Used 2016 Volkswagen Golf R Hatchback Consumer Reviews
Used Golf R for sale
Seven months in...and very pleased.
Scott K, 10/09/2016
updated 04/14/2017
2016 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Two cars were in my final list; the R and a Focus RS. Here in Canada (Nova Scotia...had to use a Maine zip code to submit my review), the RS is $8k (!) more than the R. So the R was the obvious selection...and I am not disappointed. Definitely understated WRT its exterior...and I'm fine with that. Folks who know cars come up an ask me about routinely. It is very quick...especially when moving from 2nd, 3rd thru 4th. Brakes are outstanding. Got a chance to enjoy the 4Motion in the snow the day it arrived (March 2016) and through out the remainder of the winter...also excellent on dry pavement when you are working the corners hard. Interior is consistent with VW/Audi...logical and good quality. Lots of soft surfaces. The exhaust tone is a bit pedestrian, but not a big issue for me. One item of ongoing irritation - Android Auto. Quite unreliable - only connects to my phone after multiple efforts. Once it does, it's great (Spotify, Google Maps) but it should be seamless. Summary, for someone living in Canada, there aren't may vehicles that can touch the R's performance/$ ratio.
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2016 Golf R
Oliver, 08/18/2016
2016 Volkswagen Golf R w/Dynamic Chassis Control and Navigation 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
The R looks from the outside like an ordinary Golf. Rather plain. The driving experience is any but that! The R is an absolute sleeper. The multi-mode suspension settings allow for a very smooth commuter style ride to a "like it's on rails" type of ride. Interestingly, the most agressive setting isn't overly harsh at all. The traction from the all wheel drive is simply outstanding and allows you to get the power to the road without any drama. The interior ergonomics suits me extremely well. Steering wheel position, the actual feel of the steering wheel and along with its' size and shape is spot on. The seats are superb! (But no memory settings???) The last time I bought a VW was in 1999 and it was not a great car so it took a lot to get me to consider buying another. The R got me back.
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2016 Volkswagen Golf R for sale near you
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- w/Dynamic Chassis Control and Navigation 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $17,995330 mi away
- Base 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $18,995449 mi away
- w/Dynamic Chassis Control and Navigation 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $15,999477 mi away
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Golf R, Long Term also bought FordRS. more fun
MidCow3, 06/04/2016
updated 06/06/2018
2016 Volkswagen Golf R w/Dynamic Chassis Control and Navigation 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
14 of 17 people found this review helpful
This review has been updated after owning the Golf R a little over 1 year. I drove a 6 speed manual Ford Focus ST, ST3 and moon roof for 3 1/2 years. I was going to get the Ford Focus RS with AWD and 350 Hp; I ended up getting a lE Ford Focus RS RS in January 2018; still have Golf R The color selection on the RS was limited to grey,white,black, and nitrous blue). I knew that the interior of the VW was better, but I didn't know how much better until I actually bought the Golf R and had some seat time with it. The ride of the Ford Focus ST was pretty stiff and the RS was going to be 33% stiffer on the comfort setting; I wasn't looking forward to a rougher ride. The ride on the Golf R with the DCC mode set in comfort mode is very smooth and compliant. I was right on this one some late Ford RS reviews compare the Ford RS ride to a pogo stick or a bucking bronc on anything but very smooth roads. Actual Ford RS ride isn't thta bad Okay , I bought the 2016 Golf R with Manual 6-speed transmission, DCC with Nav, and the Driver's Assistance Package. With DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) there is a dramatic difference between the settings. I like the individual settings with most everything set on normal or comfort except for the sport exhaust sound. I like this setting because the Golf R remembers it between stops and starts and you don't have to always reselect it every time you start. I found the interior , especially how the devices function at night to be a lot nicer with better feel and better night lighting. The interior is much higher level than first look, the back seats have 2 inches more room, the gas tank is 14.5 gallons compared to 12.4 in the ST and 13.9 in the RS. The mileage is great 22/31 rated , compared to ST 23/32 and RS 