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Let's just hope we get the 8.5 soon with proper buttons to control things! I find it very strange that we're constantly told it's illegal to use a phone whilst driving but somehow it's ok to have all these stupid touchscreens and menu after menu to go through to control anything!! 🤷♂️
I bet they sat in a office meeting planning out worse touch button for the 8R so they could just fix it and sell more physical buttons on the 8.5R they are planning on double dipping! lol
Upgrading my headunit to one with Apple CarPlay in my MKVI Golf R has done more than enough! I can use my phone (and apps) or the headunit to control everything. I wonder how hard/limited it will be to upgrade these infotainment systems.
Legend for actually discussing MPG. You’re right that for me and my mates, MPG does come into it. Yes you are spending £40k on a car, but that doesn’t mean that ridiculously low MPG should be expected! Hate the people who say ‘dont buy a Golf R if you’re worried about MPG’ ... it’s a 40k hot hatch not a lambo!!!
Fine on your phone or tablet....no good in a car. Your jigging around whilst trying not to crash when looking away - last thing you need is an interface that demands your full attention, extreme dexterity to keep your finger still enough and then multiple attempts stabbing an unresponsive piece of plastic with the hope it does what you want.
Joe this review was exactly the kind of review I was hoping for. I have seen a lot of different reviews and yours is by far one of the best. I like how you showed what you liked and disliked and also showed it driving on the road and track and explained the little details about how it actually felt/handled. I wonder how it would perform with some better tires on it.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Was very fortunate to have a sponsor and friends at W2R who allowed me to jump on, wish I could do this with every video 👌 I'm sure a set of Cup 2's would have made it much closer to the M2 C lap time wise, they would have helped dial out that mid corner understeer and allow me to brake even later.... The Bridgestones weren't horrific though. Cheers
On my mk7 7.5, going to hankkook rs4 from the Bridgestone gave me 3 seconds a lap, on a 1min53 lap time. It’s very significant. The Bridgestones are alright but they cannot handle the heat. The fall appart on their face as soon as they get greasy!
Got the mk 8 gte and I have to say every single frustrating thing you mentioned ring so true. And the gte has some "bonus" crappy features because it's a hybrid
Have a 7.5R and love it - not a chance I'll get the 8 - while I'm sure its fantastic to drive, a £40k plus car shouldn't have plastics that look like they belong on my daughter's toys :( Interior is a let down for me on this R.
I have the 7.5 Gti pp and love it, great car. I was really looking forward to the mk 8 and could easily have been tempted into an 8R but the touch screens put me off, I can’t see anything out there at the moment that would make me consider changing the 7.5 Gti pp.
Bunch of bollocks confidently said by someone that hasn't seen one in the flesh. I came from a 7.5 i would never go back, including the interior. Only the rear panel doors are somewhat questionable, everything else is a strait upgrade from the 7.5 lmao.
@@ZenzDeluxe if you feel you need to justify the outlay that’s fine. I need to do the same 😉 Choice is how you want to put your point across - respectfully, or like a complete arse.
Seriously. Mechanically, this car seems like a beast, but I'm probably not going to buy one b/c of the spartan interior and all the touchscreens and capacitive buttons. Soooooo, disappointing. On the bright side, I'm pretty stoked for the new RS3. Sorry, VW. You blew it.
Great review Joe. I’ve seen loads of reviews of this car, most of them hop on the bandwagon and moan about the infotainment / buttons issue but I think a lot of them just go on about it for the sake of it or because they saw other reviewers bitch about it so they throw it in there too. However, yours is the first video where I think the issues are really very well described. Also good to see proper track driving rather than another straight down the line drag race.
Thank you Joe! Yeah I had obviously heard about the issues and experienced some of them in other VAG group cars, but I couldn't avoid talking about them in the video, some serious lack of R&D with some of it... But what a car otherwise 👌
@@JoeAchilles1 just a pity it’s 70k here in Ireland now 😩 I paid a touch over 45k for one in 2015! The Clubsport might be the sweet spot here now, it’s 11k cheaper... I look forward to seeing how you think that compares... ☺️
The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Car makers need to get the memo loud and clear. Take your haptic/touch controls and send them back to Tesla. No thank you.
The most honest review of the Mk 8 Golf R, a lot better than Volkswizard who thinks the lack of proper knobs and switches is the way forward,but every other reviewer disagrees .For me you are the best car reviewer on RUclips .
@@johnguidetti5839 the golf has haptic buttons does the A3 NO, look I own the new S3 and my mate has the new R and yes the R is quick but the owner agrees that the S3 is far superior, I’m fact he’s getting rid of it for a RS3 as for the comment about the A4 🤣🤣 I’ve been to dealership to look at them and believe me they ain’t no better
@@coops111s Tell me you know nothing about cars without telling me… the A3 is based on the MQB platform shared with the VW golf, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia. The A4/5/6/7/8 are based on MLB platform that doesn’t share any chassis components with the other group,Proper 4WD. Not Haldex FWD based 4WD. You just waffled telling me irreverent information without even understanding.
