Okay, what a dumb comparison. With traction control, plenty of people including real professionals have posted impressive race course times with the R. If you're on the track and setting off ESC constantly, you're driving incorrectly. Focus ST seems nice, but without AWD it poses the same problems that having FWD and a lot of power bring.
GTI vs Golf R. The Golf R is a better car....period. Whether the extra price of admission is worth it is a matter of personal preference. Not only was it worth it to me, but it was worth it to take the financial hit of trading in a 7 month old Autobahn GTI. Now that I'm at stage 1+ I'm so glad I didn't keep the GTI. With stock power I would light up the GTI's tires at a drop of a dime. Including some pretty spirited sessions, I've 'chirped' the tires on the R maybe twice.
And to end...
Car and Driver
The GTI, as good as it might be, hasn’t been able to keep up with the rally replicas
…the Golf R's lap is just off the STI’s and a meaningful 9.2 seconds faster than what a GTI
...Its brakes offer good, fade-free response and modulation, on par with the class-leading Evo’s...And, as with the GTI, the Golf R remains stable through the uphill esses as high-speed curb bumps barely affect its chassis….The Golf R nails all the subjective criteria that combine to make a great-driving car
…the addition of the rear drive axle balances the weight a tad better and that this is the best Golf chassis to date.
Motor Trend
…lightness aids in handling. Steering is just right: crisp and nicely weighted, but not maniacally fast.
...The steering ratio is quicker than that of the GTI, the suspension a smidge firmer, and the brakes a touch larger. It's quick and astoundingly neutral through turns at any speed that's sane for public roads, and exhibits none of the slight torque steer the GTI does.
...Around our figure-eight test, the Golf R also showed the GTI its backside, attaining lateral acceleration of 0.89 g and a figure-eight time of 26.5 seconds at an average 0.69 g.
…on paper, the R shows marginal improvements, but it will likely be quicker on race tracks and real roads than its "lesser" brethren.
Oh and how about probably the worst review out there
Ignition Magazine
...where the GTI is front drive, the Haldex system in this car is wonderful. It can send 100% of torque rear words, making the car a little bit more nimble then the GTI
Automobile Magazine
It would have been difficult for Volkswagen to screw up a souped-up, more powerful, all-wheel-drive version of the wonderful GTI, and VW certainly did not.
...The extra 50 hp and AWD system that the Golf R adds over the regular GTI makes the car both quick and confident.
...The only real improvements I noticed driving the R around town were its much meaner exhaust note and, more important, its lack of wheelspin on hard launches.
Top Gear
…the R feels fast. And you probably couldn't put this much power and torque into a front-wheel-drive Golf GTI and get away with it
...What you need to do with the R is drive it. A lot
…. wet roads. In these conditions, it would show a front-wheel-drive Golf GTI, or even a 300bhp Focus RS, a clean pair of heels.
His final take on the price difference of the GTI and Golf R
...I can do without a coffee and a cake eery day. I'll take the goddam R.
I joined these forums to discuss honest complaints and praises with fellow Golf R owners, yet it's littered with people who don't even own the friggin car and point out only the negatives. I still am not sure why I come back here :iono:
