QOTD: Which Side R You On?
The landlord came around yesterday. No, your author was not in trouble for throwing raucous, all-night shindigs, nor was he in need of a hooked wire to unclog a bathroom sink. The purpose of this visit was automotive in nature.
My landlord had just purchased a car, you see, and was understandably feeling pretty damn proud about it. Instantly, his choice of ride fostered an online discussion about visibility.
The car? A Volkswagen Golf R, the quintessential hot hatch.
TTAC’s Managing Editor put it best when he remarked, “The Golf R’s charm lies in how little it shows off.” I couldn’t agree more.
VW’s most potent compact keeps its 288 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque something of a secret to other motorists. All-wheel drive is not telegraphed with graphics, sky-high wings, or body cladding. Nope, just a subtle application of visual sport the less eagle-eyed among us might miss.
While VW put the R on hold for 2020, pending arrival of the eight-generation Golf, it remains a sought-after machine with a clear, polar-opposite rival: the Honda Civic Type R.
The Type R is everything the R isn’t. While the R offers drivers a subdued exterior with which to fly under the radar, the Type R bellows to every kid and cop in town, “Here I am!” Its fascia boasts more inlets and crevasses than a Norwegian fjord. The wing is on loan from the USAF. Front-drive compared to the R’s AWD, and with only a manual transmission on offer, the more powerful Type R (306 hp, 295 lb-ft) is as brash as the R is understated. The only thing the two have in common is bodystyle, segment, and engine displacement.
Which begs the question: If given the choice of one of these two beasts, free of charge, which one would you choose? Why?
[Images: Honda, Volkswagen]
More by Steph Willems
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If money were no object, I'd have to go VW. I don't want to have to be seen in a Civic of any sort from the current generation and with few exceptions have generally had an affinity for VW's recent styling decisions. With the VW you could fly under the radar and not be hectored by yabbos who think they have something to prove. If the badges are capable of being removed all the better. When driving in traffic it would be easy to blend in, find an opening, and be gone.
CTR. I'm in my 50s and would prefer the VW's understated approach and AWD. But I've owned a VW, which was unreliable and largely disintegrated. My Acura, on the other hand, is over 10 years old and has 121,000 miles, and yet is basically rock solid. I know Honda's reliability has slipped and VW's has improved, but over the long haul I'll go with Honda. For this reason alone, I'd take the CTR, but I also think I'd prefer the driving experience, just as I prefer the Civic Si over the GTI. I prefer the feel of Hondas generally. The agility, ergonomics, short gearing--it all just works for me. I'll take my CTR in Polished Metal Metallic, please.