2013 Volkswagen Golf R Reviews, Pricing & Specs
Overview
With the Polo having firmly taken up the mantle of the resident Volkswagen econobox in Europe, the Golf has found itself in an...
With the Polo having firmly taken up the mantle of the resident Volkswagen econobox in Europe, the Golf has found itself in an uncomfortably small space. The Passat looms just over the horizon, and with VW boss Winterkorn still aiming to make his company the world’s #1 car brand by 2018, something had to be done with the Golf.
When the R32 came out, people were confused by its intent and upset by its lack of a traditional manual. VW aimed to fix that error with the release of the R—a Golf for drivers. Here you wouldn’t even be offered the choice of a fancy dual-clutch transmission or a VR6 engine: The Golf is meant to be fitted with a 3-pedal manual and an inline 4-cylinder. It is a turbocharged inline-4, but we’ll forgive this minor transgression.
There are those who would argue any Golf should also be front-wheel drive, but who would turn down a Haldex all-wheel-drive (AWD) system? It’s even harder when that AWD system is capable of sending nearly all the torque to the rear wheels, where it’s supposed to go. Arguments could be made against the turbocharged inline-4, but again who has a bad word to throw at 256 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque? Even better, all that power comes thanks to a BorgWarner K04 turbocharger tossing 17.1 psi around. That’s a healthy advantage over the other special Golf out there, the GTI (56 hp and 36 lb-ft of torque, for those keeping score). The R also boasts a reinforced block and connecting rods, a stiffer suspension than the GTI and a quicker steering ratio as well. Brakes are even larger than on the GTI, a car that has never had trouble stopping, with 13.6-inch platters up front and 12.2s in the rear. Look through the unique 18-inch alloy wheels, and you’ll spot gloss-black calipers emblazoned with a large R for good measure.
So proving performance superiority over the venerable GTI seems an easy task, but you’re also paying a nearly 25% premium over that old plaid performer's price. Plus the R has 37 years’ worth of GTI history to overcome, so it had better be worth the extra bucks.
To that end, the R comes standard with features like a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated leather seats, keyless access and start, and dual-zone automatic climate controls. You get LED daytime running lights and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, too. In fact there are only three options you could further fit your R with: a power sunroof, Dynaudio stereo and navigation. But just in case you worry you’ll not be able to tell it’s an R and not just a dressed-up Golf, you’ll also get aluminium interior trim, as well as the R logo on the door sills, shift knob and seats. That’s ignoring the unique rear diffuser with center dual exhaust and more aggressive front fascia with larger air intakes.
Comparisons aside, lining the R up against the GTI simply isn’t fair. The Golf was originally designed as a compact economy car—FWD wasn’t chosen for performance reasons, after all. The GTI, great and fun as it has always been, is nothing more than an upgrade on what is a flawed formula for a performance car. The R is what you wanted but couldn’t afford—a hot hatch for a more refined driver.
What owners say
This car is an absolute go cart! It is so much fun to toss into a corner
October 2, 2025The rising blue color on the Golf R is THE color to have. The stock 18inch wheels are beautiful as well. Interior is top top notch, like something out of a 60K car and the steering wheel is from a lamborghini. Great engine, brakes, steering. Huge interior space.
May 6, 2014The Golf R has been on my radar for a while. 4 doors, supportive seats, 6spd manual, decent stereo and power for days. Room for 4 (5 if 3 of them are kids) and a decent amount of space in the trunk. The suspension isnt so harsh that you think you might jar filling loose and it tracks like its on rails. The 6spd manual is a pleasure to row through the gears. Having driven a few GTIs while shopping for my R its not a wonder why these cars are so popular and Ive been a fan of hatches for a long while. The Golf R is my daily driver, room for passengers, sporty and fun but not harsh. Its a modern sports car with manners that isnt hard to live with and still has room enough to go to Lowes or the grocery store.
May 23, 2020What owners say
This car is an absolute go cart! It is so much fun to toss into a corner
October 2, 2025The rising blue color on the Golf R is THE color to have. The stock 18inch wheels are beautiful as well. Interior is top top notch, like something out of a 60K car and the steering wheel is from a lamborghini. Great engine, brakes, steering. Huge interior space.