@@johnguidetti5839 and what do you drive, I know a bit about cars owned Lotuses for 30 years, you do know what that is 🤔 anyway I know plenty about cars and I’m telling you that stop being so silly, the new Quattro system is better than the old system, never mind enjoy your Skoda
Great video Joe - thanks. Interesting to see how effortless it looked in the R compared to your M2 Comp. for very similar results. Its no wonder the R's are so popular. All the best
Problem I have with the Golf R is not the car itself but it been the 'go to' hot Golf. The GTi used to be the every-mans hot Golf and those owners would aspire to maybe one day getting an 'halo' R..now days everyone just gets the R so they're common.
This just shows what a great job BMW does with their interiors. They may not be the most flashy, but retaining the swivel wheel and giving you the choice of using the touch screen is certainly much safer for the driver.
Sooo disappointed in the interiors of these MK 8 Golfs. Totally unacceptable at these price points. An R can easily approach £50k and the interior disappoints at half that. Performance great of course. MK 7.5 way better all round.
I agree with your honest review of the interior and electronics. They have gone backwards in the interior quality and refinement and added way too much complex electronics.
Got yourself a new subscriber when you got into the geeky details around wheel arch extenders. Then you mentioned Andrew and it all made sense...Definitely going to give your back catalogue a look.
Joe, you are by FAR the best reviewer ive ever had the pleasure to view on youtube ever! You miss few, if any points and you are just super fair and logical. Love it, please never change!
Totally agree ref the infotainment. It’s shocking full stop. It’s temperamental and a crash waiting to happen when you’re moving. They’ve also removed some nice touches like the sill lights, the washer level alarm, the bonnet struts and the squidgy plastic. Love my gtd though!
I miss my Mk7 R, really tempted with this. Discounts of close to £5k. One thing I loved about my Mk7 was the ride quality, comfort mode with the DCC was so plush. This Mk8 must be on another level.
@@coops111s It does. Adds £40/mth if paying tax via direct debit. Pricey for a Golf especially given the fact that the interior seems to be of lower build quality than the Mk7.
Completely agree about the interior material quality! The layout is nice but that plastic is unacceptable. Theyre doing the same with the Audi S3 and possibly RS3, noooo!
Mk7.5 R over the Mk 8! This new infotainment is overly complicated to use! Would go for the new S3, has buttons to control the basic functions and slightly better quality interior!!
@@daniel.s8126 oh I think we get electric seats here as standard tbh but don't count me in it. But ya I would get a good mk7.5 instead of the Mk8, the infotainment will drive me mad on a day to day basis when ur interacting with it stationary and while driving
I don’t have a problem with the infotainment system as such but touch controls on the steering wheel I think is a mistake. The non sports Golf 8s have normal buttons on the steering wheel and I think that’s far better. I don’t think the controls are as bad as people think my only real criticism is that the volume and temperature controls don’t light up so are difficult to see when driving at night.
Its not the controls on the steering wheel, its how they're applied. There can be a switch or a toggle that turns them off so there's no accidental pushing while driving. My keyboard has it for the number keys (Num Lock) or you can hard switch off all the buttons. We're not asking for manufacturers to reinvent the wheel -- Tesla.
Would definitely take the m2 over this lol. You look so much more enthused and engaged in the m2. You look like you are going grocery shopping in the golf r 😂. Good video Joe. Thanks for the content.
I bought a 2021 GTI SE (manual) in April. After seeing this video (and many similar reviews over the past month or so) of the all-touch screen interior, I'm glad I didn't wait for the 2022's. Very fast car...most fun to drive since my 1972 BMW 2002. Hopefully VW has solved its leaky sunroof problems, which I didn't know about until well after I bought the car.
Love the Golf 8 R! Looking fantastic in this spec, even though it misses the small wing. And it’s always nice to see the cars filthy and dirty. Great and thorough review as always! By the way: will you get your hands on the „new“ model year 2021 Audi TTS? It now also has the 320PS engine, curios to see its 0-60 times etc
The MK8 R isn’t worth it in my opinion. First of all the price of the car without any optional extras is roughly 38K and the car with is 50K. This in my opinion isn’t worth it for a hatchback with the power and toque it has and the look of the car, The interior isn’t the best and getting used to a car which can take weeks isn’t practically. So many RUclips videos show people disliking the interior and the non-buttons are the worse.. VW have taken a massive setback with the car and adding things which were default in the MK7.5 but not in the MK8 is the worse... No Nav in the middle of your virtual cockpit if you don’t have a feature add on.
Your usual honest review as expected, I don’t think that everyone would be put off by the infotainment system and maybe you just were given a buggy one, they maybe aren’t all like that, and maybe V W should check that particular car sometime. Just a thought!!!
2 года назад
you are not supposed to disable traction control when out on the normal road. I think they did this on purpose to make it more difficult to decide to throw in a drift on any random part of the road. However, I’d probably disable it and just stick to drift mode for that rwd experience. Drift mode also allows you to rev line. Also, I think having the buttons on the steering wheel is not the problem, they should have actually made them buttons though. Also, I agree that plastic is bad for the price, but it does help with weight reduction as opposed to using something like metal or wood. Carbon fibre would be significantly more expensive and would only drive the cars price up further.
My question is whether 19 inch wheels may cause a floating feel on modest highway speeds - say above 60 miles. I changes the tyres to more top of the line ones but to not much help.
I'm running around in a manual 16 plate M135i and totally love it. Looking for a change and this is right up there - that interior plastic really puts me off though. Hopefully next years model will be improved.
