To everyone who doesnt drive a mk8, its really not. Couple swiped on the steering wheel and I have the music as loud or as quiet as i'd ever need to. No need to take a single hand off the steering wheel to reach for a volume knob. Never once did I wish I had a volume knob in my car because its not that big of a deal
@@CS-hf4dq While true, I also have full control over my audio via steering wheel and I still prefer manual control with the knob. I also prefer manual control over HVAC as well as newer manufacturers are leaning for an all in one with the infotainment system but with so much electronics in the car, they're usually the first to go.
@@Specialist7 Yeah, I usually have my HVAC set to 70 degrees on automatic so I've literally never even had to go through the menu since I've set it. I agree its 100% a lot more taps and eyes off the road required to work all of the features and it will be a hefty repair bill in the future, but I've had the car for a while now and everything is like second nature, all my complaints about accessibility were gone in like a week of owning the car. Plus the MK8's are so good outside the infotainment system so even if it was a lot worse, I would still absolutely love my car.
I love that you get to drive so many different vehicles all the time. You are living the dream! I like your personality and great knowledge on cars generally.
@@Localtraveler2376 Good thing you can always swap a manual into whatever. Sure, it will cost some money but that way, you can have the best of both worlds.. and the transmission you swap into it will be guaranteed to be stronger and more reliable than whatever would have come from the factory.
On the other hand, the MIB4 system in the 8.5 is SO much better than the MIB3 in this 8. It actually works now and has some good features. The sliders for volume and AC temperature are also illuminated now. Unfortunately the R still keeps the touch sensitive steering wheel buttons, while all other Golf models go back to physical buttons.
I own a GTI, had an ID.4 loaner with the big screen for a while (and really liked it), and then felt that the GTI’s screen felt a little small when I came back to it. So I think that, with time, the screen in the Mk 8.5 won’t seem too large.
@@leospaceman2976 Same! I'd like if they just did what BMW did with 1 wide screen panel for all infotainment. I'm not a fan of the digital dash plus giant screen.
As a new MK8 GTI owner - auto climate is your friend. I had a MK6 for a bit when I wasn't ready to commit to manual, and I missed auto climate the whole time. So much more fiddling and it's not even fun. Infotainment hasn't bugged me so far, but on my last Civic I pretty much just used steering wheel volume and track skip while moving, and it's the same here.
I got the last of the GTI 380’s. All the dynamic goodies. Manual. LSD. Big sticky summers on R wheels and adaptive suspension. In th base S trim gets volume and tuning knobs too. It’s perfect. And there’s not lots of traction when you give it the beans on the bigger summer tires so I’d recommend them if you have a GTI. The all seasons struggle for grip.
I want a golf so bad. Id prefer the GTI cus I don't need all the power from the R... but because i live in an area that gets a lot of snow the AWD of the R would prob be a good idea.
These people who complain about the interior and use of the electronics haven’t spent enough time in one. Love my golf R…so far. This is my substitute for a Porsche as my business is shit at the moment. Interestingly I may just stay with this class of cars than higher end and they are completely unnecessary for commute.
Honda does that cheap interior move as well. Brushed metal ish imitation accent trim on my front doors isn't carried over to the rears instead you get the lower base trim grey plastic accents lol 🙄
5:56, seeing how laggy the infotainment system is in the Golf R makes me happy that the Discover Media system in my 2016 Tiguan is fast, with all its buttons, and a physical volume knob. Ohh, joy of joys 😂
coming from Africa where everyone drives a manual and its more expensive to buy an automatic, to now living in the states and seeing that you have to pay extra for manual is crazy to me! The biggest mistake America has done is not make it a requirement to learn stick to get your drivers license.
If you swipe your finger on the main volume slider all the way from the right to left in one go it will mute the volume. Also if you do long swipes on the volume button on the wheel it makes volume control way easier. Ive been living with a 2024 GTI SE 380 and the infotainment system has honestly been a non issue for me at least. Just dont the tapping as its near useless, just long deliberate swipes, or in the wheels case button like pushes.
