2025 VW Golf R MK8.5 // REVIEW on AUTOBAHN

[@iDeactivateMC]

Really not a fan of modern cars having these massive iPad screens slapped on the dash with no physical buttons

[@Masa.]

It doesn't help that the screen looks cheap af. Just look how big that black frame is and how much it is taking space.

[@sk-un5jq]

Haptic touch controls on the steering wheel suck too.

[@AAAskunk]

buy an old car then

[@Sir-Exo]

honestly, considering from the older model of the r, its an improvement, but with cars in general it isnt great so yeah

[@oraclebaddy5145]

Согласен ! Лучше бы что- винтажное сделали с хорошим новым пластиком и кожей. Чисто для ценителей эстетики. Экранов и мониторов и так в жизни хватает.

[@Bargawd]

So much fuss by so called "experts" around the MK8's infotainment, yet as an owner, I've had no issues adapting and - GASP - enjoying it. I'm sure the UI is better in the MK8 due to more screen real estate, but I much prefer the inoftainment being integrated into the dash on my MK8. Overall, car still looks great and some of the minor visual improvements work.

[@vagcentral2252]

10:49 bro that's the first time I saw you and I've been watching for like 6 years 😂

[@0bjectBillion]

same 😂 didn't know what I was expecting tbh

[@rueggly2367]

'youre not allowed to hold your mobile phone in hand while driving' Okay, so Im gonna watch my 30 inch screen in the middle. And tbh, I like that Lapiz-Blue alot.

[@anancastic6757]

We need My name is max

[@cardealerfan3349]

Yes, it's so iconic

[@sofiachristoforidou3249]

My name is max too!!

[@levi1234098765]

i don't care if its not max, the person just has to say "my name is max" and i'll be happy

[@Issam-od4pg]

Or martin atleast (or martijn? Idk im not deutsch)

[@NaDxTwelve]

me

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I have a 2022 GTI Autobahn and I’ve driven it… very “spiritedly” let’s say, on windy backroads and never had a problem with the touch buttons at all. People complain about them…but I don’t know if they’ve actually used the car for long periods like I have.

[@The_Orgazoid]

wow, wasn’t expecting to see Metal Jesus here. I watch your videos 🤘

[@BurnsRubber]

Only thing people wanted was physical controls. Instead VW gave us a larger tacked on screen with a poor functioning UI. LOL and no more manual transmission. 😂

[@Tom-zp1rp]

The final blow for the golf. Thanks VW for killing a legend

[@dwade3202]

I dont understand how can they sign off on that god awful screen and how can people like it ??? Its absolute trash.

[@ZenzDeluxe]

Not only that, i own an 2021 8R and half of the things he's complaining about were solved with updates in the first year, like the snappyness, the actual Golf R graphic in the menu, there's a shortcut system so you can do things like turn off ESC with like one swipe and a button tap, ect. Neither the 8 or the 8.5R will ever have a perfect infotainment system, but they did solve many problems with updates. The problem for me in this 8.5 is how tacked-on the screen now is, ruins the entire streamlining of the dash which the 8 R has.

[@vladmihai306]

in us they focus on what people buy.... so you people there should focus on actually buying these cars instead of cybertrucks

[@Tom-zp1rp]

@@vladmihai306 agreed brother. They do it to themselves. You get what you whined for. Sadly, this American will be moving away from vw/audi after the many many vw products I’ve had since the late 90s

[@vsboy2577]

The only thing I can’t get over is the perfect paint work

[@kareembaba7498]

All we wanted was physical controls, and VW couldn’t give us that.

[@krane15]

Actually they are. But what do expect them to do with the million they still have in the warehouse? Manufactures buy in bulk, remember.

[@kareembaba7498]

@@krane15 I did already take that into account. But Europr and America are the prioritised markets. I'm from Australia, and we're a dumping ground for older cars and older engines.

[@Vm94-p7u]

Stop crying about it and buy Dacia and shut up.

[@respekted]

Those things require a lot more money to build molds, make plastic etc. And automation and / or labour put them on. Its in line with the general gutting of quality from almost everything being sold today

[@deleder557]

It is sickening, why didnt they dump the old touch controls to mid to low tier countries like Australia, NZ, Brazil

[@Nonchefkev]

The way they have tuned the suspension to be softer is clever . I had a 330d a few years ago on 18’s and it handled better and far more progressively when it let go than on bigger 19’s.

[@ambiencelectronica]

Flat screen is hideous. The end.

[@chongy9895]

Biggest reason I hate most modern cars

[@Stern_Radio]

Welcome to 2024, the nineties are over

[@robertolandini179]

​@@Stern_RadioSicuro!!E se si rompe quel cruscotto è meglio cambiare auto!!3500 euro quello della classe A...

