The BEST Hot Hatch! 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review

Aug 2, 2023

The BEST Hot Hatch! 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review

This is my 2022 VW Golf R Review. In this video, I’ll give you a complete tour of the Golf R 2022. The Volkswagen Golf R has been completely updated for 2022. The new VW Golf R is faster, sharper, and gets a bunch of modern tech. The 2022 Golf R makes 315-hp and will go from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds.

The MK8 Golf R and GTI are the only two variants of the Golf that are now available stateside. The Golf R MK8 will take on the next-gen Honda Civic Type R when it debuts later this year. In my Golf R review we will check out the new Golf R Drift Mode and Special Mode. We will also hear the Golf R Exhaust sound. I’ll also go over the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Interior which has been pretty controversial. Of course, I will also break down the 2022 VW Golf R Price. The Golf R is one of my personal favorite hatchbacks but the new one is not without flaws. The interior of the new Golf R 2022 has virtually no buttons - which can turn some shoppers away. But overall, the VW Golf R is a better buy than the 2022 Audi S3.

0:00 - Volkswagen Golf R Intro
0:41 - Golf R 2022 Test Drive
4:33 - Features
8:30 - Price / Trim Details
10:08 - Specs / Horsepower / 0 to 60 MPH
10:54 - Exterior Design
11:36 - Cargo Capacity
11:49 - Interior Quality / Design
12:39 - Random Cool Things
14:05 - My Opinion

#Volkswagen #GolfR #VWGolfR

Content

0.31 -> - [Omar] The Volkswagen Golf is one of the most legendary

2.67 -> hatchbacks.

3.503 -> No, scratch that the Golf is one of the most legendary

6.29 -> vehicles of all time.

8.07 -> But for 2022, we will no longer be getting the Golf

10.91 -> in the United States.

11.95 -> Well, kind of, we will only be getting two variants

14.83 -> of the Golf; the GTI, and this.

17.45 -> My name is Omar, and this is the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R.

22.769 -> (soft upbeat music)

40.27 -> By the way, I just found out that you can talk

42.35 -> to this thing.

43.183 -> Hey Volkswagen, (beeping) my butt is cold.

46.812 -> (soft upbeat music) (vehicle engine roaring)

48.652 -> (beeping)

50.05 -> - [Woman] All right. - Ah.

51.089 -> - [Woman] Warming the left, right seat now.

53.42 -> - I wonder what happens if I use profanity?

56.22 -> Hey Volkswagen, (beeping) my ass is cold.

61.799 -> (beeping)

63.28 -> - [Woman] Sorry.

64.39 -> - Hmm, hmm, nope, she doesn't like that.

66.17 -> So, is it quick?

67.65 -> Yes, it is very, very quick.

70.2 -> All of a sudden, I really don't care

72.19 -> if we don't get the regular Golf making

74.02 -> around 200 horsepower here in the United States,

76.6 -> because I would much rather have this, any day of the week.

79.88 -> The Golf R is powered by a 4-cylinder turbo engine

82.34 -> pumping out 315 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque.

86.79 -> It's made it to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

89.37 -> And if you live in North America,

91.14 -> you can get it with a 6-speed manual.

93 -> That's right.

93.833 -> Only the North American market,

95.14 -> will have the option of a 6-speed manual transmission.

98.29 -> I'm driving the 7-speed DSG,

100.05 -> and it is absolutely outstanding.

101.49 -> I would much rather have this over the manual.

104.05 -> The shifts are extremely, extremely fast.

106.31 -> Just take a look, three, four, five, back down to four,

111.05 -> three, no problem.

112.48 -> This is insane.

113.38 -> Now you do have a couple of drive modes

114.85 -> that you can go through and I'll break them down

116.35 -> in a little bit.

117.42 -> But just take a listen to how the sound changes

120.17 -> in each one of these modes.

121.52 -> This is how it sounds in Comfort, (vehicle engine roaring)

126.22 -> and that's how it sounds, (vehicle engine roaring) in Race.

