Mechanically, there wasn’t really anything wrong with the MK8 Volkswagen GTI and Golf R. In fact, they were both pretty awesome. Redesigning an icon like the MK7 Golf is no easy task, but Volkswagen did it, and the result was two versions of the same car that both drove better than their predecessors while also offering a bit more distinction between how they drove. And yet, the people were not happy. VW also cut costs by switching out knobs and buttons for touch controls and an infotainment system that few, if any enthusiasts actually liked.
That’s nothing a little refresh can’t fix, though, and the MK8.5 GTI does indeed now have physical buttons on the steering wheel. The center volume and temperature controls are still touch sliders, though, and the updated center screen is sure to infuriate every single tacked-on-iPad hater, as well as some of the folks who don’t normally get too worked up about it. The manual transmission option is also gone, and in a move I didn’t really expect, the Golf R doesn’t get the same steering wheel button update.
Still, with the new 2025 model you get more power in the Golf R, the promise of better performance and a few new options packages that make the U.S.-market Golf variants more interesting. After a day driving both on public roads and at the track, it’s clear you really shouldn’t sleep on either the GTI or the Golf R.
Full Disclosure: Volkswagen wanted me to drive the refreshed GTI and Golf R so badly, it flew me to Washington, D.C., put me up in a hotel for the night, provided food and drinks and rented out Summit Point so I could drive both cars on the track, too. Oh, and they also brought out Tanner Foust to show me a thing or two about driving that particular track, which really just reminded me I actually have no idea what I’m doing on track.
Buttons are back but not in the Golf R
Admittedly, I was never completely sold on the MK8’s design. The headlights looked a little too sleepy to me, and I really didn’t like the grille. The refresh didn’t completely change either of those two things, but I have to admit both cars look better thanks to updated grille and bumper designs. Illuminated badges aren’t my thing, but I guess the people who actually buy these cars like them, because an illuminated front badge is now standard on both the GTI and Golf R.
I am, however, a big fan of the GTI’s new 19-inch wheels, even though I didn’t think they looked good in photos at first. Real life is much more important anyway, and they look more distinctive than the 19s on the Golf R. As far as refreshes go, I’d say Volkswagen did a pretty good job.
Inside, I’m also not a fan of how tacked-on the 12.9-inch center screen looks, but at least it’s big, easy to read and generally pretty easy to use. You also get a year of ChatGPT, which probably makes voice controls work better, but it’s also dumb and a complete waste of resources. What actually is cool, though, are the ArtVelours seats from the European Clubsport model that are now available on the GTI SE. They’re well-bolstered without being annoying about it while also looking great.
The Golf R takes it a step further with the Euro Style Package, which gives you lighter 19-inch wheels, gets rid of the sunroof, adds a sportier Akrapovič exhaust and throws in diamond-pattern seats (shown above) that drop some of the power features to save weight. And while the 80-pound weight savings offered by the Euro Style Package won’t completely transform the Golf R, it’ll probably end up being one of the more desirable options for enthusiasts. There’s also a blacked-out Black Edition if you’re into that kind of thing.
Can’t blame us for the missing manual transmission
But you probably don’t want to hear about interior upgrades and options packages. You want to know how these cars drive, and I’m happy to say the answer is “really darn good.” The lack of a manual transmission option is disappointing since both Golfs are basically begging for a third pedal, and it’s especially frustrating because we did our part. According to one Volkswagen spokesperson, about half of all GTI and Golf R sales in the U.S. were manuals, but somehow that wasn’t enough to convince Germany to keep a stick in the lineup.
The 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is about as good as it gets, though, and if you spend a lot of time in stop-and-go traffic you’ll probably appreciate it. Power stays the same for the GTI, but 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque are still plenty, and the refinement really helps sell the whole “practical daily driver you’ll still love driving hard on the weekends” thing. Regardless of what the numbers say, it feels quick and eager, especially with the transmission in the Sport setting.
