Should you buy one?

If you’re after a reasonably discreet performance car that can double up as a family hold-all, the VW Golf R is an excellent choice. A Toyota GR Yaris is more fun but smaller, and while there are premium hot hatch rivals that offer more spectacular interiors – including the Mercedes-AMG A35 – as an all-rounder the Golf R is tough to beat.

With fearsome acceleration – especially from a standstill – and safe, confidence-inspiring handling, if you’re one for making swift and understated progress, this is the place to start shopping. It’s not cheap, especially considering Volkswagen isn’t strictly a premium badge, but you get plenty of equipment and performance for the money.

It might not be the last word in excitement, but the driving modes on offer do bring out quite a broad set of characteristics, giving you the opportunity to tailor the experience to a certain extent. For many buyers we believe this really will be a car that can suit all kinds of moods. Don’t dismiss it without giving it a try.

What we like

This is a fast car that doesn’t necessarily shout about its performance, which is quite refreshing versus some of the rivals, and the availability of the estate car version adds an extra degree of practicality. The range of driving modes means it does a better job of being fun than its predecessor, too.

What we don’t like

If you’re looking for utterly white-knuckle thrills, go elsewhere – perhaps to the Honda Civic Type R. The Golf R is a performance hatch you respect for its everyday usability, rather than one you fall in love with for sheer entertainment. The infotainment system is as bad here as it is in other Golfs, which is a shame.