129.619 -> (vehicle engine roaring)

131.48 -> But in Special Mode, (vehicle engine roaring)

135.89 -> it sounds amazing.

137.12 -> It sounds great on the inside,

139.44 -> but how does it sound on the outside?

142.46 -> Snap, crackle and pop.

143.41 -> Did you hear that?

144.76 -> (vehicle engine roaring)

153.95 -> Sounds good and thank God it doesn't have a Rev limiter,

155.89 -> but I have to say it does sound better on the inside

158.38 -> when you're driving it.

159.24 -> But yeah, in terms of performance,

160.98 -> this thing is super quick.

162.71 -> This is the fastest production Golf ever.

165.08 -> Honestly, it feels really fast all of the time.

168.27 -> Even when you're driving like a normal human being,

170.5 -> it's asking you to push it harder and harder.

173.33 -> It'll do 0 to 60 in the mid four seconds.

175.81 -> I've done it in 4.3 seconds.

177.5 -> I believe, Car and Driver has done it in 3.9 seconds,

181.2 -> which is a bit unbelievable to me

182.85 -> because that would put this in the Audi RS3 category.

185.85 -> Now compared to the Audi S3, that I recently tested,

189.04 -> this is definitely sharper and faster.

191.47 -> So yes, the new Golf R is more agile,

193.91 -> it's more dynamic, it's faster,

195.98 -> and it handles a lot better than the outgoing one.

198.23 -> And that is thanks to a new Adaptive Chassis Control system,

200.9 -> which continuously controls the damping force on each wheel

204.52 -> 200 times per second.

206.74 -> So it's always ready for what you're gonna throw at it.

209.17 -> Whoever thought that the Golf would become

210.9 -> this sophisticated,

211.81 -> I almost feel like you can put more than 315 horsepower

215.42 -> in this thing, and it would handle it like a champ.

218.16 -> I'm honestly worried to see if the new Civic Type R

221.05 -> can live up to this.

222.17 -> That said it's not all on the up and up.

224 -> The interior has virtually no buttons.

226.15 -> And we'll talk more about that in a few seconds.

228.3 -> But if you're a fan of physical buttons,

230.6 -> you're not gonna be very happy in here.

232.3 -> The worst part is that your climate and your volume controls

235.23 -> don't even light up at nighttime.

236.97 -> The interior, isn't difficult to get around

238.69 -> once you get used to it, but it is intuitive.

241.23 -> I get that a lot of people will just plug in their phone

243.64 -> and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto,

245.88 -> but even the basic controls aren't basic enough.

248.96 -> So do I recommend dropping over $44,000 on a Golf R?

252.92 -> That's right. The Golf R now costs around

254.9 -> the same as an Audi S3, the BMW M240i,

258.8 -> and the Mercedes AMG CLA 35.

261.143 -> Let's find out.

262.07 -> Let me give you a quick tour of the new Golf R

263.9 -> and then I'll give you my opinion on whether or not,

265.91 -> if you should spend your hard earned money on one.

268.03 -> Make sure you hit like, make sure you hit subscribe.

270.38 -> All right.

271.213 -> Let's do this.

272.7 -> Okay, so before we get into the pricing details

275.1 -> and the exterior and interior,

276.45 -> let's take a look at some of the cool and interesting things

278.56 -> that you should know about the new Golf R.

280.73 -> Now first, I want to kick it off by talking about

282.51 -> the drive modes.

283.343 -> You're working with the Comfort, Sport, Race, Drift,

285.81 -> Special, which is really Nürburgring and Custom.

288.31 -> Now Comfort and Sport are pretty self-explanatory,

290.47 -> Race mode, which can actually be activated by hitting

292.68 -> this 'R' right here on the steering wheel,

294.64 -> is basically your sport plus mode.

296.28 -> Put it in Drift mode,

297.22 -> which Volkswagen warns over and over again

299.3 -> is only for when you're on the track.

