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Golf R:
Wow … keyless entry with a silver stop/start button. As soon as I drive out of the dealership in the Golf 7 R and strike the first storm water manhole cover 150m down the roadway, I hear a loud thud into the cabin and some suspension clatter noise. The immediate effect on the primary high-speed compression damping in the Golf 7 R combined with the 19” wheel/tyre package shows the Golf 7 R suspension tune to be much stiffer than the Golf 7 GTI.
The Golf 7 R is so stiff, even with DCC as standard in AUS, that it is not far off what you would feel in a Golf riding on KW coilover suspension … not as firm as the aftermarket sports coilovers, but a very terse damping indeed, with a lot more suspension noise and clatter compared to the lighter GTI. The 19” wheel/tyres is only part of the problem; the main issue appears to be the firmer suspension tune in the Golf R.
Taking a couple of turns into nearby Foreshore Drive with the Golf 7 R DSG in ‘Drive’ mode has the R shifting into 5th gear in no time at all at 70kph. No different to the preceding MK5 R32 and MK6 R in this regard re: fuel saving measures. The steering in the Golf 7 R is very much like the GTI in weight and feel, but feels more direct as a result of the tighter suspension/chassis control of the R.
DCC Normal mode has the Golf 7 R bucking, bobbing and fidgeting over small undulations and ripples in the concrete roadway that are hard to detect with the naked eye. Again … the Golf R is almost like a GTI fitted with sports coilover suspension system, such is the difference in ride stiffness between the two Golf’s.
DCC Comfort suspension mode does notably reduce the secondary ride low-speed compression fidgeting, bobbing and incessant patter on the concrete roadway waves, but does not eliminate this sensation in the R. In Comfort mode, the suspension adds greater pliancy in the initial first 1 inch or so of suspension compression, before abruptly firming up to provide a terse, almost jarring raw ride comfort. The Golf 7 R is certainly hunkered down well and does not display the looseness or slack in suspension travel the GTI provides.
The firmness of the R, even on roadway expansion joints and series of patchwork bitumen, adversely affects both ride comfort and suspension NVH levels, which creates an audible clatter noise heading towards spring binding slapping that emanates into the cabin and is notable in the Golf R as it is absent in the 7 GTI. With the extra sporty suspension control comes a loss in NVH that is also associated with aftermarket suspension that tend to forsake NVH for chassis control & agility.
Putting the Golf 7 R into ‘Race’ mode only exacerbates this situation, leading me to believe that the Golf 7 R was designed primarily for smooth roadways, fast autobahn cruising and the racetrack. The perplexing issue is that the preceding MK6 Golf R always felt like it rode with more refinement and comfort due to its extra weight over both axles compared to the MK6 Golf GTI. The tables appear to reversed with the Golf 7 R –v- GTI in terms of ride comfort, with the GTI well out in front as a refined ride.
The extra sportiness of the Golf 7 R chassis tune does help the R mask the extra 130kgs of extra weight to a degree, but not completely and the more even balance front to rear can be felt on the street at public roadway speeds over the GTI. The Golf R chassis does not move around as much in terms of body roll, pitch or squat making for extra focus and directness in direction changes, but less playful than the less balance, softer and lighter GTI.
The engine in the Golf 7 R is a cracker, probably the biggest improvement when compared to the previous MK5 R32 and MK6 R (EA113) motors. The turbo lag in the 7 R has been notably reduced over the MK6 R, with greater linearity in power delivery from 2K onwards and upwards in the rev range.
The fuel metering is fantastic, with no notable peaks or troughs in the 7 R power supply, and feels close to the power deliver of the Golf 7 GTI than the previous MK6 Golf R. Previously, in the MK6 versions, the GTI and R motors were like chalk and cheese. The Golf 7 versions of the GTI and R are much closer in how they go about making their forward thrust, with the exception of the Golf R power-plant spinning up the rev range faster with greater ferocity.
The Golf 7 R under 2,000rpm when off boost around town does suffer from exhaust drone, which is likely to become annoying over the longer-term (i.e. 50-60kph in Drive DSG 5th gear). There is also a much greater whistle & whooshing sound from the turbine as it spools up throughout the rev range in the Golf 7 R, almost like someone has chipped a GTI with extra boost creating extra turbine & compression whooshing sounds … like the suspension … very aftermarket in sound and flavor. The Golf 7 R also manages to lose a lot of that Subaru Boxer Motor Warble sound so prevalent in the Golf 7 GTI.
The AWD grip of the Golf R is fantastic from standing start, even with light rain coming on and on a wet roadway, the Golf R just grips and goes. I could not detect any great advances in the Haldex controller over that of the MK6 Golf R, which was greatly improved over the earlier MKV R32. Getaways from stationary position in the Golf 7 R is drama free, the very firm suspension keeps the chassis very stable and AWD offers no histrionics in forward motion. Taking off seemed to be a bit of an anodyne experience in the Golf 7 R … fast? Yes. But fun? No. Just grip and go with little or no effort from the driver.
Negotiating corners in ‘Race’ mode provides the faint feel that torque vectoring is still working on the driver’s side to assist in the rotation of the Golf 7 R. The Golf 7 R has the GTI’s measure in keeping a tight line around corners and will ultimate fall into slight understeer with the front end starting to scrub and pushing wide every so slightly.
Heading back to the dealership on Botany Road near Sydney Airport has the Golf 7 R bucking, dipping, and bobbing up and down with chassis patter, which has me thinking that the Golf 7 R is not the ideal choice for a long interstate commute or for those that carry around their families. My regular trips from Sydney to the Gold Coast, Queensland would be testing the friendship in the Golf 7 R, especially on the B-grade roadway between Coffs Harbour and Ballina via Grafton in New South Wales.
The jury is out on the Golf 7 R body kit, black metal steering wheel spokes, but the leather interior and side bolstering appears to have improved over and above the previous MKV and MK6 Golfs.
In conclusion, I formed the opinion that the Golf 7 R is basically a better balanced Golf 7 GTI with almost aftermarket suspension tune fitted to the detriment of ride comfort, refinement and suspension NVH. The extra turbo boost whistle & whooshing sounds are akin to a boosted/chipped Golf 7 GTI, only with a lot more grip at lower speeds.
Originally Posted by WhiteJames
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