2015 Volkswagen Golf R Review - Let's Get Serious

2015 Volkswagen Golf R

2-liter DOHC I-4, turbocharged, variable intake and exhaust timing, variable

6-speed DSG automatic transmission

23 city/30 highway/26 combined (EPA Rating, MPG)

24 mpg on the 60/40 city/hwy, 45 percent boot-full of throttle everywhere (Observed, MPG)

Tested Options: Reflex Silver Metallic paint, Titan Black Leather interior; 6-speed DSG automatic transmission.

Base Price (Golf R):

* All prices include $820 destination fee.

Like walking in on your parents on a Saturday night, let’s take a minute to get this situation up to comfortable.

Volkswagen is in dire straits; there are no other words for it. For abusing consumer confidence and lying to the federal government, the German automaker will have to pay billions — and lose tens of billions more in repairs, buybacks, lawsuit payouts and expensive public mea culpas — before they can sniff legitimacy.

For lying and cheating their way through emissions standards with their diesel cars, anyone who has gone for a run in a metro area north of the Mason Dixon line in December for the last 10 years has a legitimate gripe against Volkswagen.

I won’t bury the lede here either: The 2015 Golf R isn’t the type of car that could forgive and forget all indiscretions, either. It’s too hard, too narrow and too expensive to be fit for mass-market consumption. It’s not the car that VW can ride through the rough stuff, mostly because it feels on the inside like it’s riding in a paint shaker.

But every atomic cloud has a silver lining.

For all that we’ve heard and read about Volkswagen over the last week, the larger picture remains: 4 out of 5 Volkswagen cars sold aren’t diesels, and as the world’s second-largest automaker (for now) there are a lot of cars that Volkswagen could talk about.

And we’re talking about the Golf R, and talk we shall.

Exterior

The R in Golf R may stand for “Reserved” and it shows. The 18-inch wheels, 0.8-inch lower stance and quad tailpipes are all that really give it away from its GTI brother. Admittedly, that’s quite a bit for Volkswagen, but if you’re looking for WRX STI-high spoilers off the deck and massive hood scoops, you’ve got the wrong car company, partner.

The Golf R integrates a unique front fascia and rear diffuser, black side mirror caps and side skirts, for the Golf R. It’s best contributions are U-shaped LED daytime running lamps and those fantastic wheels that are understated, but expressive. The badging and larger intakes are all fine and well, but it’s the wheels that make the Golf R interesting.

It’s possible to get the Golf R with 19-inch alloys but that wouldn’t be smart for two reasons. First, the 18-inch rubbers fill the wheel wells perfectly, and second, the 18-inchers still deliver a spine shattering ride. Any thinner rubber and you’d better have the chiro on speed-dial.

Interior

The Golf R’s 22.8 cubes of cargo room is enormous considering many of its VW platform mates stuff much less in their trunks — ahem, Jetta.

Inside, the Golf’s black hides and blue accents are subtly different than the rest of the Volkswagen lineup; only the R gets the blue treatment — and no plaid. The feeling inside the Golf R is much more premium than a base Golf, and somehow more aesthetically pleasing in a functional way than a comparable Audi TT or S3. Both those cars suffer from economy of scale, while the Golf R doesn’t necessarily run from its budget roots — rather it improves upon them.

Infotainment

Thankfully, you could do without the radio if you’re willing to pipe in the (somewhat manufactured) engine noises from the Golf R. As the revs swell to 6,000 rpm, the interior cabin is filled with raspy notes from the busy four. It’s not unnerving, but the car’s serious horsepower is equally matched with a serious call: pay attention.

Powertrain

The Golf R competes in rarified air for enthusiasts in upper tax income brackets starting at just over $35,000 — same as the Subaru WRX STI and the incoming Ford Focus RS — and can nudge nearly $40,000 out the door in top trim. That’s a lot of money to ask — especially considering the Golf GTI is $10,000 less — but loyalty and logic rarely intersect.

For what its worth, Volkswagen does its best to rationalize the purchase. The Golf R’s Haldex all-wheel drive package is exclusive to that car alone. And the Golf R is nearly an inch lower to maximize a lower center of gravity in full-load cornering. And even the most potent GTI falls 72 horsepower short of the Golf R’s mood-altering 292 ponies underneath its square hood. For many people, spending that much on a “small” car would be heresy; for VW diehards, owning the pinnacle of Golfs is an affirmation of faith.

The Golf R can be fitted with an optional Dynamic Chassis Control system that adds electronically variable settings to the four corners for additional grip. The whole system adds more than $2,500 to the bottom line and is largely for track day warriors only. It comes with those aforementioned 19-inch rubber donuts that would be murderous on regular pavement.

Drive

Understeer can be induced, naturally, but the brake management’s software kicks in to tap its inside brakes to rotate the car into the corner. The effect is mind blowing — a small Golf pulling nearly 1g of lateral grip is devilishly fun.

But the revelation found in the Golf R is one concerning the Golf GTI instead. The Golf R’s might and stiff ride underscore how good the Golf GTI can be in normal circumstances. The Golf R turns up the wick on seriousness, and the GTI just feels fun.

And “fun” at VW right now is more awkward than meeting your father’s mistress for the first time. I hope it doesn’t stay like that for long.