Me neither, what a miss on a otherwise great little hot hatch. In fact I take it further, I once bought a tiny fuel efficient city car, a Picanto 2020 something and the screen just fall into same category, still so thick, lots of cheap plastics as screen packaging. All on top of the size, sticking up, not looking like a integrated part at all. Hopefully Mk9 can have a much more thought through design, can learn a few things from the German competition, in some regards not all.
I think it’s the positioning. It’s way too high. On Tesla it’s slightly lower on a slant. This is up right & high. Very off putting. I prefer how it’s thinner than the 8.0 but hate how high it is.
Government: "No, you can't use your phone while driving" Automakers: "Here's a bigger, more confusing, screen and and a annoying steering wheel to keep you distracted"
Because those buttons were never ridiculous to begin with 😂 Stop listening to reviewers and actually go try the cars yourself. Those buttons are extremely useful and almost impossible to accidentally press or swipe. They function exactly like real buttons just with additional features. I really hope VW doesn’t listen to these comments full of people who have never even tried the steering wheels.
I have driven the cars with these buttons in and they are awful, VW try to pass it off as being "futuristic" but in reality they're just penny pinching!
I have a '24 R automatic here in the States that I bought 4 months ago. It replaced an '18 GTI. I love it except for all the touch controls. If I had analog dials or switches for audio volume, fan speed, traction control, and auto start/stop, I'd be even happier.
Exactly - just put it in „Special“ or „Drift“ and the engine will rev straight to the fuel-cut off limiter - sounds awesome! Further remark: in those mentioned two driving modes which both switch the transmission to its sportiest Setting „S+“, also the engine switches to its most aggressive setting, including the antilag function and the preloaded turbo during part load 🥳 - enjoy
I have the new Golf 8.5 and the screen isn't a distraction, and in real life is nowhere as large looking as it appears in photos or videos. Its height is perfectly set so it isn't intruding into your view out of the windscreen, but just below so easy to glance at for checking sat nav.
I picked my new 8.5 up last month and it’s a fantastic car! Lapis blue, performer pack, 19” wheels AND those extra airbags! Ok, the interior isn’t up there with a BMW, but unlike all new BMWs it isn’t ugly and doesn’t depress you when you look at the exterior! The new golf R…… BRILLIANT!
safety systems should never be optional. in fact, even if it causes the price of the car to increase, they should be present. its almost criminal to do something like that but volkswagen has a history with that sort of stuff.
@@ericlucci2829 Ya'll just love to complain about everything, the touch screen on this is probably one of the best things about it. WAY better than that crap on mk8.
I agree. I want climate control as buttons. I had to get a new car for kid hit me and totaled out my car which was a 2019. My new car is a 2025, same model but now the screen is touch vs the old screen was controled with a wheel and two knobs you hit one way for one thing and the other for another (radio vs media or phone vs navigation) Using the wheel was so easy and I miss it. I just left hand on gear shift and moved wheel or wrote on it. I wonder when will shift back and if insurance companies will determine the impact of all this technology on more accidents.
It is the rear side airbabs that are optional. This has the same 7 airbags as the standard Golf. That's not rare at all. If anything not having rear side airbags is absolutely the norm for any 50 000 usd car.
could be a 10/10 if it had BUTTONS! I am SO sick of touch/haptic controls, they're stupid and just straight up unsafe. Certain things are okay but imho things like climate controls, driving or suspension modes, and all steering wheel controls should always have analog interfaces like buttons and dials
There is a tile you can add to the home page which has a simplified but all you need for climate control set of options, so its always on the screen and easy to get to. However its easier just to tell the car what to set the temperature or fans to, and it does a smashing job with auto climate control so you set your wanted temperature and you don't need to change it. It even adjusts the fans and temperature for sun hitting the car, as well as automatically setting recirculate if there is traffic pollution outside. Most the Golf 8.5s don't have touch controls on the steering wheel, they are just normal buttons.
@chrislee6650 tbh it's not so much about the menus and access, as all cars have their own issues there regardless of physical interface, it's about the fact that to *find* a touch button you have to know where it is. On a smooth surface it's down to your best guess. When I consider how I actually use the controls in my car on a daily basis, it's 100% by touch and feel. Feeling the small gaps between the buttons and such, so you know you're hovering over the third button over instead of the second....that sort of thing. You can guesstimate with touch controls, but the fact remains, unless there's something tactile to tell you where it is (not the haptic feedback that only tells you you've pressed something), you're either guessing or you're *looking*. Boil it down to personal preference if you want to but I think those types of dash and steering wheel controls are simply unsafe
As a mk8 owner i still cant believe they didnt backlight the volume and temp controls on the screen. If I had the money I would absolutely upgrade just for that. Its definitely tough to work the hvac at night 😂😂
Should just keep as a separate climate control. VW use to be good at placement of things to make easily accessible when driving. The radio and climate just where you could see them at a glance and reach without really having to take eyes off the road. Once you knew the placement of things you just reached and did. Now is fiddling.
@@lm1314 You can add a tile to the homepage with the climate controls on, so they are always available and just by your left hand, or you can just tell the car what temperature you want or fan speed. Generally though all I've done on journeys is ask the car to up or lower the temperature a bit and I've not needed to mess with the controls as the auto mode works really well, and it will even set air-recirculate automatically if it detects traffic pollution, so I've not even needed to do that myself as I have with previous cars. Compared to my last car with loads of buttons, I do less fiddling now then I did before.
You need to be in special mode and then gearbox won't change up automatically. Also in the past 2 years I think I've only activated heated steering wheel once by accident. The touch buttons aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
This car looks so much more interesting than the new M135, and that’s coming from a die-hard BMW fan. It looks amazing, performs super well, super looking interior and the engineering behind this is wonderful
There's a review done recently by Carwow where they compared the Golf, the BMW 135, the Audi and an A35 Merc. Might be worth your while watching that as it's an interestign result for the BMW.
