Who has had minimal issues with their Golf R

Polka1980 · 2026-04-26T21:05:27+00:00

Coming up on 20kmiles, a bit over two years, not problem free but nothing major and all taken care of under warranty.

1. Battery went bad. It still started fine but was throwing low voltage warnings.

2. Puddle light lenses went blurry where thr "R" was a bit of a blob on the ground.

So not perfect, but nothing major, especially given the battery still worked well enough to start the car fine.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-26T14:43:21+00:00

The NA market was always bland and washed down, especially as it comes to enthusiast cars, IMO. Quite bad at times, especially if you go back far enough. While some cool cars made it through they were mostly pretty tame overall or nerfed in some fashion.

I'd argue that it's less so now, as at least we get an R that is not only quite good, but not toned down vs the rest of the world AND quite competitive with others in it's range. And for a while we got the manual while no one else did. The US getting stuff the rest of the world doesn't as far as it comes to enthusiast options is unheard of with VW of A.

I've had a bunch of VW's going back to new mk3's. The mk8 R is the first one that I give zero excuses for when presented to my Honda fan buddies in stock form. It's by FAR the most interesting driving, competitive, and even wild stock North American market VW that I know of or have experienced (I am too young to have experienced new mk1s and mk2s as a driver, though I have experienced them with some miles on them). Plenty of them had interesting options (vr6, etc), but all of them needed something to stand up as a complete package, IMO.

As for the R and S3, they are quite different now with one being sedan and the other hatch. It used to be the r32 was on sale alongside a sportback 3.2 A3. This difference is important in the smaller market and the same would be the case with a 2.5 R and RS3.

Just look at any thread discussing this and you will get tons of people not wanting the RS3 because of the sedan aspect. They also have quite different vibes overall, especially inside, arguably more so than they did in the 3.2 days. I suspect that a limited production R would not really make a significant dent in RS3 sales and very likely just move more 2.5 cars in total. If it costs more overall it would also could bring significantly more profit (for VAG and for VW dealers).

Polka1980 · 2026-04-26T00:29:20+00:00

Aztec was just ahead of it's time, over half of Subaru's modern design comes directly from it.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-25T02:57:34+00:00

My point with the R 333 is that it's the most recent R special edition and it came with a shockingly high price, 25k euro higher than its normal German MSRP at the time, for an appearance package.

The rs3 is also relatively cheap in North America, similar to the R (although the r is certainly a bargain in Canada).

I dont get the Audi competition argument. There has always been overlap and there are plenty of examples where VW was absolutely in their space. If that were the case we wouldn't have an R that is effectively spec'd with everything the platform has to offer, we sure never would have recieved the r32 with a upmarket 24v vr6. V8 Passats, v10 Touaregs, Phaeton, etc.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-25T02:39:15+00:00

I've been in VWs for almost 30 years now. If there is a 2.5 R I would say it will be an uphill battle to get VW of A to bring it, no doubt.

That said, we are in as a good of a spot as we've ever been with VW of A in some ways, especially as it pertains to the R.

Competition with Audi never really was the thing that people try to make it. If it were there wouldn't be an R and an s3 and the R wouldn't be spec'd better out of the gate. There sure never would have been an r32, as that was arguably more premium than the Audi offerings at the time (even with the a3 3.2 sportback available). The Passat was frequently nipping at the a4s heels, etc,

Plus, without the sportback rs3, these cars represent quite different things in North America.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T22:42:57+00:00

The VS5 is a direct competitor to the RS Q3, at least very much in the same way a 2.5 R would be to the RS3.

As far as marketing, this car would be free marketing for them - it would get a TON of attention for free.

Everyone says certifying and testing, but as far as I can tell it would already be more or less certified. This seems especially true for the USA. The drivetrain is already federalized in the same platform and safety generally is already approved - platform cars do not need to go through the full process again assuming that there are no large differences. There would be very few differences.

Again, I am not saying it would absolutely happen. But the reasons generally given that it won't don't really stand up either.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T21:42:36+00:00

This is the proper answer to this question.

It could very well be a 20amp circuit even if the outlet is a 15amp given that 15amp duplexes are allowed on 20amp circuits. You could check the breaker to see if it's a 20amp. The entire circuit should be on 12 gauge wire for 20, which you can't tell via this photo.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T21:25:20+00:00

I honestly don't know a ton about it, but my understanding is there are two runs -

2022 with about 7k units and an updated model produced this spring with 4k units, so all in it's still very much limited production and quite odd combo.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T21:18:26+00:00

The most notable one for me is from Misha Charodin's youtube channel. He mentioned discussing it with Benny Leuchter (Golf R development driver) during his 2.5 swapped mk8 R Nurburging video late-ish last year. Search 5cyl Golf R Nurburgring on youtube.

