Used 2013 Volkswagen Golf R Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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A magnificent true driver's car
JT Noonan, 05/16/2016
updated 11/28/2016
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I did a lot of research on the R, including comparing the 2012/2013 model mk6 with the current mk7. I bought a used mk6 with 21k miles for about $12k less than a new one and I couldn't be happier. The AWD is fantastic, especially in cornering. It has plenty of power, any more and you run the risk of multiple speeding tickets. The 6 speed is the best I've ever used. The turbo sound is beautiful. The pervasive criticism of the mk6 R has been mainly that it should do more and offer more, such as offering a DSG transmission (as in Europe), more aggressive styling and the ability to turn off stability control and more HP. Not for me. I'm not going to take it to the track. I hate automatics (even DSG's) and I prefer the understated styling. I want people to think it's just a Golf. Further, the new mk7 doesn't offer a sunroof (my mk6 does) and has limited and basic colors to choose from (none that I liked). My dark grey/greenish understated R mk6 is perfect. My only complaint is that there is no basic USB (why they put in a proprietary MIDI cable I don't know). The integration with iPhone could have been done better, even in 2012. Sat/Nav is acceptable. The sound quality is superb, however. This is a driver's car for old school manual transmission enthusiasts that enjoy *the art* of driving, more than just shaving .5 seconds off 0-60 that a DSG would give you.
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2013 Golf R
lovcars1, 04/24/2013
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
28 of 43 people found this review helpful
I love driving. And I'm getting older and need something more practical. Enter the Golf R. I've always enjoyed the practicality that hatchbacks offer and there are reasons why Golfs have sold so well. I have not been disappointed with her the past 2 months since I purchased it. Interior is excellent and offers everything I need and more. The drive quality is firm, but German. It corners nicely, and being 4wd it never scares and the tires let you know when you're on edge and about to break traction. It's predictable and its growl at highway speed is great. There is turbo lag but no torque steer--as expected since its 4wd. Nobody pulls up next to race. Only Golf GT/DI people know what it is.
2013 Volkswagen Golf R for sale near you
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- Base 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $18,000393 mi away
- Base 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, NavigationMSRP: $9,450524 mi away
- Base 4dr Hatchback w/Sunroof, NavigationMSRP: $17,795593 mi away
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This car is a blast to drive
peter emmons, 04/19/2016
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Buy the manual shift. I thought the automatic in my GTI was great, but this manual is much nicer and gives a better driving experience. The power and acceleration of the R is fantastic. Great comfort and relative fuel economy is an added bonus.
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I really want to love this car
Jacob, 09/03/2019
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I've been a Subaru STi fan for the past decade. On a whim, I decided to give this car a try. at the start it's pretty impressive compared to other cars in its market, very cush interior, nice feeling responsive steering and powerband. But after a few years of ownership, certain non-wear items started breaking for no apparent reason. The clutch is barely strong enough to manage stock power levels, and even with the APR stage 1 stock tune I noticed some occasional minor slippage in higher gears, no big deal really... The problem is the most "reasonable" upgrade/replacement that makes the car dependable again costs around $1500, and most VW dealerships will charge in the neighborhood of $2000 for installation. The non-wear items that I was referring to are the paint, which is apparently weaker than sketch paper, I have chipping galore, and 90% of my driving has been on city streets and highways. The entire roof lining has separated from the foam, and the crazy part is, apparently other R owners just know about this are are cool with it... the interior repair shops know modern VWs are notorious for this, and even the dealership admitted that it's pretty common in most models for this to happen. and the weirdest bit of unexpected wear is the rear bumper reflective marker just "fell out"... For real... I don't beat on this car, I don't race, I have no plausible explanation for what happened to this stupid little plastic piece, I just got home one day, was walking around my car and noticed something missing. Performance-wise, this car is awesome, it feels so great to romp on, the engine and transmission feel fantastic and respond positively to high revs. But it seems like everything else built around the powertrain is built with the lowest cost in mind... be prepared to be asking yourself how the hell "that" fell apart if you're willing to stick it out for the driving experience.
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Best all-around sports car
Charlie F. , 04/13/2020
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I can drive this 12 months a year. when others are parking their sports cars I am cruising around in the snow and ice.
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I won't grow up
Aaron Maas, 03/26/2016
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
The PERFECT commuter car. All the appearance of maturity but silly enough for any true car guy.
