Volkswagen Golf R Review 2024

If maximum smiles-per-mile and a hardcore, raw driving experience is the number one criteria from your hot hatchback, the VW Golf R might not be your bag. Certainly, you'll find the more focused (and compromised) Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S will provide more thrills.

But if you want a hot hatchback that'll also act as your commuter car and your main family car, tackling long motorway journeys and weekends away, the Golf R is a great choice. You'll still have fun when the road allows, but you won't have a headache and need to visit your chiropractor after a long journey. 

There's only one engine and gearbox choice with the latest Golf R - barely anybody bought the old model with a manual gearbox, so Volkswagen saw no need to invest in offering it again. It's a DSG gearbox only, which means this is an easy car to live with. There's also the slight power boost in the Golf R 20 Years Edition, but it comes at a cost. 

There is a choice to make between the regular R hatchback and the VW Golf R estate. It depends on your needs: the hatchback is smaller, cheaper and easier to park, but the estate offers a bigger boot and (to our eyes at least) is a little bit cooler. You may well disagree...

It's pretty clear where the Volkswagen Golf R is aimed at - it's fighting squarely against the premium German trio of the Audi S3, BMW M135i and Mercedes-AMG A35. It doesn't quite have the image of those cars, but counters with more power. 

Hot hatch buyers will also want to check out the related Cupra Leon, which in estate form is available with similar power and four-wheel drive, too. There's also the Skoda Octavia vRS, which is less powerful but cheaper and more practical, as well as front-wheel drive hot hatchbacks like the Hyundai i30 N and Ford Focus ST. 

Judged by the general standards of the mainstream hot hatch class the Golf R's cabin is pretty upmarket and solid, with a decent mix of materials and a general feeling that it won't fall apart after a few years of hard use. 

Certainly, on the Golf GTI it feels a cut above rivals from Hyundai and Renault. The problem the VW Golf R has is that it's going up against models from Audi, Mercedes and BMW, and it can't quite compete with those, missing out on details such as the chrome switchgear and lacking as many soft-touch finishes. 

None of this would be a big issue if this wasn't a VW Golf. In the previous generation car it really did feel like a premium product, significantly better than mainstream rivals and showing up some posher ones, too. The new car just doesn't set the standard in that respect anymore. It's fine, but not outstanding. 

The VW Golf R 20 Years edition is much the same as the regular Golf R, albeit it gets carbon-fibre trim pieces on the dash and doors. That's a first for any VW, but hardly a deal-breaker - although the standard Nappa leather seats with heating and ventilation may well be. 

Ah yes, the infotainment. In the old Golf R it was hardly a highlight, but it did what it was supposed to do and was flanked by lots of physical buttons, logically placed, to make rudimentary tasks a doddle. 

Not so in the pre-facelift Golf R. Just like the regular Golf, you get a 10-inch navigation and media system mounted in the driver's line of sight, and paired with a digital driver's display. The R model gets some bespoke dial displays depending on your drive mode, as well as special graphics for the infotainment system, but otherwise it's the same as any other Golf. 

That means a reasonably responsive screen and decent graphics, plus a good level of customisation for the digital dials. But the compliments stop there. For starters, there are no physical shortcut buttons for anything bar four fiddly touch buttons in the middle of the dash to take you to certain menus. The touch buttons are a frustrating theme, because you never really know if you've actually pushed them and sometimes they require a second stab. 

What's more, the touch 'sliders' below the screen for the temperature, fan speed and volume aren't even backlit at night and are fiddly to use (what on earth was wrong with a simple volume knob!?), while the same applies with the annoying touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons that you find yourself accidentally glancing while you're driving.

That's not all. The touchscreen menus are more complex than they should be, with a ridiculous fifteen different settings for the adaptive dampers, and things like the stability control (which you need to turn off to activate launch control) buried within several sub-menus. Yes, you can create a 'hot key' for it if you use it regularly, but why isn't it easily accessible in the first place? 

