Top Ten Fastest Volkswagen Golf Cars

Volkswagen is a company that is most famous for two cars, the Beetle and the Golf. The Beetle was basically a car that meant the word “Volkswagen” i.e., “People’s Car”. It was efficient, affordable, and comfortable for most of the people.

The Golf, on the other hand, was introduced by the end of the 20th century, and it is a revolutionary front-wheel-drive hatchback that made people realize that hatchbacks can be super fun too. And since then, the Golf nameplate has never looked back.

Volkswagen offered various powertrains with various features depending on the trims, and moreover, it was affordable.

So, we’ve curated these top ten Volkswagen Golf models over their lifetime, and they have been arranged based on their 0–60 MPH timings. Wherever available, the timings are the official claimed ones, while in a few cases where the same wasn’t available, third-party figures have been taken.

However, the Golf wasn’t the only fast car Volkswagen made; click here to check out the top ten fastest Volkswagen models ever made.

Now, without further delay, let’s start the list with the 2017 Golf TSI.

10. 2017 Volkswagen Golf TSI Wolfsburg Edition

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf TSI Wolfsburg Edition is the slowest Golf on our list. The special edition model sat on top of the base S model and started at $21,595. For the price, it came with a 170-hp, 1.8-liter TSI engine that made 199 lb-ft.

The model equipped with the automatic gearbox (starting at $22,695) did 0-60 MPH in 7.3 seconds as per independent third-party testing. The top speed of the 2017 Golf TSI hatchback was 127 mph.

The Wolfsburg Edition was the newest addition to the 2017 model year of the Golf. The special edition model came with keyless entry with push-button start, a panoramic sunroof, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, 6-inch ‘Dover’ aluminum-alloy wheels, V-Tex simulated leather seats, heated front seats, Wolfsburg Edition floormats, a blind-spot monitor with rear-cross traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

9. 2008 Volkswagen GTI

The 2008 Volkswagen GTI, powered by the brand’s staple turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine, started at $32,730. The powertrain on the GTI produced 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

It came with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, which channeled the power to the front wheels only. The turbo-four with the automatic helped the GTI do a 0-60 MPH run in just 6.9 seconds.

The same with the standard manual transmission took 7.2 seconds to do 0–60 MPH as per third-party testing. The hatchback had a top speed of 130 MPH and delivered 29 mpg of gas mileage on the highway, regardless of the transmission you chose. Key highlights of the model include sports front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, a 10-speaker sound system with a 6-CD/MP3 player, a heated outside mirror, cruise control, and a few more.

8. 2015 Volkswagen Golf 1.8T TSI

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf TSI, starting at $17,995 (Launch Edition), made the headlines with its new 1.8-liter TSI engine, which was one of the finalists on the ‘2015 Ward’s 10 Best Engines list. The engine came as a replacement for the 2.5-liter inline-5 engine from the previous generation model.

The new TSI engine made 170 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque; it came standard with a 5-speed manual transmission and an optional 6-speed automatic transmission ($1,100 extra). The 2015 Golf TSI with the manual did 0-60 MPH in 6.8 seconds, while the same with the automatic did it in 7.5 seconds.

The new engine on the Golf boasted a 20% improvement in highway gas mileage over the older Golf powered by the 2.5-liter engine. As per EPA estimates, the 2015 Golf TSI with the manual returned 25 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

While the automatic-equipped model returned the same mileage in the city but 1 mpg less on the highway. Other key highlights include the new 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a ‘Top Safety Pick+’ award with the optional Driver Assistance Package.

7. 2002 Volkswagen Golf R32

The 2002 Volkswagen Golf R32 was the first production model of the Golf hatchback that wore the ‘R’ moniker in the United States. The 2002 Golf R32 was powered by a 3.2-liter VR6 engine that made 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The hatchback was the first Golf model to come with a six-speed manual transmission by default. 

And to put down all that power efficiently, the latter sent power to its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. The combination resulted in a 0-62 MPH time of 6.4 seconds, as per Volkswagen.

The 2002 Golf R32 started at £22,595 for the 3-door model, which, according to the exchange rate during that time, roughly comes up to around $29,000.

That said, the R32 model made itself look different from the regular Golf model with new front and rear bumpers, ‘R32’ badges, 18-inch ‘Aristo’ alloy wheels, sport seats with ‘R’ badges on the headrests, and a few more. It came with a unique and exclusive metallic color, Deep Blue Pearl, along with seven other exterior color options.

