2019 Volkswagen Golf R essentials: Fine wine

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R comes with a turbocharged I4 making 288 hp.

What is it: The Volkswagen Golf R is the top of the Golf hatchback lineup, a niche model that appeals to the true fans of performance hatchbacks. Yes it’s pricey, but it appeals to those buyers who want an exclusive representation of VW’s best efforts; in that respect, Golf R buyers are sort of like Toyota Land Cruiser buyers. They’re willing to pay for the brand flagship.

Key Competitors: Subaru WRX STI; Honda Civic Type R

Base Price: $42,390 As-Tested Price: $42,390

Full Review: 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI and R first drive

Highlights: A so-called digital cockpit consisting of multiple LCD screens, along with a seven-speed DSG automatic, mark the key updates to the 2019 Volkswagen Golf R. Refinements, then, but that’s all this outstanding hatchback really needed. With 292 horsepower and VW’s excellent 4Motion all-wheel drive system, the Golf R is a near-perfect blend of everyday practicality and hoontastic backroad blaster.

The Volkswagen Golf R has space for four and space for cargo.

The Volkswagen Golf R has space for four and space for cargo.

The Volkswagen Golf R has space for four and space for cargo.



Our Opinion: I’ve been driving — and thoroughly enjoying — a crop of new battery-electric cars that’s been working its way through the Autoweek fleet lately. No gasoline, no oil changes, instant torque, one-pedal driving…there’s just very little I don’t like about EVs. But just when I’m about to turn in my gas card and proclaim myself a true believer, along comes the Golf R to remind me of all that’s good about internal combustion.

I don’t know why I was surprised. The Golf R did this to me before, back when the car first got imported to these shores. I’d always liked the GTI well enough, but a weekend behind the wheel of that R educated me on what the car was truly capable of. I’ve respected and admired it ever since, even if the price seemed rather exorbitant.
























































































For the 2019 model year, the Golf R still retains its exclusive pricing — our tester, admittedly very loaded, gets a $42K+ MSRP — but if anything it has been further refined since my introduction to the model. It’s a remarkably civil, everyday-drivable, ‘I got your back’ kind of car that can still tackle an autocross or track day when you’re in the mood. Yeah, these days there are quite a few cars that offer that sort of dual-purpose personality, but few of them do it with the overall composure of the Golf R, at least at the roughly $40K price point. It’s a car that made me smile every time I saw it in the driveway, partly because I find the current styling just about the perfect representation of the hatchback.

From that perspective, the Golf R is basically in a class of its own: The Civic Type R is a lovely driver, but I’ll never understand why it needs to look the way it does. The Subaru WRX STI is less refined than the Golf R, but not in a bad way; thing is, there’s the sedan body and that giant wing in back — both negatives in my book. The Focus RS was here and is now gone, so that’s off the table.

For this driver, someone who prefers understated looks and AWD performance, the VW Golf R is probably the ultimate expression of the entertaining, do-anything daily driver. If you need a prestige badge and a sedan bodystyle, Audi’s got your car. I’ll take a Golf R every day. I can’t wait to see what the electric version will be like.

–Andrew Stoy, digital editor

 

Base Price: $42,390

As-Tested Price: $42,390

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, six-speed manual, AWD

Output: 288 hp @ 5,500 rpm; 280 lb-ft @ 1,800-5,500 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,300 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 23/30/26 mpg

Pros: The ultimate expression of the hot hatch?

Cons: You pay for the privilege

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