It's not as if the voice control is flawless. Yes, it'll work quite well sometimes, but other times it won't, and you can forget using it if you have loud passengers or fighting kids. It might sound like we're really down on the Golf's infotainment, but it's only because VW used to be flawless when it comes to ergonomics.

This is a flaw well worth keeping in mind with early versions of this Golf R, but the 2024 facelift looks to have improved things considerably. While we've yet to try the latest Golf R, we have tried the standard Golf with the same upgraded system, and it's much better. The software is updated and the screen is larger at 12.9 inches. You get faster responses and the ability to create custom shortcuts to your favourite features, and the glitches that plagued the earlier system seem to have been fixed.

It doesn't matter if you're tall, small, well-built or slim, you shouldn't find anything to complain about up front in the Volkswagen Golf R. 

The driver's seat has plenty of adjustment and lets you go fairly low (something which isn't always possible in a hatchback), while the steering wheel and pedal placement are very difficult to fault. 

Those seats are manually adjustable as standard, even if you shell out for the optional leather, but you do get an easy lumbar support adjuster on the side. Comfortable yet supportive, our only gripe is that the integrated headrests mean that those sitting in the rear seats have a restricted view of the windscreen. However, there's decent cabin storage for oddments including a bin under the adjustable armrest - you can lock that armrest in the exact position you want it for the perfect elbow rest, too. 

Moving to the back, even six-footers will find a decent amount of leg- and headroom, and three abreast for short distances isn't too much of a hardship. It's worth noting, though, that both the Cupra Leon and Skoda Octavia vRS have slightly longer wheelbases (the distance between the front and rear wheels) which further improves rear legroom. The Civic Type R also has more space, but the Golf R is hardly cramped. 

The rear doors also open nice and wide for easy access, the windows are pretty large to reduce any feeling of claustrophobia, and the ISOFIX mounting points for child seats are easy to access. The Volkswagen Golf R Estate doesn't really offer much more in terms of outright space for passengers, it's more about the boot.

Speaking of which, the Volkswagen Golf R hatch's boot capacity is 341 litres, down 40 litres on the standard Golf. That'll be due to the four-wheel drive system, but in reality it largely just means less underfloor storage. The capacity is behind the best hot hatchbacks in terms of outright space, but the opening is wide and it's a useable space. 

The Golf R Estate's boot capacity is 611 litres, a useful increase and likely to be a key selling point for family buyers. 

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Volkswagen Golf R hatchback is 4290mm long, 1789mm wide and 1458mm tall. The Volkswagen Golf R estate's dimensions make it 4644mm long, the same 1789mm wide and 1466mm tall. 

You can only get one engine in your VW Golf R, and it's the familiar 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder found in pretty much every performance model from the VW Group. Here, though, it puts out 320PS, which is more power than it delivers in any other application. 

That power is enough for a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds for the Golf R hatchback, and 4.9 seconds for the estate. On paper at least, the word on the street is that it'll go even faster than that, but Volkswagen doesn't want to shout about that so people still see a reason to buy the Audi RS3. 

Post-facelift cars will definitely be quicker, as the 2024 update brought a rise in horsepower to 333PS, dropping the 0-62mph time to 4.6 seconds.

By objective merits it's extremely fast, and away from a standstill it certainly feels it. But because the Golf is so refined and the power delivery is so smooth the thrilling effect of the speed seems to wane. This is particularly apparent with the standard-fit DSG gearbox , which slurs changes smoothly but seems to rob you of the sensation of speed. It's the sort of car where you'll look down at the speedo and be startled at how fast you're actually going. 

Part of the problem is the noise the engine makes, too. It's not very exciting, even if you play with the standard sound mode which alter how much fake noise is pumped in via the speakers. Still, when you've finished hooning about the place it'll settle down and cruise much like a regular Golf, which will be more important to many. 

These issues are addressed to an extent by the Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years Edition, released in 2022. Power is boosted a little to 333PS, but more importantly a revised throttle flap opening and a turbo that keeps spinning in Race or Special mode means you get noticeably better throttle response. It also features more 'kick' in the dual-clutch gearbox's shifts in these modes, which increases the theatre, as does improvements to the cabin engine noise. 