@@GethinJames I wouldn't. I would much rather have an older model. Had a car with that stuff and hated it so much I ended up selling it after a year. Try to set the AC to the windshield that is fogging up on a touch screen while driving on a bumpy road. It's great. I now have an older car with proper knobs and buttons that I can feel without having to stare at a screen. You know how you pay more for a GT3 so that Porsche can rip stuff out that you would get on a less expensive 911? I would pay not to have all this electronic nonsense if given the option.
People said that about rear cameras, auto braking systems, led headlights, and other safety options. While being good for safety, we the consumer are paying that price increase in every cars. No wonder why cars are getting so expensive
I part exchanged my mark 8 for the new mark 8.5 and also got the acro exhaust system 👍🏻 you get used to the screen and the air con buttons are now lit up! Seats are more comfortable too
they should have always kept the R32 badging because R reminds of R line and obviously they should have kept the vr6 engine because the R well yes it has power and some styling but its not really an upgrade
@ Yeah that kinda happens with car evolution, things get changed/tweaked/improved. Doesn’t mean the R32 at the time was a bad car, it was a monster for its time, and for a golf! 🙄 it was was capable of 250 brake, and went round corners like a go-kart AND it sounded awesome. In found it to be very capable, but then again I am biased.
One of the first times I’ve seen side emblems put on a door instead of a fender. I’m confused with optional airbags too, I can’t think of the last time I’ve EVER seen that here in the USA.
I have to wonder if it’s a typo/error from VW. My guess is that their new CENTER airbag along with TORSO airbags are optional specifically because they interfere with child safety seats. VW made the rear torso/side airbags optional up through most 2014/2015 models for this reason. Who knows though - this is the company that took away lighted climate buttons 😂
Optional airbags are all over the place in the U.S. market, but they're often only for sides/rear (obviously). You can still find loads of modern U.S. market cars which don't even have options for rear curtain airbags, etc. It is weird though and signals how VW has changed as they were one of the very first economy lines of cars in the early 2000's which had side curtain airbags, seat-mounted airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, the emergency lighting on braking, etc. when no competing cars had them. So they're definitely easing backwards.
I love mine! Despite its niggles, with the buttons, which I’ve had no issues with yet and the fact you have to switch lane assist off, every time you get in it 🙄 it drives superb, with the performance pack you can up shift without the car doing it and the dampers are a must! It drives way better than my 7.5 no turbo lag, way better pick up and the grip levels and the magma diff they use in the RS3 are incredible, build quality is good, but the materials in the 7 are better! But as a drivers car, it’s way better than the previous, the engine is so much stronger and more engaging. All smiles with mine 👌🏻
dont get people complaining about the screen, it works amazingly well. having had a mk7.5, mk8 and now an mk8.5 it's by far one of the best infotainment systems.
Been a VW guy all my life till I finally stopped 4 years ago in hopes of buying a 911 but this car just might drag me back in because I can't even afford a base 911 after all these years due to the prices constantly going up.
In my country you can’t keep cars more than 10 years. I don’t miss the constant workshop trips I had to do with my Mk6 GTI, but damn was that thing a riot to drive.
Screen size is fine. No visibility issues. I had my 8.5 black edition R for 2 days before the virtual dial screen went blank. It’s been sitting with the dealer for 4 weeks now - no indication of when I’ll get it back. Something to be said for buttons and dials.
@@msm9647 I've got a 8.5 Style, not a single issue and I've had a few updates all done over the air. I do get the 12 volt warning sometimes if I'm sat in the car without the engine running for a bit when its cold, but on checking the battery it is charged just fine, so I ignore it, it is just the car warning that the battery is being drained and its a bit over sensitive.
I thought the auto up change when in manual was wrong as well Matt when I had the Golf R 7.5...but try the manual bit with a new RS3, it's impossible to gauge the 1st to 2nd gear change correctly, hitting the rev limiter in 1st causes about a 3 second off power gear change
@@edmund8 333hp isnt much for a 2l. Even the OLD A45 AMG made more, and tuners will map your proper 2l Turbo to reliable 310hp-400hp for 10 years now with even more torque than this R. So its nice, but not impressive at all.
@@SALFX7 It’s embarrassing to assume someone’s wealth. I could easily afford to buy an 8.5R outright but I didn’t want to as I prefer the 7.5 and besides the point, I’m more sensible with my cash.
I mean, if we're being honest...almost no new car is worth its price in 2024. They're all laughably expensive for what you get, and quality has gone down in several marks/brands.
@@oskar6661 unfortunately that is the case in a lot of cars of the German brands. However in VW you can get a top spec Passat with the 2.0 L 265 hp with 4 wheel drive, full leather and massage seats for about 55 000 Euro. So you can get a slightly slower but much larger and more luxurious car for considerably less money. I like that there is at least a step in the right direction.
If they'd managed to fit the new "old looking" steering wheel with real buttons in there (with the R button somewhere on there) it would / could have been so much better ... Now it's just as annoying as before.
@@TheChris69er But why would you have to do aftermarket stuff on such an expensive car. Don't you expect quality from the factory? Of course you can modify your car as you wish. But this is a modification that shouldn't even be needed.
You need to sit in one and experience what it feels like. The displays are larger so you can't just shoe horn it into the dashboard and have it contained, and a lot of cars are doing a similar thing with the displays. Most people will plonk their mobile phone onto a stand hanging off their dashboard or windscreen anyway, at least with Android Auto or Car play you don't need to do that anymore.
As a 2024 Golf R owner, the most important thing to change was the heating controls being lit up! It was impossible to change the temps at night, which you do often in the winter!
