Displaying items by tag: Volkswagen Golf

2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review: Practical Performance — for a Price

volkswagen-golf-r-2-0t-2022-01-blue-compact-exterior-front-angleThe verdict: The redesigned 2022 Volkswagen Golf R hatchback is a refined, entertaining and versatile performance car. Its well-roundedness doesn’t come cheap, however, and some shoppers might not appreciate VW’s newfound love of touch-sensitive controls.

Versus the competition: Competitors like the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Veloster N and Subaru WRX STI have racier styling, but none offer the blend of refinement and performance you get with the Golf R.

Last offered in the U.S. for the 2019 model year, the 2022 Golf R is based on the redesigned, eighth-generation Golf platform, which also underpins the 2022 Golf GTI. The regular Golf hatchback is no longer offered in the U.S.

 

The Golf R is offered in one well-equipped trim level with a standard six-speed manual transmission; the lone option is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which costs $800. Our test car had the manual, and its as-tested price was $44,640 (including a $995 destination charge). In consideration of our December test drive, the car’s standard summer performance tires had been swapped for Pirelli Sottozero 3 winter tires.

Great to Drive

Everything about the Golf R driving experience is light and slick. It steers with a light touch, the clutch pedal depresses easily, and the shifter flicks easily between gears whether you’re shifting up or down. The shifter is on the taller side for a performance car, but it works well nonetheless.

One of the Golf R’s most impressive attributes is how forgiving its standard adaptive suspension is when in the Comfort setting, especially considering its low-profile 35-series tires. Our test car’s winter tires may have helped matters a bit thanks to their soft rubber compound, but the suspension soaks up bumps well. Selecting the car’s Race mode changes the experience by offering a firmer ride, weightier steering and a louder exhaust sound.

 

 
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Comfortable, Minimalist Interior

The Golf R’s cabin has a sleek, minimalist aesthetic that includes many touch-sensitive controls, though not as many as the brand’s all-electric ID.4 compact SUV. The touch controls worked surprisingly well with gloved hands even without touchscreen-compatible material on some fingertips. Still, the touch-sensitive climate-control bar is difficult to use at night because it’s not backlit, and I occasionally hit the wrong steering-wheel control by mistake.

 

 
The Golf R’s dashboard and upper portion of the front doors are finished in soft-touch material, and the front doors have large bottleholders. A large bin in front of the shifter includes a wireless charging pad, but the storage bin under the front center armrest is small. The armrest is adjustable for height and length — a nice touch.

The standard 10-inch dashboard touchscreen includes controls for the climate system and heated and ventilated front seats, as well as the navigation and multimedia systems. The screen is intuitive, and it was easy to set up wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. The multimedia system also includes wireless Android Auto.

The rear seat is a bit upright, but overall space for adult passengers is adequate. The outboard rear seats have seat heaters, and the 60/40-split backrest folds nearly flat with the cargo floor. There’s a center pass-through to the cargo area, and the Golf R has 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the backseat up and 34.5 cubic feet with it down, according to Volkswagen’s measurements. (We didn’t get the opportunity to apply Cars.com’s methods to this vehicle.)

Safety and Driver-Assist Features

As of publication, the Golf R hadn’t been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Standard active-safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane-keeping assist, rear automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights and Travel Assist, the latter of which works from 0-95 mph and uses the lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control systems to center the car in its lane and manage vehicle speed.

Should You Buy the Golf R?

If you need one car to do it all — carry people, carry stuff and take on a winding back road — the Golf R could very well be that car. It’s rewarding to drive and has a measure of practicality you won’t find in many high-performance cars. However, the R’s price premium over a Golf GTI — $14,100 over the base version and $5,650 more than the GTI’s well-equipped Autobahn trim level — is steep. This will give some shoppers pause, but those who take the plunge will be happy they did.

https://www.cars.com/articles/2022-volkswagen-golf-r-review-practical-performance-for-a-price-445788/

 

Published in Volkswagen

More power, precision, and refinement come to VW's redesigned 315-hp hot hatchback.

The hot-hatch genre has, at times, made us feel very old. Our younger selves would have happily tolerated a bouncy ride, a laggy engine, or a raucous cabin if it kept the price low and the fun-to-drive quotient high, but our backs, our patience, and our eardrums aren't as forgiving as they once were. Volkswagen seems to understand.

We recently drove a Europe-spec VW Golf R around our Michigan stomping ground and concluded that it stays true to the franchise. The new Drift mode may be the star in the highlight reels, but the Golf R's distinguishing trait is that it's so much more well rounded than your typical hot hatch.

2022 volkswagen golf r

HIGHS: Potent and refined powertrain, quicker than before, entertaining chassis.

The heart of the Golf R remains a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, but Volkswagen massaged the software and moving bits to a Civic Type R–beating 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, gains of 27 and 30, respectively. Most turbo fours this powerful feel as though they were tuned by Michael Bay, with their barely controlled, explosive power delivery. Not this one. The fourth-gen EA888, an iron-block holdout, is linear and refined in its work, even at its most violent. Engage launch control and the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic slips a clutch through most of first gear rather than slamming shut in the axle-shaft stress test we've grown accustomed to from other all-wheel-drive products. The transmission of our Euro-spec Golf R flicks through the gears at a furious pace as 60 mph arrives in a quick 3.9 seconds and the quarter-mile is dispatched in 12.5 seconds at 111 mph, placing it well ahead of the last automatic Golf R we tested.

 
2022 volkswagen golf r
An R button on the steering wheel pulls up a driving-mode-selection screen on the central display—this is the easiest-to-use function of the otherwise infuriating new infotainment system. All U.S. cars come standard with the R-Performance package. The pack's Special mode readies the R to tackle the Nürburgring by sharpening the throttle, livening up the transmission, and dialing in the 15-position electronically controlled dampers. This mode is also perfect for terrorizing your local twisties, where the driving experience can best be described as that of a Porsche 718 Cayman with a back seat. Yes, this Golf—with a transversely mounted four-cylinder in an economy car's body—is that good. The steering is quick if a touch short on feel while the 235/35R-19 Pirelli P Zero PZ4s howl at their 0.99-g limit. The firm brake pedal works the 14.1-inch cross-drilled front rotors with precision, stopping from 70 mph in 151 feet and from 100 mph in 304.

LOWS: Hefty price, maddening touch controls.

2022 volkswagen golf r
 

The revised all-wheel-drive system abandons the previous model's center coupling for a pair of electronically controlled clutch packs, each dedicated to one of the rear-axle half-shafts. By varying pressure in the clutches, the Golf R can shuffle the left-right torque distribution to aid rotation. With Drift mode activated, the system delivers all the rear-axle torque to the outside tire in turns, but don't expect cinematic powerslides: The car is capable of routing only 50 percent of the engine's grunt to the rear axle.

That's fine by us, because the Golf R's thrills are more sophisticated than sliding sideways and sending up smoke signals. If you're more interested in speed, precision, and refinement, this is your hot hatch. Hopefully you've been saving like a grown-up, because the Golf R carries a very adult price, starting at $44,640.

(https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a37200521/2022-volkswagen-golf-r-us-drive/)

Published in Volkswagen
Saturday, 10 July 2021 03:52

Volkswagen Golf Estate review

Thoroughly rational, practical family car with an air of quality
 

 At a glance

New price £24,730 - £31,330
Lease from new From £270 p/mView lease deals
Used price £17,990 - £24,915
Used monthly cost From £449 per month
Fuel Economy 46.3 - 62.8 mpg
Road tax cost £155
Insurance group 14 - 22How much is it to insure?
New
8.0 - 10.7
Miles per pound (mpp)

 PROS

  • Sensibly sized for British roads and towns
  • Premium feel and many clever details
  • Diverse range of engines and trims
  • Uncompromised practicality

 CONS

  • Appreciably more expensive than rivals
  • Tech overkill, touch-controls are annoying
  • Some trim is not family-friendly
  • Can’t escape engineering shared with cheaper cars
 

Is the Volkswagen Golf Estate any good?

