The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20th Anniversary DSG Is A Sports Car Slaying Hot Hatch
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2023
- #Volkswagen has often held the title for the ultimate hot hatch with the introduction of the GTI over 40 years ago and for 2023, the pinnacle of the family the #VolkswagenGolfR gets a special #GolfR20thAnniversary to celebrate its 20th birthday. With the DSG transmission, the latest #GolfR offers up to 315 HP and the ability to smoke most sports car in a drag race and on the race track.
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Just got one. Very fast and handles very well. Compared to my Focus RS, the DSG is fast and very responsive. I like that the R is a sleeper and many different personalities it comes with. It can be a daily commuter, a track monster, a twisty road carver and a sports car as well. 0-60 in 4.1 seconds is absurdly fast for a 2.0 litre engine. I compared this to everything in its class and hands down, best all around vehicle for under 50k. BTW, I got mine for three hundred dollars over sticker and in Southern California is a total win.🎉
Congrats
glad youre enjoying it
Got mine 3 weeks ago in SoCal for MSRP, they’re out there
@@LateNightDateNight dealer name please
@@rodrigoquintanilla5497 VW South Coast, hit up Brandon
Woah!! 0-60 in 4 seconds,...yet it still gets 23mpg City and 30mpg Highway??? Wow!
For me, I'd be going with the auto trans.
I remember when the 20th AE of the GTI came out around the time the R32 came out. I cant believe there's a 20th AE R now. Time goes so fast.
The 40th AE GTI is also out now
Love the stealthy look of this thing. Not trying to be a showoff to everyone.
Agreed. I'm leaning more towards the Golf R compared to the Type-R because of its mature styling.
Couple pointers as someone who's owned an MK8 Golf R for 1.5 years: The home screen in the infotainment can be customized with multiple widgets, including climate. This climate widget has all climate controls besides temperature. I use this to turn on my heated or cooled seats instead of trying to touch that very small area in the bottom left corner. I don't agree that this car has "mundane" looks. The wheels and brakes are huge, hood and front end are aggressive, HUGE diffuser in the back, quad exhaust, and spoiler on the roof/lift gate. It doesn't have gaudy fake vents like some of it's competitors, but to call it "mundane" seems overly critical. Other than that I thought it was a pretty thorough review. The infotainment is certainly not perfect but it seems a lot of youtubers like to harp on it as if it's completely unusable. This isn't the case. It's unfortunate there's no physical buttons, but for what it is it works quite well. I only experience any noticeable lag in the first 60 seconds of turning on the car. By the time I pull out of my garage it's fired up and ready to go.
I think it looks amazing.
Completely agree about the looks. From certain angles it's definitely a sexy looking car. The infotainment screen is frustrating at times, but the more you use it, the more intuitive it becomes. For all the R's amazing attributes, I can happily live with the touch screen and haptics. I think VW must have upgraded the software on the newest models, as my 2024 has zero lag. Very happy to have the Performance package and the two additional driving modes, along with a sunroof!
It doesn't look "bland" at all ...I love the subtitles lending it a refined and qualitative appearance. In 10 years it will still look good. The CTR is just dimensionally massive in looks and actuality so thanks but no thanks for me. The GR is kinda cool though for real-life application for grown-ups with a one car budget renders it a hard no at least for me.
I've seen many, many people getting lower than 4 seconds 0-60. This car is an absolute sleeper, it's nuts lol. Great car, considering it myself
Your 0-60 runs keep me coming back.
I am living in Europe I got the Tiguan R with 320hp with the AKRAPOVIC exhaust option and every day this car puts a smile on my face. I am looking to get a Golf R on the top of my Tiguan before I leave Europe and bring them to the US.
Thanks for your video
Wish we got the full tiguan R in the states
Super review, thx Sofyan.
I've got the VW Golf 8 R Abt Performance and tested the brakes on the Autobahn. They are really awesome also on top speed. It's a real sleeper with the black kit exhaust pipes.
I just got mine and in black but I the uk the 20th anniversary has 333 bhp and top speed is up to 166mph, can’t wait for some dry weather 👍
Such a good little hot hatch! Practical fun.
Too bad we don’t get the wagon version
Too bad your wife left you
@@curtsuneson6161no need to play dirty there already is enough of that in this country
@@Griffith861 Your wife must have left you too.
@@curtsuneson6161 yep that’s it
@@Griffith861I see why she left
I like the way you hide the speedometer
Great review, 🇨🇦gets the manual as well!
You don’t even get heated rear seats in an RS3…$70k car.
Thanks for the vid. Great info. Can you comment on the general reliability and cost of ownership of the golf R? Thank you.