Its biggest competitor for us enthusiasts is Mk7/7.5. Both cars share the same features but for the first time, the newer one is more difficult to live with than the older model.
Don’t hate on the infotainment without trying it. I have the new Atlas with this and it’s actually great. Though the Atlas has physical steering wheel buttons. I would not like these steering wheel touch buttons.
@@porfiriato84 i have a big screen in my BMW with idrive 8 and i, nor anyone who's sat in the car, has ever commented on the screen placement. They just like it's big for carplay. This screen obsession is an online commenter thing only.
I believe every vehicle should have a manual option some insurence companies give discounts if you have a manual they consider it a security feature which is sad
In the meantime 90% of the streets of my town have a 20 mph limit... Perhaps car manufacters and enthusiasts will wake up one day and build cars aligned with current reality
you will have pros and cons as with anything. Maintenance long term is the biggest turn off. Its not simple like Japanese cars. Simple fluid changes may require temperature readings by computer. And as the car ages, parts deteriorate and cost of it is quite a bit higher. I have owned VW GTI for over 10 years and sold it at around 120k miles.
I have extensive driving time in both cars. The R is certainly quieter if you are looking for a freeway cruiser. The Type S isn't too bad but with the much wider tires you certainly hear them (265) vrs (235) on the golf.
I drove one with the dsg about a year ago and mind you it was fast, it just wasn’t all that fun or spirited :/ I feel vw chases numbers more than anything and it just makes the driving experience meh imo
It’s also why I bought a WRX over the Golf R as well - the Golf was just numb. Sure the WRX isn’t as fast or nice, but it’s just more fun for me. Same with the N cars - way more emotion
@@sasquachjl1228 You definitely made the right choice. The WRX's newer FA 2.4 is also a great starting platform for modding. It can hold good power reliably, just make sure you get a proper dyno tune for every mod you do that affects fuel or air. Don't drive on a Cobb OTS tune for very long, if you do mod it. I will say you should get an oil pressure gauge ASAP, as they suffer from the same potential RTV sealant issue as the GR86 & BRZ. That way, you don't have to constantly remove your oil pan and check it manually (which also voids your warranty, I believe). If you ever see a drop in pressure, you know it's most likely that.
The Golf R is just meant to be a more mature car. Put it in the special mode with DSG and have a cat back exhaust and they wake right up while still being relaxed on the motorway.
I feel like manufacturers like Volkswagen are just taking options away from us for no reason, like the golf. Not the GTI or R, just the base golf. I own a Volkswagen Taos and my uncle owns a golf. The golf drives so much better it's unbelievable. Again, not even a GTI. Just a base golf. Also, they're not offering a manual for the Jetta in 2025. Only the GLI, but the base Jetta doesn't get a manual anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if they replace the golf R with an EV soon, seeing how Hyundai did their ioniq 5 N before Volkswagen their ID GTX or whatever they're going to call it.
6:19 once again, who designed that infotainment Home Screen!? Blue on blue on blue?? It’ll take all of your focus to see what you’re pressing. Very distracting.
Automated emergency braking and low emission zone killswitch becomes mandatory soon, it makes difficult to make a manual fitting those (not impossible, GM went out of the way and designed a 2 axis servo contraption to automatically move the gear stick and the clutch servo to move the clutch when necessary)
What a downgrade. They think adding screens makes cars better and it doesnt. Boring, plain interior. Not even engine cover on an R which is supposed to be top of the line golf. I own a mk7 R and i wouldnt trade mine for the newer ones.
You don't think setting the cruise control before adjusting the climate control was dramatic and performative? Lol there was truly no need for all that. You can rev-match downshift but somehow don't have the ability to tap a screen while driving?