Hi Matt. I’ve had a Mk 7.5 Golf R with an APR Stage 1 tune and Michelin PS 4 s’ for 8 years now. I test drove the Mk 8.5 and apart from the drift function for the track, there is no real benefit for road driving up to ‘nine tenths’. Styling wise the Mk 8.5 is an improvement over the Mk 8 but I still think the 7.5 is ‘peak golf R’ style-wise. Here in Australia the Mk 8.5 with all the bells and whistles is about AU$75K. Not sure it’s worth it. Also like you, not a fan of the haptic steering wheel buttons and I think the more integrated screen on the Mk 7.5 looks and works way better. Also it has a space saver spare wheel. Learnt recently on our Mk 6 GTI that if you damage a tyre that needs to be replaced, an inflation kit isn’t going to cut it!
Agreed. Have a lapiz Blue MK 7.5 (APR Stage 1) myself also and i personally think its much prettier than the Mk 8 and 8.5. Think the true genuine benefits are the upgraded brakes with the later gens
So they got rid of the steering wheel touch buttons and replaced them for actual physical buttons on the regular Golf, GTD, GTE and GTI, but kept them on the R?
I have another reason they probably lost money in brand new golf r models. The last gen 8 claimed 4.7 seconds to 60 and did 4.0 and the 8.5 did 4.4 claiming 4.6🤔🤔@lucarinke
Apparently Golf R owners liked the touch buttons, so they decided to keep them. Though they did lower the sensitivity of the outer buttons to prevent them being accidentally pressed. And also, from what I've heard of MK8 Golf owners, it's very rare for you to accidentally press them while driving anyway
@@Frydee123 maybe the lower sensitivity has helped, I had a MK8 Golf GTI, and would often accidentally turn on the heated steering wheel or press other functions 😅
It's because the screens are larger and you can't sit it within the dashboard unless you make the dashboard huge, it also helps with cooling, and if it needs replacing it can be easily swapped out. Even the mark 8 from the passengers perspective the screen looks like its been stuck on.
Fantastic car, I’m a proud owner of a performance Mk 8, and have the beauty of up shifting on the limit, unlike the standard car. My only niggle is switching off the lane assist every time your in it, and the buttons below the dash not being illuminated 🙄 but, other than that, it’s a grip wielding weapon! I smile every time I get in it, that’s what it’s all about 😊
Why do manufacturers opt for the ugly screens that look like they are an aftermarket afterthought ? Is it that hard to make it work with the lines in the car ? :/
I’ve been lucky enough to have driven thousands of cars yet my MK8 Golf R is one of the only ones that consistently puts a smile on my face! It’s so capable in virtually every respect.
What’s with all these kids and wanting screens etc? I’d personally CHOOSE not to have a screen, don’t need satnav, I still have a mapbook, and what on earth possessed them to not make a manual version??? Beyond belief!
@@mauricetoussaint7283Speak for yourself.. drivers are a certain breed and we live and breathe manual transmission.. that's not exclusive to what generation you are, it's more of a shared passion. A manual Golf is an institution, many of us 'grandads' likely learned to drive in one, and in turn have taught that joy to someone else.. sorry if that's not something anyone has ever shared with you Nit understanding what that means to people is okay... but there are generations of drivers out there that have loved and supported the Golf for literally decades.. what a sense of entitlement to think that those people shouldn't have a voice in what they want from their Golf, particularly the 'fast' one. Also.. why does your generation need satnav when the uber eats driver already has your location?
@@joet-gp3dm yes map book, I’m just laughing at you because you can’t wipe your own arse without a computer telling you how to do it! You youngsters are absolutely useless! I prefer not to rely on technology that goes wrong half the time, i was blessed with a genius IQ, yet prefer the simple things..
@@mauricetoussaint7283 I actually like the looks each to their own but gutless? Absolute no chance a M240i x drive factory spec is quicker than a Golf R
I drive the golf r black edition, love it. You should try out Special mode, it’s created on the Nürburgring and your suspension is more comfortable with bumpers while being super aggressive 🎉
Not in the least, you need to test drive one. It is less distracting than the dashboard showing RPM and speed, as when driving the screen isn't changing except for the map if using sat nav.
I hate all these “infoscreen” bs in cars nowadays, they don’t work, they add extra weight, extra electrics and they should be illegal af, I can’t use a phone but I can use a touchscreen tv?
Sit in one and see what you think. It really isn't as large as it appears on videos when you are in the driving seat. When I first got my Golf 8.5 I had to check with the dealer as it felt like I had the smaller 10" screen compared to videos I had seen, but it was the 12.9".
Get my new black edition R on the 10th of January so really looking forward to that now! Sold my GTi performance on CarWow the other week and got four and a half thousand pounds more than the VW dealer offered me, so great one CarWow!
Change your car with Carwow: bit.ly/-Change-Your-Car-1812
Would like too see the golf R vs arteon R matt.
I LOVE THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R 8.5 IT WAS BETTER THEN A AUDI TT RS ICONIC EDITION???
THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R 8.5 DID BEAT THE AUDI TT RS ICONIC EDITION???
Car is still ruined. Nuff said. Haptic feedback controls have not been done away with. No one cares for the car still. Number 1 question everyone had.
900k views in 6 days
You guys are losing your audience, what’s going on?
I think the screen could be a little bigger, just so the driver in the car behind could see it
😂😂😂😂😂
🤣
Or you can hide behind it if you are a shy driver.
If I'm Going for a Sunday 20 mile Country road blast the last thing I'm gna what is a gaint TV covering the Windscreen 😎
True
95” OLED TV with the optional Golf R package
😂😂😂
Go and watch his review on the Fisker Ocean 😂 you'll have a laugh when you see how big the screen is in that car😂
Very unfortunate that PlayStation isn't included as standard and an option 😂
CornHub
Stop it 😂
I cannot get over the microwave size screen on dash
Me neither, what a miss on a otherwise great little hot hatch. In fact I take it further, I once bought a tiny fuel efficient city car, a Picanto 2020 something and the screen just fall into same category, still so thick, lots of cheap plastics as screen packaging. All on top of the size, sticking up, not looking like a integrated part at all.
Hopefully Mk9 can have a much more thought through design, can learn a few things from the German competition, in some regards not all.
Just silly, a car doesn’t need a screen at all, it needs a radio and CD player, that’s all!
I think it’s the positioning. It’s way too high. On Tesla it’s slightly lower on a slant. This is up right & high. Very off putting. I prefer how it’s thinner than the 8.0 but hate how high it is.
Fj
@@Bullbothahell nah Oldie 😂
Can we appreciate how he still got 4.4ish seconds while it was raining... atleast they didnt gas up their numbers!
Government:
"No, you can't use your phone while driving"
Automakers:
"Here's a bigger, more confusing, screen and and a annoying steering wheel to keep you distracted"
Well yes, VW makes more money every time a VW is damaged 😅
Yes the annoying touch sensitive steering wheel buttons in addition to the huge screen
In Germany, one guy got sued for using his wipers in his tesla which a controlled in infotainment screen
Bentley as a camera car haha
Best for camera stability hahah
Why on earth did VW put normal steering wheel buttons in every 8.5 Golf but left the R with the ridiculous haptic "buttons"?
Because those buttons were never ridiculous to begin with 😂
Stop listening to reviewers and actually go try the cars yourself. Those buttons are extremely useful and almost impossible to accidentally press or swipe. They function exactly like real buttons just with additional features.
I really hope VW doesn’t listen to these comments full of people who have never even tried the steering wheels.
Utterly baffling eh
I have driven the cars with these buttons in and they are awful, VW try to pass it off as being "futuristic" but in reality they're just penny pinching!
Bro i agree with you@@WaveManMike
I have the capacitive buttons, horrendous. Never again.
11:54 😂 don't know if you have the best editors or worst but that "nope" is the best part of this video
I wanted to see a snow leopard. 🐯
A drag race video with All VW R Models from Golf R, T-Roc R, Tiguan R, Arteon R to Touareg R would be interesting
I have a '24 R automatic here in the States that I bought 4 months ago. It replaced an '18 GTI. I love it except for all the touch controls. If I had analog dials or switches for audio volume, fan speed, traction control, and auto start/stop, I'd be even happier.
You do not, stop lying.
@@DankyFPSI switched from 7.5 GTI to 8 GTI could not have been happier 😂
Fisting the exhausts is certainly a new thing for Carwow. Really branching out now...
He has to get it in quick while exhausts still exist
@@knifeyonlineexhaust racing pipes?
🤣🤣🤣
😅
😂😂😂
You can set the gearbox to “M+” and it will not auto-upshift in manual. Or just put it in Special Mode.
Like the dq500 back in 2013.
Exactly, it should have been said that it stays manual when shifting in Sport mode.
Yep exactly. Nürburgring mode lets you pin the redline
@@crashnburn441Nuremberg? Great autocorrect 😂
Exactly - just put it in „Special“ or „Drift“ and the engine will rev straight to the fuel-cut off limiter - sounds awesome!
Further remark: in those mentioned two driving modes which both switch the transmission to its sportiest Setting „S+“, also the engine switches to its most aggressive setting, including the antilag function and the preloaded turbo during part load 🥳 - enjoy
With that new screen you finally have a bigger distraction than a back seat driver
Wonder who suggested/approved to lift the screen position that high up
if you got 140cm height then yes lmao. its no distraction, its way lower than the steering wheel
I have the new Golf 8.5 and the screen isn't a distraction, and in real life is nowhere as large looking as it appears in photos or videos. Its height is perfectly set so it isn't intruding into your view out of the windscreen, but just below so easy to glance at for checking sat nav.
I picked my new 8.5 up last month and it’s a fantastic car! Lapis blue, performer pack, 19” wheels AND those extra airbags!
Ok, the interior isn’t up there with a BMW, but unlike all new BMWs it isn’t ugly and doesn’t depress you when you look at the exterior!
The new golf R…… BRILLIANT!
Lol. You're winning.
All the airbags should be standard indeed
Porsche do the same
Esthetically, Mk 7.5 is peak golf(inside and outside), but when we talk performance and practicality(tech & features), this Mk 8.5 R takes the cake.
I have a tuned 7.5 so have the best of both worlds, or so I believe 😅
7.5 is ugly
Nostalgia merchant
@@jn5433you’re bonkers
MK6 is sexiest on the outside.
The rear lights are in my opinion one of the bests of the entire market. I really like the blinker design. Great!
The handling of the Golf R almost replicating the AE86 TRUENO.
The left is already have water inside,the best😂😂😂😂
Looks like the Chinese aftermarket lights you bought on MK1 golfs😂
12:32 when the camera car for a golf is a Bentley 😂
I just want a basic performance car, with airbags, no distracting screen and real buttons and switches.
Buy a 15yr old Hyundai i10, just like me! My 1.2 with 78bhp goes like a go kart!
Audi TT
@@polopoweredMK1 ford Ka with the 1.3z engine in is far more fun than 60hp should ever be on a tight country road.
optional airbags seems sneaky almost like a diesel scandal
Copying the new porsche macan ev
safety systems should never be optional. in fact, even if it causes the price of the car to increase, they should be present. its almost criminal to do something like that but volkswagen has a history with that sort of stuff.
Why would they make the curtain, side and center airbags optional extras? Surely they should be standard?
I'm not excusing VW but years ago apart from the standard airbags in front of the driver and passenger were optional in some automakers.
thats not a VW-specific thing though
That touch screen needs to go!
hell no i love the look if it
touch screen in mk8 was an okay size. no need for an ipad pro in there
Not at all distracting.
@@ericlucci2829 Ya'll just love to complain about everything, the touch screen on this is probably one of the best things about it. WAY better than that crap on mk8.