301.21 -> Put it in this mode and this thing will send

303.07 -> all the available rear torque to the outside wheels,

305.66 -> so you can drift very, very easily.

307.52 -> Special Mode aka Nürburgring mode,

309.29 -> is basically like sport plus.

310.69 -> Plus, this is the mode you want to use

312.24 -> when you're on the track, specifically,

314.61 -> on the North Loop of the Nürburgring.

316.94 -> As you can see, Volkswagen says here,

318.59 -> the race driving profile is better suited for race courses

321.48 -> without the unique characteristics of the North Loop.

324.09 -> Meaning the Golf R specifically has a mode

327.65 -> for the North Loop of the Nürburgring.

329.33 -> That's pretty cool.

330.163 -> And then of course you have Custom Mode

331.71 -> where you can go through and customize various settings

333.67 -> to fit your wants and needs.

335.26 -> Now I'm probably about to make some of you very upset.

337.51 -> There's some of you that really love buttons

339.18 -> because the Golf R has none.

340.82 -> Well, it does have buttons technically,

342.6 -> but they are touch capacitive buttons,

344.16 -> not actual physical buttons.

345.81 -> So instead of a real volume knob, you have a volume slider.

348.88 -> In fact, you have a bunch of sliders everywhere.

351.16 -> Want to change the temperature?

352.44 -> Well, you gotta slide.

353.63 -> Want to change the track you are listening to from

355.24 -> the steering wheel?

356.073 -> You gotta slide,

356.906 -> Want to increase or decrease the volume

358.22 -> from the steering wheel?

359.053 -> Can't be a slider.

359.886 -> Nope, wait, nevermind.

361.09 -> You gotta slide.

362.01 -> All right, let's open the sunroof 'cause surely,

364.17 -> no, you gotta slide.

365.44 -> So yeah, everything here is touch sensitive

367.72 -> from these buttons right here,

369.06 -> here to the left of the gauge cluster,

370.87 -> your steering wheel, everything.

372.73 -> Even the lights, you don't just push them and turn them on,

374.82 -> they are touch sensitive.

376.04 -> And when you tap them, you hear a clicking sound

378.33 -> like you're typing on your cell phone.

380.166 -> (clicking)

383.98 -> That's interesting,(clicking) but kind of annoying.

386.24 -> Wait, found a real button right here, the SOS button,

388.52 -> is a real button and the engine start, stop

390.67 -> and the parking button are also real buttons.

392.62 -> So I guess that's because of a safety concern.

394.98 -> Now let's talk about tech.

395.98 -> The Golf R comes standard with a 10 inch touchscreen

398.09 -> display that houses V-Dubs, new MIB infotainment system,

401.62 -> you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard,

404.19 -> along with navigation.

405.48 -> It's a pretty simple system to use

407.12 -> although there is a bit of a learning curve.

409.08 -> I don't see many people hanging outside of Apple CarPlay

411.75 -> or Android Auto these days.

413.13 -> So I'm not going to dive too deep into the system.

415.65 -> Two things that I do wanna point out,

416.93 -> is that when you switch up the ambient lighting,

418.74 -> which we have 30 colors to pick from,

420.55 -> it will also change the color

421.76 -> of the whole infotainment system.

423.22 -> Second, I love the way you go through

424.53 -> and adjust the settings of the Driver Assist Tech.

426.4 -> It's not just some boring list,

428.05 -> but a cool graphic that will teach you about

429.97 -> what each safety feature does.

431.8 -> By the way, I do wanna point out,

432.92 -> yes it's not fun that all the climate settings

434.92 -> are housed in the infotainment system.

436.78 -> And a lot of people have really complained

438.53 -> about how the heated seat controls

439.97 -> are also kept in the climate screen.

442.16 -> So at first you would hit the heated seat graphic here,

444.39 -> and then that will pop open the climate menu,

446.82 -> and you would turn on the heated seats from here.