Thinking what to replace my '22 brz with in couple of years. Couple year old Golf R seems to check most of the boxes I want (awd, usable rear seat). But the interior just kills this car for me. Horrible. Good thing audi s3 exists for about same price and proper interior controls. And for 2025 they made s3 virtually identical mechanicaly to the R. So I guess I ll just wait couple of years😅
Golf use to be cheaper VW fun. 50k to drive it home outdated and jetting boring just doesn't do it for me when we have the elantra Ns in the world with leftover disneyland money.
Wait - 1 second faster to 60? Because of only 10ft/tq more?! That does not sound right... 50k for a golf. Insanity! I bought a brand new Audi S4 in 2011 for 57k.
Piano black everywhere and no physical controls. It's like VW went out of their way to design the most annoying interior imaginable. I can understand all the gloss on some kind of exotic that you'll take out on the weekends, but it's a nightmare for what will almost certainly be someone's daily driver. I just don't understand. No one is avoiding a car because it doesn't have a piano black interior.
I understand manuals are for the minority of people who want to shift, but in today's world with the automatics and dual clutches, it is almost pointless to own a manual. We are probably 10 to 20 years max left to have manual transmissions once everything is EV or hybrids. To further drive this point home, no pun intended, the 2025 Golf R, has a mode that puts you in the exact right gear at all times and shifts better than a human can in track mode. There is literally no reason for manuals anymore.
How can you compete with Corolla GR/Civic typeR/Hyundai N..... why picking VW? And the interior is different from the one they have in EU. And this particular model it's mix..Gas and hybrid. Would I buy it? nah...I trust more the Asians cars than them Euro cars
Because the R can still hang with all of them while having more comfort and luxury features. Only a select few can push these cars to their limits where differences and drawbacks of the R show up.
At it's price point, the interior is god awful. Ironic because for not much more you can get a used S3, which is objectively better in every single way, and uses the exact same engine. If you want the hot hatch styling, get a Honda Fit Sport, its under $20,000 and has the same dimensions. Even stranger is the Jetta GLI has the exact same engine, and yet the interior has physical buttons and doesn't scream of cost cutting like it does in the Golf. I just don't get it. Why would anyone want to pay so much money for this car when the Mk 7.5 just works better and doesn't look as cheap?
S3 lacks rear torque vectoring, has a horribly cramped interior, and can't haul. GLI state of tune delivers 100 less hp from the factory, is FWD only, and has the EA888.3, NOT the.4 on Mk8. People aren't cross shopping a fit with an R, that would be competition with a corolla hatch. To say nothing of the fact that Honda hasn't been making it for years. And having spent six years living in a Mk7 before going Mk8 to this day I can't find an appreciable drop in material quality for the interior. I'll tell you what sucks that nobody ever mentions. Where's my sunglass holder, where's my cubby space, and who in their right mind signed off on the hill hold for the manual transmission.
They keep making it uglier and uglier… and it’s hideous at this point… bring back the MK6 with the diesel in the USA… please and thank you so much. We want a 45 mpg GTD, not an EV with 250 miles a range…
To all the auto manufactures watching this, having a Volume Knob is non negotiable!
and an option for a manual transmission.
To everyone who doesnt drive a mk8, its really not. Couple swiped on the steering wheel and I have the music as loud or as quiet as i'd ever need to. No need to take a single hand off the steering wheel to reach for a volume knob. Never once did I wish I had a volume knob in my car because its not that big of a deal
@@CS-hf4dq While true, I also have full control over my audio via steering wheel and I still prefer manual control with the knob. I also prefer manual control over HVAC as well as newer manufacturers are leaning for an all in one with the infotainment system but with so much electronics in the car, they're usually the first to go.
@@Specialist7 Yeah, I usually have my HVAC set to 70 degrees on automatic so I've literally never even had to go through the menu since I've set it. I agree its 100% a lot more taps and eyes off the road required to work all of the features and it will be a hefty repair bill in the future, but I've had the car for a while now and everything is like second nature, all my complaints about accessibility were gone in like a week of owning the car. Plus the MK8's are so good outside the infotainment system so even if it was a lot worse, I would still absolutely love my car.