Totally agree, the dashboards on the new Golfs is just simply horrible, I have the MK7 golf and the centre console and dashboard merge flawlessly, there's no dust gaps between the infotainment screen and the dashboard, it just looks good...but the latest incarnation just puts me off completely, heading towards the Porsche dealer for the 718
I thought I knew that road at 0:15 , it's the same exact road where Harry Metcalfe does his road tests, that corner is almost iconic in my books now, it definitely puts the car to the test
I have loved the Golf R for years and think it’s a brilliant package however it all stopped from the Mk7 and the Mk8 is simply sitting new benchmarks of plain ugly..Great review Joe. All the bad points you raised far outweighed the good in my view which is why the Mk6 was the last R I owned!
Currently got a MK8 Gti Clubsport and had two Mk7.5 Gti's. Love the Clubsport's extra push and traction, but like Joe I'm not a fan of the interior, the digitial dash, haptic buttons and general lack of good old knobs and buttons! Another annoying thing I have noticed is that the car unlocks the moment I go anywhere near the back end, however does not do the same when I approach from the front?! However will probably try the R in a few months or the Clubsport 45 if I can source.
Currently driving a 2016 mk7 but looking to upgrade to a mk8 golf r in the future. It’s a bummer because my current car has all physical buttons and knobs and I could see all those touch buttons being an issue on the new car. I hope in the 2nd and 3rd year models of the mk8 VW makes some minor improvements in those areas.
In the 7, when cornering hard, the car would initially push/understeer momentarily before power was transferred to the rear. Did you notice that happening in the 8 or is the AWD system improved?
Great vid Joe, refreshingly honest review. . . would be interested in your thoughts between the 8R and the 7.5R you drove down in Oz, which would you go for - putting aside cost is the step up in performance and driving dynamics of the new gen Golf R enough to live with the inferior cabin quality, frustrating infotainment system and annoying touch sensitive buttons?
Great vid Joe and one of the best on the new Golf R. When you did the 0-60 run, did you set the timeing box up with the 1 foot roll out function on? Automann TV have mentioned in their vids that Matt Watson IS switching on this function which is why he is getting such quick 0-60 times (less than 4 secs). Wondered how you'd set yours up to get 0-60 in 4.1 secs?
If you are testing a 0 to 60mph then I believe it should be from a standing start (is 0mph) all this 1 ft roll out is, to me just ' cheating" is as much as the car has moved,removed any drive line delay and so isn't recording a time from o mph. Just my opinion.
@@brianiswrong All drag racing in the US uses the 1 foot roll out, and also all the car magazines use the 1 foot roll out. Car and Driver magazine usually states the extra time from a dead stop...usually .2 or .3 seconds extra, depending upon the car. So a car recording a 0-60 time of 4.0 seconds is usually 4.2 to 4.3 seconds from a dead start.
I tuned my 2019 Golf R with the Integrated Engineering Stage 1 tune and the DSG tune with no auto shifting in manual mode. It works beautiful on the track and with nothing more than the tune and a K & N air filter, my 0-60 time is 3.6 seconds without the 1 foot rollout.
Hate hate hate hate hate HATE the interior. Enourmous step back from the 7.5 in this regard - so much so that I could never buy one. The rest? Fabulous.
Great review, I’m looking forward to the R going on sale in the US (hopefully by end of year)! Glad to see many reviewers praising the ride quality, among its other capabilities. ...VW please release a software update though 😅
Find the M135i X Drive has better damping and suspension than the Golf R - problem is in my family we already have an M135i at home with an owner whose unwilling to share! What are my alternatives? A35 AMG or this the Golf R - what do I choose?
I'll stick with my Mk7 with a few mods. I much prefer to get my hand on a good old fashioned knob while driving, touch-sensitive buttons and endless menus are not for me.
Joe.... as always, Thankyou. Great car, but I’m sorry to say the infotainment system alone would stop me from even considering this car. I’m a BMW man that could have been persuaded to change, but not with this, I’m afraid.
Joe you are missing out with the performance pack on these 8 R's which come with the Nürburgring mode! As you say at 19:35 you are right the DSG box will change up automatically in most modes. I drove a PP car on my channel a few days ago (ruclips.net/video/ZQOdiSgPnfU/видео.html) and you can bounce of the limiter and I feel you would have had a much better experience on track with this. Great videos as always as I have enjoyed your content since 2014 :-)
I own this exact car and the most annoying thing is that if you only use the R's sat nav , you cannot put postcodes into it !! I think they just expect people to used Android Auto or Apple Car Play but ridiculous really. Also , they forgot to make the buttons for volume and air con, the ones that sit just under the infotainment screen light up, so you can't see them in the dark. I love this car though, super fast, engaging to drive but a little more care in the small details needed. My centre console is shiny black though which is much nicer than the matte grey here.
I reckon this is one of the best looking golfs of all time, In blue or black? - I'm not sure which color is best. In saying that, bit expensive, I don't think this is over $33k - $37k or £40 - £45k (uk) of car
It’s a brilliant car to drive but info system is awful and glitches like mad - had to do 3 hard resets on it in a month already and interior is not what a 40k car should have. Just hope there will be Mk8.5 or 9where they put good old dials back and remove some buttons from steering wheel but I doubt it. Love it’s understated ness and the r mode is just bonkers fun
@@Callllum Wow dude...you're really not this dumb are you? Maybe just a 12 year old who thinks 0-60 is everything in a car. Educate yourself homie when you're old enough to drive and get behind the wheel an M2C and you'll be much wiser homie.
