Review: 2016 Volkswagen Golf R

May 10, 2016, 11:30am ET

We spend a week with Volkswagen\'s top Golf.

Last year, we drove the latest generation of Volkswagen's range-topping Golf in the hills outside San Diego. We found it to be a competent--if slightly clinical--execution of the modern rally-car-inspired compact.

When Volkswagen offered us a chance to spend a week with the new Golf R right here at home, we jumped at the chance. Does the Golf R hold up under extended scrutiny, or were we simply blinded by the charms of Southern California in January? Read on to find out.

What is it?First off, let's talk about what it isn't. The Golf R is not a GTI. While it does share with its sibling some fundamental specs (such as engine displacement), the R formula is built around all-wheel-drive power delivery, rather than the GTI's more practical commuter-car-on-steroids approach. In a way, the Golf R actually has more in common with Audi's compact S3 sedan.

That's not as strange as it may seem at first blush. Both are built on the VW Group MQB platform, so it's no surprise that the 292-horsepower TSI turbo-four fits equally well in either. Backing up those ponies is 280lb-ft of torque.

Unlike the S3, however, the Golf R is available here with either six-speed manual or twin-clutch DSG automatic gearboxes. The S3, befitting its more luxurious nature, eschews the manual.

Along with VW's 4Motion all-wheel drive, the R is equipped with XDS+ electronic differentials. Behaving like limited-slip differentials, they work in concert with the Haldex center diff to vector torque to individual wheels on demand.

Volkswagen claims the Golf R will do 0-60 in 4.9 seconds (with DSG) on the way to a top speed of 155 mph, yet it also delivers 22 mpg in the city, 31 on the highway and 25 combined.

Our tester was also equipped with VW's adaptive suspension. Called "Dynamic Chassis Control" (DCC), it is incorporated into the Golf R's drive mode selection system, allowing drivers to select from normal, comfort or race modes. The presets can be bundled with those for the R's other systems (steering, throttle, etc.) or each can be set individually.

It's possible to order an R without DCC if you're content with a conventional suspension. You'll save some coin that way, too.

What's it up against?The Golf R slides into the revolving door that is the rally-spec compact car segment. Once a market dominated by the Subaru WRX STI and the now-departed Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the competitive set is somewhat transient at the moment. The STI remains, of course, but filling the void left by the Evo will be Ford's new Focus RS. We won't see the Blue Oval entry until later this year.

What does it look like?The Golf R looks like... a Golf. Volkswagen hasn't made sweeping changes to the Golf's look for the last few generations and that conservative styling direction holds true within individual model lineups. The R has unique exterior lighting, a slightly lower static ride height and special wheels, but from a distance, you'd be hard-pressed to pick it out of a crowd in daylight. At night, the LED lamps tend to give it away.

Our tester was painted in "Limestone Gray Metallic," which is Volkswagenese for "brownish gray." It's certainly not an exciting finish. If subtlety is your thing, then this may be the color for you, but if we had our way, we'd option it out in blue or red, both of which add enough flash to give the R a little pizzazz. It could use it, especially from the front, where there's essentially nothing happening visually above the grille.

And the inside?The Golf line has always been known for a more upscale interior design relative to the class, and the R is no exception. The flip side to that is a pattern of rather dreary interior themes--lots of black and grey repeating all over the place. VW addressed that by bathing the entire center console of the R with gloss black ("piano black" in marketing speak) plastic. Is it different? Yes. Better? Eh.

If there's one place where the interior really shines, it's the seats. VW's high-performance Golf variants frequently come equipped with excellent, supportive, comfortable seats, and the Golf R follows that script to the letter.

We last drove the Golf R a year ago, and our manual-equipped selections were limited to examples shipped over from Europe. The short run of 2015 models sold in the States were somewhat hampered in their feature offerings.

The 2016 update incorporates Volkswagen's new infotainment system featuring Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink, along with other connectivity and convenience features (such as USB charging).

But does it go?It certainly does. German manufacturers are known for rating their engines in what are close to worst-case conditions, meaning our tester felt even healthier than its 292-horsepower rating suggested in the cool April air of the Mid-Atlantic.

The previous R model always felt more substantial than it really was. Some consider that a particularly German quality, even going so far as to expect a bank-vault-like hush and solidity from even mass-market offerings. If that were ever a reasonable expectation, those days are long gone.

This R feels lighter and more tossable than the model it replaces. It's not quite playful, but it's close. The suspension tune combined with the Golf's compact wheelbase makes it willing (even eager) to turn in. Don't expect the kind of nimbleness you get from, say, a Fiesta ST, but the Golf is surprisingly dexterous.

Negatives? The steering feedback won't win any awards, but this is such a common complaint in the age of electric power steering that soon enough it won't even be worth mentioning. While the granularity has improved over earlier iterations, it's still fairly isolated.

The added weight of sportier driving modes actually amplifies that sensation, and really just makes the car seem more ponderous rather than sportier. We actually found ourselves happiest combining the "normal" steering with the "race" suspension and powertrain modes.

When we previously drove the R, we were quite fond of the DSG. We didn't have the luxury of playing with both transmissions this time around and a part of us couldn't help but pine for VW's dual-clutch gearbox. For some reason, the Golf R just feels incomplete without it.

It's difficult to explain why we'd actually rather have the automatic here, but in essence, it has something to do with the R's mission of being the end-all, be-all of Golfs. It seems fitting that it be equipped with the gearbox that provides the driver with the greatest capability. Ask us how we'd feel if this were a GTI instead, and we'd probably flip the script.

Leftlane's bottom lineTo love the Golf R, one must first love the Golf. It's a capable, comfortable, understated machine no matter how you feel about its humble roots. This Volkswagen's unique brand of charisma may not appeal to everybody, especially with a price tag that brings with it a multitude of enthusiast options.

2016 Volkswagen Golf R w/ DCC & Navigation, base price: $37,895; As-tested, $40,010Driver Assistance package, $1,295; Destination, $820