448.56 -> Well, I discovered this when I was testing the ID

450.4 -> for a while back,

451.33 -> you can double tap the temperature slider,

453.39 -> to turn the heated seats on or off.

455.51 -> So that's a quick shortcut.

456.79 -> Now the big tech news for the 2022 model year

459.25 -> is this Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro.

461.61 -> This 10.25 inch display is very crisp, very sharp

464.88 -> and insanely configurable.

466.52 -> You have a few viewing modes,

467.94 -> including a full-screen map view.

469.8 -> My personal favorite theme is this one right here

472.21 -> with the tack right in the middle.

473.85 -> But yeah, this thing is packed with information

475.73 -> and Volkswagen says there are 21 viewing options,

478.55 -> which is a bit much.

480.06 -> All right, let's speed up the cool

481.25 -> and interesting features part

482.4 -> with a quick rapid fire session,

483.63 -> otherwise we're going to be here all day.

485.29 -> Check out this gear selector.

486.47 -> Are you a fan or no?

487.43 -> I'm kind of on the no side.

489.03 -> The Audi S3 that I just tested had the same one.

491.31 -> The cup holder has a holder for smaller drinks

493.68 -> and it hugs it tightly, so it doesn't spill over,

495.98 -> while you're on the track.

497.06 -> The heated steering wheel has three levels of heating.

499.22 -> I think that may be the first time that I've seen that.

501.47 -> And Volkswagen, I love you, but why?

503.82 -> Why is the passenger seat manual?

505.68 -> This is a $44,000 plus car.

508.26 -> Why is the passenger seat manual?

509.77 -> Speaking of pricing, let's get into the pricing details.

512.18 -> Now I'm not sure how many of you know this,

513.74 -> but we will no longer be getting the regular Golf

515.69 -> in the United States,

516.54 -> which means we just have the Golf GTI and the golf R.

519.72 -> The Golf GTI starts right under $30,000,

521.757 -> and the Golf R starts at $44,640,

526.09 -> if you get it with a six-speed manual,

527.88 -> and $45,440, if you get it with a seven-speed dual-clutch.

532.2 -> And at that price tag, everything is standard

534.182 -> just like it should be.

535.45 -> Starting on the outside,

536.47 -> every Golf R comes standard with LED headlamps

539.2 -> and LED daytime running lights.

540.79 -> You also get that cool signature Volkswagen light bar

543.06 -> that you see on every new Volkswagen these days.

545.36 -> You get LED taillights on the back,

547.36 -> and they look really sharp.

548.8 -> The Golf R comes standard with 19 inch wheels

551.04 -> that look really dope and this cool signature,

553.44 -> R-puddle light that looks really nice.

555.47 -> Hop inside the Golf R and you get

557.18 -> R-design Nappa leather seats that are pretty comfortable.

559.95 -> The front seats are heated and cooled as standard.

563.22 -> You'll also get heated rear seats,

564.81 -> so the back passengers can stay warm,

566.66 -> and you also get a really cool looking steering wheel

569.35 -> that is heated.

570.41 -> All that standard.

571.43 -> Tech wise, everything I showed you earlier is standard

574.36 -> including the infotainment with Apple CarPlay,

576.49 -> Android Auto and navigation.

578.64 -> The really cool digital instrument display is also standard

581.45 -> along with the Harman Kardon sound system.

583.47 -> Safety and driver Assist tech wise,

585.27 -> you get a rear view camera, no 360 camera here.

587.98 -> You also get Adaptive Cruise Control,

589.87 -> blind spot monitoring, Lane Keep Assist, rear traffic alert,

592.67 -> road sign recognition, front collision warning,

595.21 -> high beam assist, a heads-up display, which is really nice.

598.63 -> And this thing will also automatically park itself.

601.35 -> All this is standard.

602.33 -> So yeah, you're pretty much packed and ready to go

604.33 -> and you should be for a Golf that cost over $44,000.