What a great honest review, thank you Joe. Those displays just look so cheap and nasty regardless of how bad they function. As you say, go back to basics VW
Thanks for the excellent review Joe! Were any haptic controls on the steering wheel triggered during your tracking, or while driving around? I could live with the fussy infotainment and lack of analog controls - as long as that nonsense doesn’t happen.
You're right. I had the mk 7 for 4 years and now i got the mk 8. Interiors on both cars are inferior to the audi s3 and merc a35 and a45. I'm ok with that, but what you lose out on in interior you more than make up for in performance. Compared to my old mk 7 this new one is way ahead
£40,000 ? Not in a million years Far too complicated to work the infotainment low class cabin Not great looking outside either Fast is not enough I'm afraid
I’ve always bought Golfs, I’m very fortunate that I’ve had so many performances Golfs but in recent years it’s becoming too expensive to have one for me which is quite disappointing. Amazing car but with ever increasing price + finance APR I can’t justify the cost
Funny I almost bought an M340i but got a gr8 deal on an M5 Comp so bought it instead. The wife’s getting her new Golf R very soon so will be interesting which I go to grab the keys of when out for a jolly. Might very well be the R, lighter and more agile on the roads.
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Achilles is your name or surname?
Nice video.....is the 0-60mph time with 1 foot roll out?
They’ve been making people poor with their shitty judging 😅
Muito barato aí na Alemanha, aqui no Brasil custaria R$338,000
Joe Achilles, You mentioned about Botb, Just wondering did you managed to win a vehicle by anychance
Let's just hope we get the 8.5 soon with proper buttons to control things! I find it very strange that we're constantly told it's illegal to use a phone whilst driving but somehow it's ok to have all these stupid touchscreens and menu after menu to go through to control anything!! 🤷♂️
I bet they sat in a office meeting planning out worse touch button for the 8R so they could just fix it and sell more physical buttons on the 8.5R they are planning on double dipping! lol
My wife has a golf 8 and all of the actions you need to control work just fine using your voice.
Upgrading my headunit to one with Apple CarPlay in my MKVI Golf R has done more than enough! I can use my phone (and apps) or the headunit to control everything. I wonder how hard/limited it will be to upgrade these infotainment systems.
or just get a stage 1 mk7 Golf R which has physical buttons, same performance and cost less?
@@roblippiatt874 oh really? And the voice recognition works spot on each time? Would have been simpler to have a few buttons and knobs though…
Legend for actually discussing MPG. You’re right that for me and my mates, MPG does come into it. Yes you are spending £40k on a car, but that doesn’t mean that ridiculously low MPG should be expected!
Hate the people who say ‘dont buy a Golf R if you’re worried about MPG’ ... it’s a 40k hot hatch not a lambo!!!
Cheers man, glad you appreciate it! When petrol and diesel is fast approaching £1.50 a litre, we should all be fairly concerned about potential MPG 👌
Agree fully. Most of us but hot hatches hoping its “the first sports car of many” and mileage does matter
you are absolutely right about touch sensitive buttons they are horrendous
In a world full of tech, it has too much tech
Fine on your phone or tablet....no good in a car. Your jigging around whilst trying not to crash when looking away - last thing you need is an interface that demands your full attention, extreme dexterity to keep your finger still enough and then multiple attempts stabbing an unresponsive piece of plastic with the hope it does what you want.
Joe this review was exactly the kind of review I was hoping for. I have seen a lot of different reviews and yours is by far one of the best. I like how you showed what you liked and disliked and also showed it driving on the road and track and explained the little details about how it actually felt/handled. I wonder how it would perform with some better tires on it.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Was very fortunate to have a sponsor and friends at W2R who allowed me to jump on, wish I could do this with every video 👌 I'm sure a set of Cup 2's would have made it much closer to the M2 C lap time wise, they would have helped dial out that mid corner understeer and allow me to brake even later.... The Bridgestones weren't horrific though. Cheers
On my mk7 7.5, going to hankkook rs4 from the Bridgestone gave me 3 seconds a lap, on a 1min53 lap time. It’s very significant. The Bridgestones are alright but they cannot handle the heat. The fall appart on their face as soon as they get greasy!
Got the mk 8 gte and I have to say every single frustrating thing you mentioned ring so true. And the gte has some "bonus" crappy features because it's a hybrid
The effects of the emissions scandal, they cutting cost to recover
Joe is always real and honest it doesn't matter what car he is taking for a review.One of the best car reviewers out there!
I liked the multi-screen part of the video, a new addition to Joe's arsenal of goodies. 👍
Have a 7.5R and love it - not a chance I'll get the 8 - while I'm sure its fantastic to drive, a £40k plus car shouldn't have plastics that look like they belong on my daughter's toys :( Interior is a let down for me on this R.
Not to mention the Audi s3 will be cheaper and available in hatch 😳
I have the 7.5 Gti pp and love it, great car. I was really looking forward to the mk 8 and could easily have been tempted into an 8R but the touch screens put me off, I can’t see anything out there at the moment that would make me consider changing the 7.5 Gti pp.