[@mathewm3073]

@@Stern_Radio still dose not explain why its ugly lol

[@Masa.]

@@Stern_Radio The cheap plastic and the big frame makes the screen look like its from early 2000

[@emperorzz]

What a beautiful car! I'm really sad VW/the industry in general is shifting away from making cars like this. I live in the US, and they focus on making/advertising suvs (Thankfully we still have the performance Golfs and Jetta). I hope to be able to afford one of these someday. I love the blue, and surprisingly I think white also really suits the clean look this car has

[@Hellndegenerates]

Most major car manufacturers are restarting petrol and diesel derived engines, Most big companies are replacing electric vehicles with diesel ones.

[@therightnuke]

No more manual golf R or GTi soon

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@emperorzz just buy a V8 car and dont drool over this crap hatchback. People buy these hatchbacks because they are cheaper to insure/tax and use less fuel than a proper sport car. You have so many good options there, muscle cars, corvette, cadillac.

[@emperorzz]

@@Chris-hw4mq I live in an area where it snows heavily, so I like awd cars a lot, and I love how small and practical hot hatches are. I will say though, that US performance cars have gotten a lot better in recent years, and all of the ones you listed are great options!

[@Chris-hw4mq]

@@emperorzz if you need awd you could get a used focus rs, infinity q60 or a subaru wrx. The used car market in the US is so much better than in the EU. If you want a good used car in the EU you are better off buying new because used prices are too expensive

[@the-stig-nickname]

Finally they made it possible to disable Soundaktor :)

[@letsplaylplp]

It was possible before :) in the mk8

[@LukeHuggins-c6i]

@@letsplaylplp how?

[@letsplaylplp]

@@LukeHuggins-c6i there is a sound mode called pure I mean it was possible in the pre facelift

[@tommy4862]

It was possible in mk8, but I still think it sounds better with it :D Anyway it is nice to be able to turn it off, I understand some people don't like it, or sometimes you want your car to shut up on a longer journey.

[@HeathRS]

@@tommy4862that’s what I did with OBD11. I put the Soundaktor on 50% volume so it works out as basically silent on the highway even under a bit of load, but still makes plenty of noise in sport.

[@doneB830]

All this illuminated logos and so on makes the car look like a Chinese knock shop.

[@rikyoh130]

They do this cars for fucking chinese market. No more focus on us original buyer of those cars

[@blastmanutz7798]

Yep, for the life of me I have no idea what VW was thinking when they integrated this front end illumination between lights. Not only it looks hideous, it's also dangerous at night because all these new VW driving at night, especially when it's rainy, simply just blind you completely when they pass.

[@bojili3394]

@@rikyoh130golf r/gti doesn’t come to China

[@antikytheramechanism7909]

They have lost the aesthetic as well as BMW and Mercedes too.

[@arthurg.machado6803]

Only thing bad is the big screen in the middle and the price, awesome car.

[@krane15]

But what of Tesla?

[@landroverSV]

Owned the original R, 2004 MK4 R32 VR6, With that said, in my opinion, the original will always be the best, especially with that awesome music 🎶 from the VR6 engine! Too bad I lost my R32 to a flood 😢!

[@R19Robbin]

The centerscreen is huge 😂😂

[@rickjames6867]

Sick rims. Nice exhaust. Beautiful Blue. Not bad. Not bad at all. 💙☮️

[@HDCFORLIFE]

The nicer guy from AutoTopNL.

[@Goexpress-js4bu]

- Trust me boss, I'm an engineer. The bigger the screen, the faster the car.

[@philippelemaire2887]

Funny

[@dapluq5961]

Awesome review! Thanks

[@solarflare2199]

7.5 remains the best. This is a joke , the price is ridicolous lol

[@CovKid2K10]

7.5 was peak golf

[@omedonnie]

I agree, 7.5 is also a beautiful car to see.

[@Xzibitfreek]

performance wise, wether straight speed or cornering, this 8,5 is far ahead of the 7,5 its not even close

[@solarflare2199]

@@Xzibitfreek everyone knows that these cars got TOTAL CRAP stock breakes and an embarassing stock trim. So who cares , if u like a proper sporty car , u gotta put extra money on aftermarket quality mods, EVERYONE i know have done this in GTI or R. So aestetically speakin' is what remains , and 7.5 is unreachable , far away cooler.

[@jdeejaxGmbH]

@@solarflare2199 ur delusional lol,stock brakes are top notch for the class

[@tsaki_titan]

So theres a 3rd guy in the channel who sounds just like the other 2??

