Observations of a New R Owner

RudyH · Mar 23, 2018

fastlax16 said:
OP, dsg owners are sensitive.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is truth, I can't stop laughing every time it's brought up.
I owned a DCT (DSG / Stronic whatever marketing name you put behind it) in the S4, it was good but it is boring and dull, it's like driving in Forza or GT. Going back to 6MT it definitely brought me back to enjoying driving.

That said, after blowing out my left knee playing soccer, and a year later breaking my right wrist in a motorcycle accident - the S4 was PERFECT. Glad I had the S4 during that period of time or I would have been literally carless

Summons · Mar 23, 2018

And I gotta live in the same city as the OP!

Sigh...

He forgets also that not everyone has learned to drive a manual, or as mentioned before can physically drive one, or perhaps has family members who insist on a auto-box. Happy wife, happy life in my case...

Maybe he lives North or East in the city...
E

laznsher23 · Mar 23, 2018

twat waffle

SilveR1 · Mar 23, 2018

Posted and ran away with tail tucked between legs.

Good riddance.

copperbeech · Mar 24, 2018

jac643 said:
Well I picked up my new 2018 Indium Grey MT R on Friday the 16th from a western Toronto dealer.

I have the exact same car (with DAP) with delivery happening in mid November from a north Toronto dealer. (There is now 6300 km on the odo)

jac643 said:
I drive almost exclusively in Race mode. Even on Toronto's bad roads, most of the time I don't find Race mode to be too stiff.

And yet I was surprised to experience the R being stiffer and 'transmitting' more (unpleasant) road feel regardless of the mode

.

jac643 said:
I also may disable the Soundaktor as I'm not sure about the artificial sound it makes.

I got this disabled this past week. Silliness.

jac643 said:
The manual in the Golf R is the best and easiest to use manual I have ever had.

I like the feel as well but I think I would give up "best and easiest" to instead have a more robust MT that will last, as one reads post after post that this MT isn't up to the stock engine let alone an aftermarket upgrade.

Golfs everyday · Mar 24, 2018

I have a lightly modded MT 17' R and unless VW changed something on the linkage on the 18's, I never thought this car had a great shifter feel. I'm a middle aged guy and been driving MT for decades. I love hatchbacks.

I installed those short shifter adapters on mine and it feels much better than stock, but it still feels kinda like an ancient technology VW just slapped on there to keep us MT guys quiet. Plus the gas pedal position to the brake is so off that I had to make an adapter to reposition the gas pedal to be able to do light heel and toe downshift/braking for street driving.

I also own a lightly modded DSG GTI Autobahn as my dd. The thing is just so relaxing to drive for A to B commutes and very quick around town when I get on it. I have a bad left ankle so I can't drive MT all the time due to pain build up.

I'm looking at trading the GTI for a new DSG Golf-R maybe latter 2018 or early 2019 to use as my dd while keeping my MT Golf-R as long as my left ankle will allow it.

The Fed · Mar 24, 2018

GTFO. Lazy 18-year-olds? That's about the most ignorant comment I've heard on here. How about people who are disabled? I drove Super T-10's for years. I doubt you know what they are, or that you could drive a car with one.

champignon · Mar 25, 2018

I am here to take some heat off of the original poster

The Golf R IS a tarted-up econobox. It has some attributes that caused me to buy it, including, (1) Hatchback practicality; (2) AWD occasionally; (3) Reasonable Power; (4) Understated and unlikely to raise too many eyebrows, and hardly anyone knows the thing exists, which is a plus; (5) availability with a MT.

If it wasn't available with a MT, I would not have even considered it, after all, there are scads of small SUVs out there with AWD/4WD and automatic transmissions. Once one is making compromises, one can make other compromises and just ditch the idea of a car like this.

The manual transmission is acceptable but no better, but I want a MT, nonetheless. Can't judge the DSG, being as I've never used it, but on principle, I just hate AT. Just me. The electric power steering is acceptable, not even rating a "good" in my opinion.

It's a good bang for the buck car with lots of compromises, and quite honestly, not anything I would even bother arguing about, it's not interesting enough.

stillwellm10 · Mar 25, 2018

To OP, you've been sent to the Pit of Misery, Dilly Dilly!