Bunch of bollocks confidently said by someone that hasn't seen one in the flesh. I came from a 7.5 i would never go back, including the interior. Only the rear panel doors are somewhat questionable, everything else is a strait upgrade from the 7.5 lmao.
@@ZenzDeluxe if you feel you need to justify the outlay that’s fine. I need to do the same 😉 Choice is how you want to put your point across - respectfully, or like a complete arse.
I’ll NEVER forgive VW for this interior/cabin.
As a mk7 golf r owner I feel completely the same way
This x1000 👍
Only if they fix it for the 8.5/9
Seriously. Mechanically, this car seems like a beast, but I'm probably not going to buy one b/c of the spartan interior and all the touchscreens and capacitive buttons. Soooooo, disappointing. On the bright side, I'm pretty stoked for the new RS3. Sorry, VW. You blew it.
@@DarkHelmet1976 Completely agree mate, I'm being drawn towards an S3 as well, for exactly the same reasons.
Great review Joe. I’ve seen loads of reviews of this car, most of them hop on the bandwagon and moan about the infotainment / buttons issue but I think a lot of them just go on about it for the sake of it or because they saw other reviewers bitch about it so they throw it in there too.
However, yours is the first video where I think the issues are really very well described.
Also good to see proper track driving rather than another straight down the line drag race.
Thank you Joe! Yeah I had obviously heard about the issues and experienced some of them in other VAG group cars, but I couldn't avoid talking about them in the video, some serious lack of R&D with some of it... But what a car otherwise 👌
@@JoeAchilles1 just a pity it’s 70k here in Ireland now 😩 I paid a touch over 45k for one in 2015!
The Clubsport might be the sweet spot here now, it’s 11k cheaper... I look forward to seeing how you think that compares... ☺️
The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Car makers need to get the memo loud and clear. Take your haptic/touch controls and send them back to Tesla. No thank you.
@@krane15 lol...
The most honest review of the Mk 8 Golf R, a lot better than Volkswizard who thinks the lack of proper knobs and switches is the way forward,but every other reviewer disagrees .For me you are the best car reviewer on RUclips .
Volkswizard had the audacity to say you don’t own a Audi unless it’s an A4 or above, honestly what utter rubbish, the golf 8R is rubbish inside
@@coops111s It’s true Audi start from A4 above. An A3 shares the platform with the Golf.
@@johnguidetti5839 the golf has haptic buttons does the A3 NO, look I own the new S3 and my mate has the new R and yes the R is quick but the owner agrees that the S3 is far superior, I’m fact he’s getting rid of it for a RS3 as for the comment about the A4 🤣🤣 I’ve been to dealership to look at them and believe me they ain’t no better
@@coops111s Tell me you know nothing about cars without telling me… the A3 is based on the MQB platform shared with the VW golf, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia. The A4/5/6/7/8 are based on MLB platform that doesn’t share any chassis components with the other group,Proper 4WD. Not Haldex FWD based 4WD. You just waffled telling me irreverent information without even understanding.
@@johnguidetti5839 and what do you drive, I know a bit about cars owned Lotuses for 30 years, you do know what that is 🤔 anyway I know plenty about cars and I’m telling you that stop being so silly, the new Quattro system is better than the old system, never mind enjoy your Skoda
Great video Joe - thanks. Interesting to see how effortless it looked in the R compared to your M2 Comp. for very similar results. Its no wonder the R's are so popular. All the best
Yeah they are brilliant for people who aren’t interested in driving
Problem I have with the Golf R is not the car itself but it been the 'go to' hot Golf. The GTi used to be the every-mans hot Golf and those owners would aspire to maybe one day getting an 'halo' R..now days everyone just gets the R so they're common.
This just shows what a great job BMW does with their interiors. They may not be the most flashy, but retaining the swivel wheel and giving you the choice of using the touch screen is certainly much safer for the driver.
I've really tried to like the Mk8 but I just can't. The Mk7.5 R was just lovely.
Same. 😓
Sooo disappointed in the interiors of these MK 8 Golfs. Totally unacceptable at these price points. An R can easily approach £50k and the interior disappoints at half that.
Performance great of course.
MK 7.5 way better all round.
Was the over complicated tech that wound me up
@40 Roller this is coming from a non MK7 fan boy im assuming?
I agree with your honest review of the interior and electronics. They have gone backwards in the interior quality and refinement and added way too much complex electronics.
Got yourself a new subscriber when you got into the geeky details around wheel arch extenders. Then you mentioned Andrew and it all made sense...Definitely going to give your back catalogue a look.
Haha thanks Paul, hope you like the rest of my stuff 👌
Awesome video! Owned a 7.5R DSG and outed it for a manual GTI instead 🤤 wasn’t engaging enough for me!
Love the channel Joe. 👏 ✌👍70k euro here in Ireland. I had a mk 7.5 R and paid 56. Huge jump for some reason
Thank you buddy 👊
Ireland is sooo expensive mate, feel for you!
@@JoeAchilles1 Has its upsides but access to fast cars certainly ain't one of em. 😁👍✌
Wow basic manual mk7 in Germany was from 32.000eu:)
Joe, you are by FAR the best reviewer ive ever had the pleasure to view on youtube ever! You miss few, if any points and you are just super fair and logical. Love it, please never change!
