2022 Volkswagen Golf R: Review, Trims, Specs, Price, New Interior Features, Exterior Design, and Specifications CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Cars Volkswagen 2022 Volkswagen Golf R
2022 Volkswagen Golf R
GolfGolf GTIGolf RGolf R All GenerationsNew20232022Used20192018201720162015201320122022 $44,090 - $44,890 Price Range (MSRP) Build and Price 2022 Volkswagen Golf R For Sale Best All-Wheel-Drive Hatchbacks Best Hot Hatches Volkswagen Hatchbacks Volkswagen Sports Cars Volkswagen Small Cars Review Photos Trims & Specs 52 Photos Compare insurance prices: Save an average of $440 Free Quote 2022 Volkswagen Golf R First Drive Review The Real Sports Utility Vehicle
by Jake Lingeman The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R might be the newest, hottest Golf on the market, but it comes from a long line of legendary hatchbacks, starting with the late-1970s Rabbit as it was known in the US. It eventually became the Golf, which spawned the GTI. Then VW added more power and AWD (something the brand dabbled with in the 1985 Golf Synchro) and introduced the R badge. That was the Golf R32 - saddled with Haldex AWD and a 3.2-liter VR6 - which introduced the world to the dual-clutch gearbox. But despite only boasting 238 horsepower, it became an instant legend. Fast-forward nearly two decades and the Golf R uses the fourth evolution of the 2.0-liter turbocharged EA888 engine making 315 hp (up 27 hp over the Mk 7) and 295 lb-ft of torque. The seven-speed DSG returns, but you can have a six-speed manual in the US and Canada if you're willing to sacrifice 15 lb-ft. VW retuned the dynamics settings, AWD system, and standard adaptive suspension. Furthermore, the marque gave the hot hatch a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch touchscreen, and more safety than ever. This isn't just a hot hatch; it's a sport utility vehicle. Is the 2022 Volkswagen Golf a good car
Exterior Design 9 /10 Performance 10 /10 Fuel Economy 7 /10 Interior & Cargo 10 /10 Infotainment & Features 9 /10 Reliability 8 /10 Safety 9 /10 Value For Money 10 /10 9.0 What is BuzzScore? Best Deals on Golf R
2022 Volkswagen Golf R 2.0T $52,998 5,850 miles 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 2.0T $59,995 2,065 miles Fair Deal $2,700 above 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 2.0T $56,950 5,781 miles 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 2.0T $55,995 2,110 miles See All Golf R For Sale 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Models
See trim levels and configurations: Trim Engine Transmission Drivetrain Price (MSRP) 2.0T 2.0L Turbo Inline-4 Gas 6-Speed Manual 7-Speed Automatic All-Wheel Drive $44,090 See all Trims and Specs Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Engine and Performance Sport
Now, most cars that call themselves sport utility vehicles are not even vaguely sporty. Conversely, the Golf R is all about spirited driving. The engine is obviously a sweetheart; VW's been refining the 2.0-liter turbo EA888 for more than a decade. Max torque (295 lb-ft) comes at 2,000 rpm in the automatic model and even below that we didn't detect a lot of turbo lag. Once you're in the higher gears the Golf R stays in the sweet spot and feels extremely high-strung. Between the electronic locking differential, the adaptive damping, and the new torque vectoring system, the Golf R dives into turns quicker than we expected. With two multi-plate clutches in back, the R can send 100% of its rear power to one side, making corner exit preternaturally quick. There was zero understeer to speak of on North Carolina's epic mountain roads, and the blue-caliper brakes were rock solid all day. Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen The new R gets two new drive modes in addition to Comfort, Sport, Race and Individual. Drift mode sends all the power to the rear to get slidey around the turns, and Special is all about one racetrack. VW is from Germany, hence the mode is made for the Nurburgring. Like Detroit, the 13-mile circuit needs full power, but a soft suspension. A little track icon even comes up in the digital cluster. We only drove the US-bound six-speed manual. Unfortunately, the throws were longer than we'd like, especially in this type of vehicle. It doesn't feel as… mechanical, as analog as we'd like either. There's no problem finding the gates and gears, but we'd like a little less refinement. If that makes sense. Now Buzzing First Drive 2023 Toyota Crown First Drive Review: A Tale Of Two Hybrids Electric Vehicles Tesla Cybertruck Spotted With Production-Ready Rear End Sports Cars 2023 BMW M2 Coming With Optional Center-Lock Wheels Crash Watch A Seventh-Gen Toyota Hilux Truck Launch Into The Air After Losing Control Auctions One-Off Plymouth Barracuda Four-Door Is A Muscle Car Unicorn Tuning 700-Horsepower 2023 Nissan Z By AMS Performance Hits Nine-Second Quarter Mile Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Interior Family-Friendly Utility