Stevo_CT · Mar 25, 2018

champignon said:
I am here to take some heat off of the original poster

The Golf R IS a tarted-up econobox. It has some attributes that caused me to buy it, including, (1) Hatchback practicality; (2) AWD occasionally; (3) Reasonable Power; (4) Understated and unlikely to raise too many eyebrows, and hardly anyone knows the thing exists, which is a plus; (5) availability with a MT.

If it wasn't available with a MT, I would not have even considered it, after all, there are scads of small SUVs out there with AWD/4WD and automatic transmissions. Once one is making compromises, one can make other compromises and just ditch the idea of a car like this.

The manual transmission is acceptable but no better, but I want a MT, nonetheless. Can't judge the DSG, being as I've never used it, but on principle, I just hate AT. Just me. The electric power steering is acceptable, not even rating a "good" in my opinion.

It's a good bang for the buck car with lots of compromises, and quite honestly, not anything I would even bother arguing about, it's not interesting enough.

Out of interest, what is your opinion on Mercedes and BMW? I ask this as the golf interior quality is far superior (in this price segment) than those two "premium" brands.

Audi is a step above all of these though.

vj123 · Mar 26, 2018

champignon said:
I am here to take some heat off of the original poster

The Golf R IS a tarted-up econobox. It has some attributes that caused me to buy it, including, (1) Hatchback practicality; (2) AWD occasionally; (3) Reasonable Power; (4) Understated and unlikely to raise too many eyebrows, and hardly anyone knows the thing exists, which is a plus; (5) availability with a MT.

If it wasn't available with a MT, I would not have even considered it, after all, there are scads of small SUVs out there with AWD/4WD and automatic transmissions. Once one is making compromises, one can make other compromises and just ditch the idea of a car like this.

The manual transmission is acceptable but no better, but I want a MT, nonetheless. Can't judge the DSG, being as I've never used it, but on principle, I just hate AT. Just me. The electric power steering is acceptable, not even rating a "good" in my opinion.

It's a good bang for the buck car with lots of compromises, and quite honestly, not anything I would even bother arguing about, it's not interesting enough.

I think there might be reason why you moved to VAG after owning multiple BMWs.

And no one here might cross shop R with other SUVs, which isnt even a valid comparison.

Also you are contradicting your own statements.

champignon said:
Once one is making compromises, one can make other compromises and just ditch the idea of a car like this.

champignon said:
It's a good bang for the buck car with lots of compromises

champignon · Mar 26, 2018

Stevo_CT said:
Out of interest, what is your opinion on Mercedes and BMW? I ask this as the golf interior quality is far superior (in this price segment) than those two "premium" brands.

Audi is a step above all of these though.

I don't own any Mercedes vehicles, and haven't looked at buying one for decades, so I have no opinion on that brand. In the past, Mercedes was a luxury brand with some performance features, and BMW was known for making drivers' cars, that had some luxury features. With the BMWs of the past, before they became more associated with SUVs than with cars that drive well, you didn't have to buy an M-car in order to get something that was fun to drive; it wasn't all about power, it was about handling. Luxury was a secondary consideration, however over time it became the primary consideration. At present, most BMWs are about as engaging as a Camry, and the luxury aspects are highly variable, with the interiors being mediocre in the lower levels, and much nicer the more you spend.

The Golf interior certainly is nicer than you would find in a cheaper 3 series car, for example.

champignon · Mar 26, 2018

vj123 said:
I think there might be reason why you moved to VAG after owning multiple BMWs. And no one here might cross shop R with other SUVs, which isnt even a valid comparison.

Also you are contradicting your own statements.

I didn't "move" to VAG, after owning multiple BMWs. I still own 4 BMWs, 3 of which date from 2000 through 2013, the 4th is a new 6MT M2. The M2 is the only car that BMW currently makes that I would even consider buying, otherwise I would just abandon the brand altogether.

I would rather drive any of these 4 cars than the Golf R, in most any condition other than a blizzard, or going out somewhere 30 miles from civilization on dirt roads, with no cell signal. This would be because I have the spare tire mod in the R, plus if I trashed the R I'd get over it really quickly.