Totally agree ref the infotainment. It’s shocking full stop. It’s temperamental and a crash waiting to happen when you’re moving. They’ve also removed some nice touches like the sill lights, the washer level alarm, the bonnet struts and the squidgy plastic. Love my gtd though!
Thanks for sharing that little nugget about the reason why they placed those plastic pieces by the wheel arches! Never knew that!
I miss my Mk7 R, really tempted with this. Discounts of close to £5k.
One thing I loved about my Mk7 was the ride quality, comfort mode with the DCC was so plush. This Mk8 must be on another level.
5k discounts 🙈 why oh why is the car so expensive to start with, totally bonkers because it takes the car tax into higher price bracket
@@coops111s It does. Adds £40/mth if paying tax via direct debit. Pricey for a Golf especially given the fact that the interior seems to be of lower build quality than the Mk7.
Completely agree about the interior material quality! The layout is nice but that plastic is unacceptable. Theyre doing the same with the Audi S3 and possibly RS3, noooo!
Well done Joe, very good observations on the R. I totally agree with you on the two screens & for this reason I would not buy an R.
I really enjoy your reviews Joe, you always give us honest opinions about cars, and thats what matters the most for me.
Mk7.5 R over the Mk 8! This new infotainment is overly complicated to use! Would go for the new S3, has buttons to control the basic functions and slightly better quality interior!!
@@daniel.s8126 oh I think we get electric seats here as standard tbh but don't count me in it. But ya I would get a good mk7.5 instead of the Mk8, the infotainment will drive me mad on a day to day basis when ur interacting with it stationary and while driving
Memory electric seats is an option on the S3
I don’t have a problem with the infotainment system as such but touch controls on the steering wheel I think is a mistake. The non sports Golf 8s have normal buttons on the steering wheel and I think that’s far better. I don’t think the controls are as bad as people think my only real criticism is that the volume and temperature controls don’t light up so are difficult to see when driving at night.
Its not the controls on the steering wheel, its how they're applied. There can be a switch or a toggle that turns them off so there's no accidental pushing while driving. My keyboard has it for the number keys (Num Lock) or you can hard switch off all the buttons. We're not asking for manufacturers to reinvent the wheel -- Tesla.
Great balanced opinion .... great car will likely swap my 7.5 for one but I agree with the bring back the buttons or an i drive style centre knob.
If you get it you have to do track days. Otherwise for me for a fast daily hot hatch you can get something slower but with a glorious interior.
Would definitely take the m2 over this lol. You look so much more enthused and engaged in the m2. You look like you are going grocery shopping in the golf r 😂. Good video Joe. Thanks for the content.
I bought a 2021 GTI SE (manual) in April. After seeing this video (and many similar reviews over the past month or so) of the all-touch screen interior, I'm glad I didn't wait for the 2022's. Very fast car...most fun to drive since my 1972 BMW 2002. Hopefully VW has solved its leaky sunroof problems, which I didn't know about until well after I bought the car.
Love the Golf 8 R! Looking fantastic in this spec, even though it misses the small wing. And it’s always nice to see the cars filthy and dirty. Great and thorough review as always!
By the way: will you get your hands on the „new“ model year 2021 Audi TTS? It now also has the 320PS engine, curios to see its 0-60 times etc
You'd have to think that a midlife face-lift for the mark 8 golf won't be too far away and hopefully that whole interior will get sorted out
Enjoying this new format of road and track tests from Joe, more please 😁
The MK8 R isn’t worth it in my opinion. First of all the price of the car without any optional extras is roughly 38K and the car with is 50K. This in my opinion isn’t worth it for a hatchback with the power and toque it has and the look of the car, The interior isn’t the best and getting used to a car which can take weeks isn’t practically. So many RUclips videos show people disliking the interior and the non-buttons are the worse.. VW have taken a massive setback with the car and adding things which were default in the MK7.5 but not in the MK8 is the worse... No Nav in the middle of your virtual cockpit if you don’t have a feature add on.
Brilliant review Joe
Honest,not bashing it or fan boying it.
The split view on the track was worthy of a Rory Reid video👍
Well done Joe, great review. Surprised Top Gear haven’t approached you yet!!
Same road as Harry’s Garage uses🌚
Yep it's my local road too 👌
Haha that’s what I thought too! I was thinking I recognise that left hander up the hill... 🤔
@@JoeAchilles1would be great to do a collab with the old timer
Your usual honest review as expected, I don’t think that everyone would be put off by the infotainment system and maybe you just were given a buggy one, they maybe aren’t all like that, and maybe V W should check that particular car sometime. Just a thought!!!
you are not supposed to disable traction control when out on the normal road.
I think they did this on purpose to make it more difficult to decide to throw in a drift on any random part of the road.
However, I’d probably disable it and just stick to drift mode for that rwd experience.
Drift mode also allows you to rev line.
Also, I think having the buttons on the steering wheel is not the problem, they should have actually made them buttons though.
Also, I agree that plastic is bad for the price,
but it does help with weight reduction as opposed to using something like metal or wood.
Carbon fibre would be significantly more expensive and would only drive the cars price up further.
