Golf R Mk8... will I regret it

[SiberianHills]

Potentially going to get a car I always said I’d never get, and one I never used to have much interest in - a Golf R.

Mostly because of the image, but also because I always had them down as being a bit safe/numb, fast, but understeery, not that connected, and a bit clinical. However, the Mk8 Golf R seems to address a lot of that with the rear torque-vectoring setup, and from reviews it sounds like it’s a much more involving car than previous generations. I also think they look decent now, and the MK8 is still fairly uncommon, and at around £25k they seem to make quite a lot of sense.

For context, I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love. It has loads of grip, rawness, character and that rally-car feel. The problem is it’s getting older, I’m dailying it, it’s worth decent money, and it probably needs £4k-£5k spending on suspension/brakes/alignment/mild power to make it how I want.

I’m looking for something newer, quicker, easier to daily, ideally auto, but still fun on B-roads/country lanes. I’ve considered M2/M4, RS3 8V, GR Yaris, FK8, A45s, V8 stuff, etc. A lot of those cars seem to do one or two things really well - power, sound, handling, theatre, grip, or daily usability, but usually with a fairly obvious compromise somewhere.

The Mk8 Golf R seems like it might be the car that does a lot of things very well overall. Maybe not the most exciting in one single area, but strong across the board: fast, DSG, AWD, compact, modern, usable, good tech, decent economy, good in poor weather, and supposedly more engaging than the older Golf Rs.

Main questions:

How good is the Mk8 Golf R in the real world?

Does the rear torque-vectoring setup genuinely make it more agile/engaging than the Mk7.5 R/S3, or is it mostly marketing?

How does it feel on B-roads, country lanes, sweepers and damp roads?

Would it feel like a proper step up from an old STI/M135i in terms of body control, grip, pace and daily usability?

I know it won’t have the character of the STI, RS3 sound, V8 drama or M-car rear-drive feel, but I’m wondering if it might be the best real-world daily performance car: newer, quick, grippy, compact, easy to use and good at almost everything.

Anyone gone from any of the cars mentioned into a Mk8 Golf R?

[BlueJazz]

Might also be worth looking at the Cupra Formentor which has the same platform, engine, suspension etc. My friend and I compared it to the VW Golf R, Skoda Octavia VRS and Audi S3 which are essentially all the same, just a different body and badge. In the end, he chose the Formentor.

[Pickle_Rick]

The formentor was an awful car. Granted I only suffered the 1.5 hybrid for 2 weeks, but it was so unbelievably st, the last thing you'd want in that car is a performance engine.

The mk7. 5 is the best imo before quality nose dived to save some pennies

[ZX10R NIN]

SiberianHills said:

Potentially going to get a car I always said I d never get, and one I never used to have much interest in - a Golf R.

Mostly because of the image, but also because I always had them down as being a bit safe/numb, fast, but understeery, not that connected, and a bit clinical. However, the Mk8 Golf R seems to address a lot of that with the rear torque-vectoring setup, and from reviews it sounds like it s a much more involving car than previous generations. I also think they look decent now, and the MK8 is still fairly uncommon, and at around £25k they seem to make quite a lot of sense.

For context, I currently have a stock JDM Hawkeye STI, which I love. It has loads of grip, rawness, character and that rally-car feel. The problem is it s getting older, I m dailying it, it s worth decent money, and it probably needs £4k-£5k spending on suspension/brakes/alignment/mild power to make it how I want.

I m looking for something newer, quicker, easier to daily, ideally auto, but still fun on B-roads/country lanes. I ve considered M2/M4, RS3 8V, GR Yaris, FK8, A45s, V8 stuff, etc. A lot of those cars seem to do one or two things really well - power, sound, handling, theatre, grip, or daily usability, but usually with a fairly obvious compromise somewhere.

The Mk8 Golf R seems like it might be the car that does a lot of things very well overall. Maybe not the most exciting in one single area, but strong across the board: fast, DSG, AWD, compact, modern, usable, good tech, decent economy, good in poor weather, and supposedly more engaging than the older Golf Rs.

Main questions:

How good is the Mk8 Golf R in the real world?

Does the rear torque-vectoring setup genuinely make it more agile/engaging than the Mk7.5 R/S3, or is it mostly marketing?

How does it feel on B-roads, country lanes, sweepers and damp roads?

Would it feel like a proper step up from an old STI/M135i in terms of body control, grip, pace and daily usability?

I know it won t have the character of the STI, RS3 sound, V8 drama or M-car rear-drive feel, but I m wondering if it might be the best real-world daily performance car: newer, quick, grippy, compact, easy to use and good at almost everything.

Anyone gone from any of the cars mentioned into a Mk8 Golf R?

Test drive a Civic Type R & the A35/45 & the 135i, the last three have all the same attributes, the last three give you everything listed above but imo are better packages.