6. 2004 Volkswagen Golf R32 (Mk4)

The 2004 Volkswagen Golf R32 was the successor of the 2002 Golf R32, which came in 2003 and was on sale when the one here was announced. The 2004 Golf R32 came in limited numbers—5,000, to be exact. It came with the tried and tested 3.2-liter narrow-angle VR6 engine that made 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque.

The power was channeled to all four wheels with a quick-shifting six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The result of this setup was a 0-60 MPH time of just 6.4 seconds.

The hot hatch, when new, had a base price of $29,100, which was $10,000 more than the Golf GTI of the same model year. But because it is a rare specimen, the prices of the same in the aftermarket have now reached astronomical levels. A clean example recently auctioned for as much as $62,000, which, in context, is $18,000 more than the highest price of the 2022 Golf R.

5. 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk8)

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI is the newest GTI model on sale right now, but it isn’t the fastest. The car is the eighth-generation model of the Golf and comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine. The powertrain makes 241 hp and 273 lb-ft, which are sent to the front wheels through a standard 6-speed manual or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Golf GTI with the automatic does 0-60 MPH in 5.1 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.

The base price of the 2022 Golf GTI is $29,880, and when equipped with the dual-clutch automatic, it starts at $30,680. Apart from the base S trim, the Golf GTI also comes in SE and Autobahn trims, starting at $34,630 and $38,330, respectively. Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, a VW digital cockpit Pro, a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, and a few more.

4. 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk7)

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI marked the seventh generation of the Golf model in the United States. This one came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The engine made 210 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. With the manual, the 2015 GTI did 0-60 MPH in 5.8 seconds. With the $1,495 optional performance package that bumps the power by 10 hp, the 0-60 MPH time is reduced by one-tenth of a second.

*third-party figures

The base price of the Golf TSI with the manual was $24,785 for the two-door model, while the four-door model in the same configuration started at $25,385. Coming to the optional performance package, apart from the bump in power, it also has features like bigger brakes both at the front and the rear and an electronic limited-slip differential.

3. 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

Dubbed the successor to the earlier Golf R32 models, the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R comes as the new top-of-the-line model, in terms of performance, in the Golf lineup. This one here starts at $33,990 and comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a standard 6-speed manual transmission.

The engine makes 256 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque, which the manual transmission sends to its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. As a result, this hot hatch can do 0–60 MPH in 5.9 seconds, as per third-party testing.

The model above started at $33,990 and came as a two-door model only. For the price, it has features like Bi-Xenon headlights, leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8-speaker sound system, and a few more. Adding features like a sunroof, an 8-speaker Dynaudio premium sound system, touchscreen navigation, and keyless entry with push-button start brought the starting price to $35,490.

2. 2017 Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7)

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf R is based on the 2015 Golf R and comes with minor modifications. This one is powered by a 292 hp turbo-four engine that does 0-60 MPH in 4.9 seconds when coupled with the optional six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The same is true when the standard six-speed manual hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. That said, the top speed of the hatchback is electronically limited to 150 mph, and it is the second-fastest Volkswagen Golf on our list.

The 2017 Golf R with the optional dual-clutch automatic starts at $36,755, while the one with the manual transmission starts at $35,655. For the price, it’s got features like Bi-Xenon headlights, dual chrome-tip exhaust, side skirts, a rear diffuser, a rear spoiler, the MIB II touchscreen infotainment system, and a few more.

If you were to get the model with dynamic cruise control and navigation, which was new for the model year, then that model started at $39,375 for the manual and $40,475 for the automatic.

1. 2022 Volkswagen Golf R (Mk8)

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R is the fastest Volkswagen Golf on our list and also the latest one on sale by Volkswagen in the United States. The 2022 Golf R is powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 315 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which helps the hot hatch do 0-60 MPH in 4.2 seconds.

The hatchback has a top speed of 155 mph, and in the above configuration, it starts at $44,890. While the same when had with the standard six-speed manual starts at $44,090 but makes 15 lb-ft less torque. Key features standard on the 2022 Golf R include a heads-up display, VW digital cockpit Pro, 19-inch alloy wheels shod in summer performance tires, and a few more.

Is the Golf R faster than the GTI?

Yes, the Volkswagen Golf R is not only faster than the VW GTI, but it also has a more powerful engine. It has a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine with 315 HP and 310 LB-FT of torque. On the other hand, the 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 engine of the GTI develops 241 HP and 273 LB-FT of torque.

When was Volkswagen founded?

Volkswagen was founded on May 28, 1937, by the German Labour Front, a Nazi trade union, and it played a significant role in post-World War II automotive recovery.