Well after two weeks yesterday it was time to give back the Golf R loaner I had been driving while Milltek created a new custom system on my Mk6 GTI.
Full review to follow on the new exhaust
So I thought it was about time I put my thought out there on how I feel the two cars compared. I tried to use the R as much as possible as I normally would (but without racking up starship mileage like normal) but still I did cover 980 miles over the 12 days.
The 12 days consisted of the normal Northamptonshire to West London daily commute as few times, a drive through central London, a cross country trip to the DC10 show and a couple of shopping runs to Milton Keynes with Mrs PG. So a pretty varied mix.
The R I had on loan was a three door CW DSG car with 19's Gloss Black wheels, standard cloth and alcantara seats and lots of toys like the RNS-510, Dynaudio, Rear camera etc.
The first drive was from Milltek's HQ down the M1 back home. From the start it all felt surprisingly familiar from the inside with the car still having the lovely new car smell (had only done 700 miles).
Out on the road it felt a bit lighter than expected and less "fridge" like. The extra weight for the haldex and older TFSI engine were noticeable but not by much. The power delivery was very smooth and linear as expected for a OEM/stock car. The exhaust note was much better than the likes of the ED30 and a slight DSG burp was noticeable on the gear changes. Like most stock systems it lack a bit of depth and character but still pretty good for an OEM system.
As the car was still under 1000 miles I drove it pretty carefully for the next couple of days and the trips to work were nice uneventful. I immediately found the fuel consumption was far far worse than I expected with the normal journey to work where my TSI based GTI would average 32-33mpg the R was getting 24
I am sure this would improve over time when the engine loosens up, but still even my Stage 2+ ED30 would average 29-30mpg on the same journey. In the real world this meant I could only get 1 1/2 full trips to the office rather than the normal 2 and a bit with my GTI.
The first journey I got to fully explore the R came with a cross London trip from my Office in Brentford up to Kings Cross and then on to Milton Keynes. In town point to point the R was a very well mannered car and handled twists and turns of some London back streets very well, I did find the steering lock was a noticeable bit less than the GTI so three point turns and sharp low speed corning wasn't as easy. Also the ACC set in comfort really helped with the bumps and pot holes of the London streets.
By the time I reached MK rush hour had gone and I was able to “enthusiastically” enjoy the car on the fast roads up to and around the many many roundabouts Milton Keynes is blessed with. Here the car really came into it’s own, between the roundabouts the car pulled really well and reach the maximum allowable speeds very quickly. It was much smoother in the delivery than my GTI (as expected) and while the didn’t feel as quick the speedo suggested it there really wasn’t much in it. Coming into the roundabouts the R brakes (AKA R32, S3, Leon 345mm brakes) gave good feel and stopping power. Under heavier braking the car remained flat and balanced. Turn in and initial grip was noticeably better than the my GTI and inspired a lot more confidence, there was some body roll but nothing some good ARB’s wouldn’t solve. Powering out of the corner was also very well controlled and gave no dramas. The car took a lot more effort to get the TC or ESP (fun police) light flashing away and seamed to let you play a little bit more than the GTI before stepping in.
The rest of the time with the car just seamed to get better and better, it was a really easy car to drive quickly and handled long motorway crusing with ease. The interior was a nice place to be and the touches like the blue dial neddles (with the awesome start up sweep) and the part alcantara seats where great. Other things like the latest version LED screened RNS-510 just completed it as a package. When parking outside my work on the street in Knightsbridge one day last week inbetween an BMW B6 Alpina and a RR Drophead Coupe, I was surprised by how many people had a look at the Golf R rahter than the other two in the 30mins a spent in a near by coffee shop. (However I am not sure all the other colours would have had the same reaction).
So when I had to return it yesterday which one did I want to keep (excuse the rubbish iPhone pics): -
For me and what I want out of a car I would still choose the GTI, but the R would be a very very close second. I know if the ED35, or what ever it might be called, is the spec I beleive it will be (250bhp TFSI based front wheel drive with some Golf R bits) then where do I sign
