We had a review psoted ten days ago by Motor Trend. Let's see what Autoguide thinks of the Golf R. The Ford Focus ST seems to come up a lot in comparisons as a better value.
A RARE V-DUB AND LOOKS IT
Halo car? Generally that term is reserved for six-figure supercars with uncountable horses underhood, but in the case of the Golf R, the idea fits. Production for North America is extremely limited; Canada sold out of its 500 allotted units within a few hours of being put on sale, while the United States might get five times that. So, say, 3,000 total for such a huge population means it’s just as rare as nearly any Porsche, Audi or Corvette.
And in the bright Rising Blue Metallic paint, enormous gaping air ducts, twin center-mounted exhaust and R-specific 18-inch wheels really help set the ultimate Golf apart from its more plebeian counterparts. Car-fans and VW nuts spotted it almost immediately.

Watching out for drivers piloting three-color third-gen Jettas and gently-aged Passats distracted by the R’s presence was a daily exercise. This car certainly turns heads, although they’re usually wearing flat-brimmed baseball caps perched at jaunty angles...
GTI ON STEROIDS
So what exactly are those fans excited about? Well, the R is the most powerful production Golf yet, offering 256 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque out of that familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Previous R models – dubbed R32 – used normally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 engines, but topped out at around 240 horsepower. Like those older generations, though, the new ‘R’ does get 4MOTION all-wheel drive, which gives it plenty of traction and stability, especially in messy conditions. It also helps the Golf R run the 0-60 mph test in only 5.6 seconds.
Read the rest here:
http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/volkswagen/2013-volkswagen-golf-r-review-2345.html

A RARE V-DUB AND LOOKS IT
Halo car? Generally that term is reserved for six-figure supercars with uncountable horses underhood, but in the case of the Golf R, the idea fits. Production for North America is extremely limited; Canada sold out of its 500 allotted units within a few hours of being put on sale, while the United States might get five times that. So, say, 3,000 total for such a huge population means it’s just as rare as nearly any Porsche, Audi or Corvette.
And in the bright Rising Blue Metallic paint, enormous gaping air ducts, twin center-mounted exhaust and R-specific 18-inch wheels really help set the ultimate Golf apart from its more plebeian counterparts. Car-fans and VW nuts spotted it almost immediately.

Watching out for drivers piloting three-color third-gen Jettas and gently-aged Passats distracted by the R’s presence was a daily exercise. This car certainly turns heads, although they’re usually wearing flat-brimmed baseball caps perched at jaunty angles...
GTI ON STEROIDS
So what exactly are those fans excited about? Well, the R is the most powerful production Golf yet, offering 256 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque out of that familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Previous R models – dubbed R32 – used normally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 engines, but topped out at around 240 horsepower. Like those older generations, though, the new ‘R’ does get 4MOTION all-wheel drive, which gives it plenty of traction and stability, especially in messy conditions. It also helps the Golf R run the 0-60 mph test in only 5.6 seconds.
Read the rest here:
http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/volkswagen/2013-volkswagen-golf-r-review-2345.html