[@Nesquik41393]

Excited to see so many people aren’t into it, hopefully makes it easier to find one w/o markup 🤞🏽

[@The313psn]

I was thinking the same thing lmao

[@BarisUlkers]

Nice video Man. 🔥🔥🔥👍🏽

[@tyranic1]

They also changed the ecu map so the car is more responsive in the low revs on this 8.5 and added new software to the dsg gearbox which is way better than the mk8. Still prefer my fully specked pre gpf 7.5. though, based on looks, fit and finish. The mk8's drive and rides better over the 7.5

[@PatTalisman]

My only gripe with the Golf R, S3, Cupra, A35 is that, they all cost around £50,000 (base model) and with that money you can get a F90 M5 Competition, G82 M4, G80 M3, 2019 MODEL E63, 2021 Range Rover Sport and 2021 MODEL C63... You get my point. Why are these little hatches so expensive for half the power and half the car (quality, driving features etc).

[@Steven-cr1og]

Uk prices are a joke anyway just get what u want there

[@seanki]

Looks really cool, would prefer regular buttons on the steering wheel. And a round button close to the middle console to control the big screen additionally in case you don’t want to use touch.

[@danielmoore9950]

I have come to terms with the fact that haters - that would never have been purchasing the car in the first place - will always be in the comments. It's a solid looking car. The Black Edition looks amazing.

[@jstoli996c4s]

Agreed, haters just like spewing their misery everywhere. Also agreed, the Mk8.5R Black Edition is 🔥 🥵

[@VisionCityMayor]

interior ergonomics may have not been fixed but i believe performance has somehow improved even MORE. dont get me wrong tho it sucks that theres no option for a manual anymore and the screens even bigger, but after seeing a few other vids i think people will be surprised at how much better this performs

[@PerformanceProjects]

If I could get that Golf R Variant in the US I would be on my way to the dealer right now to grab one. Would be the perfect companion to my GTI 40th for winter / those days where you need more room to haul things. Fast wagons are just awesome.

[@Longfellow12]

If youve never owned a mk8 you shouldnt complain about buttons i love mk8 gti no issue with the buttons got used to them quick

[@isam789]

Literally never had an issue with the buttons on the wheel or screen. The thermostat on the other hand….

[@butchmeister80]

Same

[@EddieRicks-i8v]

Vw should have just put turbo on the vr6 and put it on the R instead. I am sure it would be a much better car .

[@butchmeister80]

These look amazing see one in showroom the wheels are beautiful.

[@Masa.]

At least they didn't butcher the exterior like BMW is doing with their cars

[@JohnDoe-dn2bg]

Sad truth 😢

[@joeldiaz141]

True

[@rudi5764]

I love the flat screen, not sure what ppl are on about

[@josecosta31]

What a beautiful VW Golf R in this amazing Blue color, my favorite . Superb 👏👏👏👏

[@Fantic1980]

Having owned a MK8 for 9 months, for me the haptic buttons on the steering wheel were infuriating. Glad to see the most hated feature still there ...

[@ms3ben]

The screens are fine IMO. The screens can be cumbersome to deal with, but I drive cars like this for the driving experience. The manual wasn't that great in the GTI and R either. Gearing too long and the OEM clutch had a numb engagement feel and couldn't hold any extra power modded...

[@krisvalenti4141]

I like the haptik controls and the touch screen on my GTI mk8.

[@Daveyboy_RS3]

Well I think I'm sold... My MK7 Golf R was stolen and totaled, and now that the MK8.5 is more worthy of a 48,000 price tag especially with the interior and infotainment and other accents. I absolutely love it!

[@dyllman98]

good luck getting it for msrp haha

[@Daveyboy_RS3]

@@dyllman98 I have a friend who's family owns Gunther VW down here in South Fla, and he's the sales manager, so I can get it for MSRP....although 50k is still a fortune, when there are more prestigious and just as high performance (If not more so) vehicles that wouldn't cost that much more, So I have to decide.

[@dyllman98]

@@Daveyboy_RS3 lucky! Dealer near me still wants a 10k mark up on the 24 R’s… it’s a damn shame

[@Daveyboy_RS3]

@@dyllman98 That's ridiculous! Back in 2015 when the MK7 first came out, I was already very very hesitant at spending $38,910 for my 2015 Golf R. And that included everything like the DCC and upgraded stereo and sub and nav. I'm hoping that after November, things might start getting back to normal, especially prices. 👍🏻

[@wfujay3946]

@@dyllman98 So buy from a different dealer. Simple.

