Golf R Observations and Questions

[Candyman]

Done.

Was lucky enough to get a ride (not drive) in the yellow one I mentioned that lives here.

What a lot of fun. A lot more fun than the R for sure. The owner (she) loves the car, had it from new, not had one issue with it.

Looks damn funky (in a good way) TBH.

Enjoy it mate, I'm sure you will do.

[Disciple]

Couple Golf R enquiries.

Hey guys,

Just doing some shopping at the moment and gaining some information.

Couple questions about the Golf R if owners could please respond...

What's the ride quality like? I'll be doing a lot of highway KMs so this is pretty important.

In keeping with the question above, is the DCC worth looking for? Does it make much of a difference in daily driving?

What's the turbo lag like? I'll be going for a DSG equipped car and want to know if turbo lag is ever a problem in daily driving. I'm used to a Polo GTi at the moment which has absolutely zero lag.

Any known issues? Build quality, mechanical or otherwise?

What should I look for when I go to look at a car?

Tuning - Are the APR (and others), tunes safe for the gearbox? What can the gearbox handle?

Fuel economy - What sort of economy would I be looking at in the real world if we're talking about strictly highway only. I'm aware that fuel economy is dependent on driving style etc, but what's it like for JUST highway KMs? Around 7L/100km?

Cheers,

Brett.

[zoomda]

Couple questions about the Golf R if owners could please respond...

I posted a full response just as your thread got moved into this one. Now I have to type it all again, thanks mods!

You're in luck as we have one of each in our household so I can give you a good comparison.

Ride quality is firm. Firmer than the Polo GTI. If you get a car with 18" wheels then it is firm but ok and no need for DCC. 19" needs DCC imo.

There is some turbo lag down low but to me it isn't an issue. A tune will help reduce some of it. More helpful though is just learning to drive it.

No known issues, they are a solid car. If you can try and find a car that hasn't been modified or thrashed at a track every weekend

The gearbox can handle a Stage 1 or 2 Tune easily. More than that and you may need to consider upgrading the clutches.

The official claimed fuel economy is nonsense. Expect high 7's and low 8's on the highway. I average around 10 with a mix of highway and around town with light to moderate throttle pressures

[Disciple]

Thanks for the reply mate.

[team_v]

Thanks for the reply mate.

If you are doing a lot of highway KM's, i would look at a Mk6 GTD instead.

[Disciple]

If you are doing a lot of highway KM's, i would look at a Mk6 GTD instead.

Yeah, I did think about this, quite a lot. It comes down to the fact that I want another sporty car. I used to have an Evo 8 MR with 260kW at the wheels. It was brutal as hell, but ultimately I grew out of it. I ended up buying a Mitsubishi 380 LX (top end model), which has been a great car (really great, actually), but I really want to get back into something sporty and AWD. Don't know much that beats the Golf R for value for money in that regard on the second hand market.

[drad81]

I've owned my R for almost 2 weeks and LOVE it. It's standard for the moment but 1st time I drove it it scared the pants off me. Now all I want is more power.

Car is a little laggy below 2500rpm but not bad and never an issue for me during my drive to and from work (I actually like a little lag). I have 19's and the DCC and drive it in sports mode most of the time because I find the steering more responsive but putting it in "comfort" mode is noticeably smoother. During city driving I'm managing about 370-400kms from a tank and that's with the occasional squirt. Haven't tried it on the hwy yet.

[parso_rex]

I noticed tonight that if I use launch control at 5000 rpm the wheels tend to spin a bit but at 4500 rpm it seems OK.

[jubei]

I noticed tonight that if I use launch control at 5000 rpm the wheels tend to spin a bit but at 4500 rpm it seems OK.

u can leave my tune at 5000 launch thanks

[SilvrFoxX]

DCC is a welcome addition I have it with 18s. If the expectation is that if you change modes and there will be a dramatic change there isn't however on long haul you will notice it. As I am a 3 year owner I can say you won't be disappointed and I have no issues except inner shoulder tyre wear rotate every 10k or you will chew tyres

[kl85]

Hi Discipline,
I believe I might be able to help you with your car choices.
Currently owned a golf r for 2 months. I live in rural Victoria and travel an estimated 1000-2000km/week for work.
The golf Rs running DCC with 18" at the moment, I'm not sure how non DCC ride feels like but in DCC sport, it's too harsh for country driving daily but comfort mode does make it comfortable. You still feel bumps and bounces now and then ( the deep ditches etc) but they get handled well by the suspension.
I have tested a MK6 GTI prior to this and wasn't sold on FWD still =] hence the decision to get the R
My average consumption is 8L/100km cruising at 100km/h and a full tank nets me around 650km if I get conservative.
Unless you're looking to travel 40,000km or more a year , diesel doesn't save you much money below that mileage. Get a R and feed it more ROn98 =]

Hey guys,

Just doing some shopping at the moment and gaining some information.

Couple questions about the Golf R if owners could please respond...

What's the ride quality like? I'll be doing a lot of highway KMs so this is pretty important.

In keeping with the question above, is the DCC worth looking for? Does it make much of a difference in daily driving?

What's the turbo lag like? I'll be going for a DSG equipped car and want to know if turbo lag is ever a problem in daily driving. I'm used to a Polo GTi at the moment which has absolutely zero lag.

Any known issues? Build quality, mechanical or otherwise?

What should I look for when I go to look at a car?

Tuning - Are the APR (and others), tunes safe for the gearbox? What can the gearbox handle?

Fuel economy - What sort of economy would I be looking at in the real world if we're talking about strictly highway only. I'm aware that fuel economy is dependent on driving style etc, but what's it like for JUST highway KMs? Around 7L/100km?

Cheers,

Brett.

[Paul_R]

Hi Brett,
Re highway economy: it depends how fast you go. 100kph on the speedo can see 6's. 120kph (about 114kph true) will see mid 8's.
DDC on soft is good for really bad roads but Normal is sometimes less nausea inducing depending on surface.
Turbo lag (in a manual anyway) only a problem in heavy traffic. It's not so much lag as opposed to no torque below 2500 rpm. Something I assume the Mk 7 won't have a problem with due to the fitment of variable exhaust timing pulling the power band down lower.
In summary: just do it.

[zoomda]

I noticed tonight that if I use launch control at 5000 rpm the wheels tend to spin a bit but at 4500 rpm it seems OK.

Lol, that's a brutal launch. Poor clutches and drivetrain

[DonJuan]

Stage 2 Golf R driving from Melton to St Kilda during peak hour and I average 7.4l/100km every day of the week!

[brimway]

Stage 2 Golf R driving from Melton to St Kilda during peak hour and I average 7.4l/100km every day of the week!

Well done! I can't get anywhere near that in a similar tuned R. Best urban average for me is low9s.