Thoughts on a 2016 VW Golf R

[911dean]

I just might buy one tomorrow. I'm just plain tired of driving my truck. It's big, heavy and sucks gas down. It just doesn't offer the driving experience I crave. I told myself that I was done with trucks about 5 years ago and gave up having one as a personal vehicle. I had been driving a work van for 20 -25k miles a year for the past 20 years for work. Last year I ended up buying a truck thinking I'd be ok with it since I no longer have a company vehicle(past 3 years) and actually go to the same place everyday with my own vehicle. That didn't last long with the truck. I miss my 3 series manual sport wagon. Not to mention I sold my 911 and 2002.

A Golf R is on my radar and what I was going to buy before I thought a truck was what I wanted. My initial thoughts on the Golf R are to drive it into the ground and use it as a daily driver for as long as possible, like 10+ years. I mean snow and salted roads. Of course this line of thought could change by next winter but I'd have to use it a least a little bit for the rest of this winter. I do have the means to keep it clean.

Right now would be the right time to get rid of the truck. It has 15,000 miles on it and gas is inexpensive right now.

Would like to hear some opinions on the Golf R and getting rid of the truck.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I would have a REALLY hard time buying a Golf R before driving a Focus RS. I preferred the Focus ST to a GTi, and I've read some reviews questioning if the Golf R is worth the premium over a GTi.

[quaz]

Currently own a MK6 Golf R and my buddy has a 2016 MK 7. All I can say is you will not be disappointed with the performance on the dry or in the snow with it. Gas mileage on the 2016 is better than my 2013, but either way it is pretty good. I easily get 30mpg on the highway and my buddy gets 32-33. Ride quality, handling and comfort are on par with Audi/BMW/Mercedes so that isn't a problem. The only knock on the 2016 R is the lack of a sunroof as an option.

I can't comment on the new Ford Focus, but the previous one just didn't feel as nice as the Golf R. It performed well, but felt like a less expensive car. The new one may be better. Not sure you can go wrong either way.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by 911dean

I miss my 3 series manual sport wagon.

Sounds like maybe you just need to hunt down another one.

It would be fun to look, right?

Bimmerforums for Sale

[Nostril Cheese]

Check out the Focus.

Lease a VW product. Don't buy.

[ninelevenick]

I test drove a Focus ST. It performed well, but I could not warm up to the interior or the exterior for that matter. I ended up buying an MK7 GTI. Aside from missing my old M3, this car does it for me. The R is worth the premium if you have to have awd, but a GTI equipped with the performance package will make driving in the snow a snap. Spend $800 on a tune, and you'll exceed the performance of an R.

[Deschodt]

Funny... I test drove one this very week end - stick... It's a *very* nice car, in some ways it reminds me of my Audi S4. I suppose the new S3 would be a better comparison, same engine. Very nice interior, typical VW, etc... nicer than the Focus for sure, yet I would probably buy that instead for the $ once Ford stops marking them up. At the end of the day though, I struggle with paying 42K+ tax on a souped up Golf GTI hatchback. That's my only beef with it. That's slightly used S4/CaymanS/997 money right there... A regular GTI can be had for $26K or so and 99% of the time it's enough of a good car vs the R.

I'd say you have to be a special VW gearhead for the R to make sense, it's definitely a unique proposition and you see only a few on the road, so that's cool.. it's a nice car... For the record there was a used one FS at the dealer for $26K and I was tempted but it had 60K miles (of abuse, presumably) and no warranty left so I did not want it..

(I wanted a GTI but ended up with a Mini cooper S just based on price/options/the dealer not being an *********... I'm not proud but it works for me, trade in was $3K better at Mini, VW was very inflexible for a comapny that is embroiled in a customer scandal with TDIs)

[Jeff Jagusch]

have you driven a WRX, or STI?
I bought one last fall, and its unbelievable performance/dollar ratio
some people say the WRX is all you need, and you can get a nice one for under $30K

I was going to buy and RS, but opted for the STI, and don't regret it.

[aigel]

Seems to me that you can get into a lot of more interesting cars for that kind of dough ...

[FastCarFan]

I drove a 2004 R32 (bought new) for 9 years & 134k miles. It was a great car, with very few problems.

My current daily driver is a 2013 Golf R 5-door with manual transmission (leased new). It has 36k miles on it & I have only had 1 very minor warranty repair (right side folding rear seat had to be realigned). While it is not the new model, my experience has been extremely positive. It is a blast to drive, & with winter tires it is fantastic in the snow. My only complaint: I hate the Soundakator.

You can look at the car 2 ways: It is a crazy-expensive Golf or it's a lot of performance for the $ (my preferred perspective). It's much more refined than a WRX, & you can't get an S3 with a manual transmission. I do not want FWD - AWD is important to me because of our weather & my commute.

The lease is up in July & I will seriously consider getting a new one, although I am leaning toward a BMW M235i.

