The amount of people commenting and criticizing Kyle’s choice is absurd. He’s a person like anyone else and is clearly not going away from EVs, as evidenced by his Taycan and Rivian orders / interest. He’s a car enthusiast first, EV enthusiast second. He just appreciates good cars, regardless of the power train.

I just bought my VW Golf 8 R Performance DSG and it is my favourite car in years. It's a real drivers car. I think it's just as fun as my previous Audi S4/RS4 avant. Only less space for your luggage.The infotainment (bluetooth) is soso.The leather sportseats are a real eyecatcher. I drove last week at the Autobahn and it's a real left lane killer. From 0-60 in 4,3 sec. And in Comfort mode it's a nice daily driver.

This proves he is a true car guy more then a techy. That’s why he is trustworthy when he reviews EV cars.

Just got my 2024 Pure White DSG - traded in my 2015 Lapis Blue 66,000+ miles - loving every mile of the new one - VW did it again - Loving every mile - Farhvegnugen !!

Have been watching a lot of your EV vids and did not know you were an R enthusiast. I also own a Mk8 R, and previous owner of a 7.5R . This is awesome.

Some of you have never owned or driven a hot hatch and it shows. I Had a Mk7.5 GTI prior to my Tesla and I'd still say overall my #1 favorite daily I've owned was my GTI with the Tesla a close second. The GTI (or Golf R) I'd buy again without hesitation, the Tesla? Not likely.

If The Model 3 was a hatchback like that, and had a sunroof, I’d be the perfect electric car…for me!

I love my Jetta GLI Manual. Obviously more closely related to the Golf GTi than the R but still a fun car to drive and very practical too.

I didn't know this is a purely electric car channel. I subbed as I like watching Kyle "shred" up a mountain road

Congrats on the new ride!!! Awesome awesome car!!!

I am contemplating a return to VW. I am a enthusiast since I first drive a MK2 GTI...

You do so many ev reviews and bought a petrol car???

This new R imho has amazing looks and finally the engine tuning, exhaust and awd system it always deserved. It's a VERY quick car on backroads. I'll cross shop this and the Corolla GR. I don't care for heavy sports/sporty cars.

Which car is more fun? TM3 LR vs Golf R?

We replaced an off-lease Honda CRV with a BMW i4 e40 msport, that’s been great for the first 26,000 miles to date. Our other car is an Audi S4, which makes a great combo. The i4 is driven a lot more than the S4, but there are times when the S4 is the better choice. We live in a rural area with cold snowy winters. While the i4 manages 3.9 to 4.1 miles/kWh on my 150 mile round-trip once weekly commute in summer, efficiency drops by 20-30% in cold weather and RWD on “all-season” tires can get dicey. The S4 rides on 19” PS4s in summer and 18” Hakkas in winter, so it gets driven whenever we’re facing harsh weather or a long trip into areas with sparse charging. We bought the i4 rather than leasing it, so I have kept the max SOC at 80%. Without the S4, we’d be pushed to 90-100% charging more often than I want. Given the steep depreciation on EVs, my goal is to squeeze at least 150,000 miles out of the i4. If by then there is an affordable AWD EV lift back/wagon/small SUV with ~400 mile range then I’d be okay with EV only. Until then, I’m keeping the S4 unless I trade it for a Golf R or an RS3.

those roads were just insane. Wild

I honestly do not know why VW won't sell the ID.3 in the US -- it's BS that they keep saying "well people don't want hatchbacks"

So right about the RS3 Sportback. I would be signing my life away if it was available in NA

I lived in Loveland and Estes Park CO for many years (worked in Fort Collins at HP), and was there last year with my mk7 Golf TDI. Driving in Big Thompson canyon was a ton of fun. I can't imagine what it'd be like in a GTI or an R, but I bet it's a bag of giggles!

You work hard and deserve to buy what you want bro…..enjoy

As a former MK7 R owner (who absolutely HATED the manual transmission and slipping clutch with nothing more than an intake and JB4 piggyback) and now a current Model 3 performance owner, I'm once again looking at the MK8 R for my next car once the tesla lease ends in about a year. Also, I believe there's a company in Germany who have cracked the ECU and stock, these things are making like 320+ HP to the wheels so VW are massively under-rating it. I'll say though, if they are still going for 10K over MSRP next year, I'll pass and look at the S4, S5 sportback or possibly RS3.