You won’t be surprised to learn that in eighth generation form, the Volkswagen Golf Estate is a thoroughly polished car and it’s somewhat better than good. However, it’s not a car that achieves greatness, because it is far from unique. The core engineering is shared across many cars from the wider group of brands owned by Volkswagen – from Audi to Skoda – and each one is micro-managed to the finest points to appeal to different audiences.

As both the progenitor of VW’s modern-family car approach, and the ‘widest appeal’ marque, the Golf thus ends up being something of a personality-free zone. There’s none of the zest of the Leon Estate, nor the superior arrogance of the A3 Sportback, or the reserved pragmatism of the Skoda Octavia, even though the best qualities of all three are wrapped up in one package.

So yes - it’s very good, and of high quality. But it’s just a touch anonymous.

In isolation, though, it’s rather impressive against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake, Ford Focus Estate and Hyundai i30 Tourer. A safe, advanced choice that won’t let you down or lose much money when it's time to trade in.

Whether it wins your heart, however, is another matter.

What’s it like inside?

Blurring the lines between VW Group’s brands, the Golf has taken some of the ‘high tech’ thunder from Audi and swapped to futuristic touch controls throughout. It’s not just the gadgetry, depending on trim level there are luxury touches that set the Golf ahead of many premium marques – albeit at the cost of family resilience.

Take, for example, the velvety-soft fabric lined door pockets on some models – they dampen rattles and feel much nicer than sharp edged unfinished plastic, but you wouldn’t want to clean it up after leaving some forgotten sweets in there on a hot day.

Everything is put together to a very high standard, with excellent fit and finish and no in-car rattles even with the large panoramic sunroof. Materials and appearance vary with specification, but all models get some version of two-screen cockpit; this is where the polish starts to wear off as the infotainment system can be laggy, the touch heater controls are hard to use by, well, touch, and after a while you just wish it had been designed with more focus on usability rather than looking good.

None of it is a showstopper though and you’ll adapt, it’s just there’s a lot of progress for the sake of it in a car that is supposed to be a familiar family friend.

Volkswagen Golf Estate (2021) review interior view 

Practicality and luggage space

With big windows, a long, flat roofline, and a large, flat-sided boot the Volkswagen Golf Estate is the perfect shape for carrying people and stuff; there’s little attempt to make it ‘sporty’ or fashionable, and that’s the way we like it. The tailgate extends low down with a wide, unimpeded opening and there’s an impressive amount of width available relative to the car’s size. Because the Golf Estate is still a relatively small car it’s got a short load area that is easily extended by folding the seats – and it has the useful feature of Isofix points on the front seat so you can fetch large items and take your infant with you.

Front seat comfort is the same as a normal Golf. In the rear seats the more upright roof and windows mean visibility is better, and Volkswagen’s thoughtful touches extend to not one, but three pockets on the seat backs on some models – with smartphone-sized slots further up the back of the front seat.

Fabric interiors retain that VW trick of making your back feel a bit hot after a while behind the wheel, but as many models come with air conditioning or climate control as standard, that isn’t as uncomfortable as it used to be. Ride depends on engine and spec – but every Golf is a strong performer here.

Volkswagen Golf Estate (2021) boot space
 
 

What’s it like to drive?

We tested the Volkswagen Golf 150 TDI Style, a mid-range model with torquey diesel engine and DSG automatic gearbox. VW’s diesel offers impressive refinement and more than adequate performance, as well as near 60mpg real-world economy.

Despite a wealth of driver assistants on offer, the Golf’s unobtrusive, driver-friendly setup means you can enjoy the car’s precise steering and neat handling. Yet it’s easy to let the tech take over in more tedious situations, which it does very effectively.