The Volkswagen Golf R is one of the most refined hot hatchbacks you can buy, even next to the premium German competition. Dial down the engine sound mode and it's barely noticeable at a cruise, while wind noise is also kept nicely at bay even at speed.

Granted, you do notice some road roar on rough tarmac (you can blame the wide tyres and big wheels for that), but it's no worse than the competition on that front. 

The Volkswagen Golf R comes with the same array of active safety kit as the regular Golf. That means standard adaptive cruise control, Front Assist, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. You also get 'Car2X' tech which can wirelessly communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles - that'll get cleverer as time goes on. 

What's more, there's automatic headlights on every model, plus a driver fatigue monitor and traffic-sign recognition. You'll need to pay extra for the more advanced 'Proactive passenger protection system', though, while side seat airbags and a curtain airbag are also on the options list. 

Regardless, the Golf received a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP with strong protection for adult and child occupants. The only reason the R would be any less safe is because you may be travelling faster if you do have a crash. 

Volkswagen scraped into our top 10 brands in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. Owners find the cars dependable and well-made, with over 88% of owners saying they're satisfied overall. 

The Volkswagen Golf R is a bit more of a specialist product, with its clever four-wheel drive system and highly-tuned engine. That does increase the potential for things to go wrong, but the basic mechanicals have been used by VW for a good few years now. Nevertheless, it's worth investing in an extended warranty for peace-of-mind, or buying an approved used Golf. 

Being the fastest and most powerful Golf, it's no surprise that the Golf R is more expensive to insure than the standard car. Sitting in insurance group 32, it's higher than all of the GTI models but not drastically so. But rivals such as the BMW M135i sit even higher in group 36, so you might find that it's cheaper to insure than key competitors.  

It doesn't matter if you go for the Volkswagen Golf R in hatchback or estate form; it'll cost the same to tax whichever version you go for. Sadly, it moves up a band from the GTI, which adds a pretty sizeable amount to the VED (road tax) price in the first year. 

The Volkswagen Golf R will cost you a hefty £945 in the first year, up from £585 on the GTI. Happily it'll fall to £165 after that, but you'll still need to budget to pay £355 a year for the first five years on top of that because every Golf R costs over £40,000, making it liable for the 'premium car' tax. 

There's only one trim level on the Volkswagen Golf R, and as standard it comes with 18-inch alloy wheels,  R badging and a unique bodykit, IQ Matrix adaptive LED headlamps, an acoustic windscreen, sports seats trimmed in fabric, ambient interior lighting, a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with heating, stainless steel pedal, progressive steering, sat-nav, digital instruments, wireless phone charging and two-zone climate control.

There are several option packs to add to this equipment tally, however. Key ones we'd consider include the £670 winter pack, which adds heated front and outer rear seats and a third zone for the climate control, plus the £2,750 Nappa leather upgrade (which includes seat heating itself) to get rid of that nasty seat fabric. 

Late in 2022 the Golf R 20 Years edition joined the range, with extra standard equipment such as 19-inch 'Estoril' alloy wheels, blue badging, carbon-fibre interior trim, unique '20 years' puddle lights, the Nappa leather upgrade with an electric driver's seat, heating and ventilation and the Performance Pack.

The 2024 facelift brought several new features, including a revised exterior design with IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights as standard, an iluminated VW badge at the front and new lED tail lights. inside, there's the upgraded infotainment system that we've already talked about, which also inclludes a voice assistant that works with ChatGPT to give better responses to your commands.

The facelift also brought in a new hatchback-only Golf R Black Edition, which has black 19-inch wheels and dark elements on the outside, including the VW badges and R logos and darkened headlights, as well as a larger roof spoiler. It comes as standard with the otherwise optional R Performance package, which gives the Golf racetrack-specific driving modes as well as a GPS lap timer and a G-meter.