Originally Posted by Sharkie
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I finally got to drive the R today, a nice new manual with less than 200kms on the clock. My initial impression as I gently drove away was that the interior has the same quality feel as the GTI, but is more muted and restrained. The interior difference really comes down to personal tastes.
Just as I'm starting to ponder whether it will be hard to tell the difference between the R and the GTI, an opportunity arises to stretch it legs. The first time you charge hard you know this is no GTI, and the sensation of the R coming on boost leaves you wondering whether someone has just yelled out "Punch it Chewie!". The last car that gave me the exact same sensation was a 135i.
On the subject of lag, yes it does feel like it has more lag than the GTI, but then again the R also comes along like a steam train. I found that taking off gently and driving it sedately, I had to be conscious of prodding the throttle a little bit more so as not to stall, however I think anybody who complains about lag down low being a issue has either been spoilt by diesels or by VW doing such a great job with its petrol engines. Anybody used to driving a modern Japanese four cylinder engine (especially Honda drivers) will find the bottom end of the R more than acceptable, to the point that I frequently found myself up shifting early on the R because there was enough grunt there from around 2200 rpm onwards.
Not only does it shove you back into the seat (leather in this case, very similar in feel to the leather GTI), but it has a beautiful growl from the engine that I just wanted to keep listening to. I'm not sure whether the R has the speaker, but the sound is addictive. Wind the window down and you'll also get treated to a classy turbo whistle.
Whilst the engine and drive train seem beautifully smooth, I did notice some drive train vibration coming through the clutch pedal and the centre console. Nothing of concern, and if anything it's in keeping with the personality of the beast.
The brakes on it felt very meaty and secure, and the car incredibly stable under hard braking. I take the car hard into my favourite corner, a tight 2nd gear 90 degree left hander that is wickedly off camber, sight the apex and hit it. Here the R catches me unaware, I was expecting mild understeer similar to the GTI which does such a great job at hiding the fact its FWD.
Suddenly the R, now right in the middle of its 2nd gear powerband and leaning hard on its outside tyres, produces this beautifully telegraphed oversteer dance. Even though I had left the electronic nannies on, it gave me just enough tail out to let me use a dab of opposite lock and leave me dreaming about whether I've got a future in the WRC. This thing is a proper AWD, and will conquer sales from the STI crowd.
Aside from the obvious AWD addition, mechanically the R feels like a GTI thats spent more time in the gym except for the gearbox which felt the same as the GTI one. On the GTIs that I've driven I've seen the oil temp rise has high as 109 degrees, on the R which was treated far more firmly, the highest I saw was 96 degrees. That and the fact that the temperatures seemed to drop far quicker than the GTIs leads me to believe that the R is running a far more serious cooling package.
I think the R is a better mouse trap, however for some people they might find it a bit too extreme. The R I drove already had deep scratches in its chin spoiler, and its raw personality that begs to be driven hard may tire some people who'll use it as a daily driver. However, the noise, the little things like those dancing blue needles, and the tail out handling at the extreme make this a very, very special car.
Is the R better than the GTI? IMHO yes, of that there is no doubt. Should GTI owners be concerned that they've bought the wrong car? That all depends on what $10K is worth to you, and whether you value all out blistering performance.
Me, I'm happy with my GTI, its a great car that will suit me perfectly, and I'm comfortable with the fact that its not the mightiest Golf in the jungle. The only time I think I will question why the 10 grand is still in my bank account will be when I go to my favourite corner and exit it without the tail powersliding out.
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