Don't laugh. The Golf R sits on VW's MQB platform, but it's longer than the previous model and swallows 19.9 cubic feet of cargo with five passengers and 34.5 cubic feet with the seats folded almost flat. The trunk floor can be raised or lowered and the seats fold down 60:40 with a pass-through for longer cargo. On the ergonomic side, which certainly counts as utility, there are perfectly contoured, comfortable, and bolstered leather seats. Some of us would like them even narrower, but VW is designing for the masses here. There are large storage spaces in the doors, a couple of cupholders, and a big space for your phone to charge or store other stuff. It's probably a half cubic foot by itself. The back seat features 35 inches of legroom and 46 inches of hip room, which is right on par with other hatches. Those guests all get their own climate control, phone chargers, and storage spaces, in addition to the fold-down armrest. We didn't have child seats on the trip, but the latches looked easy to access and there seems to be enough room for the kids' legs to kick freely. Volkswagen Volkswagen Technology The Latest And Greatest
Here's where our main gripe comes into play. The new infotainment has zero knobs. You know we like knobs for volume and tuning. We also like them for climate control as they're easy to grab while driving. VW has a new climate control system that works on sliders. That didn't annoy us the first time we saw it, but with the combination of no knobs for climate, and a panel that almost faces the sky, we had to concentrate on it for several seconds to turn the heat up (or volume, which is on the same panel). The fan? You can't change the fan speed from there or the home screen. You need to press the climate button (one of four below the screen), or the seat heat button on the screen, which doesn't change the seat heat level for some reason, but does bring up the climate screen. We accept that within a few weeks, customers will probably be whipping through this navigation-equipped MIB3 Discover Pro unit without problems. But good UX (user experience) design shouldn't even take that long. This system is deep and useful, but expect a learning curve. Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Pricing And Verdict
We still maintain that the Golf R is the ideal combination of sport and utility, making this a proper SUV. But this low, tiny SUV doesn't come cheap. It will set you back $43,645 with the manual gearbox. You can get a three-row Subaru Ascent for that. You can get a Ford Mustang GT or a small Audi SUV. But those real SUVs don't offer the sport of the Golf R, and the Mustang doesn't offer the utility. Put this car on taller snow tires and it's a full-on Subaru WRX competitor. The real problem comes from within VW. The Golf GTI, a potent performer in its own right, is still so good. Prices have gone up. It now costs just over 30K with destination. But it's one of the best deals in all autodom, hands down. It's a four-season car with the right tires and like the Golf R, it has a ton of utility. If you want the rally car/daily driver combo get the R. If you want to save some cash and have 87% of the fun, the GTI is as far as you need to go. Check other Volkswagen Golf Styles
Golf Compare Golf GTI Compare Volkswagen Golf R Popular Comparisons
The most popular competitors of 2022 Volkswagen Golf R: Audi S3 Sedan $45,800 Price (MSRP) Compare Audi RS3 $58,900 Price (MSRP) Compare Audi S4 Sedan $51,900 Price (MSRP) Compare Toyota GR Corolla TBC Price (MSRP) Compare Volkswagen Golf R News
Spy Shots 3 VW Golf R Spied With TCR Aero As Volkswagen Works On New Track-Focused Hot Hatch We spied a Golf R with some special aero at the Nurburgring this week. Video 0 Legendary VW Tuner Gives Golf R The Bark To Match Its Bite The latest Golf R is massively capable but a bit conservative. Oettinger's new aerodynamic kit should remedy the problem. Car Culture 3 7 Greatest Lancias To Hit The Road The Italian automaker is set to make a comeback, so we take a look at its past. LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top