May 6, 2014The Golf R has been on my radar for a while. 4 doors, supportive seats, 6spd manual, decent stereo and power for days. Room for 4 (5 if 3 of them are kids) and a decent amount of space in the trunk. The suspension isnt so harsh that you think you might jar filling loose and it tracks like its on rails. The 6spd manual is a pleasure to row through the gears. Having driven a few GTIs while shopping for my R its not a wonder why these cars are so popular and Ive been a fan of hatches for a long while. The Golf R is my daily driver, room for passengers, sporty and fun but not harsh. Its a modern sports car with manners that isnt hard to live with and still has room enough to go to Lowes or the grocery store.
May 23, 2020I bought this car because I wanted something that was a good driver's car with strong performance, but also something that was practical and easy to live with. I've had it nearly two years now and am pleased to report that it does not disappoint. Firstly, this car is more GT than sports car, and the performance reflects this. This is actually a good thing, for the most part, because the car is so immensely competent at so many things. The engine is smooth and strong and makes quite a nice sound. The shifter is really good, and the gearing is fantastic around town and at speed. The chassis provides a good balance of performance and comfort; not too stiff for rough city roads but planted at high speed. The way the Haldex AWD system delivers power around corners in any weather is incredible. Sadly, the car will not be a hooligan, and pushing it is not tremendously rewarding; VW has made sure of that with it's undefeatable electronic nannies. The steering is very precise and has good on-centre feel; surprisingly good for an electric rack. I also think the steering wheel is exceptional. The seats are comfortable and supportive. VW makes class-leading interiors and with high-quality materials and excellent ergonomics. I think the interior, with its elegant mix of soft-touch plastics, leather, and textured metallic-looking inserts, is as good as many cars twice the price. All the controls work flawlessly and intuitively. The car is extremely gratifying to drive. The interior is actually quite spacious, easily as roomy as an Audi A4, for example. In fact, the Golf's tall roofline at the rear of the car provides better head room than many larger cars. The hatchback design is really practical in a city. With the rear seats upright, there is plenty of room for groceries. With them folded, there is room to bring things home from IKEA and Home Depot, although I do wish the folded seats would create a flat surface. Is it a perfect car? Of course not. I do wish it was a bit more of a driver's car. Chris Harris would say it's an "eight tenths car." I have looked very hard at APR's ECU reprogramming to unleash a bit more engine performance, and a performance-oriented Haldex controller that will allow for a more neutral (read rearward) handling balance. I also think the induction noise could be louder, so that when you put your foot into it, the cabin is filled with more of the nice noises coming from the engine bay. While the brake pedal feel is good, the actual brake performance is not particularly good. I'm sure that these performance issues could be solved for a reasonable amount of money, but then the you are messing with the factory warranty and salability of the car. The fuel economy is not as good as I expected. It does reach 27 mpg or so, as advertised, but most of the time I'm not getting much more than 20 mpg, which is no better than many much larger vehicles with superior performance. Also, the navigation is dim a lot of the time, sometimes advising me to use a freeway when I don't want to and vice versa. The way the infotainment system accesses my iPhone is a bit frustrating, both using a cable or Bluetooth. On really rough city roads, there is a lot of noise that accompanies torsion as the car moves over the road. Initially, I thought this was from the plastic panels on the interior (and this made me very upset). As it turns out, it is leather on leather squeaking and also the seals around the doors. Knowing this makes it better (it's not a Monday morning car), but I do wish it didn't makes these noises. My BMW X5 is absolutely silent over the same roads. Overall, the VW Golf R is a tremendous package. Whatever you might have read about it being over-priced and no better than a GTI, it still presents great value for those looking for a fast, competent GT with great everyday practicality.
October 26, 2014Trims & specs
Base MSRP $34,795 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 256 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 15.3 cu ft |
Combined MPG 23 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $36,515 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 256 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 15.3 cu ft |
Combined MPG 23 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $34,195 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 256 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 15.3 cu ft |
Combined MPG 23 | Drivetrain AWD |
Base MSRP $35,915 | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 256 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 15.3 cu ft |
Combined MPG 23 | Drivetrain AWD |
