I daily a MK7, wife has a 2024 Tiguan that still has the old screen but haptic steering wheel. I also have driven about a half dozen MK8s. They don't ruin the car but they are certainly a downgrade over the old buttons. Screen HVAC is a no-go for me from any brand; and I drive/interact with all the premiums regularly. They don't annoy me necessarily, but I have about 10,000 miles in her car (about 40,000 in mine) and I find myself wishing I had my buttons still. I have a few other small gremlins with the UI and missing features such as sunglass holders but, again, these do not ruin the car.
Exactly. Ask anyone that's actually used the car for longer than a test drive and the buttons are hardly ever an issue. In fact once you learn to operate the car you realise there are added benefits even (in being able to register light taps, hard taps and swipes separately).
The journalist will complain for anything just for the sake of it and they want the consumers to take their words for it,these people are old cry babies they want to feel important and as if they know better forgetting that consumers don't care about 97 percent of what they complain about and it doesn't even affect and bother the consumers. Most things they like as journalist we hate as the buyers as we choose according to how we feel not how they feel
Once you see the random R stuck on the doors you can’t unsee it. First thing when I get mine is removing those. The R and GTI fender badges were way more cohesive.
I have a MK8 Gti and the haptic buttons are not a problem you get used to them in the 8.5. They are even harder to come on. You have to really press the buttons.
@@ericcarson342black looks stunning when it’s just been washed but the maintenance needed to keep them that way is horrendous. Had a black GTi and every scratch or mark showed up so clearly. Never again unless you want to spend all your time cleaning it !!
Still got mine apr stage 2 best car ive owned and driven and as fast as anything on the road to 60. I love the pearl white too. Only issue is the wastegate attached to turbo 7k fix and 2 water pumps in 50000k
5:50 I have never really understood leather seats. The only real reason to get leather in my view is if you have kids and don't want them to stain the seats; that is understandable. Apart from that however a nice cloth seat is just better than a leather seat in my opinion. As mentioned they don't get too hot or cold, they grip you better, and you don't have to maintain them with leather products.
As a loyal BMW fan (m140i, m135i, Z4 m40i) I must admit given the.....shall i say it, softer new m135 I'd struggle to justify not choosing a new Golf r over the m135 even with my badge loyalty. Just seems you get more bang for your buck in the Golf 🤷♂️
@@SChapps He’s talking about this Golf R against its competitor, the M135. Not the M135i. He’s saying it would be hard to justify the M135 over the Golf R. Both have 4 cylinders.
@SChapps I don't drive a car for family obligations or commuting so not really interested in a hatchback any longer, I'm simply trying to see that if I were in the market for a premium performance hatchback the Golf seems to be the best of the bunch right now
The upgraded exhausts are not standard on the R black edition. I have a 8.5 R on order as I didn’t want the all black 19” alloys. I went for the diamond cut 19”’s with performance pack. All black alloys do nothing for me.
Okay, better than the mk8. But, I don't know. I still think I'd take a Mk7 or 7.5. More tuning options, easier to get a hold of, and a heck of a lot cheaper even with low miles. Especially since the 7 and 7.5 have a manual option
Great video Joe. Great timing as I’m just looking at leasing one of these. As I don’t need to own a car in UK as I live in New Zealand and England throughout the year 😊 prefer summer living each end of the world, which I’m sure you will appreciate.
Spec for spec the Audi is cheaper. Also because the depreciation is less on the Audi, if you finance it the monthly is cheaper. Factor in the better cabin, build quality, sound system and badge the Audi is the better buy.....which is why I got the S3 Vorsprung.
I'd have one of these over an S3. The Golf gets the Magna rear diff which you can't get on the S3 and the Golf is still cheaper. I also don't particularly like the interior on the current S3; the old 8V model was much nicer.