The whole car is an abortion. Wait for the next gen
I love that you get to drive so many different vehicles all the time. You are living the dream! I like your personality and great knowledge on cars generally.
Us manual transmissions lovers are not loved and respected by manufacturers in the modern generation of cars 😔
wallets speak louder than words in the automotive world, if VW knows whats good for them they'll reconsider their recent decision(s)
It’s unfortunate. Manuals will probably only be available in very expensive cars only in a few years.
@@Localtraveler2376 Good thing you can always swap a manual into whatever. Sure, it will cost some money but that way, you can have the best of both worlds.. and the transmission you swap into it will be guaranteed to be stronger and more reliable than whatever would have come from the factory.
@@Localtraveler2376and when that happens, and I can’t get good used cars anymore, I will find a different hobby.
sales numbers don't lie...it's a bit unfortunate but realistically manual lovers are always the vocal minorities
love my 2024 gti
Love this R! Looks great inside & out, and great information in this video! Love the song choice haha
Mk5 and Mk7 still my favoutites of the Golfs.
I hate how the 8.5 R has a huge screen. The screen in the 8 is good and not too distracting. VW is headed in the wrong direction very FAST
The new mk 8.5 screen looks terrible in videos. I like how the mk8 screens blend in w the dash line.
On the other hand, the MIB4 system in the 8.5 is SO much better than the MIB3 in this 8. It actually works now and has some good features. The sliders for volume and AC temperature are also illuminated now. Unfortunately the R still keeps the touch sensitive steering wheel buttons, while all other Golf models go back to physical buttons.
I own a GTI, had an ID.4 loaner with the big screen for a while (and really liked it), and then felt that the GTI’s screen felt a little small when I came back to it. So I think that, with time, the screen in the Mk 8.5 won’t seem too large.
@@leospaceman2976 Same! I'd like if they just did what BMW did with 1 wide screen panel for all infotainment. I'm not a fan of the digital dash plus giant screen.
my biggest hate with the 25 is the no manual option
As a new MK8 GTI owner - auto climate is your friend. I had a MK6 for a bit when I wasn't ready to commit to manual, and I missed auto climate the whole time. So much more fiddling and it's not even fun. Infotainment hasn't bugged me so far, but on my last Civic I pretty much just used steering wheel volume and track skip while moving, and it's the same here.
I'm keeping my 40AE GTI manual forever.
Yea love my Mk7 Manual with stage 1, no interest in an automatic or removal of buttons.
Finally someone that blasts the music, sounds great and wonderful review man !
With the ACC you can adjust speed by 1 mph lightly pressing the arrows vs. doing a hard press/swipe for 5 mph increments
Tired sub topher sounds like the starting Topher
They both have same polite accents.
I got the last of the GTI 380’s. All the dynamic goodies. Manual. LSD. Big sticky summers on R wheels and adaptive suspension. In th base S trim gets volume and tuning knobs too. It’s perfect. And there’s not lots of traction when you give it the beans on the bigger summer tires so I’d recommend them if you have a GTI. The all seasons struggle for grip.
Tryna get one of these! Save the manuals!!
I want a golf so bad. Id prefer the GTI cus I don't need all the power from the R... but because i live in an area that gets a lot of snow the AWD of the R would prob be a good idea.
Plus the R is a blast in the snow with that trick rear differential!
just get a good set of winter tires... AWD isn't a must for winter.
@@darkstar9008 preach
I went to the VW dealer and now my Mk8 has the redesigned engine cover 🙌🙌
Is it available now ????? I gotta go check it out.
2024 owner haven’t got that recall yet😂
I adore my mk8 GTI. I eleven love the haptic buttons & infotainment system.
Thank you for your work legendddd
These people who complain about the interior and use of the electronics haven’t spent enough time in one. Love my golf R…so far. This is my substitute for a Porsche as my business is shit at the moment. Interestingly I may just stay with this class of cars than higher end and they are completely unnecessary for commute.