My local dealer (where I have bought a LOT of cars) tells me they can't even order the DSG Golf R right now. I was offered a 700 mile black press car as a CPO (for $50K!!) but I DON"T want the 6 spd manual. They still have it two weeks later because not many people actually want the 6 speed. As a former owner of a 2008 R32, I want a Blue DSG...Blue is the original R color. The DSG is indeed faster, has more torque, and is much nicer in stop and go traffic. Seems all that's really out there right now are manual transmission cars...and those are generally available if you search.

I can't wait for the Corolla GR vs Golf R video. Maybe throw in WRX/STI if they make it a hatch again.

I had a 2012 Golf R, 2018 Audi RS3, and 2021 ID4 AWD, and I the 2012 Golf R is still my favorite car all things considered. RS3 loses points for being a sedan even though it was fun to drive (and i bought it used and didn't have any excitement of waiting for it to show up at the dealer). ID4 is pretty great too and I love that its electric but it feels more like a logical choice than something I love but can't explain. What we really need is a Golf RS 2.5T. Or to sell the RS3 hatch in the US.

DSG and paddles sounds great to me.

GLAD you"re getting one of these.... I am SO GONNA do it too... I have always wanted a GOLF R... but they never had a power roof, now they do and NO WIFE to say that she hates them... This is my BREAK FREE AUTO-MOBILE.... one or two questions.... you said that you had the other video of the Golf R you did before and IS there an UPDATE of you getting YOURS yet?

I have owned several VW’s. I miss my Corrado G60 followed closely by my 08 R32 the most. I enjoy your videos, you’re partially to “blame” for the Tesla in my garage and cannot wait to see you dig deep into the Golf R!

This car is great, but I hate how high the manual revs on the highway at 120kph plus.

I couldn't find a dealer anywhere in Florida willing to order one for me and I spoke with or messaged over 20 of them and finding one in the wild is rarer than spotting a Unicorn! I wound up ordering the S3 because my local Audi dealership was more than willing to place a custom order, very disappointed in VW dealerships not offering any orders on the Golf R's is ridiculous...I even offered a $3000 cash deposit with no luck!

Absolutely love mine! Especially how fast 💨 it is and how much fun it is to drive

Awesome choice Kyle you work hard get the spec you like

I just turned 1000 miles on my Lapiz Blue DSG MK8. Have taken it to the Dragon (129) and the Snake (421) and for the money this car is hard to beat.

so jealous that you guys get the manual 😭

Love GTI’s - but not a fan of the new lights and front end - inside is also a bummer over the last gen

I've always loved the VW 'go kart' frame cars, Audi TT Roadster was my favorite (2001 was mine) but honestly, I can't buy a gas car anymore. Wish they'd come out with some BEV models.

Currently have an IPace and miss my 2013 manual Golf R a bit Oh and Magna built my IPace!

Ever get the Golf R? Haven't seen any other videos.

Beautiful R. 😍 The blue with a DSG for me please. Enjoy Kyle 😉

Prefer the DSG, faster shifts, better mpg, faster acceleration. Is the manual shift a natural theft deterrent?

My blue, manual R is on the way, baby! Whoohoo Thanks Grand Junction Volkswagen!

I wish we got the Manual trans in the Golf R in Britain

I miss my GTI, going to keep the Tesla for a bit and get a golf r when the time is right.

Dual clutch has 295 ft lbs of torque, but the same 315 bhp.

Would be nice if everyone who wanted one could buy one

Because it's a great car... That's the answer

I was loving it until the 45K +++ price tag

Would you rather daily the Rivian or your Model 3? Would you miss the 3's driving dynamics?