I like this car and have owned it for 4 months. Paid to much for it. Dealer markup was stupid. But, I got it anyway. I love the pedestrian look and sleeper performance that just fits my personality when it comes to car ownership. I had a 911 and every tom dick and harry wanted to race me to the stop light or some bullshit like that. It was annoying. Got rid of it a few years ago but missed the fun in driving. This car has a lot of the feel and performance for a lot less and it looks like a commuter car so muscle heads don't pay attention. I need to say this as well, infotainment system has been great. Have no idea what the f... everyone else has been complaining about. People like to complain about nothing, that is a life truth.
Golf R and Type S all day
10:05 The carbon trim is a $1000 option in the 2024 Golf R for Canada but doenst seem to be available in the US trim.
If a car makes you giggle when you drive it, it’s a keeper
16:55 Gotta love Sofyans laugh when he launches cars, cracks me up
ADHD?
@@RLTtizMEclassy
@@re14437 Great response. Lots of thought. We love it. Stinging and mirthful at the same time.
@@RLTtizME 😘❤️
I love the color
The quirky infotainment is a small price to pay for me the car is awesome it’s always been just a little bit ahead of the curve in comparison and it literally started the entire hot hatch trend cool review 💯
It’s not quirky, it’s just awful.
Not that this is what the Golf R is made for, but man, between it's 4-Motion AWD setup with it's torque vectoring rear differential and the limited slip front differential... If you threw some Bridgestone Blizzack WS80 snow tires on this Golf R, I bet it would be an absolute monster in the snow. Ground clearence would be a negative in the really deep snow, but I think it would still handle deeper snow than people would expect with those WS80's.
That infotainment system is surprising considering just how good my BMW infotainment is. That tells me they really went cheap on the soc that’s running it.
Love this car. Can’t wait to pick one up
Good luck with that. I waited 3 months for mine and it’s pretty much the last 20th vw built. So the vw rep told me.
@@Jessikitty2020 Rep lied to you. Their are still a decent amount in inventory, but the markup is crazy
I'm still liking my 2018 mk7.5 Red Golf R. I just added PPF and Ceramic wax coat, Powered Side Mirrors, wireless Apple Play and Magsafe charging, and did some simple mods using an OBDEleven. Loving it. I might look at the 2024 version of this car if they come in red and if the infotainment comes with buttons. Otherwise, I am resisting the urge for now and keep enjoying my mk7.5 Red.
Same. I have a 2018 mk7.5 Lapiz R DSG. Put 52k miles since new and feels smoother now than when it had 10k miles. Still under warranty which is insane. I would consider a 2024 if more colors were offered (and the buttons). I would want a different color than Lapiz, maybe a spektrum if they offered it. The white mk8 R is not the same white as the 7.5 R. Doesn't make sense why they can't offer red at minimum to go along with blue, black, white.
Mk 8.5 will have buttons
@@whosdondada where did you read this?
@@ADPeguero Volkswagen themselves said it and leaked pictures of the interior. The new steering wheel has buttons now
@@whosdondada mk8.5 is what they'll call it?
Sound powerful 😮😮😮
I miss the VR6.
I've always loved the sleeper aspect of the Golf R. It really is the best of the hot hatches in my opinion, but the price is a bit ridiculous, especially when you see how spartan the interior is. Plus you get no sunroof and only 3 boring colors.
The front looks like a fish lips and back looks like chevy sonic
pretty sure it has a sunroof lol. seen two at my local dealership, both had sunroofs as a standard. even the regular one comes with a sunroof as standard.
@@TryingYourLvck why would you buy this when you can get genesis 3.3T or stinger gt2 for the same price 🤣
@@i.d.6492 hadn't looked at the G70 tbh. Looks sweet. But eh, can't find one like the golf R for the same price that has the same features. Most are 49k for RWD. And only automatic. The 2.0 gets a manual tho.. but why not the 3.3?
The stinger is something I've never liked, idk why. Just kinda bleh. Looks awesome but for some reason I just never got excited about them.
Anyways... The golf R is something I see as a long term car. I'll prob keep It stock. I wish it had remote start like the G70. But yeaa... Idk. It just appeals to me more. Like an everyday car. But I'll keep looking at the G70, I really never thought about that one.
@@i.d.6492Because i don’t want a car that’ll blow up by 30k miles😂😂
Pricey , but great performance 👏
4.1 0 to 60 . That’s fast
Volkswagen should do a project with go to gain access to their electronics which I find to be the best
Bro, the sunroof-delete is why I got the AE over the standard edition. I wasn't even considering this car until they got rid of that thing. I would pay extra to not have the sunroof.
