2025 Volkswagen Golf R First Drive Review: You Have to Really Want It

In recent years, the Volkswagen Golf R has become somewhat of an odd proposition. It’s deservedly renowned for its versatility—a comfortable super tourer among hot hatches one minute, and an apex hunter with unrelenting, all-wheel grip the next. But at around $15,000 more than the cheapest GTI, the high price exposes some flaws. It also draws dangerously close to another beloved performance compact within the Volkswagen family, the Audi S3. Seriously, a base S3 is only about $1,500 more than a base Golf R.

Look, I love hatchbacks too, but if I were in the market for one of these, I’d look very seriously at just getting an S3 instead. Of course, the R faces competition from the other end of the spectrum, too; you can buy a maxed-out GTI Autobahn for $6,000 less and, if you never see a track, I think you’ll have about as much fun. All this leaves the Golf R feeling like a bit of a niche delicacy, and updates for 2025 haven’t really changed that.

The Basics

The Mk 8 Golf R gets a mid-life refresh this year, just like its little sibling. Its 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four now makes 328 horsepower, 13 more than it used to, while torque remains at 295 lb-ft. (That’s all level with the latest S3, by the way.) The R needs that extra power because its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and rear-axle torque splitter add nearly 300 pounds to its curb weight over a GTI. All told, it tips the scale at 3,450 pounds.

Outside, the Golf R gets a new front fascia with LED headlights that swivel; “R” badging on the doors; and standard forged 19-inch wheels that look sublime. Inside, the old 10-inch infotainment touchscreen has been replaced with one that measures 12.9 inches from corner to corner, and the capacitive sliders for volume and dual-zone temperature below the screen are now backlit—hallelujah.

What you notably won’t find in the new Golf R are real buttons on the steering wheel, like the new GTI has. Touch-capacitive keys are still here, apparently because it would’ve been too complicated and expensive to build a physical “R” drive-mode button into the same wheel that most other VW products use. That’s not encouraging, nor is the elimination of the six-speed manual transmission option going forward. All new Golf Rs come with a seven-speed DSG automatic.

Exterior and Interior Design

The Mk 8 Golf R and GTI have a way of blending into normal traffic. It’s always a nice surprise if you happen to notice one, but these hatchbacks are just kind of big and undramatic from the outside, and this refresh does little to change that. The R looks clean and composed, but it doesn’t stir the soul. At least its wing is a touch larger than the GTI’s, and that does lend a more purposeful vibe.

Screen aside, the interior hasn’t changed significantly. However, Volkswagen has introduced a Euro Style Package, with new diamond-patterned ArtVelours seats that were previously only offered with the Clubsport model overseas. These thrones look great, but the Euro kit deletes most of their power adjustability and ventilation, as well as the standard sunroof, for a total weight savings of 80 pounds and a lower center of gravity. This package also includes an Akrapovič titanium exhaust that doesn’t impact performance at all, but does enhance engine noise. Unfortunately, even though this trim takes away about as much as it gives, it still costs an additional $3,795.

At the end of the day, the Golf R’s interior was its most glaring weakness, and VW hasn’t made meaningful investments to fix it. You’re still surrounded by capacitive buttons everywhere, from the steering wheel to the dash. It’s nice that the new touchscreen UI seems a little more responsive and intelligently laid out, but that only goes so far. And yes, the Mk 8 Golf has been dinged for its cheap materials many times before, in reviews like this. I honestly don’t mind them in the GTI, but here, we’re talking about a $50,000 vehicle. At a certain point, the budget plastics and expanses of fingerprint- and scratch-magnet piano black begin to frustrate.

Driving Experience

Aside from the aforementioned 13-hp bump, nothing much mechanical has really changed through the Golf R’s latest evolution. That torque splitter on the rear axle is still a little marvel, able to send up to 50% of the car’s total power to either side’s wheel. Turbo lag is kept to a minimum, and with peak thrust rolling in at 2,000 rpm, you don’t have to work much to hold pace.

The immediacy of the Golf R’s performance is matched by a distinct smoothness and slight numbness to the steering that takes you by surprise. It’s why, much as I love a stick, the quick-shifting DSG always felt to me like the right partner for this car. For better or worse, the Golf R is one of those vehicles that prefers to do a lot of the work itself. It insists that it knows best, and it has the grip and acceleration to back it up.

