The Volkswagen Golf R has long been renowned for its blend of practicality, performance, and everyday usability, however, for true driving purists, nothing quite compares to the joy and engagement offered by a manual transmission. In this review, we delve into the world of the VW Golf R equipped with a manual gearbox, highlighting its features, flaws, performance, and overall driving experience.

What’s new and pricing

The Golf R is available in two trims for the 2023 model year, the fully-equipped Golf R from the prior model year, along with a limited-production Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition. MSRP for the 2023 Golf R starts at $44,740 for the six-speed manual transmission and $45,540 for the seven-speed DSG automatic.

Under The Hood

Is a reworked version of the 2.0 turbocharged I4 which delivers 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed through all four wheels and riven through either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. All U.S. cars come standard with the R-Performance package which includes a much sharper throttle and transmission and 15-position electronically controlled dampers.

VW has also revised its all-wheel-drive system so instead of the previous model’s center coupling it uses two electronically controlled clutch packs, one on each axle.  Now the R can move power between the left and right wheels which greatly increases its ability to put the power down in the turns.

Compared to the old Golf R, the ride height is now 20mm lower, the springs and anti-roll bars have been stiffened by up to 10 percent, dampers, and bushings are upgraded, and the front subframe is now made from lightweight aluminum. Curb weight comes in at 3,404 lb.

Special and Drift Modes

The R Performance Package opens up two new drive modes in addition to Comfort, Sport, and Race, which are Drift and Special. Drift is a bit of a gimmick since the car can only route 50 percent of the engine’s power to the rear axle, unlike the long-gone Focus RS which could send 70% of the power to the rears when needed.

Special Mode is probably the only mode you should ever need on the Golf R and once pressed a map of the Nürburgring shows up in the dash so you know it means business. Since the Nürburgring is more like a public road with dips, bumps, and various other obstacles, this setting puts the shock absorbers in Comfort for optimum road contact. It also makes the throttle hair-trigger reactive and weights up the steering making for a super enjoyable driving experience.

EPA-estimated fuel economy for Golf R models equipped with the six-speed manual is 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. When equipped with the optional seven-speed DSG transmission, Golf R delivers EPA-estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined. During the week we had it we averaged 22.8 mpg.

How does it drive?

 

When we drove the DSG version we used words like ‘amazing’, to describe its abilities it’s hard to believe that this car comes from the humble Golf considering the breadth of the R’s abilities. The steering is very direct at 2.1 turns from lock to lock, and there is some feedback through the wheels which is unusual these days.

The six-speed manual version is another story since the clutch engagement point was difficult to locate at times and the stick itself is imprecise. On a number of occasions, we missed the 3 to 4th changes usually at the most inopportune moments such as passing on a two-lane backroad.

It still goes despite the transmission’s foibles, accelerate hard out of a turn and the progressive torque transfer loads up the rear wheels, but they stick pretty well. The Bridgestone Potenza tires on this test car were ok but I would swap them out for a set of Pilot Sport 4S tires since the factory rubber seems a little soft in the sidewalls. Plow into a turn too fast and under steer does rear its head but the car is well-balanced and extremely fun to drive fast.

Launching takes a bit of practice since you need to keep the RPMs up to avoid the car bogging down, after a number of attempts we got from 0-60 in 5 seconds. 

Calmer driving is possible thanks to waves of torque, you can trickle along the freeway at 70 mph with the engine barely above idle then when you need acceleration it just goes. It’s a great daily driver but the DSG transmission is a better experience.

Really efficient

EPA numbers are very good with 23 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and a combined number of 26 mpg, which is remarkable for a car with this kind of performance. For the week I had it I was able to average 23.9 mpg and that included some fairly hard driving. In fact, I couldn’t get worse than 19 mpg even when doing consistent acceleration runs, it’s outstanding.

Interior

Slip into the driver’s seat, and you find yourself surrounded by high-quality materials and an ergonomic layout. The supportive and well-bolstered seats, coupled with the perfectly placed pedals, together with a thoughtfully designed cabin are with driving pleasure in mind.

The interior has a few key differences, but it’s very similar to the GTI. R-specific features include very comfortable Recaro-style seats with an R emblazoned on them, they offer good bolstering and comfort. My only gripe is not offering fully powered seats on the passenger side.

The rest of the cabin is just as friendly and functional as it is on the GTI. There’s a nice spot ahead of the shifter to charge your phone wirelessly: Apple car play and Android Auto are standard. Carpeted door pockets are a nice touch and there is ample storage space in the center armrest and some smaller cubbies near the shifter.

We won’t make mention of the ID.4’s complicated user interface or the steering-wheel buttons that function as both touchpads and regular buttons, which can lead to accessing menus you didn’t really want. I kept touching the R button with my left palm.

Utility is key in a hatchback and the R offers plenty of cargo space in the rear with 19.9 ft³ and 34.5 ft³ if you drop the rear seat backs.

VIDEO REVIEW

Verdict

The 2023 Golf R manual is quick, capable, sure-footed, extremely practical, and utterly grin-inducing on twisty back roads but it’s let down by that clutch pedal and the manual shifter. If you’re more interested in speed, precision, and refinement, then this is your hot hatch but I suggest getting the DSG, we would.

2023 VW Golf R Manual Numbers

BASE PRICE: $44,740
PRICE AS TESTED: $45,835
VEHICLE TYPE: Front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
ENGINE: 2.0 turbocharged and inter-cooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4
POWER: 315 hp @ 5,900 rpm
TORQUE: 310 lb-ft @ 1,900 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
CURB WEIGHT 3,404 lb
ZERO to 60 mph: 5.0 seconds
TOP SPEED: 168 mph
TIRES and WHEELS: 19-inch alloys w/summer performance tires
EPA city/highway/combined: 20/28/23 mpg
FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 14.5 gallons
OUR OBSERVED: 22.8 mpg
PROS: Sensational in the turns, blazingly quick
CONS: Imprecise manual shifter, tricky clutch pedal