I need your hook up at VW. The only ones I’ve found are 10k over msrp

Great choice, excellent car and is better every iteration. Brilliant long trip car too, especially with DCC fitted. DSG is handy for that too as works well with the adaptive cruise and you get an extra gear. Been my view all the way through with EVs and what they provide for the money. Why buy a bland AWD EV that differ in price more than the cost of gas you will ever use in this, when this achieves more for less, without range variablity compromises and provides a better driving experience. I drove the EV6 recently and what a underwhelming car that was, for $27k more than a Golf R in my country, so RS3 money! Apart from more rear seat room nothing else was better comparitivly. The Golf is faster too if we are making a performance arguement as well. So this or the Tiguen R and T-Roc R covers pretty much every base.

you nailed it - just said brings out your inner 15 year old. I just got mine a few days ago and my smile has been permanently fixed to my face. I dont know of any other car for this money that delivers on everything. Great daily. Great racer. Surprisingly with hatch you have some decent room to load stuff in. Checked every box for me. Ignore all the complaints of the info system. I assume this is people who have little to no experience with todays tech. Lots of ways to use shortcuts and the steering wheel controls 90% of what you need to do while driving (radio, volume etc..). Best auto purchase I have made in last 30 years. I am turning 50 in 5 weeks and this makes me feel like im really turnjing 20 ;-). You made a great decision you will not regret. And FYI - I paid MSRP from local dealer without any haggling.

could you do a video comparing this to a toyota coroll GR (it will compete against this with toyotas AWD system)

It's too bad the Golf R manual doesn't come with auto rev matching. I have a deposit down for the new GR Corolla which does have it.

15:25 are you sure you “activated launch control?” 🤣

It’s an awesome car, with lots of power and tech; also the best looking hatchback I think. At least some manufacturers are still giving us nice hatchbacks and in manual transmissions. I just hate suvs and huge vehicles (well I like the cybertruck but that’s it). Reason why is hatchbacks have decent room but are still very versatile in town and the city. I like wagons as well for that reason too. Please manufacturers, give us more hatchbacks and wagons in North America!

When are you getting your R?

The one in the video is that your actual car? or did you order one and it's coming? 🤔

Congrats!!

What about the upcoming GR Corolla?

That launch.. ouch 😣

How can you afford these cars?

I've heard great things about the golf r...but man does that gr corolla look insane 😳

Mk1 GLI, MK1 G60, MK1 Cabi, MK4 Wolfsburg, MK4 GOLF TDI, MK5, Rabbit, MK5 GTI, MK6 GLI, now... a veloster. Ruined my credit and had to get something fun and manual. VwS are so great.

i haz an mk7.5. I'm in Evergreen...love's me R.

I own a DSGZ Mk8 R and I absolutely love the thing. I’ve already done a lot to it but eagerly awaiting Ecu capabilities. I will say that yes, the DSG gets far better mileage. I averaged 36 on my 700 mile trip home when I bought it. Also I’m not so sure you did launch control properly. I couldn’t see the display but it should tell you and you didn’t seem to wait for boost to build all the way. Either way the DSG seems to love it. No weirdness at all, it’s just like a slingshot.

Great choice! I have had mine since Feb and absolutely love it. I took it down to Wookies in the Woods this year of course, where I won favorite MK8 Golf R :D Here's a quick video with an aftermarket intake (APR). kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hpmIjNaIr66om30.html

You must have a lot of money if you can buy this and a Rivian.

Can they find one for me too please?

you're saying the golf never had the magic....... the first GTI had it

I liked the review but I have to disagree about the comment of "being able to make more power safely." With each generation of Golf they tend to make internal improvements which will slightly improve what the engine can handle. +60hp isn't the danger zone for the EA888.

People keep saying they've "ordered" a Golf R in the US. You cannot order a Golf R in the US. Not really sure I understand why people keep saying this.

Gonna need a bigger garage..

Go for Rivian

Hey you dont Play gran turismo 7!😉

I owned the Subaru STI hatchback fun car. Wanted the golf R but friends told me it was ugly haha so I got a Tesla instead.

How do you afford all of these vehicles, a house in FoCo, and several employees? You're livin' the dream!

I find it interesting how many DSG people will consider a manual. However, most manual people will refuse to even consider the DSG.

