Comparison: 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Vs 2019 Golf R
Are you more Golf GTI, or more Golf R? Usually, when we set out to do a car-v-car comparison, we want to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of two competing models - not close siblings under the same banner! Except in this case, where we鈥檙e dealing with two central players in the compact sport segment and the subject of a seemingly endless debate, akin to Nikon-vs-Canon, or Lennon-vs McCartney. Did we mention this was going to take place on the ice? So. In one corner we have the Golf GTI, which literally invented the category in 1976 in Europe (and did the same in 1983 in North America, under the name Rabbit GTI). The deal was that the VW engineers simply took the Rabbit of the day and injected it with adrenaline, without making the price blow up too much or taking away from the hatchback model鈥檚 practical side. In the other corner, the Golf R. Compared to the original hot hatch, the Golf R is younger, for one thing. It first appeared here in 2011 under the R badge in a limited quantity to go along with the sixth generation of the Golf.
The raging success of that future collector鈥檚 item convinced the brass at VW to produce a Golf R in a larger production run. Despite a price tag that was off the charts for a Golf, Canadian consumers fell hard for the wee German bomb. Connoisseurs will tell you, however, that the performance Golf with standard all-wheel drive of today has its roots in the Golf R32, which appeared on the U.S. 2004 as part of the Golf鈥檚 fourth generation. The next, fifth generation of the model also included a Golf R32 variant, which also never made it across the Canadian border. To find a Rallye-badged version of the Golf, you have to trek back in time to the second-generation of the model. Like the R and the R32, that Rallye edition had AWD and beefed-up mechanics. But in its case, it didn鈥檛 make it to North America at all. Two- or four-wheel drive? In this challening context, even the Golf R had some trouble negotiating corners on a surface that was mirror-smooth.
There too, a set of studs would have changed things immensely, but it didn鈥檛 stop us from testing out the two German compacts on a closed circuit. The advantages procured by an all-wheel-drive system are undeniable when stacked up against a Golf GTI dependent on its front axle for grip and power. When the road surface gets slippery - winter or summer - AWD is a big-time safety enhancer, whether you鈥檙e driving conservatively or not. That鈥檚 not to say you have to leave your two-wheel-drive car in the garage until spring. While it鈥檚 true that an increasing percentage of new vehicles are equipped with AWD, many Canadian drivers continue to get by just fine the old way. The results would have been quite different on a dry asphalt surface, I can assure you. On this day, the four-wheel drive of the Golf R gave it an unsurmountable advantage. But in 95% of cases in everyday life, the GTI has everything it needs and then some to keep the engaged driver smiling. The GTI given us to play with on the day is a mid-level trim in the GTI hierarchy.
To help it grip the road, the Golf GTI also comes with a limited-slip differential, pretty essential for exiting corners quickly. Without this feature, in fact, the GTI would a totally outclassed. For its part, the Golf R is dressed in more high-class garb without getting anywhere near excessive about it. In back, the four exhaust tubes signal the car鈥檚 intent; the fender is unique to this variant; and the wheel arches are nicely filled out by the 19-inch alloy wheels. But what really sets the R apart from the GTI, aside from its more-muscular powertrain, is the reactive 4Motion system. In normal situations the systems relies on front-wheel drive, but as soon as the sensors detect the slightest amount of skidding, the rear axle is activated to help the driver maintain control. Pricing is certainly a key factor here in deciding who becomes a GTI fan or an R freak. Other than that, the GTI is actually slightly more demanding to drive on a daily basis. But remember this: even though the Golf is about to get a thorough overhaul, the GTI remains the reference in its segment, still a cut above the rest. With more power under the hood and a drivetrain ideally suited to Canadian winters, the Golf R is ready for all seasons, all the time. But he question is, is it worth the substantial difference in price? I also can鈥檛 fail to mention the horror stories that periodically float around undermining the Golf R鈥檚 reliability record. That鈥檚 a detail not to be dismissed out of hand!