Still, don’t assume this car doesn’t have the capacity to thrill. If you really want to get your money’s worth out of the Golf R, you take it to the track. Ideally, you’re someone like famed driver Tanner Foust, who just so happened to be on call for hot laps here at Summit Point Raceway’s Jefferson Circuit.

With Tanner at the wheel and me riding shotgun, I could be sure every ounce of the Golf R’s performance capability was being harnessed. He gunned the throttle exiting one of Jefferson’s especially tricky corners—a long left-hander with an inconsistent radius, and an apex at the tippy top of a hill. In a GTI, we probably would’ve scrubbed wide, but the fancy rear diff overloaded that right rear tire with all the torque to keep it on the intended line. For this run, Tanner actually selected the Nürburgring drive mode, which intentionally keeps the suspension relatively soft to better withstand bumps and dips and maintain contact with the road.

No, I don’t think you need to be Tanner Foust to buy a Golf R. At the same time, it’s worth considering what you plan to do with all that performance. The way I see it, if it’s merely fun you want, the GTI has you covered. It has enough power (even though it’s down on the R by 87 ponies) and certainly enough torque, and it rewards you with bite on every turn in, at any speed. But if you’re after something a little extra, and figure yourself seriously testing the car’s limits beyond the open road, get the blue one.

VW Golf R Features, Options, and Competition

• Base: The 2025 Golf R starts at $48,325 delivered and features pretty much everything you’d get from an Autobahn-trim GTI, plus the mechanical and performance goodies that only the R will bring: A more powerful engine, all-wheel drive, and forged 19-inch wheels, for starters. Black Nappa leather, power-adjustable heated and ventilated seats are standard. New for 2025 is a 15-watt ventilated phone charging pad and Park Assist Plus, which literally parks the vehicle for you.
• Black Edition: The $49,640 Black Edition is purely a cosmetic option that does exactly what it says on the tin. Everything, from emblems and mirrors to brake calipers, exhaust pipes, and those otherwise eye-catching forged alloys, is “blacked out.” In the interior, you get genuine carbon-fiber trim. Personally, I think full-black cars are boring, and the Golf R is already a pretty unremarkable-looking vehicle, so I don’t know why anyone would choose this. But if you want to be invisible, here you go.
• Euro Style Package: The Euro Style Package can be added to either the normal car or the Black Edition for an additional $3,795, raising the total price to $52,120 or $53,435, respectively. This option deletes the standard sunroof and most power adjustability of the seats, and replaces the leather upholstery with VW’s suede-like ArtVelours material and cloth inserts. The Euro pack also adds an Akrapovič titanium exhaust, which does nothing for performance but does make the hot hatch sound crackly and sonorous, especially in Race mode.

There are actually a fair number of alternatives to consider if you’re shopping for one of these. The Toyota GR Corolla ($39,995), Honda Civic Type R ($47,045), Audi S3 ($49,995), and Acura Integra Type S ($54,095), are all in the Golf Rs ballpark where performance is concerned, and I’d even throw in the top-spec Subaru WRX, the tS trim ($46,875), as it offers many of the same luxuries as the Golf even if it’s comparatively down on power.

The Civic Type R is the outstanding driver’s car of the bunch, and the GR Corolla is a fine runner-up for a little less money when spec’d well, though it certainly can’t match the luxury and comfort that the rest of this competitive set offers. If you want something more well-rounded for work as well as play, the S3 is awfully compelling, especially when it’s so close in price to the Golf R.

The Early Verdict

There were a few gimmes Volkswagen could’ve seized if it wanted to make the refreshed Mk 8 Golf R thoroughly better. The GTI’s steering wheel would’ve been an easy win—I’d choose real buttons over a shortcut to “R” mode every day of the week. The less-is-more Euro Style option ought to have lowered the car’s base price, but instead, it’s marketed like a Porsche RS-style weight-saving package. And the loss of the manual is going to turn off some buyers, there’s absolutely no way around it.

That’s all disappointing and, critically, doesn’t do much to change the Golf R’s odd position in this class. There are sharper, less compromising driver’s cars, and there’s at least one alternative that truly embodies the baby grand tourer mentality that the Golf R grasps at. There are also cheaper cars for immediate fun, and it’s just as hard to ignore the GTI as before. If you buy a Golf R, I don’t doubt that you know what you want; I’m just not sure how many people want the same thing.

Quick Take

A supremely capable super hatch, and still the one to buy if you want a true sleeper. But alternatives are more engaging or more luxurious, and VW really should’ve done more to address the interior.

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