I took an R with DST for a test drive in '20 (I don't know what 'mark' that is?) as a possible upgrade for my Subaru WRX (CVT, and yes I know, CVT, but I think it's time to get rid of the old manual clutch/shift thing). Obviously, the R is a much, much better car than the WRX. It sounds great, it's got a beautiful interior & exterior. I find the dash a bit high, I'm 5'9" & Subaru spoils you with great visibility. The R is faster. Plus, I'd much rather a hatch than the WRX sedan, pretty well everything was better, except for 3 things: 1. Handling. The 2016 WRX handles so much better than the Golf R, I can't begin to describe it. The R (at least the one I test drove, with stock tires) leaned so much in corners. Everything leans in corners compared to the WRX, so I understand VW not wanting to make the R ride so harsh. 2. Transmission. I can't believe I'd complain about an auto transmission after driving a "CVT-RX" for 6yrs. When in sport mode in the R (not manual), I stepped on the gas & the delay before it accelerated was inexcusably slow. In Sport Sharp mode, my WRX's CVT engages much faster. In manual shift mode, there's no question the R is the faster car. However, the DST is a wet blanket. 3. AWD. I haven't driven a car on any surface that has a better AWD system than Subaru. I'm in Canada so there's lots of snow. The torque distribution in a WRX is much better. Unless the AWD system has changed in the R recently, I don't see why a front-wheel favoring AWD system would go into such an otherwise nimble, fast car as the R. I'm bored with my 268hp. I want more. With the price of the R, I didn't find 290hp to be enough power. When I saw the Tesla model 3 performance came out, I thought this sub-300hp genre would die of boredom. It's not to say you can't have a blast in the 250-300hp range, but for the money, I'd hoped to find something with about 350hp. I'll never fancy myself a better driver than Kyle, he certainly has skills. That said, when I get aggressive, I want more than what either Subaru or VW can offer. Looks like I'll go broke buying & fueling an Audi R3 or something. I'm on the fence about the Model 3 Performance & an Audi R3 (or used R4).

Is the Golf R built in Germany or Mexico?

Wow, that launch sounded horrible, like, ouch.

That's cool idea using the Golf R as a camera car. Makes sense! Wish you would reconsider keeping the Tesla Model 3 for more long term content.

The blue is beautiful to many white cars on the road

wouldn't it be interesting to see a EV version of this car?

Can't believe you are throwing money at an ICE car.

Are you ok with this car having direct injection only and carbon build up?

DSG All day

I like these. Just can’t justify the price for this size of vehicle. I believe the only reason these are popular is because it has no competition. No manufactures are making hot hatches. Very niche.

Mechanical 4WD, that is a lot of complexity that will add to maintenance. This model should have been made as a PHEV with electric rear axle. And it would then also be able to do city driving as EV.

I will be honest, not very impressed with it. I haven't driven it, but it doesn't look like a car that I would buy.

Not electric! Dunnaewanet....

Nope

You've gone down in my estimation. From an EV, a M3P, to an old ICE is like paying to go back a decade. 45k is stupid in any case for a golf. Its a golf. A slow golf in comparison to your M3P.

man who lies all the time...ev ev ev then?!

❤️👏👍

Buys car for 45k, Records all the videos on an iPhone

Kyle, I've watched your videos for awhile now and I know how hard you work. I have to say though that it's a bit of a turnoff to see the preferential treatment you and yours get. Your Dad got his Ioniq 5 at sticker and when people who watched that video went to that same dealer to get the same deal, they were told that for them, there was going to be a markup. Now you tell us that Volkswagen took the time to find you a very hard to find car at sticker. These are the benefits you are getting for being a KZfaq personality. I don't think you should turn down these offers. I would, however, suggest that maybe keep your good fortune to yourself because the rest of us aren't so lucky.

Don’t worry about the environment Kyle, we’ll be fine while the inner 15 year old in you pollutes the air we breathe.

Lot of arguments for buying a ice car. All bad👎

Because Kyle is making bank off BEV KZfaq but now realizes BEV is not the answer. That’s why he’s buying an R. He’s sick of sitting at charging stations and wants a manual. He’s sick of EVs. What we really need is the Golf Diesel GTD. I would’ve gotten DSG since trying to resell a stick in the future will be near impossible.

This is a crime, you cant have golf r without dsg wtf

Wow, sell out pumping crappy ICE cars from the dieselgate company. Harsh