► Month 11 with the VW Golf R
► We introduce it to its bigger brother
► Wagon offers same power as hatch
Volkswagen now offers a Golf R estate, finally gifting headline writers the ‘open wide and say R’ gag. It costs from £33,890 – a £2k premium over a comparable five-door – and comes only with the dual-clutch transmission.
The load-lugger drives much like its small-booted brethren, but I noticed two differences: the ride – on adaptive dampers and 19s, like my long-term R, is choppier; and the R hatch’s adjustability is gone. So rather than the back end dancing through a roundabout, the front end loads up and scrubs speed.
Good car, but unless you really need that extra space, I’d go five-door.
Logbook: Volkswagen Golf R
Price: £31,475
As tested: £35,640
Miles this month: 1150
Total miles: 13,107
Our mpg: 29.1
Official mpg: 39.8
Fuel this month: £190.47
Extra costs: £0
Read more from the May 2016 issue of CAR magazine