I agree. I want climate control as buttons. I had to get a new car for kid hit me and totaled out my car which was a 2019. My new car is a 2025, same model but now the screen is touch vs the old screen was controled with a wheel and two knobs you hit one way for one thing and the other for another (radio vs media or phone vs navigation) Using the wheel was so easy and I miss it. I just left hand on gear shift and moved wheel or wrote on it. I wonder when will shift back and if insurance companies will determine the impact of all this technology on more accidents.
Almost $60,000 for a golf is crazy!
Bro, go buy Zeekr 001 or Denza z9 gt instead. Germans are way to back in time
€90k in The Netherlands…
@@davevanderham998 Tering... 😳
@@davevanderham998 and they wonder why the car industry is imploding..
I agree, but valid point is, that every competitor is more expensive than the Golf R.
"But darling, it's a Golf. A sensible family car"
Wait, side curtain airbags are optional?? Are side airbags not mandatory in the UK?
Euro NCAP would have a field day with this one 😂
It is the rear side airbabs that are optional. This has the same 7 airbags as the standard Golf. That's not rare at all. If anything not having rear side airbags is absolutely the norm for any 50 000 usd car.
could be a 10/10 if it had BUTTONS! I am SO sick of touch/haptic controls, they're stupid and just straight up unsafe. Certain things are okay but imho things like climate controls, driving or suspension modes, and all steering wheel controls should always have analog interfaces like buttons and dials
There is a tile you can add to the home page which has a simplified but all you need for climate control set of options, so its always on the screen and easy to get to. However its easier just to tell the car what to set the temperature or fans to, and it does a smashing job with auto climate control so you set your wanted temperature and you don't need to change it. It even adjusts the fans and temperature for sun hitting the car, as well as automatically setting recirculate if there is traffic pollution outside. Most the Golf 8.5s don't have touch controls on the steering wheel, they are just normal buttons.
@chrislee6650 tbh it's not so much about the menus and access, as all cars have their own issues there regardless of physical interface, it's about the fact that to *find* a touch button you have to know where it is. On a smooth surface it's down to your best guess. When I consider how I actually use the controls in my car on a daily basis, it's 100% by touch and feel. Feeling the small gaps between the buttons and such, so you know you're hovering over the third button over instead of the second....that sort of thing. You can guesstimate with touch controls, but the fact remains, unless there's something tactile to tell you where it is (not the haptic feedback that only tells you you've pressed something), you're either guessing or you're *looking*. Boil it down to personal preference if you want to but I think those types of dash and steering wheel controls are simply unsafe
Honestly i wish they put a 186 inch screen so the whole Squad in the car can get a selfie
As a mk8 owner i still cant believe they didnt backlight the volume and temp controls on the screen. If I had the money I would absolutely upgrade just for that. Its definitely tough to work the hvac at night 😂😂
It also supposed to have a VTEC TURBO on Golf R.
Should just keep as a separate climate control. VW use to be good at placement of things to make easily accessible when driving. The radio and climate just where you could see them at a glance and reach without really having to take eyes off the road. Once you knew the placement of things you just reached and did. Now is fiddling.
Wait, they didn't? I have an 8.5 R-Line, they are lit up
Edit: 2:37 Yes they did
@@purwantiallan5089 What?
@@lm1314 You can add a tile to the homepage with the climate controls on, so they are always available and just by your left hand, or you can just tell the car what temperature you want or fan speed. Generally though all I've done on journeys is ask the car to up or lower the temperature a bit and I've not needed to mess with the controls as the auto mode works really well, and it will even set air-recirculate automatically if it detects traffic pollution, so I've not even needed to do that myself as I have with previous cars. Compared to my last car with loads of buttons, I do less fiddling now then I did before.
1:29 i bet the car fult vulnerable after that...juat hope Matt got consent! 😂😂😂
You need to be in special mode and then gearbox won't change up automatically. Also in the past 2 years I think I've only activated heated steering wheel once by accident. The touch buttons aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
Agreed. I’ve very rarely activated something inadvertently. Seems to be a pointless whinge
Same here. This (touch buttons and central screen) is so over exaggerated
Are they filming a VW Golf using a goddamn Bently LMAO 12:32 XD
I mean they are both VW, so there is that
You would think CarWow being such a big channel would have an estate car with an opening rear window to film
@@manoz6194 I actually do... Having a GoPro to shoot a car isn't 'big channel' like..
@@VarunSrinivas My issue is the lack of consistency with the video quality
Did VW just facelifted their car 3 times??
how? mk 8 is an all new gen.
@@erdemgulcin5474😂 exactly
the tail lights helped but this thing aint pretty
I dunno it looks the same for awhile now honestly can’t tell
And still not manage to fix the buttons on the steering wheel 😂
This car looks so much more interesting than the new M135, and that’s coming from a die-hard BMW fan. It looks amazing, performs super well, super looking interior and the engineering behind this is wonderful
My wife drives a Golf R and I have the M340. I often steal her keys as it is much more engaging to drive. The weight has a lot to do with it.
There's a review done recently by Carwow where they compared the Golf, the BMW 135, the Audi and an A35 Merc. Might be worth your while watching that as it's an interestign result for the BMW.
@@layne4376 I drive the M340i as prefer a larger car but would still love a golf R for a second car if I had the cash 💸
@@layne4376 which Golf R does your wife have? and thanks for comparing it with your M340i.
@@FeN1xDD MK8 DSG.
I'd love to buy one of these, but as long as manufacturers insist on all the touch sensitive crap I'm going to resist
You're not going to buy the last and best ICE Golf R because of a button?!
@@GethinJamesTech in a car is soooo off putting to me. That's why I love my 15yr old Hyundai i10.
@@GethinJames I wouldn't. I would much rather have an older model. Had a car with that stuff and hated it so much I ended up selling it after a year. Try to set the AC to the windshield that is fogging up on a touch screen while driving on a bumpy road. It's great. I now have an older car with proper knobs and buttons that I can feel without having to stare at a screen. You know how you pay more for a GT3 so that Porsche can rip stuff out that you would get on a less expensive 911? I would pay not to have all this electronic nonsense if given the option.