Can't lie on your taxes as easily these days huh ?
@@Highlander1432 ooof. It burns you up doesn’t it that you are too dumb for the down and dirty lol
Honda does that cheap interior move as well. Brushed metal ish imitation accent trim on my front doors isn't carried over to the rears instead you get the lower base trim grey plastic accents lol 🙄
5:56, seeing how laggy the infotainment system is in the Golf R makes me happy that the Discover Media system in my 2016 Tiguan is fast, with all its buttons, and a physical volume knob. Ohh, joy of joys 😂
coming from Africa where everyone drives a manual and its more expensive to buy an automatic, to now living in the states and seeing that you have to pay extra for manual is crazy to me! The biggest mistake America has done is not make it a requirement to learn stick to get your drivers license.
AMEN…..my feelings exactly.
The vol is on the steering wheel left side and it works well for me
If you swipe your finger on the main volume slider all the way from the right to left in one go it will mute the volume. Also if you do long swipes on the volume button on the wheel it makes volume control way easier. Ive been living with a 2024 GTI SE 380 and the infotainment system has honestly been a non issue for me at least. Just dont the tapping as its near useless, just long deliberate swipes, or in the wheels case button like pushes.
Pretty sure the difference in 0-60 times between manual and DSG has more to do with the instant shifting and not so much the differences in torque
Still can't get how many americans don't know how to drive a manual transmission! Here in europe its everywhere!
its ironic north america was the only one to get the R in manual.
24:22 I’ve eaten a whole barbecue bacon sammich meal from Burger King during a commute home from work. Yes I got sauce in places.
Its biggest competitor for us enthusiasts is Mk7/7.5. Both cars share the same features but for the first time, the newer one is more difficult to live with than the older model.
Don’t hate on the infotainment without trying it. I have the new Atlas with this and it’s actually great.
Though the Atlas has physical steering wheel buttons. I would not like these steering wheel touch buttons.
This same car is going to be delivered to my local dealership next week. I am trying to decide between this or a Tesla.
You just do the climate button then put your finger wherever you want it. It’s super easy.
The 2025 golf r looks like a winner to me... Fixes major screen issues the 24 and prior have
You're actually a fan of the mega sized iPad in the center? 🤮
@@porfiriato84 You're a fan of the lag from the screen on current outgoing model :(
@@ryanpekstill didn't answer the question 😎
@@porfiriato84 i have a big screen in my BMW with idrive 8 and i, nor anyone who's sat in the car, has ever commented on the screen placement. They just like it's big for carplay. This screen obsession is an online commenter thing only.
It fixes nothing. Just get audi s3 at this point, almost same price and proper interior
Can you disable the HUD? Does it have blind spot detection?
Please tell me, this version have 3 pedals?
I mean its a manual so yeah lol
@@TheFastradaArchive great man
in europe mk8 r is only dsg i thought was same everywhere?
I believe every vehicle should have a manual option some insurence companies give discounts if you have a manual they consider it a security feature which is sad
In the meantime 90% of the streets of my town have a 20 mph limit... Perhaps car manufacters and enthusiasts will wake up one day and build cars aligned with current reality
Vw dropping the manual isnt a big deal vw has way too long of gears ro be fun
I want to switch my 2023 Civic Si to this , is that worth it ?
you will have pros and cons as with anything. Maintenance long term is the biggest turn off. Its not simple like Japanese cars. Simple fluid changes may require temperature readings by computer. And as the car ages, parts deteriorate and cost of it is quite a bit higher. I have owned VW GTI for over 10 years and sold it at around 120k miles.
I did. For a 6spd GTI. Only < 1yr in but very glad i made the switch.
5 months left to buy one with a manual. Otherwise its gone and the Mexico Built GLI is a no go for me.
Is it worth 50k+ though? damn tough price to swallow for a 2.0 turbo
How's the noise level compared to a Integra Type S?