19/25. Long term, even with sporty driving, I get around 26 miles overall which makes for a very nice driving range. The rear seat passenger leg room is 35.4 Inches which is 2.2 inches more than the RS and ST and allows a 6 ft passenger to comfortably ride behind a 6 ft driver. The Golf R can travel 4 adults for long distances in comfort. Another nice feature in the Golf R is that the seats actually fold fairly flat. In the ST there is a 4 inch drop and they don't actually fold flat. RS don't fold flat eaither but stiull fold enough ton Now one of the best features is the Driver's Assistance Package which includes several higher level safety items: (1) the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), (2) lane keep assist,(3) are front and rear proximity sensors that help you when you are parking or backing with visual and audio warnings of objects in your path, and (4) and probably the best is blind spot monitoring, a yellow blind spot light flashes in you left or right mirror if a vehicle is in your blind spot area. (5) autonomous emergency braking if the front sensors detects an impending collision it brakes for you, and (6) rear traffic alert alerts you to cars coming up fast in the rear of your left or right; this works extremely well. Oh now let's talk about the turbo, since the power comes on at a very low 1,800 RPM and the boost is fairly linear you don't notice any turbo lag and it almost feels non-turbo like until you look at the speedometer and you are rapidly increasing your speed. The power is great, you have a lot of power in sixth and most of the time unless you don't need to downshift to pass . Same with the Ford RS, but much more. Both the Golf r and Ford RS havce amplified, some call fake motor noises, I am okay with that ...but some aren't and it can easily be turnd off( i.e. disabled) in both cars. In summary, the is a very fast, very fun car, that has high level accoutrements, and gets good gas mileage, with very comfortable seats and easy drivability. Also a lot of things are automatic; auto lights(early, normal, late), driving mode, rain sensing wipers, radar detector automatically starts, gas door automatically unlocks and no start-stop to disable. But in all honesty, the Ford Focus RS is more fun and I drive it mostly. Ford Focus has announced a limited edition 2018 supposedly last year Race Red and I bought one. Modifications: I had the following installed: Diesel Geek Sigma 6 short shifter (very precise shifting ), 50% Luminar Tint, and front bumper and partial front hood PPL protection, Escort Red Line radar detector. I thought the winner was the Golf R when I first bought it, and now I am absolutely sure the Ford Focus RS may be the best choice in a "hot" manual shift hatchback even though the Golf R is still much better for trips. The Golf R triumphs in the long-term evaluation! While maybe not as fast as Focus RS or as "school-boy gaudy look at me" or as loud of stock exhaust the Golf R is a far, far better all around car and daily driver. It doesn't have all the rough edges or the rough ride the Ford Focus RS has. At a little 2 years of driving no problems, no maintenance costs ( first 2 years free service); 10,000 mile service interval.
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Simpicate and Add Less Weight
Bob Maurer, 07/27/2016
2016 Volkswagen Golf R 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
The worst thing about my 2016 Golf R is the Owner's Manual! 434 pages fill mostly with attorney written warnings repeated over & over again to the point that it makes it almost unreadable. And the Owner's Manual is only 1 of 3 books that cane with the car. The brakes are great! Once you get above 2,000 rpm the engine has lots of grunt. The steering is a little numb in that you do not get to feel the road surface but force feel is appropriate. Like many cars today, the steering wheel is loaded with buttons but most of them are so small that you have to look down at the wheel to use them. The 'touch screen' does not work very well - I think they want you to use the tiny buttons. When you start driving the car, the complaints disappear since it is a joy to drive!!!
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Golf R has got it all!
Rj, 07/31/2016
2016 Volkswagen Golf R w/Dynamic Chassis Control and Navigation 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6AM)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This car has got it all. Was looking at subaru sti and focus st, but this is better. More refined than those 2. Great power. Engine sounds awesome. Turbo is audible. Then the noise settles down when just cruising. So much fun. Great comfortable ergonomic interior. Very usable. Only real Downside is that price is a bit steep.
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