The simple look is a good thing. It's timeless and even my 2007 rabbit looks good today. I also prefer no sunroof on any car. One less thing to clog and eventually leak over time. I do agree that the entertainment system is whacked with no actual knob or buttons. Thats just too distracting and takes your eyes off the road.
I enjoy ur reviews! You recommend the Golf R over Civic Type R and Integra? Ty
Depends on how important all wheel drive is to you.
i have the 2022 golf r manual. i would suggest resting your hand on top of the middle screen and using your thumb to push the buttons on the screen. you were pecking at the screen and that never works on any touch screen. i think that the 2022 is the same as this 20th anniversary and it has the sunroof.
This is a fantastic review man. I had my MK8 R for 2 years and still enjoyed the video. Also getting a 4.1 sec 0-60 mph twice in a row is more than impressive for a stock hot hatch. Would you take the new S4 over this R if you had to choose?
Thank you! Between the S4 and Golf R, it’d be a tough choice. We’d have to retest the Audi because the Golf R seems to be quicker than the Audi in terms of 0-60 times.
4, that's cute. Get back to us when you're under 2.5 like EVs do.
@@BryceCzirr-jz7ju How cute. IROZ Audi RS3 does 0-60 mph in 1.78 sec and 1/4 mile in 7.98 sec at 182 mph
@@BryceCzirr-jz7ju It's coming VW is going full EV. Let's enjoy these ICE motors and trans while we can 😀
@@mqbr22 Cool, is that your car? Oh no. You still get your ass waxed by a Tesla.
Whatever ANY car doesn’t include something “I wish they included it”. “Sad to see”. Cmon man!
How come we have not included bmw X2 M35i and Mini countryman JCW in this hot hatch class? The OTD price for these is similar and they perform quite similarly. Just food for thought.
Not close to Golf R. The features are insane. Heated and cool front seats, and rear seats as well. Wow! The technology is awesome.
The fog lights are not needed with the new light technology over the last few years. The light from modern headlights penetrate through fog... so people who wonder why modern vehicles have gone away from them... it saves money to go into more safety features typically.
fog lights are not about the tech it is about the way they look better
@@robgatling8234 Agree it looks great on the GTI lots of folks add yellow tint for that euro look.
Very nice...
Good luck finding this in stock and at MSRP.
My customer today walked away from msrp
@@kevs2good133 Amazing that they could just walk in and find it in stock and at MSRP! Unfortunately this isn't the case in my region.
@@JCTiggs1North Bay area here, local dealer had a black 20th on the lot and was asking $66k.
Got my blue DSG (non-20th) for MSRP last month. You have to look regularly and be ready to travel when they pop up. I drove an hour and a half through a tropical storm 😂
I got one for three hundreds over sticker in Los Angeles area. If you are interested, just let me know.
When you get these cars, do you challenge the makers on their markups?
The GR corolla killer
Also 4.1!? That’s m340i territory
It’s an everything under $50k killer.
Sorry Chuckles 🤡 but 0-60 isn't so important
@@DM72513 well yeah that too
Naveen, Naveen, the Toyota bashing machine!!!
@@user-jq9nr3qo6othe golf r kills the GR corolla and CTR. But the CTR probably drives better than the GR and on par with the golf r
I had no idea they still made a Golf R…. Hadn’t seen one since like 2005 when the hot hatch scene was booming. Maybe I am thinking of the VR6
The Golf R with a DSG punches in to the next weight class. It’s just too fast in a straight line with the DSG. Now imagine it with another 100+ HP/TQ from a simple ECU tune.
Can imagine it with a blown motor if that's the kind of power you add to that engine.
Keep imagining, bucko
@cwx8 my mk7 stage 2 TSI has 300 hp and 80k - they can handle it 💪
@cwx8 it's not gonna blow up, it's not a modded infinity g35. No hate to it, but the golf r isn't gonna be that Oh its In the workshop more than on the road thing.
@@cwx8 I guess you don't have any experience with GTIs or the EA888 motors.
Idk but i couldn't really hear the pops and crackles from the exhaust 🤔
There really is nothing out there that sounds as good as the Elantra N does.
YOUR BIGGEST KENYAN FAN, SUBSCRIBER, LIKER, COMMENTER RIGHT HERE, AS USUAL, 07/10/2023
Seems like if VW got the infotainment right with physical buttons where they apply best this car would have been a homerun. If they wanted to do it the way they did, it had to be knocked out correctly and it just seems like a drag/possible dealbreaker. Yes I'm sure you get used to it but certain controls in a vehicle shouldn't take that kind of effort and adaptation.