When the roads get twisty you’re guaranteed to have a good time, just like you’d expect from a GTI. Upgrade to the Autobahn trim and you get Dynamic Chassis Control and summer tires, which improve the handling even more, but be warned — the Autobahn isn’t cheap. While the GTI S starts at $33,670 including destination, the Autobahn will cost you a cool $42,105. Depending on how the tariff situation changes after May, those numbers may get even pricier.
GTI vs. Golf R
On the track, the GTI is still pretty darn capable, and if you’re used to driving front-wheel-drive performance cars, you generally know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s fun, predictable and a joy to toss around without a ton of understeer. Summit Point’s Jefferson circuit felt a little too bumpy for the GTI to truly be at home there, but despite only three drivers being allowed on the track at any given time and sessions being limited to two laps and a cool-down, I only got faster every time I went out. Given how hard we drove those cars, it’s impressive that I didn’t notice any significant brake fade or cooling issues, even though the GTI isn’t really meant to be the ultimate track-ready Golf.
While the GTI’s driving experience is basically the same as you’re used to, only sharper, the Golf R is a bit of a different animal. Power is up slightly to 328 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and the seven-speed DCT will now stay in manual mode if you shift yourself while in the Special or Drift drive modes. The GTI forces you to make do with four settings — Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Custom — the Golf R gives you seven, including Race, Drift and Special. That last one, Special, is the mode I used the most since it’s a little softer for bumpy tracks like the Nürburgring.
Right out of the gate, the Golf R is noticeably quicker than the GTI, as it should be since it’s both more powerful and more expensive. On public roads you may not feel like it was worth the extra money, but on the track? Oh boy. This thing is a lot more than just an all-wheel-drive GTI with more power. The AWD system can send up to 100% of rear-wheel torque to the outside wheel, all but eliminating understeer and allowing you to attack corners far more aggressively than you’d expect. According to Volkswagen, that trick torque-vectoring differential was the key to making the MK8 Golf R 19 seconds faster around the Nürburgring than the MK7, and the improvements they’ve made to the MK8.5 should make it a couple seconds quicker than that.
Tail out, baby
When I say you can attack the corners, I really mean it. I thought I was starting to get it and figure out how to take advantage of the AWD when I snuck into the back seat of a Golf R for a ride-along with Tanner Foust, and my word. He took Turn 1 in the same way as I had been, but by Turn 3 it was clear I hadn’t even gotten remotely close to exploring what the car could do. I’m pretty sure he took Turn 3 with at least one of the front wheels in the grass, while powersliding through the turn. Maybe that’s why he’s the professional, and I’m just the blogger.
Despite clearly, definitely, 100% not being Tanner Foust, I do think it was a good lesson in how to drive the Golf R. Basically just go for it, and the car will sort out the rest. And at least when I (barely) got the tail loose, it didn’t give me the vague swimming feeling I’ve sometimes experienced from high-performance all-wheel drive systems. The GTI’s front-wheel drive feels more pure, for lack of a better word, but while you can sense the Golf R is doing things to make you look like a better driver, it does an impressive job of keeping all of that mostly in the background so you can focus on faster lap times.
For the streets or for the track?
$48,325 is a heck of a lot of money for a Golf, and that’s what you’ll pay, including destination, unless you add the $3,795 Euro Style Package, and at that point, why not? What’s an extra $4,000 when you’re already spending almost $50,000 to get the car? I certainly can’t afford it, but the people who actually buy the Golf R certainly can. Just like with the Mini John Cooper Works 2 Door, Volkswagen says they’re high earners who typically add the options they want without much concern for price, even if the wording that particular spokesperson used was more tactfully put.
If you make $300,000 a year and just want the Golf R, then sure, go for it. At the same time, unless you plan to regularly take your car to the track or legitimately need all-wheel drive for snowy winter reasons, you may just want to get a GTI Autobahn and call it a day. They’re both incredibly fun cars to drive, but you really have to hammer the Golf R to get the most out of it, and it’s going to be hard to find places to do that without going to a race track. Take a Golf R onto the track, though, and you’ll see exactly where your money went. It’s just too bad Volkswagen didn’t give it the same steering wheel buttons you get on the refreshed GTI.