I'll happily sacrifice a gas hood strut and engine cover that says "TSI" to get heated rear seats, rear climate control, a heated steering wheel and ambient lights that aren't just on the front doors. You have to ignore a lot of upgrades to just focus on the "cost cutting"
The black wheels aren’t doing it for me, and that new info screen looks hideous. I have a mark 8 Golf R, in black and it looks much prettier than this. A great car; however, I have just placed an order for a BMW M2.
Nice. I'm a bit weary of the M2 as my driving skills are a bit limited. I test drove the Golf R and the BMW m240i xdrive. I went for the BMW purely because it felt punchier and the fantastic B58 6 cylinder engine sold me.
Are people starting to receive these now? I'm starting to see more videos this week of the Mk8.5. I've been religiously looking for videos on this thing just about every day & only this week I've started seeing more videos, apart from the initial press ones. Any idea on pricing for the USA? I can't imagine it'll be $55k US, (from the 43,7k conversion of euro) that would be absolutely insane.
It’s a nice looking car. I love my A45S but the problem with that is, the lack of tuning options - VAG has just so much more tuning potential. Still a lot of money for a Golf R.
Hey Joe how do you go fitting in the seats? I'm 6'6" and tried to sit in a golf R 7.5 and could not sit on the seat due to how narrow it was.. Are these bigger?
I've got one of these on order (US) and looking forward to taking delivery. Replacing my now 12 year old B8 S4 with this. Given the performance and everything included - it seems like a bargain at under 50k for one of these new.
@@g.d2450mine isnt press car and could done sub4 0-60 with 1ft rollout. 8R are fast, i think 8.5R is just a bit slower from the dig and bit faster from the roll
I like the blacked out look. But, i think living with it ling term might be tough. Unless you have full PPF applied from day 1 its gonna end up looking like crap after a few years. Otherwise its just goona drive you insane keeping that paintwork looking good.
Peculiar that the steering wheel still has the haptic buttons. I like the haptic buttons and I was disappointed to see VW remove them for the MK8.5 Is it just a US thing for the removal??
I wonder if the steering wheel is interchangeable between the 8 and 8.5 I want to pick up the newer model GTI when they come out but I much prefer the sleek look of the haptic wheel + functionality. It's not a deal breaker but I'd happily pay for a new steering wheel if that's the case (or maybe they could just swap them out)
Give me a vr6 turbo , body kit and some OZ alloys, Recaro or Konig, 400 horses and I will buy a golf again .These fart machines are soul destroying and chav dogs
Haptic buttons really aren’t a problem. Had mine for a few years, multiple track days. It’s only journalists that seem to have a problem with them.
Facts
I daily a MK7, wife has a 2024 Tiguan that still has the old screen but haptic steering wheel. I also have driven about a half dozen MK8s.
They don't ruin the car but they are certainly a downgrade over the old buttons. Screen HVAC is a no-go for me from any brand; and I drive/interact with all the premiums regularly. They don't annoy me necessarily, but I have about 10,000 miles in her car (about 40,000 in mine) and I find myself wishing I had my buttons still. I have a few other small gremlins with the UI and missing features such as sunglass holders but, again, these do not ruin the car.
Exactly. Ask anyone that's actually used the car for longer than a test drive and the buttons are hardly ever an issue. In fact once you learn to operate the car you realise there are added benefits even (in being able to register light taps, hard taps and swipes separately).
The journalist will complain for anything just for the sake of it and they want the consumers to take their words for it,these people are old cry babies they want to feel important and as if they know better forgetting that consumers don't care about 97 percent of what they complain about and it doesn't even affect and bother the consumers. Most things they like as journalist we hate as the buyers as we choose according to how we feel not how they feel
Swiping for the volume is sick and very fast, I have the polo gti with them and it’s all good!
Once you see the random R stuck on the doors you can’t unsee it. First thing when I get mine is removing those. The R and GTI fender badges were way more cohesive.
Another amazing episode. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks for sharing Joe
I have a MK8 Gti and the haptic buttons are not a problem you get used to them in the 8.5. They are even harder to come on. You have to really press the buttons.
💦
My old Mk7.5 R is still my favourite car. I am tempted to get another one after seeing this. Another great video Joe.