Been on my local dealer wait list for a while now. Cant wait to get the call but it feels like forever. And Im not willing to pay absurd prices some resellers are advertising
Put a 500 deposit for mine in March. Got it in June for msrp and no dealer bs.
@meowdi5926 I put it my deposit last month, but they say they can't tell me an estimated time. If it works out like yours, it should be a nice holiday present
@@gabrieloramos Look at other states you can ship car pretty much coast to coast for 1,000 bucks.
@@marccyberwiz i live in Puerto Rico so as soon as the car hits the port its taxed $5,500 plus 27% of every dollar over 30 grand. It sucks to live in a US colony
I wanted one but the roads in the Northeast is so bad. I bought a CX5 turbo and I still sometimes scrape the front on steep driveways. There’s some roads so torn up and patched that even in an SUV with 55 series tires, I feel like a bobble head. Absolutely Ridiculous city road conditions! I cannot imagine how many tires and wheels I would go thru on 45-40 series tires!
I live in the northeast and my Volvo Polestar is lower than this and I've never scraped. The Polestar is on 35 series tires and I've had no issues. How the hell are you scraping with a CX5.
@@v60polestar88 in some of the local establishments, the driveways are steep, but the road it connects with are so bulbous with frost heaves, that if you don’t come down in a sharp angle, you will scrape. I’ve seen a M340ix rip off his chin spoiler. wish I can post pics of it. Complete clown show. Some neighborhood roads are so broken with patches & bumps, I can’t go faster than 20 mph without shaking & bouncing.
Canada gets the manual too.. just sayin haha
Canada gets the 6 speed too you know?
Literally two things missing to make this the perfect car:
Walkaway auto locking
A much needed update to the infotainment system
Don't care about Hondas so called reliability which last I checked was average, I'd take this over the CTR any day and the Corolla interior and refinement is to econobox for everyday comfort. The Golf R is just perfect maybe except for reliability questions.
German cars are not know for their reliability. They never have been. The reason people buy them is because of their solid build and performance. If you want reliability over every thing else, then yes, but Honda. Or even better, Toyota.
The EA888 and DSG have been super reliable. I would not be worried about reliability whatsoever, maybe some electronic quirks here and there, but that’s it
As a do it all car, would you take this or a type R?
This easy
A sunroof does NOT weaken the structure of the car. These guys always say that but it’s not true.
front still looks like scion iM 😁
This is a gorgeous hatchback!! Not like the Accord type R and Corolla
They're different . The VW is the far more mature hot hatch. It crosses ALL generation from junior to grand dad.
The in-house brakes are sufficient but VW really needs to switch to genuine Brembo on this car. That's something that we can all see from a distance, and if Honda and Hyundai can do it, certainly VW can. Also, the blue "signature" brake calipers are also distinctive but I would have preferred they went the body color brake caliper as their signature along with an expanded body/interior color pallet selection.
VW has the performance-to-comfort dialed in perfectly, they just need to add a bit more focus towards the style and livability of their interiors.They're utilitarian, but always mood depressing gray. Definitely not a place anyone would want to spend time in.
The Germans may only think of and use their cars to get from A to B, but we in the U.S. consider them to be our second home, where people will spend half their day behind the wheel. One more thing regarding interior, please, please, please let the piano black die. Genesis does this very well. There's just so many other more durable materials out there the won't look horrible in a years time.
In other news. VW solved their engine covers that "catching fire" problem: they simply removed them. Don't know why this was such a problem at this stage in the first place. I'm going to guess they switched to a different supplier that used inferior materials to save money.
They should have known better and heeded that old idiom about things too good to be true.
Yeah or steal the Brakes from larger RS audi models
Interesting, no plastic engine bay cover.
I think they were catching fire in the previous generation.
I just bought a carbin fiber engine cobb cover and it is totally dope
When you turn off the useless gesture recognition the responsiveness of the infotainment improves greatly.
Eff every dealer still selling this car for a 5k+ markup
Dealer markups are insane for these.
Only if you're stupid enough to pay it. Walk, and don't look back.
VR6 still the best engine
True, but emissions requirement won't allow it.
still no tactile buttons on the wheel? still ZERO reasons to upgrade my 7.5R
I fit 3 adults in my GTI back seats better than any of their compact crossovers and I can fit more. There’s no reason for compact SUVs to exist and I want the creators of them to pass away.
Bad roads my friend.
@@navjotsandhu7245 they don’t even do that
@@fluffysharkdatazz9460 are u trying to say that crossovers DONT have higher ground clearance than hatches hot or otherwise? Because that's just not true..