There is no contradiction in my statements; my R is my "practical utility car." It has 4 doors and a hatch, hence is filling a niche that my other cars can't. Most of the time I do not need a car that is practical, as I am not hauling a whole bunch of stuff (or people), nor am I driving in conditions that benefit from AWD. The fact that you can buy it with a manual transmission, and that it has decent power, and is small, are all pluses to me. It is somewhat fun to drive, however the EPS is not good. As an alternative to owning the Golf R, I could just get rid of it and then rent something practical on those occasions when I need it. And, I have seriously considered that option.

But if I couldn't get the car in a MT, I would give up some of the power and just get something entirely practical, because this is not a car that I drive out of choice, generally, it is a car that circumstances and road conditions force me to use it in.

It's a compromise car, that's all I was saying.

tknj99 · Mar 26, 2018

champignon said:
I didn't "move" to VAG, after owning multiple BMWs. I still own 4 BMWs, 3 of which date from 2000 through 2013, the 4th is a new 6MT M2. The M2 is the only car that BMW currently makes that I would even consider buying, otherwise I would just abandon the brand altogether.

I would rather drive any of these 4 cars than the Golf R, in most any condition other than a blizzard, or going out somewhere 30 miles from civilization on dirt roads, with no cell signal. This would be because I have the spare tire mod in the R, plus if I trashed the R I'd get over it really quickly.

There is no contradiction in my statements; my R is my "practical utility car." It has 4 doors and a hatch, hence is filling a niche that my other cars can't. Most of the time I do not need a car that is practical, as I am not hauling a whole bunch of stuff (or people), nor am I driving in conditions that benefit from AWD. The fact that you can buy it with a manual transmission, and that it has decent power, and is small, are all pluses to me. It is somewhat fun to drive, however the EPS is not good. As an alternative to owning the Golf R, I could just get rid of it and then rent something practical on those occasions when I need it. And, I have seriously considered that option.

But if I couldn't get the car in a MT, I would give up some of the power and just get something entirely practical, because this is not a car that I drive out of choice, generally, it is a car that circumstances and road conditions force me to use it in.

It's a compromise car, that's all I was saying.

I also enjoy the mini-SUV characteristics of the GTI/R. If it weren't for the kids, I would have probably went with the new Miata for the convert/handling/fun factor but needed something that could be used in case the van was ever out of commission and the practicality, fun and bang-for-the buck was hard to pass up in its class. that and the fact that it does punch above its weight class with some easy mods made it a no-brainer plus i was already familiar with the MK6 GTI.
There will always be better/more fun/faster cars but the compromises whether they be practicality, costs, etc cannot be overlooked in the decision process.

Stevo_CT · Mar 26, 2018

champignon said:
I don't own any Mercedes vehicles, and haven't looked at buying one for decades, so I have no opinion on that brand. In the past, Mercedes was a luxury brand with some performance features, and BMW was known for making drivers' cars, that had some luxury features. With the BMWs of the past, before they became more associated with SUVs than with cars that drive well, you didn't have to buy an M-car in order to get something that was fun to drive; it wasn't all about power, it was about handling. Luxury was a secondary consideration, however over time it became the primary consideration. At present, most BMWs are about as engaging as a Camry, and the luxury aspects are highly variable, with the interiors being mediocre in the lower levels, and much nicer the more you spend.

The Golf interior certainly is nicer than you would find in a cheaper 3 series car, for example.

Very reasonable feedback, as for Mercedes, I use them often when traveling (car hire) and I’m not exaggerating when I say the C class interior is mostly plastic and of very poor quality.

I’ve owned a number of BMW’s and have to agree with you.

Observations of a New R Owner

RudyH

Go Kart Champion

Summons

New member

laznsher23

New member

SilveR1

New member

copperbeech

Passed Driver's Ed

Golfs everyday

Autocross Newbie

The Fed

Old Guys Rule

champignon

Ready to race!

stillwellm10

Ready to race!

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Stevo_CT

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vj123

Autocross Newbie

champignon

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champignon

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tknj99

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Stevo_CT

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