@@renatomorais8136 there’s literally a quick access panel with max front windshield AC and rear max. Where you operate the lights etc from
Why do I need 75 inch TV on my dash ? 😂💀
Companies should be banned from selling cars with "Optional Airbags"
Why? I don't want to have any. more options is always better!
People said that about rear cameras, auto braking systems, led headlights, and other safety options. While being good for safety, we the consumer are paying that price increase in every cars. No wonder why cars are getting so expensive
@@monochromeherpestes8921 why would you not want more airbags?? 💀
@@monochromeherpestes8921just curious, why wouldn’t you want any?
@@charles-davidberube1174 i think you can live without those and use your senses. Airbags should never be an option.
I part exchanged my mark 8 for the new mark 8.5 and also got the acro exhaust system 👍🏻 you get used to the screen and the air con buttons are now lit up! Seats are more comfortable too
This is what what the R line should have always represented, a cut above the rest. It got lost and normalised after the R32.
Indeed...
they should have always kept the R32 badging because R reminds of R line and obviously they should have kept the vr6 engine because the R well yes it has power and some styling but its not really an upgrade
@@shadowguyonline yeah I hear that. I’m not biased because I didn’t really buy a new R32 in 2008, honest! 😬
🤣the R`s are proper capable cars, the R32`s arent and never were and cost a fortune to run, they just sound good, thats about it
@ Yeah that kinda happens with car evolution, things get changed/tweaked/improved. Doesn’t mean the R32 at the time was a bad car, it was a monster for its time, and for a golf! 🙄 it was was capable of 250 brake, and went round corners like a go-kart AND it sounded awesome. In found it to be very capable, but then again I am biased.
I was searching for this exact video yesterday as I wanted to see what's updated from the 8 to 8.5, great timing
12:29 why the lights look like BumbleBee when he says BadAssATron? 😂😂
One of the first times I’ve seen side emblems put on a door instead of a fender. I’m confused with optional airbags too, I can’t think of the last time I’ve EVER seen that here in the USA.
I have to wonder if it’s a typo/error from VW. My guess is that their new CENTER airbag along with TORSO airbags are optional specifically because they interfere with child safety seats. VW made the rear torso/side airbags optional up through most 2014/2015 models for this reason. Who knows though - this is the company that took away lighted climate buttons 😂
Optional airbags are all over the place in the U.S. market, but they're often only for sides/rear (obviously). You can still find loads of modern U.S. market cars which don't even have options for rear curtain airbags, etc. It is weird though and signals how VW has changed as they were one of the very first economy lines of cars in the early 2000's which had side curtain airbags, seat-mounted airbags, four-wheel disc brakes, the emergency lighting on braking, etc. when no competing cars had them. So they're definitely easing backwards.
How many golfs r’s this year?
I love mine! Despite its niggles, with the buttons, which I’ve had no issues with yet and the fact you have to switch lane assist off, every time you get in it 🙄 it drives superb, with the performance pack you can up shift without the car doing it and the dampers are a must! It drives way better than my 7.5 no turbo lag, way better pick up and the grip levels and the magma diff they use in the RS3 are incredible, build quality is good, but the materials in the 7 are better! But as a drivers car, it’s way better than the previous, the engine is so much stronger and more engaging. All smiles with mine 👌🏻
dont get people complaining about the screen, it works amazingly well. having had a mk7.5, mk8 and now an mk8.5 it's by far one of the best infotainment systems.
I took your advice and it's a helluva lot of fun even after my Golf R MK7!
Finally normal car review, not some drag races of supercars nobody can afford.
Technically vw started to touch price tags which were previously on Porsches
the average viewer can't afford this either
@@vioss Just like Porsche is touching those previously on Ferraris. All cars are more expensive now and VWs are no exception.
Been a VW guy all my life till I finally stopped 4 years ago in hopes of buying a 911 but this car just might drag me back in because I can't even afford a base 911 after all these years due to the prices constantly going up.
@@marcinhernik1270 russia and their putler is to blame.
Had a MK 8 R and traded her in for a hybrid civic to save some money…..I miss that car everyday. Truly an amazing platform.
That is why I am not letting my 10-year-old MK 7 go anywhere else anytime soon. Not that I can actually afford a new car anytime soon
@@TheChris69er same here, im keeping my 3 door mk7
id like a mk8 but dont want to get rid of the mk7 for it and cant afford to have both yet
In my country you can’t keep cars more than 10 years. I don’t miss the constant workshop trips I had to do with my Mk6 GTI, but damn was that thing a riot to drive.
@@JK-xn4mjwhat country is that for crying out loud?
@@thealtchemist.xSingapore
Screen size is fine. No visibility issues. I had my 8.5 black edition R for 2 days before the virtual dial screen went blank. It’s been sitting with the dealer for 4 weeks now - no indication of when I’ll get it back. Something to be said for buttons and dials.
someone's Golf R Black Edition broke down after 50km... idk what's happening at VW
Mk8.5 gti - had it for 4 months, keeps going flat due to battery and inadequate software. Software updates keep the car sitting in the dealer.
@@msm9647 I've got a 8.5 Style, not a single issue and I've had a few updates all done over the air. I do get the 12 volt warning sometimes if I'm sat in the car without the engine running for a bit when its cold, but on checking the battery it is charged just fine, so I ignore it, it is just the car warning that the battery is being drained and its a bit over sensitive.
@@msm9647 what's wrong with battery?
I have the 23 golf r, I have to say i much prefer my smaller screen. Am jealous of the new taillights though
I thought the auto up change when in manual was wrong as well Matt when I had the Golf R 7.5...but try the manual bit with a new RS3, it's impossible to gauge the 1st to 2nd gear change correctly, hitting the rev limiter in 1st causes about a 3 second off power gear change
333hp was the numbers for the E46 M3. How times have changed.