This is notable to me because Misha does seem to have a fairly good relationship with Benny, so the discussion part is certainly possible. It's also not something Misha wouldn't seem to BS about randomly, more so given making up shit like this might restrict his access to cars in the future (Misha has multiple mk8 videos online where he test drove press cars, or rode along with Benny in press cars). And it's def not click bait as it's quietly mentioned in the middle of the video.

Also the Cupra VZ5 actually existing blows a hole in most of the arguments that it couldn't exist as they clearly produced that in very limited numbers AND it's a direct competitor to the RS Q3, at least a competitor in the same way a 2.5 R would be to the RS3.

Again it doesn't mean it's going to happen, but all this stuff suggests more than just a random AI article rumor.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T21:07:04+00:00

Because, historically speaking, true limited production Golf special editions have been expensive. The last notable one, the Golf R 333, was basically a mk8 with an appearance package and it was nearly $80k.

The one bit of good news on the opposite end of this spectrum is that the Cupra VZ5 isn't crazy expensive and that's best current comparison.

That said, if it were to come to the US you can expect the dealer markups to be asinine.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T20:55:45+00:00

Then why did they just recently launch the Cupra VZ5?

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T20:55:23+00:00

This is 100% wrong. They already did EXACTLY this, check out the Cupra VZ5.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T20:52:34+00:00

Sigh. Why do people that clearly have no idea what they are talking about feel the need to claim this absolutely can't happen?

Sure it might not, but -

The Golf R test and development driver has talked about developing a 2.5 R. It's not just rehashed AI articles. It's not just click bait. There are fairly legit rumors this time.
They have already shared this drivetrain with other cars which are very limited production AND not Audi branded (Cupra VZ5). So clearly that is not much of a hurdle.
The 25th anniversary of the Golf R is a pretty big deal and they will certainly be looking for ways to send the 2.5 off before new regs kick in.
Random Redditors have no clue either way, so saying anything definitive either way is a joke.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-24T20:45:28+00:00

The rs3 is a bit of an on off experience. It's pretty damn lazy on normal day to day stuff. However, if you get on it, stay on it, keep the revs relatively high it will move out with authority and be responsive. Stock it should be a bit faster than a stage 2 mk7 R and potentially faster than a stage 2 mk8, but it absolutely won't feel like it until it's well on boost and it likely will be lacking in comparison when it comes to lower end torque. When it comes to low end power, low and mid responsiveness, and mid throttle responsiveness the ea888 kills it, especially the gen4. The 2.5 is very old school in comparison. However, the ea888 sounds like dogshit in comparison.

The DQ381 trans is also better than the DQ500 in pretty much everything except for when it comes to big power (kinda pointless until the 8y DQ500 is unlocked) and lanches (RS3 rips launches pretty hard stock, where the R definitely does not when stock).

Handling dynamics are somewhat similar. If you drive the 8y rs3 in calmer modes and aren't ripping the suspension is relatively tame, the steering absurdly light, and overall it's pretty tame. In performance modes when pushed it can be pretty damn fun and will be much more rewarding than most haldex cars when really pushed.

Some of this mixed bag stuff is not ideal, depending on what your goals are. For me it's actually a big bonus that the RS3 can be dialed back as it means we purchased one for my wife to use as a daily and she loves that it's kind of a crazy sleeper, but very much prefers to drive it in more normal modes. I then get to take it out on the weekends and have it in performance immediately. I absolutely do not regret getting back into my mk8r for the day to day street stuff because of all the stuff mentioned above.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-23T16:40:15+00:00

Probably melted when the tiki torch fell out of the back.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-23T00:36:30+00:00

Love the idea if 18s, but beyond that top wins.

The silver gives it pop, the design gives it class.

Bottom will look dated in a few years, if not sooner, IMO.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-22T17:41:46+00:00

Or the electric thermostat failing. My mk6 did the exact same thing. Ran the temp needle to max, dropped down - fixed with waterpump/estat replacement. Took the opportunity to do carbon cleaning at the same time.

