Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[WhiteJames]

Agree with the NRMA review: Golf R for the higher speed drives - Golf GTI for everywhere else.

Here's another review of the Golf R from goauto.com.au:

2010 Volkswagen Golf R 5-dr hatch | GoAuto - Our Opinion

This review is of the Renualt Megane Trophee on the track. Saw this vehicle at the motor show in Sydney and was impressed with the level of sporting kit for 50K driveaway:

2010 Renault Megane RS250 range | GoAuto - Our Opinion

Cheers
WJ

[mgs996tt]

Agree with the NRMA review: Golf R for the higher speed drives - Golf GTI for everywhere else.

Here's another review of the Golf R from goauto.com.au:

2010 Volkswagen Golf R 5-dr hatch | GoAuto - Our Opinion

Cheers
WJ

Thanks for posting. Good read, sounds like ACC is a very worthwhile option.

[WhiteJames]

Having driven the Golf R against the Golf GTI for a second time around the undulating tight slow speed hill climb route, and when living with the GTI with Dynamic Chassis Control in ‘Normal’ mode – the Mark 6 GTI does now feel a tad underdamped in the damper rates – nothing like the earlier Mark 5 GTI – but ideally the new Mark 6 GTI in Normal DCC mode is a touch underdamped imo. Not really an issue with the Golf R. Under dampness on the GTI in DCC – Normal mode was not as noticeable prior to the second back to back test drive in the RNP. Now I’m using DCC – Sport mode more often in the GTI when on the freeway/highway.

Another point I’ve failed to mention in the second back to back review of the R and GTI is that the R does not completely lose that FWD feeling. Yes ... the new Gen IV Haldex is another league in front of the old R32 Gen II and R32 Gen III (aftermarket) Haldex units. This was not noticed so much on the faster route when driving around Canberra.

I understand that motoring magazines perform their 80-120kph acceleration tests by flattening the throttle at 60kph and recording the 80-120kph time. Failed to mention that I did a 40kph-80kph test on exit of the Park in both Golf R and GTI. No stopwatch, but butt-o-meter only. The power delivery is very much different in each vehicle:

The GTI turbo spools up very fast and gives that instance surge forward before tapering off as revs rise. It’s very responsive to slight throttle applications. I like this as its fun when punching out of corners and gives me the chance keep within limits and not go overboard. The Golf R turbo spools up slowly in a linear fashion and starts to gather some serious steam towards the end at the 80kph limit as the revs rise before backing off – it’s like the fun is just about to begin with a spike in boost at the time of culling the speed in the Golf R.

Having said that, the GTI motor never feels asthmatic high up in the rev range, but has that NA instantaneous about it that the older MKV didn’t exhibit. It makes it fun on public roadways working the fast spooling turbo of the GTI around the tight twisties with greater chassis adjustability due to higher ride height and softer springs. You’re not necessary going faster, but having fun doing so. Chipping up the ECU is not an option for me ... so the GTI has greater appeal to me as a driver’s vehicle. Pimping up a GTI for Ray has FWD grip levels as an obstacle.

You can experiment with the Golf R’s mechanical levels of grip around constant radius corners. The Golf GTI does not really allow for this as your dealing with mechanic grip levels and electronic grip levels (XDS). I’m surprised that none of the current Golf R owners have spoken about the Golf R’s tendency to understeer around slow speed corners – all three major magazines and I have noted this when comparing the Golf R to another vehicle. XDS on the Golf R would kerb this tendency to a degree as it does on the Audi RS5 Coupe.

The goauto.com.au article describes the Golf R as sharp in handling dynamics – I’d agree in comparison with a standard non-DCC Golf GTI as was the case in goauto.com.au’s review. In absolute terms, both a Ray and I thought the Golf R with DCC in ‘Sport’ mode had a comfort/sports biased suspension tune geared towards Grand Touring, rather than a purely sports focussed suspension tune. It’s worth noting that our older MKV’s are running aftermarket suspension upgrades that sharpen them up considerably.

I’m standing by my guns in saying that the best upgrade for a street driven Golf R would be a set of small size H&R adjustable solid anti-rollbars set on front – soft and rear-hard to dial out understeer for street legal speeds – they would add some sharpness & crispness to the handling of the Golf R and allow the driven to explore more of the chassis talent that is inherent in the Mark 6 Golf (unless it’s wet).

Cheers
WJ

[Corey_R]

Hey WhiteJames, two things:

1) Why is "Chipping up the ECU not an option for" you?
2) Can you do the H&R adjustable solid anti-rollbars on a Golf R with DCC?

