Used 2018 Volkswagen Golf R Hatchback Consumer Reviews
Loving VW Golf R
Had 2 GTI’s before this car. Loved them and decided to go for even more bang. It’s more than I need but super fun to drive. The tech on it is great and I enjoy driving this car. The suspension is sporty so you do feel the road, which I like. But avoid potholes.
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Three GTI’s and Now Perfection
My 2012 GTI (after an ‘84 and ‘96) was running fine but I felt a need to upgrade. Wanted all the latest tech and was thinking Autobahn but don't like the moonroof that is standard on that model. Nothing for it but to go Golf R. Six months and 6k miles later and I Love it! More performance than my driving ability can use, but it’s nice to know than when you want to punch it the result is pure joy. I also like having a comfortable, practical, low profile hatchback that doesn’t attract attention. If you crave driving down the street and having people gawk at you, get the Subaru WRX STI or Honda Civic R. This is a car for people who want to have it but not flaunt it.
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Pirate Golf: Golf Arrrgh!
Context: I am an old guy with an age appropriate wife who can drive stick (priceless!: recommended as part of the pre nup). I live in the snowiest city in the USA. I have owned or leased BMWs and Audis with AWD among others. Many of the cars and the SUV that I have owned or leased have been AWD or 4WD. I have had my Golf R for 8 months and have 7200 miles on the odometer. Unique. Very easy to drive. Only complaint is ground clearance. This comes into play with the snow drifts that the snow plows leave at the end of my driveway. No issues with driving in snow but I have snow tires on 17 inch rims for the winter. Nice to have multiple driving modes and they seem to be genuinely alter the driving dynamics. Comfortable to be the passenger in any of the seats. My wife hated to ride in the BMWs and found them needlessly difficult to drive. I had to agree. The R is fast without being unruly. Excellent handling with a comfortable ride. But if you value your spine and dental work, avoid the pot holes! This my first car with a touch screen so not an expert but not a fan. I prefer buttons and knobs: you don't have to take your eyes off the road to work them. The touch screen is overly sensitive for my taste since you do not have to actually touch it to activate, getting within an 1/8 of an inch will trigger it. The electronics play nice with my iPhone. Not a big deal for me but that particular feature seems to be the deciding factor for car buying now. Pricey when compared to the base GTI but price difference is small when looking at a GTI with same suite of electronics. A bargain compared to its Audi S3 fraternal twin and trumps it because of available M6. GTI has a very nice ride and handling but the R is radically better. If you cannot afford an R and have to opt for the GTI, do NOT test drive the R. Update 4/7/2020. 14,000 miles. Still runs great. Still lots of fun to drive. Highway 30 mpg. Mixed 24 mpg. Rear brakes needed some attention. The GPS lost connection to the antenna after a commercial car wash, fixed under warranty. No issues on wet or snowy roads. I run snow tires in the winter. I have run 87, 89, 91 and 93 octane. No knocking with the lower grade but noticeable drop in performance.
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Quick enough!
This is a small car. I traded my MB E350 for the Golf R. I wanted a sporty car that could be serviced locally. This car is for people who like to drive rather than sit and aim. It is a high performance car that is totally fun and it is fast. I am just through the 600 mile break in phase and am looking forward to upping the revs. The mileage is about 23 all around but I have not been concerned. The 13 gallon tank last about 2 week. The most fantastic thing about this car is the electronics and displays. The nav is fully integrated in the touch screen and with gauges in the dash. Make sure you talk to a salesman who knows the car. I have no regrets and do not miss the big Mercedes. Good luck!
Superb, practical car
I owned a 2016 GTI before I bought my 2018 Golf R. There are differences. The R feels heavier and is less eager off the line (without using launch control). It also has a less tight turning radius than the GTI. However, once underway there is no comparison - it has serious horsepower and is very stable in all weather conditions, It just feels more refined than the GTI. I hear all the time that it's expensive, but for the same performance in anything else you're going to pay the same price. I got mine out the door for about $40k. People draw comparisons to the Civic Type R, but it's less refined, has poor all weather capability, cannot be had with a DSG-type transmission, and looks like an 18-year-old's car. In the real world the R is much better. I've had a few BMW 3-series cars and I would take this over any of those but the M3 (and the M3 is almost twice the price). The steering does lack some feel, but it is precise. The DSG transmission is just plain better than the manual - end of story. It's lightning quick in race mode and is smooth as silk. 0-60 times are noticeably better with the DSG in any test you read. There's a reason most Porsches have PDK transmissions now. Get over your manual fetish. The engine is very smooth and very docile when you want it to be. I get 29 MPG routinely on my 30-mile commute and 34 if I'm steady state on the interstates. In Normal mode it's a daily driver. In Race mode, it opens up the exhaust valves and snarls eagerly. Race mode is intoxicating, but gas mileage drops dramatically and tire wear goes up :). My negative comments are few - the engine could sound more like a performance engine without the fake sound. For 40k+ the passenger seat should be power adjustable. By default the passenger seat sits higher than the driver's seat which is weird. A really strange thing in the R is that center console does not open. It's exactly the same as the GTI which does. The little compartment is there, you just can't get to it. Sooo, I bought an aftermarket tray and kit that allows the arm rest to both slide and open. It's frankly stupid that VW did this. Finally, the R doesn't look "special" enough. It's the only US VW made in Germany, is VW's highest performing model, and it should look more the part. Not boy racer, but something a little extra. It really is just about a perfect daily car/performance car balance and worth every penny over the GTI (but the GTI is a great car). For the record, I have ZERO mechanical issues in 2 years with my GTI and going on 2 years with my R.
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