Same here. Lapiz Blue DSG. It's been a great car. I was never into black cars but this might change my mind. Looks so good with the black wheels.
please buy a car that does not look like an egg
Same here 👍. . . 3 door manual lapiz blue ‘black edition’ (black pretorias, black mirror caps and the 7.5 black side skirts) 👌😎
@@ericcarson342black looks stunning when it’s just been washed but the maintenance needed to keep them that way is horrendous. Had a black GTi and every scratch or mark showed up so clearly. Never again unless you want to spend all your time cleaning it !!
Still got mine apr stage 2 best car ive owned and driven and as fast as anything on the road to 60. I love the pearl white too. Only issue is the wastegate attached to turbo 7k fix and 2 water pumps in 50000k
5:50 I have never really understood leather seats. The only real reason to get leather in my view is if you have kids and don't want them to stain the seats; that is understandable. Apart from that however a nice cloth seat is just better than a leather seat in my opinion. As mentioned they don't get too hot or cold, they grip you better, and you don't have to maintain them with leather products.
As a loyal BMW fan (m140i, m135i, Z4 m40i) I must admit given the.....shall i say it, softer new m135 I'd struggle to justify not choosing a new Golf r over the m135 even with my badge loyalty.
Just seems you get more bang for your buck in the Golf 🤷♂️
You obviously like the straight 6 engines though, you’d be losing all of the emotion going to a vacuum cleaner Golf like this
@@SChapps
He’s talking about this Golf R against its competitor, the M135. Not the M135i. He’s saying it would be hard to justify the M135 over the Golf R. Both have 4 cylinders.
@projectr2451 thank you. Maybe I wasn't clear
@SChapps I don't drive a car for family obligations or commuting so not really interested in a hatchback any longer, I'm simply trying to see that if I were in the market for a premium performance hatchback the Golf seems to be the best of the bunch right now
@@markrhoden68
All good!
Great video joe appreciate the effort you put in to your videos but want more 😂 .
The upgraded exhausts are not standard on the R black edition.
I have a 8.5 R on order as I didn’t want the all black 19” alloys. I went for the diamond cut 19”’s with performance pack. All black alloys do nothing for me.
The black version looks just hot tbh. I'll stick with my all black 7.5 R nonetheless
Informative video as always Joe. Question - would you go for one of these over an M340i saloon? I’m on the fence!
It's so handsome and tidy. The decal on door is a strange move tho
The new GTE has the plug where the badge used to be. It seems they’ve moved the badges across the line to standardize placement.
Okay, better than the mk8. But, I don't know. I still think I'd take a Mk7 or 7.5. More tuning options, easier to get a hold of, and a heck of a lot cheaper even with low miles. Especially since the 7 and 7.5 have a manual option
Looks good in blue
Just to clarify, the Performance pack does not include the Akro exhaust or DCC in the UK as mentioned in the video.
Doesn't include that in Germany too. The CS however does include the Akra in the Performance pack.
Car looks great. Wish they kept the manuals.
Love it Joe!
Great video Joe. Great timing as I’m just looking at leasing one of these. As I don’t need to own a car in UK as I live in New Zealand and England throughout the year 😊 prefer summer living each end of the world, which I’m sure you will appreciate.
Spec for spec the Audi is cheaper. Also because the depreciation is less on the Audi, if you finance it the monthly is cheaper. Factor in the better cabin, build quality, sound system and badge the Audi is the better buy.....which is why I got the S3 Vorsprung.
You can't get a hatch S3 here in the US though...
Ok but the Golf R looks better
In the US, Audis depreciate like rocks.
for a 4 cylinder, it sounds really good
Always interesting to see what i think is the daddy of hot hatches. Can always rely on the golf r to be awesome.
Hey Joe, when you going to do the new M135. ?
Joe the haptic buttons in the 8.5 have had the sensitivity reduced. Now harder to switch on.
Another great review Joe, I assume like you I would never buy one thanks to that screen.