@@navjotsandhu7245 yes they do. I can get a car with decent ground clearance or a station wagon even, and my GTI has more ground clearance than my friends Mach E. They’re mostly marketing and if ground clearance is the only saving grace it’s relatively still useless as an idea since it is managed in other forms
@@navjotsandhu7245Bad handling and slow🐌my friend
Saw one of these on the road and thought it was a crossover, these things are huge now.
That’s a good thing
It is anything but huge, lol. Doubt you saw one if that’s the impression you got.
GOLF R! Yes 🙌
A bloody shame that I can't find a new R for less than $53K new. Dealer markups in the Seattle area are in the $7K range. Absurd.
Because I hate the hole in the roof, I love this Golf R.
Yeah the slick tops are only in the US market. Canada gets them with Sun Roofs. SO they will be much more special down the line.
Screw that. Give me the panoramic sunroof all day. This is why I’m not getting another one. I want ALL the goods offered in other markets. Power folding mirrors and all. I had a 2015 MK7 Golf R and that had literally no amenities that even KIA offered years before.
I thought the CEO promised to make changes to the interior.😅 It’s not like VW is the only company going to button-free interiors now.
I’ve had several Golfs, the last being the 7.5 R, .I just can’t get excited by VW anymore, looking at the BMW 240i now which arguably has a worse dashboard.
Obviously it doesn't happen overnight dude. It's gonna take time for VW to go back to buttons.
time for an Audi RS6 Avant!
"315hp" these all make minimum 350hp
These are impossible to get. A dealer told me yesterday it’s a 4 year wait to get an R and no GTIs for at least a year either
Needs to be a 2-door like the original VW hatch.
Cheaper than a CTR or GRC, and a lot faster. No brainer to get this over those other two.
329 horsepower.
Those rims are same like previous gen civic type R
R Sportwagen pleeeese!
theres 10k makr up in my area
Keep negotiating
$5k near me
Volkswagen apparently says that they are keeping this around until the 2035 crap kicks in and if that’s the case then we need to pressure them to get the wagon over here.
I doubt we are about to hit mid refresh next year. I'd say 2028 will be last ICE Golf R / GTI. VW already shared concept ID GTI so we know the direction they are going to keep more on ID line.
too much tech
Kona N is more fun. Too bad it got discontinued, but you can still grab one off the lot.
You can't compare the Kona to a golf R dude lmao
I think you called this one a BMW more than a few times... Double check because I may be wrong.
doesnt have power mirrors and lift gate because thats extra weight that no one wants on these cars
The interior is not a lot different than my launch edition gti. Basically just the carbon fiber and R stitching. My R is white.
Sunroof assemblies are super heavy and raise the center of gravity. They also leak if the drain tubes get clogged. Good riddance.
Not for what they want to charge you. Dealers here in Calgary Canada want 70K for this.
ok but, the civic type r is probably the same over there, and this thing is much better than the civic, absolutely worth it for the same price. overall the golf r is just a better vehicle, the best of its class.
Ridiculous, just get the BMW 240i which is even faster, no mark-up and a 2-3 month order time.
@@litespeed65 it isnt the same class tho but ok, i mean fair enough i guess, but i'd rather just get the golf r.
@@chrism869I mean sure but both of those markups are insane. It's m240 money.
@@chrism869the m240 crushes the golf in every conceivable metric. Except if you want a manual.
Totally whiffed the Infotainment. Gotta get that right in this price range.
wtf does whiffed mean
@@Freddy_Confettiairball
They really need to go 350+ hp with this base
it kind of is pretty close. VW rates there HP at the wheels while most rate it at the flywheel.
315 in vw speak really means 350. European brands always under rate. Japanese and American inflate it.
No volume knob? Kind of a dealbreaker ngl
The interior is so much cheaper than my mk7 GTI. Car has been VERY good to me. 83k STAGE 2+
Same, stage 2 and buttons. No finger prints.
The 7.5 is truly the best Golf R
My golf r 20th has a sunroof
We don't have that option in the US on anniversary model
@betteheadbettehead4800 sounds like I should bring mine the the us and sell for big bucks lol
dual teardrop headlight shapes got to go imo
Agreed. The front end is hideous. They were ugly on the early 'oughts Chrysler 300M and they're somehow worse here.
Funny how the Elantra N isn't mentioned at all here. I know it is a sedan, but it does play in performance like the CTR and the GRC.
@@layne4376 The Type R is a hatch while the Type-S isnt. Wtf you yappin about 😂
@@layne4376 actually performance wise, it kind of is. And on a track, the EN is an extremely capable vehicle.
GTI competitor
I would take this over the Ford or the Subaru WRX.
Fun factor aside. Will it stay with me more than with the mechanic? Scotty Kilmer says the latter😢!