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It’s class vs thrills, and class will out: Our Cars, VW Golf R, CAR+ March 2016

Updated: 22 February 2016

► Month nine with the VW Golf R
► This month we weigh up the pros and cons
► Is it the perfect all-rounder?  

Honeymoon period over and nine months in, it’s a good time to take stock of life with the Golf R. Mostly, it’s positive. I like that the VW’s grown-up looks avoid the hot-hatch chav-factor, that its five-door shell easily swallows kids and shopping, that it’s fun to drive fast and usually sticks its head over the magic 30mpg mark too; this month’s 29mpg is an exception, not the rule.

We all worried when the 2.0-litre four replaced the 3.2-litre previous-gen VR6, but I like the – artificially instigated – burbly gurgly sound, and the flexible wodge of boost. Every now and then I’ll feel like the redline cuts too early when I go for a second-gear overtake, and that third would’ve been too tall, but as an all-round solution to burning petrol, going quickly and saving cash, the uprated EA888 engine takes some beating.

I’ve really enjoyed the R’s combination of unflappable traction and adjustable agility, but I do think the Golf’s rounded polish prevents it from being quite as thrilling to drive as the – less rounded – Megane RS. Amazing that nothing has knocked the Renault off its perch after all these years, even though its about to go off-sale.

I had a go in a DSG Golf R recently. The dual-clutch gearbox works fine, but I think it’s very much a comfort option, not something that adds to the driving experience, nice though the pops after each gearchange are. One other thing I noticed too: tip-in can be quite aggressive with the auto, so I think it actually makes the R feel more front-wheel drive: pull out of a junction quickly and that snappy tip-in makes the front wheels briefly spin before torque is re-directed to the rear. I never get that sensation in the manual, which must be something to do with blending the clutch in. I’ll stick with the 40% of customers who go for the manual, thanks.

The things I don’t like about the R can be dealt with pretty quickly. I like both the support and comfort of the fabric and alcantara seats, but the seat itself is positioned too high; even now I crank at the seat adjuster to try to drop it another inch, and when it won’t, I’m still convinced there’s something stuck underneath the mechanism. It’s my biggest bugbear.

If the seat did drop lower, I’d feel happier, and my hands would slot more easily into a quarter-to-three position on the steering wheel. As it is, I have the wheel at its maximum rake, and still feel more natural gripping it at ten-to-two which, as Mark Walton pointed out recently, is just wrong.

Nit-picky stuff? The blue instrument needles make it harder to spot at a glance if you’ve got full beam on, because the blue light on the dash no longer jumps out at you, and the volume control on the multi-function wheel is compromised into an awkward position by the cruise-control settings, which I very rarely use.

But mostly the R is pretty much perfect for a family type like me, where the better-to-drive Megane RS would be more of a compromise. I do wonder if the recently launched Golf R estate would prove an even better fit, a mini RS4 on a budget; I’ll be trying one soon for a back-to-back test.

Blue (as in Bluemotion) is usually a VW coda for green, but here the blue needles mean action. All clear?

Read the previous long-term update here

Logbook: Volkswagen Golf R

Engine: 1984cc 16v turbocharged four-cylinder, 296bhp @ 5500rpm, 280lb ft @ 1800rpm 
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive 
Stats: 5.3sec 0-62mph, 155mph, 39.8mpg, 165g/km 
Price: £31,475 
As tested: £35,640 
Miles this month: 1368 
Total miles: 10,101 
Our mpg: 29.0 
Official mpg: 39.8 
Fuel this month: £225.61 
Extra costs: £0

Read more from the March 2016 issue of CAR magazine

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