Driving the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R

I’m contemplating becoming a member of a cult.

The Volkswagen Golf R has lengthy had a cult following, and I’ve by no means understood it. I’ve pushed a number of variations of VW’s sporty little hatchback through the years. I’ve by no means discovered myself in love.

However every week within the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R swayed me for the primary time. VW’s sportiest automotive within the U.S. affords splendidly adjustable ranges of efficiency.

It may be a sensible commuter with just a little extra cargo area than the typical compact automotive when that’s what you want. Faucet a number of modifications into the touchscreen, and it may be a efficiency automotive at a surprisingly reasonably priced worth.

The Golf R, even in its softest suspension settings, could also be too stiff for some. However in the event you’re focused on a efficiency automotive that may double as a commuter for beneath $50,000, the Golf R is a flexible automotive that takes on the persona you give it.

Which Trim Stage

The Golf R doesn’t have trim ranges as a result of it kind of is a trim stage — it’s the go-fast model of VW’s Golf hatchback.

My tester was the 2025 Golf R Black Version, which is available in a shiny Mythos Black Metallic coloration with a Titan Black Leather-based inside. It was all a bit Lego Batman for my style, however that aesthetic works for a lot of. When you’re not considered one of them, it can save you $1,315 by selecting one other coloration.

Favourite Function

Like most efficiency vehicles, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R has a number of drive modes to select from. Like the most effective of these, it additionally helps you to tune your individual.

In Eco and Consolation, it’s nearly a sedate commuter. The suspension nonetheless affords a barely stiff experience in comparison with, say, a Honda Civic hatchback. But it surely does a convincing sufficient impression of an on a regular basis automotive that my passengers by no means complained.

Sport offers you sharper throttle response, quicker shifts, and barely firmer steering. Race provides stiffer suspension settings and additional dials within the shift factors. It’s merely ferocious.

I didn’t use Drift, as I didn’t get observe time.

Better of all, an Particular person mode helps you to dial within the suspension, steering, and throttle settings you need. I prefer to tighten up the steering and suspension however depart the engine extra relaxed, making the automotive enjoyable at authorized speeds.  

Some BMW and Mercedes vehicles provide you with comparable flexibility, however this is likely one of the least costly methods to get a self-designed tune.

Adjustable ambient lighting helps you to additional curate your expertise.

What It’s Prefer to Drive

All these versatile settings imply the VW Golf R drives the best way you need it to drive.

A turbocharged 4-cylinder engine offers it 328 horsepower — rather a lot for such a small chassis. Volkswagen not affords it with a handbook transmission, however the 7-speed dual-clutch automated it ships with is extremely adjustable via the varied drive modes.

Collectively, they make for a extremely responsive throttle pedal. Grippy brakes assist reel it in when wanted, and cross-drilled rotors ought to maintain them cool and efficient even via a observe day.

All-wheel drive and a torque vectoring system make this one of many sharpest-handling vehicles you’ll discover in its worth vary.

Inside Consolation and Know-how

Premium sport seats are comfy with out being too stiff. A leather-wrapped steering wheel offers barely when squeezed, which is what you need in a efficiency automotive.

The brushed stainless-steel pedals look unbelievable. I wasn’t a fan of my tester’s nearly all-black inside, however blue accents helped break the monotony.

The place the Golf R fails is in its irritating touch-capacitive buttons and sliders. They’re exceptionally delicate and situated as a way to simply brush them by chance. Greater than as soon as, I reached to reposition a vent and located the again of my hand altering the drive mode.

Designers additionally put a pair of touch-capacitive sliders proper beneath the touchscreen. My hand wished to relaxation a finger there whereas paging via touchscreen menus. Inevitably, I’d unintentionally change the temperature or the amount doing that.

Volkswagen says it plans to maneuver away from the extremely delicate interface. You’ll seemingly get used to the system in the event you purchase the automotive, however the Golf R might be a greater product after they’re gone.

Limitations

The contact capacitive buttons may be a difficulty for some consumers. Volkswagen made one other curious expertise choice my passengers hated. The automotive makes use of a voice enhancer — microphones decide up conversations and play them via the automotive’s audio system. That system is beneficial in some 3-row autos the place the motive force may genuinely wrestle to listen to rear-seat passengers. However this can be a small automotive. The delicate echo impact of getting your voice performed again to you thru audio system in a small area pissed off a couple of passenger.

You’ll be able to flip the voice enhancer off, but it surely turns itself on once more each time you begin the automotive.

Curiously, you may set off the Golf R’s alarm whereas driving in the event you unintentionally press the alarm button on the keyfob. Ask me how I do know.

Key Issues

The Golf R has few pure rivals. Honda’s Civic Kind R and Hyundai’s Elantra N are the closest issues on the highway. If I had been available in the market, I’d check drive all three. That might make for a enjoyable day. I believe you’d discover the Golf R probably the most customizable of the group.