I have extensive driving time in both cars. The R is certainly quieter if you are looking for a freeway cruiser. The Type S isn't too bad but with the much wider tires you certainly hear them (265) vrs (235) on the golf.
do you plan on making more GS400 videos
Yes!! Currently working on getting an exhaust for it
I drove one with the dsg about a year ago and mind you it was fast, it just wasn’t all that fun or spirited :/ I feel vw chases numbers more than anything and it just makes the driving experience meh imo
That's why I'd rather get a Hyundai N car, which do the exact opposite, they don't chase numbers and instead make the most fun car they can.
It’s also why I bought a WRX over the Golf R as well - the Golf was just numb. Sure the WRX isn’t as fast or nice, but it’s just more fun for me. Same with the N cars - way more emotion
Nothing a full bolt on setup and tune cant change so thats really bo issue just like the new wrx wakes up with a tune and fbo’s
@@sasquachjl1228 You definitely made the right choice. The WRX's newer FA 2.4 is also a great starting platform for modding. It can hold good power reliably, just make sure you get a proper dyno tune for every mod you do that affects fuel or air. Don't drive on a Cobb OTS tune for very long, if you do mod it. I will say you should get an oil pressure gauge ASAP, as they suffer from the same potential RTV sealant issue as the GR86 & BRZ. That way, you don't have to constantly remove your oil pan and check it manually (which also voids your warranty, I believe). If you ever see a drop in pressure, you know it's most likely that.
The Golf R is just meant to be a more mature car. Put it in the special mode with DSG and have a cat back exhaust and they wake right up while still being relaxed on the motorway.
needs a short shifter!!!
where is the speed??
I feel like manufacturers like Volkswagen are just taking options away from us for no reason, like the golf. Not the GTI or R, just the base golf. I own a Volkswagen Taos and my uncle owns a golf. The golf drives so much better it's unbelievable. Again, not even a GTI. Just a base golf.
Also, they're not offering a manual for the Jetta in 2025. Only the GLI, but the base Jetta doesn't get a manual anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if they replace the golf R with an EV soon, seeing how Hyundai did their ioniq 5 N before Volkswagen their ID GTX or whatever they're going to call it.
I was in my 21 Mustang GT and one of these tried to race me.
6:19 once again, who designed that infotainment Home Screen!? Blue on blue on blue?? It’ll take all of your focus to see what you’re pressing. Very distracting.
you’re able to make that any color you want!
Blame the consumer for manual transmission being no longer available.
Automated emergency braking and low emission zone killswitch becomes mandatory soon, it makes difficult to make a manual fitting those (not impossible, GM went out of the way and designed a 2 axis servo contraption to automatically move the gear stick and the clutch servo to move the clutch when necessary)
The sound system is terrible in the 2024. Sounds thin and cheap. Otherwise its a great car.
Lil bean ahh
$50k for a vw hatch lol.
wow gears are absurdly short!
What a downgrade. They think adding screens makes cars better and it doesnt. Boring, plain interior. Not even engine cover on an R which is supposed to be top of the line golf. I own a mk7 R and i wouldnt trade mine for the newer ones.
You don't think setting the cruise control before adjusting the climate control was dramatic and performative? Lol there was truly no need for all that. You can rev-match downshift but somehow don't have the ability to tap a screen while driving?
I considered one of them a while back but absolutely hated the haptic buttons and how EVERYTHING was controlled from the screen
The next gen won’t have haptic buttons anymore
Thinking what to replace my '22 brz with in couple of years. Couple year old Golf R seems to check most of the boxes I want (awd, usable rear seat). But the interior just kills this car for me. Horrible. Good thing audi s3 exists for about same price and proper interior controls. And for 2025 they made s3 virtually identical mechanicaly to the R. So I guess I ll just wait couple of years😅
What about the Interior? Just the infotainment?
@@leospaceman2976 yea unusable POS
7 minutes in I already dislike the interior, why are you making it so hard to choose this car VW!