My question is whether 19 inch wheels may cause a floating feel on modest highway speeds - say above 60 miles. I changes the tyres to more top of the line ones but to not much help.
hello, what would you choose between the bmw m340i and this golf R?
Glad someone finally points out how horrible the new cabin excicution is in general and the stupid hepatic buttonless garbage screens everywhere.
I'm running around in a manual 16 plate M135i and totally love it. Looking for a change and this is right up there - that interior plastic really puts me off though. Hopefully next years model will be improved.
Hi Joe, you can map the ESC option to a single swipe if you look hard enough
With cup 2 it would be as fast as the M2
Totally agree, the dashboards on the new Golfs is just simply horrible, I have the MK7 golf and the centre console and dashboard merge flawlessly, there's no dust gaps between the infotainment screen and the dashboard, it just looks good...but the latest incarnation just puts me off completely, heading towards the Porsche dealer for the 718
I thought I knew that road at 0:15 , it's the same exact road where Harry Metcalfe does his road tests, that corner is almost iconic in my books now, it definitely puts the car to the test
Haha yep, my local road too 👌
@@JoeAchilles1 Harry is the guvnor, he has a farm
Still take the mighty m2 competition over any golf looks better and is faster, the R looks like any 1.4 tdi golf. M power every time. Great video thou
I have loved the Golf R for years and think it’s a brilliant package however it all stopped from the Mk7 and the Mk8 is simply sitting new benchmarks of plain ugly..Great review Joe. All the bad points you raised far outweighed the good in my view which is why the Mk6 was the last R I owned!
Great video (even though I haven’t watched it yet)
😁
🤣👌
Currently got a MK8 Gti Clubsport and had two Mk7.5 Gti's. Love the Clubsport's extra push and traction, but like Joe I'm not a fan of the interior, the digitial dash, haptic buttons and general lack of good old knobs and buttons! Another annoying thing I have noticed is that the car unlocks the moment I go anywhere near the back end, however does not do the same when I approach from the front?! However will probably try the R in a few months or the Clubsport 45 if I can source.
Currently driving a 2016 mk7 but looking to upgrade to a mk8 golf r in the future. It’s a bummer because my current car has all physical buttons and knobs and I could see all those touch buttons being an issue on the new car. I hope in the 2nd and 3rd year models of the mk8 VW makes some minor improvements in those areas.
Haven’t even watched it yet but I can tell this video is going to be great. Love this car and it is my dream car.
In the 7, when cornering hard, the car would initially push/understeer momentarily before power was transferred to the rear. Did you notice that happening in the 8 or is the AWD system improved?
Great vid Joe, refreshingly honest review. . . would be interested in your thoughts between the 8R and the 7.5R you drove down in Oz, which would you go for - putting aside cost is the step up in performance and driving dynamics of the new gen Golf R enough to live with the inferior cabin quality, frustrating infotainment system and annoying touch sensitive buttons?
best Golf R review ever.
Great vid Joe and one of the best on the new Golf R. When you did the 0-60 run, did you set the timeing box up with the 1 foot roll out function on? Automann TV have mentioned in their vids that Matt Watson IS switching on this function which is why he is getting such quick 0-60 times (less than 4 secs). Wondered how you'd set yours up to get 0-60 in 4.1 secs?
If you are testing a 0 to 60mph then I believe it should be from a standing start (is 0mph) all this 1 ft roll out is, to me just ' cheating" is as much as the car has moved,removed any drive line delay and so isn't recording a time from o mph.
Just my opinion.
@@brianiswrong All drag racing in the US uses the 1 foot roll out, and also all the car magazines use the 1 foot roll out. Car and Driver magazine usually states the extra time from a dead stop...usually .2 or .3 seconds extra, depending upon the car. So a car recording a 0-60 time of 4.0 seconds is usually 4.2 to 4.3 seconds from a dead start.
I tuned my 2019 Golf R with the Integrated Engineering Stage 1 tune and the DSG tune with no auto shifting in manual mode. It works beautiful on the track and with nothing more than the tune and a K & N air filter, my 0-60 time is 3.6 seconds without the 1 foot rollout.
Hate hate hate hate hate HATE the interior. Enourmous step back from the 7.5 in this regard - so much so that I could never buy one.
The rest? Fabulous.
The mk 7 indeed had a brilliant looking interior..you can still find it in a Touran..
which i bought in march...awesome car..
🥳🥳
If you could option off the silly seats and tailpipes it’d be the perfect understated hatchback
I love my '18 GTI. It's desirability went up significantly with VW's unwise transformation of HVAC and other buttons to touch screen in the 8's. .
Great review, I’m looking forward to the R going on sale in the US (hopefully by end of year)! Glad to see many reviewers praising the ride quality, among its other capabilities. ...VW please release a software update though 😅
I own a mk 7 and I was debating on waiting for the mk 8 im glad I went with the former cause it’s easier to do simple functions
The US and A can get the Golf R also with a manual transmission. Only the US and A, nowhere else.
US and A?
Come on nephew Noël. That’s how Borat says USA.
I feel comfortable saying it that way.
