Golf R -v- Golf GTI

[G-rig]

A mk1 golf is about 400kgs lighter than a Polo. I think thats what we should all be driving.

Everyone should get one if they are so fun.

[WhiteJames]

This statement made by drive.com.au COTY journos intrigues regarding the Renault Megane RS250: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/car-o...123-1853l.html

Performance Car Under $60,000. The Renault hot-hatch knocked off the only car to have won its category every year since the awards started five years ago, Volkswagen's Golf GTI. The Renault's sharper handling and slightly more compliant ride gave it the nod over the impressive VW. It also outperformed the Subaru WRX and Holden SS-V on the track and road, while it was thought by most judges to be more liveable than the red-hot Focus RS, which got three votes.

Could it be that a Renault RS250 both rides & handles better than the std non-DCC Golf GTI? I would of thought the Golf GTI would ride better & the Renault RS250 be the favourite for superior chassis control?

Cheers
WJ

[Tim]

Everyone should get one if they are so fun.

I think if they did the world would be a less grumpy place

[weewilly]

wondering how it would go along side the superior "R"?

[WhiteJames]

The Golf R was notable by its absence in the drive.com.au PCOTY<60K shootout. Haven't driven the Renault Megane RS250, but this link from autocar.co.uk provides an insight: Golf R v Focus RS v Megane 250 - Autocar.co.uk

Golf [R]versus the rest - In the real world, the Golf initially feels comprehensively outclassed for pure acceleration. The Megane drops the VW without trying very hard at all, and during an impromptu 20-100mph blast at the test track there is nothing between the Renault and Ford. Yet, out on normal roads, the more regular the circumstances the more the Golf R starts to make sense. It isn't trying to emulate the Focus or Megane, and the overall impression from the cabin is that this is a high-quality, not especially thrusting kind of car.When you pull away, the gap grows wider. The Golf R has a smoother, better ride quality than the RS, and its smaller tyres generate less road rumble. The same is true of the Renault, whose ride is calmer but noisier than the Ford's, but nowhere near as soothing as the VW's.

Figures do not convey the whole storey. Apparently the Renault Megane RS250 has to change from 2nd to 3rd for a 0-100kph timed acceleration run, slowing it down several tens. The Autocar article indicates that point to point Megane can be a very sharp instrument.
Cheers
WJ