[911dean]

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up buying one yesterday after going to 2 dealers. While I think the Subie and Ford are cool cars I prefer the understated looks of the Golf R and not to mention the interior.

The dealer on my way home from work had advertised having one in the color I desired with a manual trans. So I thought I check it out and get a little info. Well they didn't have it there yet and I ended up getting a story about one at their other store with a little under 1000 miles with dcc and a tune. The salesman was kind enough to offer it to me at list price and assured me that a base model with manual trans would be a few 1000 over list and would be very difficult to find. I let him know I'd think about it. He was shocked when he called me today and I told him I had purchased another one.

I had cruised the parking lot of the second dealer over the weekend while they were closed and the sales manager had come outside and asked if he could help me. I told him not to bother since I knew they had already been closed for an hour. He asked what I was interested in and I told him a Golf R. He indicated they had an auto and a manual coming in and he'd confirm the details on Monday and call me. The details came in and the manual one was black. I told him I wasn't crazy about black and wanted white. I ended up going over there to crunch some numbers and when I got there the guy told me he found a white base model with a manual trans and would get it tonight. He figured I was serious when he found out I had only a small loan on the truck. I got the car for MSRP with a very favorable trade in on the truck. I never even test drove it. This dealership was a pleasure to deal with.

[ninelevenick]

From one tartan plaid, 6mt, white GTI owner to another...congratulations! VWR springs, a beefier rear sway bar, and a tune will make her rip.

[Tom '74 911]

Originally Posted by 911dean

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up buying one yesterday after going to 2 dealers. While I think the Subie and Ford are cool cars I prefer the understated looks of the Golf R and not to mention the interior.

Thought I'd revive this thread instead of starting a new one. Been doing some car shopping and have narrowed it down to a Golf R and Subaru Imprezza WRX. The rear seat seems smaller in the Focus RS, which is why it's not on the list.

Seems like you can pick up a lightly used Golf R for a pretty big discount from new now that they've been around a few years. The Imprezzas I'm looking at are the hatchback WRX, last made in 2014 (don't really like the look of the sedan WRX).

I'd like 4WD/AWD, would like a manual and like the small size of the Golf & Imprezza. I haven't driven a Golf R, but did drive the FWD GTI and it was plenty zippy. I was surprised how much I liked the Golf; the Subi seemed cheaper and less refined, although no less zippy.

Any other options I'm missing?

Thanks!
Tom

[RANDY P]

I like my 2016 STI, but I'm not gonna lie- it's more of boy racer kind of car- unusually loud, rides pretty bad as well, and the interior reminds you many times of it's econobox roots. Lots of loose plastics, various rattles (at 12K they popped up), and the leather is cheap. Sheetmetal dings really easy, paint is really easy to scratch, you hear things working- like the brake pedal rod to master cylinder, makes the car sound really cheap, noisy and flimsy inside.

You row a lot of gears too, 1st is insanely short, STI gas mileage sucks too for it's displacement. You have to come to terms that you aren't going to have easy quiet cruising when you just want to drive. Not gonna happen.

What I did to at least quench the rattles was this- HVAC duct isolator foam. Every door, every trunk trim panel, the package tray. Didn't take very long since you can practically yank the most of the interior out with a phillips and your bare hands- literally

You do this, you can have a reasonably quiet rattle-free car- for a change.

[sc_rufctr]

Probably an outdated idea but VW's are cooler than Subis.

Does that help?

[RANDY P]

I considered the VW for a second but just can't do a hunchback. If they had the R in Jetta form I would strongly consider it.

Also if you're the type of person who likes to play with aftermarket stuff like stereos (ME) the Subie is like the ways cars used to be- Round speaker holes and rectangular radios that did just that- radios.

One more point about the Subaru-
the base model stereo (Non HK) is a absolute piece of useless, underpowered ****. Glitchy too. Either upgrade to a Limited with HK and Navigation, or budget for a new, properly working aftermarket stereo. I found it to be so bad I took the time to complain to Subaru about it. Nothing happened of course and I'm surprised in this day and age, they would release this POS.

I wound up ditching it for a single din for sound quality.

[speeder]

Based on the OP's sig line, it looks like he went back to a truck since the last post. That's some weird automotive schizophrenia but we've all done it. OK, some of us.

[Dixie]

If you plan to track it, can you turn stability control off? There's no "off" on my 2010 GTI. Ruins it as a track car. Otherwise it's one of the best, most versatile, cars I've ever owned.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I would have a REALLY hard time buying a Golf R before driving a Focus RS. I preferred the Focus ST to a GTi, and I've read some reviews questioning if the Golf R is worth the premium over a GTi.

Note: I think it is the RS that has the open-deck block issue. Head gaskets don't last.

[Alan A]

Just traded my wife’s GTI. One time with me driving in a tiny bit of snow on the all seasons that were on it had that wretched monstrosity out the door. Awful little thing - but I don’t like FWD cars, and didn’t like it much in the dry either.

Hope the R with AWD is better. I’d want to try before I buy for sure.