Golf use to be cheaper VW fun. 50k to drive it home outdated and jetting boring just doesn't do it for me when we have the elantra Ns in the world with leftover disneyland money.
You can have a base GTI for less than a N if that's what you want.
That VW UI is garbage
Wait - 1 second faster to 60? Because of only 10ft/tq more?! That does not sound right...
50k for a golf. Insanity! I bought a brand new Audi S4 in 2011 for 57k.
.8 faster. 4.1 vs 4.9
Why would a car you bought 13 years ago (that is now inferior to the current Golf R) have any relevance whatsoever?
Piano black everywhere and no physical controls. It's like VW went out of their way to design the most annoying interior imaginable. I can understand all the gloss on some kind of exotic that you'll take out on the weekends, but it's a nightmare for what will almost certainly be someone's daily driver. I just don't understand. No one is avoiding a car because it doesn't have a piano black interior.
Bro imagine buying this as a MANUAL. Literally could not make a worse decision - insane.
torque -> power
False
I understand manuals are for the minority of people who want to shift, but in today's world with the automatics and dual clutches, it is almost pointless to own a manual. We are probably 10 to 20 years max left to have manual transmissions once everything is EV or hybrids.
To further drive this point home, no pun intended, the 2025 Golf R, has a mode that puts you in the exact right gear at all times and shifts better than a human can in track mode. There is literally no reason for manuals anymore.
$46k for this car is absurd. They're really milking the Golf for what it is. Many hot hatch alternatives available today. This car is a hard skip
The worst part of this car is really the infotainment... absolutely unbearable
Give me an Elantra N over this anyway.
VW is dead to me.
So overpriced lol
How can you compete with Corolla GR/Civic typeR/Hyundai N..... why picking VW?
And the interior is different from the one they have in EU. And this particular model it's mix..Gas and hybrid.
Would I buy it? nah...I trust more the Asians cars than them Euro cars
The golf platform has been extremely reliable since 2015 with the MK7 golf. The asian's are the ones with more recalls these days...
Because the R can still hang with all of them while having more comfort and luxury features. Only a select few can push these cars to their limits where differences and drawbacks of the R show up.
Superior to literally every one of those cars except for maybe the CTR. Wild comment
At it's price point, the interior is god awful. Ironic because for not much more you can get a used S3, which is objectively better in every single way, and uses the exact same engine. If you want the hot hatch styling, get a Honda Fit Sport, its under $20,000 and has the same dimensions. Even stranger is the Jetta GLI has the exact same engine, and yet the interior has physical buttons and doesn't scream of cost cutting like it does in the Golf. I just don't get it. Why would anyone want to pay so much money for this car when the Mk 7.5 just works better and doesn't look as cheap?
S3 lacks rear torque vectoring, has a horribly cramped interior, and can't haul. GLI state of tune delivers 100 less hp from the factory, is FWD only, and has the EA888.3, NOT the.4 on Mk8.
People aren't cross shopping a fit with an R, that would be competition with a corolla hatch. To say nothing of the fact that Honda hasn't been making it for years.
And having spent six years living in a Mk7 before going Mk8 to this day I can't find an appreciable drop in material quality for the interior.
I'll tell you what sucks that nobody ever mentions. Where's my sunglass holder, where's my cubby space, and who in their right mind signed off on the hill hold for the manual transmission.
8R > S3, stop smoking crack lmfao.
I'm not taking a used German car TYVM
objectively your talking out your ass
S3 doesn’t offer a manual. When the R doesn’t either then the S3 is a no brainer
They keep making it uglier and uglier… and it’s hideous at this point… bring back the MK6 with the diesel in the USA… please and thank you so much. We want a 45 mpg GTD, not an EV with 250 miles a range…
Nice troll but they aren't. Mk7 is gorgeous and Mk8 is nice looking but the interior just needs a bit of work, which is mostly addressed in the Mk8.5.