Here in the USA the s3 and golf r are around the same price but with the dealer markups of the golf it ends up being more
I'd have one of these over an S3. The Golf gets the Magna rear diff which you can't get on the S3 and the Golf is still cheaper. I also don't particularly like the interior on the current S3; the old 8V model was much nicer.
Almost all audi's with those new "square and blocky" screens and panels look God awful. The old set up from 2013 onwards was better.
The new S3 also comes with the diff.
@@toddstevens8506 Didn't know that thanks. I thought only the RS3 and Golf R had the Magna rear diff as options.
@@Swiss4.2 the 8Y did originally but the new S3 facelift (8.5Y) has been given the magna diff
Looks great! I love my 7.5 DSG but wish VW would come with the Spektrum color program. I do like this Black Edition.
I'll happily sacrifice a gas hood strut and engine cover that says "TSI" to get heated rear seats, rear climate control, a heated steering wheel and ambient lights that aren't just on the front doors. You have to ignore a lot of upgrades to just focus on the "cost cutting"
The black wheels aren’t doing it for me, and that new info screen looks hideous. I have a mark 8 Golf R, in black and it looks much prettier than this. A great car; however, I have just placed an order for a BMW M2.
Nice. I'm a bit weary of the M2 as my driving skills are a bit limited. I test drove the Golf R and the BMW m240i xdrive. I went for the BMW purely because it felt punchier and the fantastic B58 6 cylinder engine sold me.
Would love to see you do review on a Mustang DarkHorse manual and compare it to the M2 👌🏻😊
Are people starting to receive these now? I'm starting to see more videos this week of the Mk8.5. I've been religiously looking for videos on this thing just about every day & only this week I've started seeing more videos, apart from the initial press ones.
Any idea on pricing for the USA? I can't imagine it'll be $55k US, (from the 43,7k conversion of euro) that would be absolutely insane.
It’s a nice looking car. I love my A45S but the problem with that is, the lack of tuning options - VAG has just so much more tuning potential. Still a lot of money for a Golf R.
Whats in the luggage case in the passenger footwell? Any additional weight that could affect the 0-60?
Unfortunately no Akrapovic with the Performance Pack in the UK. Very expensive option, that you could probably do better by getting a Miltek
I fitted a fully handbuilt turbo back de cat res delete 80mm downpipe for £1000 half the price of a milltek
Your videos are not just content, they are art. Thank you for your contribution to the world of RUclips!💬🏹♥️
Brilliant
Hey Joe how do you go fitting in the seats? I'm 6'6" and tried to sit in a golf R 7.5 and could not sit on the seat due to how narrow it was.. Are these bigger?
I've got one of these on order (US) and looking forward to taking delivery. Replacing my now 12 year old B8 S4 with this. Given the performance and everything included - it seems like a bargain at under 50k for one of these new.
@GethinJames this wont sound anwhere near as good as a supercharged V6 though..
Looks good
Are these cars any fun in normal daily driving? Or should I get a normal golf instead?
Carwow managed to get 0-60 on the regular mark 8 R in 4 seconds, I never got that
With 1ft rollout. My stock 8R done 4.29 to 100kmh without 1ft rollout. So even faster then in carwow
I'd say the press cars always have a little bit more power than standard in them
@@g.d2450mine isnt press car and could done sub4 0-60 with 1ft rollout. 8R are fast, i think 8.5R is just a bit slower from the dig and bit faster from the roll
@@piotrwozniak7840 done a 4.18
I did a 2.74 in reverse
No manual ?
Love those wheels.
I like the blacked out look. But, i think living with it ling term might be tough. Unless you have full PPF applied from day 1 its gonna end up looking like crap after a few years. Otherwise its just goona drive you insane keeping that paintwork looking good.
That was exactly my experience on my previous GTi , never again!!
This is like my E38 ,
Is there a big enough jump from the GTI to justify the price on the R ? I would do a base GTI and a tune and be done with it.