608.12 -> All right, in terms of horsepower and torque.

609.62 -> Power comes from a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbo engine

612.21 -> pumping out a total of 315 horsepower,

615.62 -> and 310 lb-ft of torque,

618.38 -> and it's mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

621.03 -> Again, you can get a 6-speed manual,

622.68 -> but only in North America.

624.5 -> Now, with the 7-speed dual-clutch,

626.05 -> you can do 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds.

628.33 -> I did it in just 4.3 seconds.

630.582 -> Others have done it much quicker like I said earlier.

632.98 -> And you have a top speed of 155 miles an hour.

636.33 -> As for fuel economy, the Golf R will give you 23 city

639.44 -> and 30 highway.

640.46 -> You have a 14.5 gallon tank capacity.

643.62 -> I'm averaging after a few days of driving

645.69 -> a total of 23.9 miles a gallon, not bad.

649.04 -> On this trip alone, I'm only averaging 10 miles a gallon,

651.36 -> so you can see I've been driving pretty crazy.

653.79 -> Let's take a look at the exterior design of the new Golf R.

656.13 -> This is definitely one of the classiest hatchbacks

658.57 -> out there.

659.403 -> The Golf R goes head to head with the likes of

661.17 -> the Honda Civic Type R and the Hyundai Veloster N.

663.541 -> And unlike those two,

665.23 -> it does performance in a very subtle way.

667.53 -> So subtle that it doesn't have any crazy color to offer you

670.71 -> besides the Lapiz Blue that you see here.

673.17 -> Other than this, the only other colors

674.94 -> that you have to pick from are black and white.

677.57 -> That's it.

678.403 -> Besides what I already covered, every Golf R comes standard

681.3 -> with these cool R blue brake calipers.

683.8 -> Those look really nice.

684.81 -> You get matte Silver mirror caps,

686.29 -> which I really like the look of.

687.92 -> A panoramic sunroof is standard.

690.03 -> And this R-Line designed rear spoiler,

691.81 -> which isn't screaming, "Hey, look at me.

693.327 -> "I'm fast."

694.16 -> Like the Civic Type R.

695.39 -> All right let's check out the cargo capacity really quick

697.59 -> because I can't stand outside, it is brutally cold.

699.94 -> Once you pop open the tailgate,

701.41 -> you have 20 cubic feet behind the second row.

704.47 -> And with the second row folded, you have 34.5 cubic feet.

707.49 -> Not bad.

708.323 -> Let's take a seat inside the new Golf R, and honestly,

710.29 -> a lot of people will have a love it

711.76 -> or hate it relationship with it.

713.26 -> I understand the lack of buttons is super frustrating,

715.61 -> but it does make for a very simple and clean interior.

718.53 -> There's no crazy edgy design in here.

720.36 -> Well, besides the fake carbon fiber trim on the dash

722.96 -> right here, the carbon fiber leather vinyl,

725.67 -> or whatever that is.

726.99 -> And the little bit of blue that you have here on the seats,

729.53 -> you have a little bit of blue on the front and on the back

732.1 -> of the rear headrests.

733.21 -> But yeah, other than that, it's a pretty basic interior.

735.75 -> Now, is it high quality?

737.28 -> Yes and no.

738.15 -> A lot of the touch points are pretty solid,

740.3 -> but there are some areas where Volkswagen cut costs.

742.98 -> Like here.

744.03 -> And then I found something very odd.

745.55 -> The front door arm rest area is nice and soft touch, right?

749.8 -> But the rear door is, (scratching) hard plastic.

753.79 -> What's up with that?

754.72 -> So, yeah, there are a blend of high quality

756.78 -> and plastic materials in this cabin.

758.97 -> Now let's check out the rear legroom.

760.19 -> You have a total of 35 inches of legroom back here.

763.75 -> I'm about six foot tall.

