He Said/She Said: 2019 Volkswagen Golf R

Lacey Elliott: Fans have coined the Golf R the ‘ultimate’ Golf. However, with its premium price tag is this 2018 Golf R a better choice than the very capable and less expensive GTI? I had an entire week with the R to find out. Dan Heyman: Few may remember it, but this is not the first ever Golf model to employ a form of four- or all-wheel-drive. LE: It is the front end of this hot hatch that has received a slight facelift. Standard features now include LED adaptive headlamps and large air intakes. Take a look at the back end and the body-coloured rear spoiler creates a seamless look. The standard 19” Spielberg alloy wheels look fantastic. They are standard on the R. Details like this are what really put the finishing touches on a vehicle for me. I was giddy like a school girl when I saw that my VW for the week was in a gorgeous shade of purple.

VW calls it Violet Touch Pearl. The Golf R is available in 30 colours. 3,000 you can get just about any colour you can imagine. I don’t know any other vehicle that has this many choices; the GTI, for example, only has six. For someone who wants a car that is personalized, this will be an advantage. Volkswagen interiors are not one of my personal favourites. They look kind of plain. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I personally prefer a more modern looking design. With that being said, the overall look is clean and well laid out. The fit and finish are top-notch and everything does have a luxurious feel to it. The carbon accents on the dash and door panel caught my attention right away. A small detail that jazzes up the cabin. The 12-way power adjustable driver seat is super comfortable.

I could spend hours behind the wheel. On this R, heated leather seats come standard. The leather gives a great feeling of luxury for buyers. The GTI gets heated seats but you need to upgrade to the Autobahn trim if you want leather. The Autobahn also gives you a sunroof. The digital dashboard behind the steering wheel is standard on this R and allows each driver to set it up for their own personal preferences. Tell you more about this in a moment. Of course, a hatch design is the way to go if you are looking for a smaller car. The high, flat roof line gives so much space. The seats split 60/40 to create room for long items as well. I recently drove the Honda Fit and something a friend pointed out to me was the width and height in the front seats. He felt the Golf had a lot more space for his larger frame.

I wonder if Dan will agree? DH: Ahhh, that colour. Otherwise, in the styling department, the Golf R is either just there, or just right depending on your taste. Which, I’m sure if you ask Volkswagen, is right about where it should be. Like an AMG Mercedes or RS Audi, it’s all about Q car-ing it and sneaking up on the competition, and you will have no trouble doing so here. Bah, humbug. This is luxurious and functional, just like a car that puts driving first and looks second should be. LE: There are a few differences in packaging and comfort features between the Golf R and the GTI. For most people, though, what it will come down to is how this hatch handles on the road. Under the hood of this car is a 2.0L turbocharged direct injection engine (TSI) that allows higher torque at lower RPMs. You can get more power and use less fuel; two things that I love about this engine. Plus, since it’s rated at 9.6L/100km in combined city and highway driving, you don’t have to sacrifice fun for fuel efficiency.