HI Joe i have a Golf R 7.5 that i am looking to change.I am looking at a new GolfR Mk8 or a second hand M340 touring what do you think is a better buy
One of the best reviews i've seen
Easily my favourite review of this car yet. Everything explained so well 👏🏻
Awesome video!!, so glad that you like it on track!. Have a Mk8R Performance Pack coming now, and will do so trackdays and fun with it :)
Find the M135i X Drive has better damping and suspension than the Golf R - problem is in my family we already have an M135i at home with an owner whose unwilling to share! What are my alternatives? A35 AMG or this the Golf R - what do I choose?
You said option and optional extra quite alot. What do u get standard? Seats and a steering wheel ghats it
What was the lap time btw? Great video, love the overlay with the M2. Shame you haven’t got the Formentor for a track blast in that 👍🏼
I'll stick with my Mk7 with a few mods. I much prefer to get my hand on a good old fashioned knob while driving, touch-sensitive buttons and endless menus are not for me.
Joe.... as always, Thankyou. Great car, but I’m sorry to say the infotainment system alone would stop me from even considering this car. I’m a BMW man that could have been persuaded to change, but not with this, I’m afraid.
Joe, I've read that only North America gets the Mark 8 Golf R in a manual transmission, would that be something you would prefer over the DSG?
Great video Joe, nice honest review 👍🏻
What’s the difference between the mk7 and mk8?
Joe - Another great video. How does acceleration in the Golf compare to the M140/M135?
Joe you are missing out with the performance pack on these 8 R's which come with the Nürburgring mode! As you say at 19:35 you are right the DSG box will change up automatically in most modes. I drove a PP car on my channel a few days ago (ruclips.net/video/ZQOdiSgPnfU/видео.html) and you can bounce of the limiter and I feel you would have had a much better experience on track with this. Great videos as always as I have enjoyed your content since 2014 :-)
Does the VW Golf Type R come with fold-down rear seats in order to increase storage space?
What was the time against your m2?
Really enjoyed the is video, Joe. The R looks like a weapon despite all the interior/haptic issues.
I own this exact car and the most annoying thing is that if you only use the R's sat nav , you cannot put postcodes into it !! I think they just expect people to used Android Auto or Apple Car Play but ridiculous really. Also , they forgot to make the buttons for volume and air con, the ones that sit just under the infotainment screen light up, so you can't see them in the dark. I love this car though, super fast, engaging to drive but a little more care in the small details needed. My centre console is shiny black though which is much nicer than the matte grey here.
I reckon this is one of the best looking golfs of all time, In blue or black? - I'm not sure which color is best. In saying that, bit expensive, I don't think this is over $33k - $37k or £40 - £45k (uk) of car
Is that FENG? Sounds pretty good on the cabin in fact
It’s a brilliant car to drive but info system is awful and glitches like mad - had to do 3 hard resets on it in a month already and interior is not what a 40k car should have. Just hope there will be Mk8.5 or 9where they put good old dials back and remove some buttons from steering wheel but I doubt it.
Love it’s understated ness and the r mode is just bonkers fun
Your M2 still looks more fun, R held up better than I thought though!
I always hear this that the m2 looks fun. What’s fun about getting smoked off the line constantly lmaooo
@@Callllum Wow dude...you're really not this dumb are you? Maybe just a 12 year old who thinks 0-60 is everything in a car. Educate yourself homie when you're old enough to drive and get behind the wheel an M2C and you'll be much wiser homie.
@@CallllumRWD Handling? Driving is not about drag racing from the lights are you 18?
Really like your videos Joe. You have it all.
POV driving, great drive by’s and they’re really informative too 👍
What a great honest review, thank you Joe. Those displays just look so cheap and nasty regardless of how bad they function. As you say, go back to basics VW
Thanks for the excellent review Joe! Were any haptic controls on the steering wheel triggered during your tracking, or while driving around? I could live with the fussy infotainment and lack of analog controls - as long as that nonsense doesn’t happen.
this Golf R just isnt doing it for me, maybe i need a closer look but just looks like a facelift Mk7 which is a bit of a disappointment imo
It is, same platform, just a facelift
You're right. I had the mk 7 for 4 years and now i got the mk 8. Interiors on both cars are inferior to the audi s3 and merc a35 and a45. I'm ok with that, but what you lose out on in interior you more than make up for in performance. Compared to my old mk 7 this new one is way ahead
£40,000 ? Not in a million years Far too complicated to work the infotainment low class cabin Not great looking outside either Fast is not enough I'm afraid
Great review. Now that you have tried the current R would you still opt for the m140i? :)
I’ve always bought Golfs, I’m very fortunate that I’ve had so many performances Golfs but in recent years it’s becoming too expensive to have one for me which is quite disappointing. Amazing car but with ever increasing price + finance APR I can’t justify the cost
Awesome vid fella, my favourite vid with this car yet 🙌👍😎
So what are the crazy white gloves for?
This or M340i? Different classes, but what do you think?
M340i for sure.. 6 cylinder, nicer interior and a good looking exterior.. A better overall package IMO..
M340i is a fair chunk more expensive, certainly the better package, but the R is ultimately more fun when pushing hard 👌
@@JoeAchilles1 Great, thanks Joe - great content as always.
Funny I almost bought an M340i but got a gr8 deal on an M5 Comp so bought it instead. The wife’s getting her new Golf R very soon so will be interesting which I go to grab the keys of when out for a jolly.
Might very well be the R, lighter and more agile on the roads.
Check out the Audi S3. I also am torn between a hot hatch and M340i.