4. Volkswagen Golf R (2012 - 2013 - Mark VI)

The predecessor to the Mk VI Golf R was Volkswagen’s R32. It featured a 3.2-liter VR6 six-cylinder engine that put out just under 250hp. People seemed disappointed when the new Golf R came out with a turbocharged four-cylinder. But that four-banger put out more power (265hp) and, above all else, was lighter. That changed the steering and handling dynamics of the top-of-the-line Golf by leaps and bounds. The Haldex all-wheel-drive system also provided sure-footed traction that helped catapult the R from corner to corner or helped slingshot the car through traffic. 

I first saw the Golf R at its unveiling during the 2011 New York Auto Show. I fell in love with its lines (typical Golf evolution rather than revolution) and the package as a whole. When the model finally hit the streets I had a chance to test-drive one. I started giggling about two minutes into the drive. The R was so tossable yet felt so controllable that I couldn’t help but laugh. I didn’t stop laughing either, not for the entire drive. Thankfully it was only about a 15-minute demo otherwise I’d probably have a perma-grin like The Joker. Immediately after getting out of the R I got behind the wheel of a brand new GTI thinking there is no way the R can be that much better than a GTI. Yet it was. I placed an order that day. 

My own Golf R was the first of the 2013 model year and I drove it for 60,000 miles before my son inherited it for his 17^th birthday. That car taught me more about cars than any other car I’ve ever owned. Having driving pleasure in the real world wasn’t about more power, or being rear-wheel-drive, but it was a combination of size, weight, power, access to that power (read: MANUAL transmission!), visibility, and confidence that the car will deliver whatever I asked of it. The Mk VI Golf R never disappointed.