Last week, I went to my local VW dealership, gave them $500 and pre-ordered a 2015 Golf R that should hit the USA market in March of 2015, possibly December. My 2013 Golf R is the greatest car I’ve ever had the privilege of driving and still be able to afford. It’s an all-wheel drive hatchback with a gorgeous interior, lots of tech, leather seating and a turbocharged engine with all-wheel drive.
I love this car.
My blog lately has had a lot of Golf R talk and I spent since August to today reading about the next generation MK7 platform and hearing all about the new Golf R. It’s on sale in Europe now and reviews have started coming in. Two reviews I loved the most are below:
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf R
- 2015 VW GOLF R VERSUS 2015 SUBARU WRX STI: BATTLE OF TURBO’D AWD ‘PRACTICAL’ SPORTS CARS
My favorite line from one of the reviews:
The main takeaway isn’t just that the Golf R is good on the slick stuff. The hatch demonstrated itself to be a willing performer, raising the bar over what you’d expect out of a normal GTI. The performance delta over a GTI is huge – far wider than the gap between, say, a Subaru WRX and STI (currently, anyway – the 2015 STI has not been driven yet). Having all-wheel drive is really a benefit here, and handbrake or not, the R slid with ease and poise, never feeling too powerful or acting like a complete handful.
Wintertime driving, to enthusiasts, is far more exciting than you’d think. And tossing the Golf R around the frozen lake north of Arvidsjaur proved its all-season prowess is top-notch. Considering just how good this thing was on the ice, I can only imagine it’ll be a total hoot on dry pavement – and I’m eagerly awaiting the chance to experience that when the northern US finally thaws. But as long as I have snow, this hottest Volkswagen will easily earn a place as one of my favorite cold-weather rides.
What’s happening with the next Golf is a hot topic among enthusiasts and lovers of the original VW Rabbit / R33. They’re taking then Golf, making it more powerful than the GTI and then selling it at a high price. That was the 2012 / 2013 R. In 2015, they’ve taken all of the tech comforts from Audi and thrown them in and people think sporty is now becoming luxury and they’re against that. I disagree. The only downside to the current R is the lack of technology. The touch screen is small, MDI in-dash computer is black & white, there’s no lane-detection or guidance, there’s no adaptive cruise control, back up camera, driving modes or other comforts. The new Golf R is faster than mine, lighter than mine, has better base mileage and more amenities plus a new generation of all wheel drive that’s more Audi Quatro like in every regard…and the price isn’t going up.
My deposit toward a new Golf and slowly growing savings account to afford the next one aren’t guarantees that I’ll get one. The next Golf is just as limited as previous versions with some 5,000 total being made globally and maybe 3,000 of those for American markets. I think Canada only got 500 of the 2013 model. So the probability is low but I’m going to try anyway.