Needed a new daily driver and after looking at/driving the wrx sti,evo x and the R, went with the golf R, very fun car and good build quality. Nice to drive with plenty of room. Good mpg with nice power and crazy amount of mods available. You can get 325+ hp with easy bolt ons and the 4wd is good in montana...anyway I like it, room,economy,sporty, great handling...

 

Very sharp...all the best.

Just picked up the gti and I am floored by how much fun this car is to drive.

The R must be in another league.

 

Umm actually they really are pretty similar, r has more power but added weight of the 4wd, gti with dsg, its a pretty close drag race. The cross dif in the gti works very well also. R will exit corners much faster as you can pick up the throttle really quick, and under steer is pretty much a non issue.
Both great cars tho !! btw simple chip in the gti adds 50 hp.

 

thanks for the info..I test drove wrx (not the sti), mazda 3speed and gti...all were nice but gti was the complete package. Other two had better straightline performance but the gti felt more toss-able.

your right about the cross dif...really adds to the balance in driving the car.

Great cars for the $$$$.

All the best.

 

Cool and good looking car.

Very interested in your cross shopping choice and why you chose the Golf instead of the other 2?

More refined? Looks?

 

just felt a lot more solid and better for driving everyday...evo x was better for all out performance,but not as comfortable for me. Did not care as much for the sti's looks or interior quality. Hatchback was a big issue as well as I play a lot of golf and clubs fit in there really easy (also the dogs..lol)
All are good cars, just basicly went with the one I liked best.

 

Derboost has summed it up pretty much as I would.

The GTI/R are more balanced overall for daily driver use and have IMHO better interiors and are more solidly built.

I have had my GTI 6 speed three days and I am amazed still of how much car you get for the money.

 

Looks like a perfectly balance and awesome interior with good tuning capabilities with a tune.

Great buy. Congrats and enjoy

 

Nice car/color combo. Congrads.

 

Congrats. I can't imagine a Golf R is a popular car in a land where Mickey Thompsons and lift kits are the the "must have" F-150 land. Something tells me you may be the only one in state with one and thus have yourself a very rare bird.

FWIW, and in my opinion, I still cannot get my head around VW's new corporate front end and grill treatment. Frankly I feel it's a step backwards from the last 2 generations.

 

OP: Great choice on the Golf R, we have a few customers who have them and they love them.

They are similar but they do have some differences, the motors are not the same. Despite the Golf R saying "TSI" on the engine cover it is an FSI motor, with different internals and a K04 turbo. With basic modifications (ECU, Turbo Back Exhaust, Fuel Pump Upgrade) you can get some serious power while still being very reliable. If you have any questions modifying this feel free to PM/email me.

 

all-in-1 great car! enjoy!

 

the new R looks great! it's basically an A3 in VW skin.

 

Had a beaitiful sunny day yesterday and got to go pound on my favorite canyon road a bit on the lower section (snow up high) well i'll tell ya this thing sticks like glue ! Just a super fun car to drive ! pretty much dead nutral handleing,even sliding in the wet. And nice in the marginal conditions as power well balanced vs chassis. Reminds me of my 1988 E30 M3 in that respect..just flat out fun to drive fast without biting you...I would never even have tried to drive my GT2 that quick up the canyon it the wet like the R...


Oh also A fyi i'm 6'6" and 275...zero issues fitting in it, amazing room for driver. I actually move the seat up a tad and 1 knotch from the lowest position, no issues with sunroof and helmet..good job vw on the adjustment!

 

You reference 'good mpg's' in your first post. Can you update on what you've experienced thus far for economy?