764.94 -> That is my seating position as you can see,

766.85 -> it is pretty tight back here,

768.78 -> but you do have an extra set of pockets here,

771.16 -> to put your cell phone while it's charging.

773.35 -> Pretty cool.

774.183 -> And before I give you my opinion on how

775.95 -> the Volkswagen Golf R stacks up against the competition,

778.66 -> let me point out a few random things

780.15 -> that'll have to show all of you.

781.05 -> You have four cup holders, two in the front,

783.45 -> and then you have two in the back, right there.

786.92 -> Here are what the keys look like to the Golf R,

788.69 -> pretty nice set of keys.

789.58 -> You got a nice little R-Logo on the back.

791.61 -> Door open and close sound from the outside (door bangs)

796.9 -> and from the inside.

800.035 -> (door bangs)

801.11 -> For a V-Dub, that's pretty solid.

802.69 -> Charging game wise, you're working with two USB-C ports

805.29 -> right there, and a wireless charger

806.75 -> for the front passengers.

807.88 -> Rear passengers are working with two USB-C ports

810.49 -> right down there.

811.64 -> This review better get a ton of views

813.06 -> because I've been filming all day and it is super cold.

816.08 -> It is 19 degrees right now.

817.9 -> I started the morning off with like eight degrees.

820.055 -> All right.

820.888 -> It is not time for an indicator and horn sound test here

823.48 -> with the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R.

826.57 -> Indicator first.

827.953 -> (clicking)

832.31 -> Same old V-Dub indicator.

833.71 -> Now for the horn sound.

835.2 -> (honking)

836.19 -> Oh my God!

837.09 -> This is the first time I've honked it.

838.257 -> (honking)

839.09 -> And that is (honking) a solid horn for a tiny hatchback.

842.23 -> (honking)

843.17 -> I like it.

844.35 -> And now that I've given you a tour of the new Golf R,

846.3 -> let me give you my opinion on whether or not,

847.89 -> if you should buy one.

849.08 -> All right, let's get to it.

850.582 -> (vehicle engine roaring)Oh man, I really love this thing.

852.92 -> I might get murdered for this,

854.088 -> but I would definitely buy this over the Audi S3,

856.88 -> the BMW 2, the AMG CLA 35 not the 45.

861.07 -> That said there is no way that in today's climate,

863.9 -> you're picking up one of these at MSRP.

866.55 -> See the thing about hot hatchbacks,

867.98 -> like the Honda Civic Type R, the Veloster N, and the Golf R,

871.09 -> is that you're supposed to have outstanding performance

873.43 -> at an affordable price tag.

874.96 -> Once that price tag tops $40,000, it's no longer a bargain.

879.32 -> I hope that when the new Civic Type R comes out

881.19 -> it manages to keep the price under $40,000.

883.89 -> Interestingly enough, I was supposed to test drive

885.61 -> the new GTI this week instead of this.

887.81 -> But scheduling got mixed up and I got to test drive

890.21 -> the R, before the GTI.

891.97 -> The GTI has always been one of my personal favorite

894.53 -> hot hatchbacks.

895.63 -> That thing is a bargain, when it comes to performance.

898.36 -> The Golf R on the other hand, is no longer a bargain.

900.94 -> But I have to say,

901.8 -> if I'm willing to buy this over the luxury pocket rockets,

905.81 -> it must be doing something right.

907.33 -> Either way, thanks for watching.

908.72 -> Make sure you hit like, and make sure you hit subscribe.

910.97 -> Make sure you follow me on Instagram and on TikToK.

913.35 -> My handle is @OMARDRIVES.

915.23 -> I'll catch you guys on the next one.

916.65 -> Take care.

918 -> Peace.

918.86 -> (vehicle engine roaring)

920.9 -> God, I'm gonna miss this thing.

922.661 -> (vehicle engine roaring)

924.706 -> (soft music)

925.84 -> Oh yes. Snap, crackle and pop.

927.73 -> Love it.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FNyl62hQac