[Pepe]

blah blah <snip>

The Golf R turbo spools up slowly in a linear fashion and starts to gather some serious steam towards the end at the 80kph limit as the revs rise before backing off – it’s like the fun is just about to begin with a spike in boost at the time of culling the speed in the Golf R.

I don't know the exact shift points off the top of my head, but I'm fairly sure that at 80km/hr, the R in 2nd gear would well and truely "be in the fun".

[WhiteJames]

In terms of reliability: I’m ultra conservative in erring on the side of caution. Imo – anything more than about 15% power hike necessitates upgrading other areas of the motor vehicle such as tyres, wheels, suspension, and brakes. At the end of the day, it’s up to an engineering signatory to qualify what is acceptable and what is not.

As the goauto.com.au article states - the Golf R is designed to travel at very high speeds not encountered on roadways in Australia. Speeds from 140-240kph on the autobahn require some push understeer dialled into the chassis tune. I’m a big fan of tuning vehicles for speeds between 40kph-140kph to accommodate for local conditions

It doesn’t matter if you upgrade to Stage I, II or III in motor performance upgrades – with stock suspension tune the driver has to lift off the throttle as the Golf R has a tendency to push wide in corners under power. In other words, if you’re off the power momentarily when exiting a corner, the power upgrade is not fully utilised - regardless of how much the power is increased in the Golf R (unless you’re driving in a straight line – then handling is not so much an issue).

H&R sway bars a straightforward to fit and shouldn’t be a drama with Dynamic Chassis Control. There may be two types of H&R bar – Xenon and Non-Xenon. The rear takes 20 minutes and the front about 1.5 hours as the under-tray sub-frame has to be removed. About $300 labour for installation. I’ve expounded on the negatives of aftermarket sway bars in earlier posts and strongly encourage anyone looking to upgrade sway bars enrol in the an advanced driver training course to gain an appreciation of a chassis moving from understeer bias to more neutral bias

Forget about the large size H&R sways bars unless you’re a track-day semi-slick wearing regular or looking to win the Hot Tuner Challenge. Small H&R sway bars are more than enough for a daily driver in terms of handling and ride compliance. Compliance is very important for a street driven motor vehicle that has to deal with both cornering and mid corner bumps on real world roadways.

The damper/spring combo in the Golf R is great for everyday use in terms of ride compliance/handling mix. Aftermarket sway bars should sort out the understeer issue that fast autobahn driving requires, but local conditions do not require. As a potential buyer of a Golf R – Ray and I would factor in the cost of a set of small H&R solid adjustable sway bars into the cost of the Golf R. The adjustability is great as the front bar can be left on soft and rear hard. If you head to the track, it only takes 20min to change the rear sway bar from hard to soft for the faster speeds of the race track if a greater degree of push understeer is warranted. Not so sure I’d buy the H&R coil overs with past issues of tug’n’release and spring-bind on the Golf MKV/MKVI platforms.

Cheers
WJ

[Fab_R]

As a potential buyer of a Golf R – Ray and I

Hey WJ, interesting write up.
So you guys are back as potential R owners again, after downgrading it to a 10% rating over the Mk6 Gti & the Polo Gti???

[simonm]

+1. That is a great article, and sums up the two cars quite well. About time a journo managed to balance out the qualities of the two models accurately!

It would have been better if the journo had got all their facts straight - the front of the R is 15mm higher than the GTI and has 30mm more clearance than the GTI? Really? And the GTI has 245/60R17 tyres???

I like the unintentional "all-whee-drive GTI" comment - the R is certainly all whee for me!

[G-rig]

It would have been better if the journo had got all their facts straight - the front of the R is 15mm higher than the GTI and has 30mm more clearance than the GTI? Really?

Don't know the exact figures but perhaps its just in the front bar design? The front of the GTI seems quite low and only just clears wheel stops, similar to my lowered R32 height of the front bar.

[oshuyi]

Agree with the NRMA review: Golf R for the higher speed drives - Golf GTI for everywhere else.

Here's another review of the Golf R from goauto.com.au:

2010 Volkswagen Golf R 5-dr hatch | GoAuto - Our Opinion

This review is of the Renualt Megane Trophee on the track. Saw this vehicle at the motor show in Sydney and was impressed with the level of sporting kit for 50K driveaway:

2010 Renault Megane RS250 range | GoAuto - Our Opinion

Cheers
WJ

At Broadford, it proved to be fast, with zero to 100 km/h acceleration in as low as 5.2 seconds and a standing 400 metre time in the mid-13s.

5.2sec wow