From a 4 cylinder 2 liter. A number reserved for tuned 2 liter with dodgy reliability 15 years ago.
But you have to think that's very impressive for only a 2.0L engine AND 2 less cylinders than the E46
2009 hatte der Golf-R (270-PS).
@@red-bullred-bull3789 we talk english here mate. Show some respect and dont just use a different language for no reason.
@@edmund8 333hp isnt much for a 2l. Even the OLD A45 AMG made more, and tuners will map your proper 2l Turbo to reliable 310hp-400hp for 10 years now with even more torque than this R. So its nice, but not impressive at all.
Big improvement from Mk 8 😮
No more manual.. Though a new screen and backlit temp dials were definetly needed.
@Johnny91832 the manual in the Golf is barebones compared to the civic anyway.. and you aren't getting anywhere near 4.5.
That screen is just too much😂
Did i see 12mpg on the information panel?
Am I the only one with tears in my eyes. VW i think you’re finally listening. Thank you thank you thank you. I can’t wait to get my hand on this.
Only you
how many weights did that rear wheel need? @9:23 jeez louise
The Golf R i such a good car🔥😮💨
So they still haven't listened about making AC controls buttons .... once again Mk7 is peak golf.
7.5 for me 😁
@@edward92128 7 for me, proper analogue gauges.
It really isn't, just say you can't afford it.
@@SALFX7 It’s embarrassing to assume someone’s wealth. I could easily afford to buy an 8.5R outright but I didn’t want to as I prefer the 7.5 and besides the point, I’m more sensible with my cash.
That's only because you can't afford an 8R...
Everyone: Dont use ur cellphone while driving
VW: 95” ultra hd 4k screen not only distracting driver but driver behind you as well🤣
Damn, that TV has a whole ass car built around it!
merry Christmas from New Zealand Matt
Engineer: How big do you want the screen?
Marketer: Yes
The Golf R costs 70 000+ Euro
It is a great car but not at that price.
I mean, if we're being honest...almost no new car is worth its price in 2024. They're all laughably expensive for what you get, and quality has gone down in several marks/brands.
@@oskar6661 unfortunately that is the case in a lot of cars of the German brands.
However in VW you can get a top spec Passat with the 2.0 L 265 hp with 4 wheel drive, full leather and massage seats for about 55 000 Euro.
So you can get a slightly slower but much larger and more luxurious car for considerably less money.
I like that there is at least a step in the right direction.
where?
@@oskar6661 Suzuki is worth it
The Golf R starts at 55k (at least in Germany). While that is still expensive it’s Not more than it’s competitors.
The law: you can't use your phone while driving to avoid distractions.
Automotive manufacturers: Hold my beer.
This was a really great review! Thanks so much!
If they'd managed to fit the new "old looking" steering wheel with real buttons in there (with the R button somewhere on there) it would / could have been so much better ... Now it's just as annoying as before.
A possible After Market Modification
@@TheChris69er But why would you have to do aftermarket stuff on such an expensive car. Don't you expect quality from the factory? Of course you can modify your car as you wish. But this is a modification that shouldn't even be needed.
The screen looks so out of place. It's like it's just been plonked on.
You need to sit in one and experience what it feels like. The displays are larger so you can't just shoe horn it into the dashboard and have it contained, and a lot of cars are doing a similar thing with the displays. Most people will plonk their mobile phone onto a stand hanging off their dashboard or windscreen anyway, at least with Android Auto or Car play you don't need to do that anymore.
4:37 There is also no power boot option. You have to close the boot manually, with your hands, like some peasant 🪦
Disgusting indeed😂
Heaven forfend.
That's a good thing
We get the power boot option in America
You are a joke😂
As a 2024 Golf R owner, the most important thing to change was the heating controls being lit up! It was impossible to change the temps at night, which you do often in the winter!
11:08 hilarious 😂😂😂…. Glad the front end on this one doesn’t look so grumpy. 4.4 0-60?! Pretty damn good!
07:10 Standard Definition Mode activated ✅
I still don't know what he said
Watching your content always brightens my mood.
Hi Matt.
I’ve had a Mk 7.5 Golf R with an APR Stage 1 tune and Michelin PS 4 s’ for 8 years now. I test drove the Mk 8.5 and apart from the drift function for the track, there is no real benefit for road driving up to ‘nine tenths’. Styling wise the Mk 8.5 is an improvement over the Mk 8 but I still think the 7.5 is ‘peak golf R’ style-wise. Here in Australia the Mk 8.5 with all the bells and whistles is about AU$75K. Not sure it’s worth it. Also like you, not a fan of the haptic steering wheel buttons and I think the more integrated screen on the Mk 7.5 looks and works way better. Also it has a space saver spare wheel. Learnt recently on our Mk 6 GTI that if you damage a tyre that needs to be replaced, an inflation kit isn’t going to cut it!
Agreed. Have a lapiz Blue MK 7.5 (APR Stage 1) myself also and i personally think its much prettier than the Mk 8 and 8.5. Think the true genuine benefits are the upgraded brakes with the later gens
I'd have a new yaris gr gts over this
"it lets you" "it doesn't let you" words that should not be uttered about a car I would own
I really want one... it's just a touch expensive for me at the moment
So they got rid of the steering wheel touch buttons and replaced them for actual physical buttons on the regular Golf, GTD, GTE and GTI, but kept them on the R?
No one will ever understand these decisions… thats the reason they lost a lot of money this year. Bad management.
Must have a spares warehouse full of them.