[@Tom-zp1rp]

7.5 was the end of the golf/GTI. People asked for physical buttons and less tech, VW gave more and officially killed the manual. Seems VW could care less about its customers

[@CovKid2K10]

7.5 was peak golf

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Yep, that’s pretty much the vibe I was getting as well😞

[@BinaryBlueBull]

I agree. Well, unless their customers these days are in Asia and are asking for less physical buttons and more screens of course. No idea if this is true but at least it seems like all this nonsense that you see across all brands these days has started to appear when certain Asian markets were growing in size. I guess you can't blame them for catering to their largest customer pool but still a shame

[@billymays7210]

If all you care about is buttons, then yes, I agree. If you care more about the seats, the turbo, the driveline/ handling, tune-ability than buttons, the MK8 is better. To each their own.

[@singhularity6113]

@@billymays7210agreed! I have one and had a 7gti and 7.5r. 8-platform is a much better drivers car by FAR

[@HeathRS]

I’m not thrilled with the lack of a manual, but I’d go DSG with the R anyway. Appearance wise I think it’s an improvement across the board from the MK8. It looks like the natural follow up to the MK7.5. I like the new screen to be honest.

[@katiecannon8186]

Way too big.

[@mackbrown958]

I'll be in the market sometime soon. Might do a manual 7.5 or used Audi RS5. What they're asking for newer Golfs is insane.

[@karmahunden]

True. But what they are asking for used 7.5Rs is equally insane.

[@mackbrown958]

@karmahunden very true. Hopefully they'll at least hold their value a bit. Last weekend, I had a guy brag to me about getting a pickup truck for 71k lol. I think shit is pretty crazy across the board. I feel like we'll be at 8-10 year financing terms at some point.

[@arcane3877]

I'd love to get his as my daily, but the only thing holding me back from it is the giant ipad for an infotainment and touch controls. I want physical controls, not haptic feedback. Distracts the driver having to confirm changes that otherwise would have been simple with physical controls.

[@Vampire285]

The same issue with accidentaly touching the buttons at 8:09. Nothing changed, something moved in the screen when you didnt even press any button.

[@seinsmeld13]

I wish we ha an Autobahn here in Ontario Canada. If we do 50 km/h faster then the posted speed limit your car is impounded for 2 weeks and you'll receive a $10,000 dollar fine. 🥶

[@gunterification]

You choose the people that make the laws

[@anosvoldigoad8184]

14:07 Der Audi überholt mal wieder komplett über die Sperrfläche 😆wir haben einen König.

[@blackwhitestyles1309]

Do you feel like the Variant is more comfortable than the Hatchback? I found the Hatchback almost undriveable on German highways except for the comfort setting - it's very twitchy and has quite a loud / rough ride.

[@huseyinakyol48]

100-200 time about 10sn. . its wheels very lightweight about 8kg

[@giacomogalbusera3760]

is the regular golf r twitchier to drive at high speeds than the variant? In what sense are they different in that sense? Thanks!

[@JudoMonte]

Can’t decide if I should wait for 8.5R or get 2019 Audi S3 and save myself some money.

[@AK_Catholic_Traditional]

Misha took your job. Now it’s AutoTopMisha. Coming with the Golf MK 8.5R

[@kingdoener11]

love the car. finally the perfect golf 8

[@calcoss5588]

They clearly haven’t listened to consumers, the biggest complaint was and still is we want dials not screens and certainly not a plasma tv that’s in the 8.5

[@abayamangali]

Good facelift exterior wise, but the interior is where the Audi S3, its counterpart is better imo since it has physical buttons on the steering wheel and for the climate unit.

[@Jameshhl]

Manual seats? Hope there is power seat with memory option.

[@MEQUPWER]

i want this one bad, but since it doesn't have a manual transmission, i guess i have to settle for the 2024 model, ill get these rims for it tho!

[@NaDxTwelve]

best golf ever here

[@spookyreaper1702]

That’s the 7.5

[@NaDxTwelve]

@@spookyreaper1702 no i mean 8.5

[@GrandSavrify]

Agreed, the pulling power is strong

[@amirdiabe]

Is there an option to turn off the illuminated badge and grille ? I personally would prefer it switched off.

[@haramaschabrasir8662]

13:05 the car pulls dangerously to the right on braking...

[@c.d.willis4278]

I sat in one the other day; when I closed the door it felt cheap. The interior is small ish for a regular size person. No fog lamps, no storage room, no nobs for the controls for A/C etc. The dealer mark up was $5,000. It's no wonder I've never seen one on the road. I'm going to stick with my Accord cause it's roomy and you can actually haul stuff in it, and the back seat feels comfortable.