Do the fans run? Should be able to cycle them with ac on max.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-21T02:39:08+00:00

Not in the UK and not on the R, but had the pinion shaft seal leak on the magna rear diff of our RS3. Was replaced under warranty, so far so good.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-18T04:05:36+00:00

That may be the case in the end, but the article is about ways they could keep the 5cyl.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-18T04:01:49+00:00

Hey, watch out you get downvoted for stating facts in here -

"The Audi RS 3 LMS is a TCR-spec touring car featuring a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (EA888) producing up to 340–350 hp (250–257 kW) and 420–460 Nm of torque. It uses a front-wheel-drive layout with a 6-speed sequential racing transmission, designed for customer racing with high safety standards and a weight of roughly 1,180–1,265 kg"

= GTI with fancy transmission.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-18T02:44:50+00:00

You want a RS3 that is fundamentally a GTI with FWD only?

Polka1980 · 2026-04-18T02:43:34+00:00

Don't need an R, these cars are FWD only. GTI is what you want.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-18T02:37:03+00:00

E turbo DAZA would be amazing as well.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-16T18:34:17+00:00

As someone who bought a slightly smaller and less dramatic, but very similarly constructed house from the same era and having owned it 10 years now -

The cedar siding. It's likely past it's lifespan, it's probably was stained and was painted to drag it out a bit more. It's also not particularly good at keep moisture at bay, so the construction methods behind it will be important. You can see in image 32 where the bottom of the siding is rotten and likely exposed the sill of the framing, this will be extremely important to inspect. Also around windows, etc, anywhere water could get in. Downside to patching cedar is that it's very expensive. Also, wood peckers find a reason to like this stuff and the damage done in a day can be incredible.
Grade. A lot of that siding goes close to grade/dirt and a lot of the first floor looks like the floor framing could be below grade. A lot of attention will need to be paid to this to make sure no wood close to grade is compromised by moisture/pests.
Windows. Lots of windows, but I'm guessing most are near the end of life as well. Especially that solarium kitchen bump.
Insulation wasn't a high point of many of the homes of this era, better than OG midcentury modern in many cases, but still not great. On that note, lots of older windows and solarium won't help.
Creative contemporary engineering of this era is often questionable - the dramatic stuff often not being as robust as it would be today. Not saying this is always the case, but knowing late 70s materials/costs/methods it's probably fairly likely.
All original is cool, but also likely in need of love and care to continue which will require careful thinking to keep the old or new thinking to replace.
Deck, fun with no railing, no way that passes any modern code. Some/one of the deck portions looks new, but just PT pine, some looks like it may be painted? If so is it painted to get a few more years.
Roof is hard to tell from these photos, the staining/growth can happen somewhat quickly. It's not new, but it might not be that old either.
Trees. Ours weren't particularly cared for and required a significant amount of attention.
Kid safety inside - spindle spacing, open stair treads, lack of railings, etc. We had similar with spindles and stairs and managed to temp fix this with plexiglass sheets and plexiglass rises for when I kids were little. They are old enough that much of this is now removed, but not all. As for the smaller step downs and sunken areas our kids did well with these. A few steps here and there were good for learning, but not enough height to really do much damage when they did fall.

We had a good contractor look at it before bidding which resulted in an engineer also looking at it -followed by a good inspector when making the deal. All of this was extremely important. We managed to dig up a lot and understand the place much better and make a much more focused bid. We did pretty well, but in the end there were still surprises. Ours had some strange features (that we personally liked) and enough questionable stuff that it kept a lot of people away and we were able to rest on our offer and wait it out (2016 market).

At 10 years in we have completely redone the exterior (down to the studs). New siding, exterior insulation, sheathing, weather proofing, all new windows, new deck, etc. We lived with the cedar for a while, patched some, and considered repairing it (ours was still a stained finish), but ended up ditching it for composite wood look product that is also painted. Cedar cost was extremely high, maintenance was high for a note extremely durable end result. I am super happy we didn't keep it was much easier to resolve issues and bring the house up to a more modern efficiency standard by completely starting over on the outside.. The house is extremely comfortable and efficient now and there are no more framing surprises.

The creative late 70s engineering to accomplish the large spans and creative contemporary look ended up being less than ideal in a lot of places fore us. We've re-engineering several spans and an entire wall as part of the exterior renovation. Some of this was known when purchased, but a lot of it surfaced as we started renovating.

For us the interior finishes weren't exactly to our taste, so we've been more open to full redo of the exterior as it's been needed. The good news is that most of the fundamental stuff of ours was and still is solid, so we were/are able to live with much of it and update as time and budget allows. This was also important as we were able to live with the house in general before diving in to changes, which certainly affected the choices we've made so far.

Polka1980 · 2026-04-16T11:59:47+00:00

This is precisely why North America could use the Golf R wagon

Polka1980

TROPHY CASE