I have another reason they probably lost money in brand new golf r models. The last gen 8 claimed 4.7 seconds to 60 and did 4.0 and the 8.5 did 4.4 claiming 4.6🤔🤔@lucarinke
Apparently Golf R owners liked the touch buttons, so they decided to keep them. Though they did lower the sensitivity of the outer buttons to prevent them being accidentally pressed. And also, from what I've heard of MK8 Golf owners, it's very rare for you to accidentally press them while driving anyway
@@Frydee123 maybe the lower sensitivity has helped, I had a MK8 Golf GTI, and would often accidentally turn on the heated steering wheel or press other functions 😅
Why does that infotainment screen look like they just stickied an iPad on the dashboard
Because they did. Looks like an afterthought.
Like most Mercedes and BMWs these days
I hate that feeling, like someone else posted it feels like they forgot to add it until later in the design and just slapped it on the dash
@@user-eu6wp6ws7cmercs a bit better these days than a few years back
It's because the screens are larger and you can't sit it within the dashboard unless you make the dashboard huge, it also helps with cooling, and if it needs replacing it can be easily swapped out. Even the mark 8 from the passengers perspective the screen looks like its been stuck on.
Fantastic car, I’m a proud owner of a performance Mk 8, and have the beauty of up shifting on the limit, unlike the standard car. My only niggle is switching off the lane assist every time your in it, and the buttons below the dash not being illuminated 🙄 but, other than that, it’s a grip wielding weapon! I smile every time I get in it, that’s what it’s all about 😊
Merry Christmas Mat🎉🎉🎉🎉
IMO the mk 7.5 is still peak R
Yes I have a 7.5 and am looking for a reason to upgrade, however I cant see it in this review.
@@charliec9369An upgrade would be S4/S5 M340i, C43
Why do manufacturers opt for the ugly screens that look like they are an aftermarket afterthought ?
Is it that hard to make it work with the lines in the car ? :/
Because they're cheap to manufacture. Doh.
Matt definitely is colorblind.
I'd say the video editor is, it's not the first time that color grading on CarWow videos is completely off.
Mat casually violated that golf with his fist. Now, that car has years of therapy ahead of it.
I’ve been lucky enough to have driven thousands of cars yet my MK8 Golf R is one of the only ones that consistently puts a smile on my face! It’s so capable in virtually every respect.
What’s with all these kids and wanting screens etc? I’d personally CHOOSE not to have a screen, don’t need satnav, I still have a mapbook, and what on earth possessed them to not make a manual version??? Beyond belief!
Hey grandad, we don't want manuals anymore and some of us use satnavs. Living in the past or what.
@@mauricetoussaint7283Speak for yourself.. drivers are a certain breed and we live and breathe manual transmission.. that's not exclusive to what generation you are, it's more of a shared passion.
A manual Golf is an institution, many of us 'grandads' likely learned to drive in one, and in turn have taught that joy to someone else.. sorry if that's not something anyone has ever shared with you
Nit understanding what that means to people is okay... but there are generations of drivers out there that have loved and supported the Golf for literally decades.. what a sense of entitlement to think that those people shouldn't have a voice in what they want from their Golf, particularly the 'fast' one.
Also.. why does your generation need satnav when the uber eats driver already has your location?
Map book… lol
@@joet-gp3dm yes map book, I’m just laughing at you because you can’t wipe your own arse without a computer telling you how to do it! You youngsters are absolutely useless! I prefer not to rely on technology that goes wrong half the time, i was blessed with a genius IQ, yet prefer the simple things..
That small TV is awkward, looks like an after-thought, WTH!!
If you want a small pocket rocket has to be the M240i
RS3
@@MrRyuken555yeah RS3 over a Golf definitely. But the M2 would be competition to the RS3
M240i looks crap and is gutless. Get what I have, a new RS3. Done deal, not much can touch you.
@@mauricetoussaint7283 I actually like the looks each to their own but gutless? Absolute no chance a M240i x drive factory spec is quicker than a Golf R
@@mauricetoussaint7283 Understeer car. Only good if you never drive it hard.
I drive the golf r black edition, love it. You should try out Special mode, it’s created on the Nürburgring and your suspension is more comfortable with bumpers while being super aggressive 🎉
Are they available in the US? I want one!
Its great hearing that VW seems to be back on track with their products:)
Haldex and auto transmission? No thanks. I cannot think of a less fun combination.
No stick? BORING. Keep it.
it's not haldex.
With drift mode you still have to disable esc all the way since it only throws it in esc sport which is why the drift feels off.
Yep, he totally botched the drift mode. No idea why he doesn't just take two seconds to google how to use sht before testing.
1:30 Jesus Christ this is a family show 😂
Isnt that huge screen distracting?
Not in the least, you need to test drive one. It is less distracting than the dashboard showing RPM and speed, as when driving the screen isn't changing except for the map if using sat nav.
I hate all these “infoscreen” bs in cars nowadays, they don’t work, they add extra weight, extra electrics and they should be illegal af, I can’t use a phone but I can use a touchscreen tv?
Wrong, as soon mounted, you are allowed to use the Phone...but not Holding it in your Hand.
@ if you’re seen using your phone even mounted, or taking a phone call while driving you can be pulled over by the police
That infotainment screen ruins it, who wants so much screen??
Sit in one and see what you think. It really isn't as large as it appears on videos when you are in the driving seat. When I first got my Golf 8.5 I had to check with the dealer as it felt like I had the smaller 10" screen compared to videos I had seen, but it was the 12.9".
Get my new black edition R on the 10th of January so really looking forward to that now! Sold my GTi performance on CarWow the other week and got four and a half thousand pounds more than the VW dealer offered me, so great one CarWow!
It’s still just a MK7 that’s been face lifted 3 times lol 🤣
A MK3 facelifted 5.5 times lol.
I mean, I wish you were right...but the Mk8 was a serious downgrade in almost every capacity from the Mk7.
6:25 BMW😂
2:44 VW executives, I'd like you to know I would buy this car if you put buttons back. I won't buy this.
Big error, but your opinion - you’d adjust in a day and realize how intuitive the controls actually are?
Even after 3 years driving a seat, it is still shit
Hate buttons!