Nothing is outstanding on this spec, given the price – it’s just very, very good, intuitive, and predictable. As the Golf Estate is also available in very basic, luxurious, all-wheel drive and soon, high-performance R models as well, you should be able to find the experience you want; crucially they all have the same impressive, no-nonsense practicality that you want an estate for in the first place.

What models and trims are available?

As the best of Volkswagen Group, the Golf Estate offers, well, the best of VW’s engine selection. Everything from a 110hp 1.0-litre petrol to the storming Volkswagen Golf R will be available eventually – the latter offering all-wheel drive and 320hp when it arrives, depending on spec. This will be a truly fast load-lugger with only the smallest of external clues to tell other drivers what it is. Until the R arrives, the 200hp Alltrack provides grip and torque.

At present the hybrid Golf – the GTE – is not available in estate form, and for this generation there’s no e-Golf as the VW ID.3 fulfils that role, so there's unlikely to be a plug-in Golf Estate.

However, there is a slightly higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive Golf Alltrack, which is only available with 200hp diesel power and DSG automatic gearbox.

On other models, you can opt for a manual gearbox or VW’s proven DSG automatic, and there’s a comprehensive set of driver assistance available if desired. In short, the Volkswagen Golf may be a byword for the essentials of family motoring, but it can be lavishly equipped.

What else should I know?

One thing the Golf Estate has going against it is cost. No VW Golf is ‘cheap’, but even so you’ll find you pay a hefty premium for a normal spec of Golf against strong rivals such as the Ford Focus Estate, Kia Ceed and of course, the in-house rivals of the Skoda Octavia and SEAT Leon estates.

However, the Golf feels more like a premium product – in places it feels more upmarket and higher quality than more obvious posh brands such as Mercedes-Benz and even some Audis. A little bit of that is in soft, short-lived things like soft-trimmed door bins – but it implies a longer-lasting, more robust car overall.

On the other hand, if longevity is important to you other manufacturers are now offering warranties that make VW look decidedly stingy. With that in mind, read on to find out if we think the Volkswagen Golf Estate is worth buying.

 
Volkswagen Golf Estate (2021) review, driving

Should you buy a Volkswagen Golf Estate?

There is absolutely no denying that the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf is technically the best Golf ever – and it isn’t always a given that a new one will be a better one, as the third generation demonstrated. However, the same engineering is available with different badges for less money, in the form of the Skoda Octavia Estate – which also has some physical controls instead being completely dependent on touch controls for many features, too.

If practicality is foremost in your buying decisions, that alone will rule the Golf out. However, the Golf does present a more pragmatic image and balance than, say, an Audi.

Soon, the appeal will be enhanced with the delightful combination of family-friendly, small-enough-for-towns subtle performance in the Golf R Estate which has few direct rivals, and little that can approach the performance for the money.

So ultimately, it’s down to whether you’re the sort of person who likes to pay for high quality, without necessarily shouting to the world that you bought the fanciest thing. If you are, the fit and finish will impress, the details reassure, and the relatively classless badge will appeal.

What we like

The wide range of engines and transmissions, the classless image and the sheer practicality of the Golf Estate make it a very easy car to like.

What we don't like

It's more expensive than a Skoda Octavia Estate and when you start optioning it up, it gets even more costly. The touch controls on the fascia are also unresponsive and are not as satisfying to use as traditional knobs and switches.

Which model is best for you?

There’s a diverse range, from the bare-bones 1.0 TSI Life to the 200hp all-wheel drive Alltrack, but we think the Golf Estate works best as a subtle, premium model – either of the 150hp diesel or petrol versions, in Style trim, will deliver an efficient, refined experience that justifies the expense.

The Golf Alltrack offers a different dilemma – when compared with premium rivals it represents good value for a capable car, ideally suited for rural areas prone to bad weather and patchy road clearance. It may struggle to look appealing next to a traditional 4x4 or SUV.

Overall though, the Skoda Octavia Estate offers better value than the Golf, particularly at the more affordable end of the range, and it would be our starting point here.

Volkswagen Golf Estate (2021) review, driving
 
(parkers.co.uk)
Published in Volkswagen

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