Say goodbye to your warranty & the grip on the R is way better than a gti
@@pauldavies7251plus a lot of UK insurance companies are really against any modifications either refusing cover or increasing premiums substantially.
Peculiar that the steering wheel still has the haptic buttons. I like the haptic buttons and I was disappointed to see VW remove them for the MK8.5
Is it just a US thing for the removal??
The removal is in all the Golf range except for the R (maybe just for the R button). Customer opinions were against the haptic controls.
I wonder if the steering wheel is interchangeable between the 8 and 8.5
I want to pick up the newer model GTI when they come out but I much prefer the sleek look of the haptic wheel + functionality. It's not a deal breaker but I'd happily pay for a new steering wheel if that's the case (or maybe they could just swap them out)
Golf🖤🖤🖤
Does this engine still suffer from carbon build up or have they solved that?
Will there be an Clubsport Version from The Golf R in 2025 ??
Makes me think 🤔 where does golf R go from here ? ❤
Love the car but couldn't live with that huge screen. Yuck!
The performance is largely irrelevant, you pay the cash so people know you’ve got an R.
Price is coming into m240i territory…. No wonder VW is in financial difficulty.
You have to have the leather as the standard R upholstery looks shite
@11:30 😭
WOW
Its a shame they went away from the 7.5 DRLs
That display looks crap the intergration looks like an after thought, not a fan.
UK cars are so cheap! In Netherlands this is a 75k car
you get what you vote for
Nexit.
$85,000 Australian dollars before on road costs 😂😂😂😂 I think not
Wouldn’t say ballistic fast
Would rather buy an Aston Martin vantage for the money these golf R’s cost 😂.
Best of luck with the running costs and insurance!!
@@hpman911probably works out not that different after deprecation or interest if you run the costs
Give me a vr6 turbo , body kit and some OZ alloys, Recaro or Konig, 400 horses and I will buy a golf again .These fart machines are soul destroying and chav dogs
No, you have to suffer these quirks and lack of common sense in every new model.
A45s… Miles away
Why have they left those god awful haptic buttons on the steering wheel!
I wonder how much UV and blue light that thing radiates from that bad boy stuck to the dash Huh
Even if can do a 0-60 in 3 sec I still won't buy any new Golf with that ghastly laptop screen mounted in the middle of the dash.
Too black! :)
It's a little bit too black for me.
Does absolutely zero for me.
Nothing new. Only the price is new HAHAHAHAHHAHAH
Its not a golf wagon. Its a golf estate. Your British..be pround we invented the bloody lingo ...!
Jesus mate, I wouldn’t be proud of your spelling or grammar. Let’s hope you’re not British. 😅
Hairdresser automobile
Never got the golf
What’s hard to get?
First 🎉
My m340i can do 0-6 in 4s… heavier, more practical and better car in my view..
And £17-18k more expensive.
Unless you've got the wagon it's deeply debatable how much more practical it is without a hatch.
It's like comparing apples and oranges 🤦♂️
You have the better car but I am not sure it is relevant here.
The most annoying spends are the artificial engine sound generator, so fake and really, for the amount of money, it's not exactly quick, and powerful
looks like a egg.
That’s mean about Joe. I know he doesn’t have a great deal of hair left but keep your comments to yourself
@@edward92128 the golf look like an egg brah
@@you_mad there’s so many other cars that better resemble eggs. I’m not sure what makes you think a golf looks like an egg 😂
@@edward92128 drew peacock. RUclips him
Too much tech and too much bullshit in these cars today and VWs reliablity as turned really shite...
Just ugly and boring all round. The car that is.
Keep making such wonderful videos. Your videos are like works of art.🌡🥁🍌
What was the point of the golf R 333 then
Still the most boring looking car ever.
A Corrado shape would be cool rather than the bar of soap look.
Nope... Moving on from the Mk7R to an Alfa Giulia QV...
Great video joe appreciate the effort you put in to your videos but want more 😂 .
Looks good
Wouldn’t say ballistic fast