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the DNA of the MK1 rabbit.
ERNEST J, 06/22/2020
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
the golf R has a light feel when driving, sharp handling, quick turn in with the rear of the car changing direction quickly. the wheel base is correct. brakes are very good with no drama feel is good no fade. no problems with 50000 km tire wear is very good with the all wheel drive and no torque steer when driving the car hard. power is very good from idle to red line. the car is very good in corners and is stable. the real leather seats are all leather. not like other cars with leather centers and sides are pleather. door panels and dash steering wheel is high quality. I can not find anything bad to say. as for the others hatch back cars I see poor interior. torque steer. drive line problems. looking at other cars similar to the size with 4 tires and a steering wheel don't compare. the get in and drive the car is a pleasant mix of power handling fun to drive. ITS a car hard to compare. before you buy a CUV SUV drive this car it really sets the bar it very high.
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More like this, please.
Flyby, 01/04/2023
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The car has been rock solid reliable and a fun back road abuser. Yes, it's front-drive biased, but learning it's handling secrets reveals its true capabilities. As with any fwd car, do all your turning before your braking.
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Love the R
Kristian, 09/16/2023
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've owned my 2013 R since 2017. It had around 59,000 miles on it and was in excellent shape. This is easily the best car I've ever owned. I have owned a 2000 and 2007 GTI, a circa 1980's RX7 and a few other small quick automobiles. When I first learned about the R32 and later the R, I knew that I must have one. I find New England winters so much more fun in an AWD vehicle. I considered the WRX, but they are ugly AF and have poor interiors. And I'm just not the type to have a hood scoop on my car. The lines of the 2013 Golf R are simple and beautiful and I've found the 2L turbo to be somewhat bulletproof in my experience. After I bought the car I brought it to the local VW shop to have APR stage 1 installed. Funnily enough, the previous owner had already had it installed, but it had been shut off by the dealership for the sale. For only $200 they turned it on, and told me the engine should be making around 310 hp. Well, I simply love this car. It's quick as hell, corners like a dream, and surefooted in a way that my GTI's never were. Third gear on a freeway on ramp is a blast. Zero to 60, or better yet, 0 to 100 has never been so much fun. In a typical New Hampshire winter, I have had no problem driving anywhere under all conditions. I have never been stuck or stranded. One slight problem can be the ride height, when the snow reaches about 8-10 inches it can take some maneuvering to "steer" your way out of it. The interior is beautiful in my opinion, the Dynaudio system sounds great when playing off my Iphone. I'm now at about 125,000 miles and I haven't had any major maintenance issues. A poorly executed aftermarket exhaust by the previous owner started to fall apart, and replacing it with the stock exhaust set me back about $1400. The same year and model is currently selling for just about what I paid for it in 2017. I'm keeping this one for as long as I can. Happy Motoring!
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Fantastic Car
Alice, 12/30/2017
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 2dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I fell beyond in love with this car and would have kept it forever had I not needed more room for people in the back. I could go on forever with how much I loved it, just test drive on for yourself and fall in love on your own!
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2013 R20 4D
Kane, 11/22/2022
2013 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD w/Sunroof, Navigation (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
I always wanted an R, and was finally able to get a used one at a decent price. I have had a number of VW prior, but I go through cars fairly quickly, about a new one every 18 months or so. I've always purchased them new, so never really had any issues with them. This one is used, 6 years old. First few months was great. Then electrical issues killed my experience. Sunroof opening on its own, very bad if your car is parked and then it rains. O2 sensor issue, were the ECM can't read it, throws a CEL. Take it into the shop and apparently everything works as it should. New O2 sensor, $290! Pay hundreds just for troubleshooting, oh get that fixed, well how about it craps out again in a few months, hahaha. Battery dies, then somehow my headlight programming craps out and it now longer moves. Oy Vey... Engine power is the only thing that kept putting a smile on my face. Had to replace the clutch after going stage 1, OEM is so weak it so disappointing. The maintenance that needs to be done is so expensive just to do it yourself. If you plan on taking it to the shop get ready to fork over hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the simplest thing. New clutch, easily a grand for labor. Doing it yourself, you'll need a special tool for everything, and you would need new nuts and bolts. Everything for VW seems to need new bolts everytime you unscrew it.
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