience with them excellent plus the car drive basically like stock but even better. Jus google unitronic
Even Audi's systems will shift to part-time AWD. For example, the new Quattro with Ultra in the B9 A4 can disconnect the rear axle, making it part-time AWD. This change is not making Torsen fans happy, but according to reviews, the change is not perceptible. With today's ESC and ABS, the main advantage of an AWD for daily driving is not to get stuck in a parking lot with 30 cm of snow, and for that purpose any part-time system is plentiful. As far as driving dynamic goes, I don't see why Haldex would be inferior to Subaru's much loved viscous coupling (in manual cars only), which is inherently reactive rather than proactive. If you NEED constant mechanical torque split between the two axles, maybe you are better off buying a 4WD truck anyway...
+goons123flofy If this was just for myself, it would most likely be a 2 door with a manual. Since it's for an everyday driver and the wife may drive it once in a while, there has to be a compromise. I could definitely live with a Golf R with a DSG.
Just remember for those who rush out and alter the car and install the APR tune , say good bye to your factory warranties and anything that fails that point forward you will not get it repaired from VW
DSG? are there any true driving purists left? That’s what I respect about the Type R, Focus RS, and Subaru STI...they know that the manual is a connection to the soul and optimal for a true pure driving experience
No I didn’t. My wife’s work situation changed so we don’t require another car at this time. It’s still at the top of the list for me though. Really like the R a lot for pretty well everything.
+nickolas No. I didn't get anything. Work situation changed in the family so at this time we don't have the need for a second vehicle yet. It's still on the radar though.
Sorry for the necropost... But, had to say that you and I shop our cars similarly with the same demands of balance between family hauler and fun backroad slayer. Don't test drive...next thing you know you will own one. I did.
I wouldn't say it's bad but the R wins on all parameters for me. Most of them mentioned in this video. Besides that I find the interior in the Minis ugly and there's less space.
amorbavian I need to test drive them both to make the decision because I heard good things about both. I want a car connected to the road... not a honda civic if you know what I mean ;)
+Rob B. I would go with golf R. I've owned 2011 cooper JCW convertible. It was an awesome looking car... really fun to drive, handling was amazing but too stiff for the city drive. All in all the car wasn't too practical with little interior space. My biggest complaint about mini though is reliability. It will probably be OK for the first 3-4 years but better watch out afterwards. Clutch went out at 43k, rubber moldings were cracking and falling apart, intake valves needed cleaning from carbon buildup and list goes on. Parts and labor is expensive. I drive 2015 jetta TDI and I love it. I would love to have golf R someday.
+MrThePrivateer Good to know. Is there any aftermarket that offers warranty or doesn't void factory warranty? I know when I got my Dinan, It was actually done at the BMW dealership and they honoured the same warranty which was great and well worth it.
+Everyday Reviews Burger JB1. Plug-and-Play. The APR Stage 1 tune is not proven to void warranty & hides itself if removed prior to service. Both our GTIs (Mk6 & Mk7) have APR stage 1. No issues so far. Transforms the car! Looking back would have gone with the Burger first.
My personally experience with APR - once the dealer catch up with their scan tool, they can detect your APR tune. it happened to me, and my warranty was void. It is best to delete it before going to the dealership - if you know they will scan it. Then bench flash it back in after you are done.
Very thorough review, but personally I've never gotten the appeal of the Golf. VW easily wins the award for least imaginative car maker. And the Golf is probably the most generic and predictable of them all. And the R, which save for its quad exhausts, looks the same as a GTD...Bland. A hot hatch should be about fun and excitement and this car has no sense of humor. Give me a focus RS please.
Samuel Chernin The RS feels "cheaper" because it IS cheaper! It might be less refined but if refinement is you top priority then get a small exec, not a hot hatch. The RS does actually look like a HOT hatch too, the R just looks like a Golf SE on big wheels. YAWN.