[@williamc4353]

Everything you say is true about the accord. But you want a hot hatch you have to get type r, type s, golf r, or the Toyota gr

[@petertyper1]

That screen is a deal breaker

[@SuperAmayeu]

nobody notice any change at 12:20 ???? recaro seat and cage XD

[@jpez9646]

is the mk8.5 available in manual transmission?

[@mollypercocet7685]

You guys need to also do the Golf 8.5 GTI like you did this 8.5 R

[@eidmuhammad3614]

Amazing

[@Aui_stormchaser]

For all you complaining just be happy it’s not electric

[@TheGrinch_]

Isn’t a hybrid version coming out soon?

[@Aui_stormchaser]

@@TheGrinch_ I meant completely electric

[@ylegalpoeta636]

¿Por qué la mayoría de marcas se empeñan en poner la pantalla central inclinada al conductor? El copiloto no podrá ver bien lo que hay en la pantalla...y da TOC

[@BobbiPhantom]

It's easy to say this on every VW Golf review: Golf 7 > Golf 8

[@tommy4862]

When you actually drive the car you will realize how wrong you are.

[@sk-un5jq]

HVAC on the screen and haptic touch controls on the steering wheel are a no go for me. They suck. I like Honda's HVAC and steering wheel buttons and knobs.

[@Monkeyboy2457]

I would prefer no screen at all, a basic stereo with a volume dial and a heater and air conditioning.

[@Stern_Radio]

Beautiful Car ♥️

[@Toneyy]

all of this stuff is in my 2019 GLI 35th anniversary

[@ugurarslan255]

👍 Very Nice Car 👍

[@JO11EZY]

The MK 8.5 looks great miles better then the 8. Looking forward to upgrading to a gti 8.5 next year when my contract on my tcr is up! 🔥

[@p.t.3726]

Better than 8, but not as good as 7.5

[@Domce133]

8 > 7.5 > 8.5. 7.5 looks are overrated as hell, both R and GTI look like regular golfs.

[@Steven-cr1og]

@@Domce1338r 8gti same shit

[@RM-sz6dw]

Nice see how much hp this car doesn’t have, also get to see a roll cage in the back!

[@genderlessyoutubefanperson]

As a 2024 MK8R DSG owner, I am happy I did now wait for 2025 R

[@SteveBlancoMusicianWarrior]

No manual trans????

[@abhilashbeura6163]

Pls do mercedes AMG project one ❤

[@Off_the_clock_R13UKY]

Screen is way too big for the size of the car. All they needed was to change the buttons and utilise the efficiency of manufacturing to reduce the price from 50k.. a gt4 is 59k...

[@donn-nd3bs]

Car designer are geniuses always make new model look better than old model😊

[@krane15]

If that's true, then why do so many peo9ple always say, I like the previous model better?

[@donn-nd3bs]

@@krane15 don't lieeee jum

[@sc2320]

where’s max like.Yemann do like the 8.5 R she is quality Kidd 🔥💯💪🏻

[@IvanSlivan]

Ffs all manufacturers are the same nowadays putting big screens with all the controls instead of actually doing some proper interior design and convenient buttons. No creativity 😢

[@TheStigsSimcousin]

Manual when?

[@iFumoffu]

Welcoming changes to the overall let down that is the mk 8. But wheel cap is very tacky, and the haptic buttons on the steering wheel needs to go. I still think mk 7.5 was the goat of modern golfs.

[@OneAnxhelo]

Nice TV 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣

[@iain8837]

My Cupra Born has those buttons, haptic but they do click, it touch sensitive things, terrible things! VW aren’t listening and the R button is a terrible excuse not to change it.

[@JKV.]

87k?

[@lucasquintino0]

The golf is limited?

[@AlexMotaung]

Hi my name is max an welcome to this pure view review by autotopnl an today we have another special car.😔 That's all we know an that what we want

[@jost4786]

A proper placed microphone while driving would make it possible to hear what is said

[@andylie7699]

who wants eco mode on a Golf R

[@HoOcHiEViEcH]

Me when driving with my mom :'D

[@flyguy6296]

Or an automatic

[@dw1508]

I am happy with my modified R 7.5 Variant, no Ipad stuck on the dash, electric seat, and manual buttons but digital dash. Seems like VW does not listen to the people.

[@WrongButtonWB]

Can't wait for golf 10r and its pricetag of 80k€!

[@JdmForTheWin]

Already a 8.5?

[@agi10051976]

Huub? Where is Max?

[@stativ-g1u]

mein lieblings golf. würde ich mir genauso sofort kaufen, wenn ich die kohle hätte. leider viel zu teuer:(

[@ejtisevn]

@15:26 you scared that van🤣