2020 BMW 1 Series vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

To answer the question of whether it matters that the new 1 Series is no longer rear-wheel drive, I say no it doesn’t. It may not be as romantic on the absolute limit, but it is better in every measurable way, and still feels distinctly BMW despite moving to the conventional layout of its rivals. 

Be sure to check out Mal’s video review from the 1 Series launch last December:

So it seems the more the world has changed, the more the Mk7/7.5 Golf R has stayed pretty much the same for its six years on sale to date. And it simply doesn’t matter. 

Anyone who bought one in 2014 is understandably probably looking forward to the next one by now, and the Mk8 Golf R will make an appearance in the not too distant future. 

But right now, the last of the current Golf Rs is still a very special thing, and if you want one of the rarest ones built, now’s your chance.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

Yes, that kidney grille is rather large. If you want everyone to know you drive a BMW, you’ll love it. If not, get used to it. The X7, recent 7 Series update and upcoming 4 Series suggest they’re only going to get bigger. 

Nose aside, the 1 Series hatch has always had a distinctive, long-bonnet profile, which has generally been attributed to the rear-drive layout. Despite the move to a transverse engine, the new one is actually very close in proportions when compared side by side.

It’s just 5mm shorter in overall length and 13mm taller, with body width being the most notable change at 34mm wider. 

The key difference is that the front and rear wheels have been moved further back into the body, because of said engine layout change, and to make more back seat space in the rear.

Surprisingly for a model aimed at a younger demographic, the new 1 Series interior design isn’t quite the same step forward as the recent G20 3 Series.

It’s a cut above the X1 and X2 SUVS the new 1 Series shares its underpinnings with in terms of the shapes used, but is still classic understated BMW. 

However its headline act is the Live Cockpit driver display on both models, which gives you fully digital instrumentation and replaces traditional analogue gauges once and for all.

The thinking behind the Final Edition’s special paint options is nothing new to VW, and represents the latest in a line of ‘Colour Concept’ models that include the now-cherished multicolour Harlequins that were available in other markets and a handful of specifically coloured Mk3 VR6s that made their way to Australia in the ‘90s.

The Golf R Final Edition’s Colour Concept colours aren’t just plucked from the European options list either. Despite the Viper Green appearing previously on the Scirocco R, each green, blue and purple Final Edition is removed from the regular production line before painting. It’s then taken to a specific paint shop to be hand painted (no robots here) before returning to the production line for final assembly.

Aside from these colours, the typical Golf R hallmarks of specific (but not annoyingly low-hanging) front and rear bumpers remain, with the key visual cue remaining those quad oval exhausts.  

My appreciation for the Final Edition’s Pretoria wheels is two-fold. They’re both lighter than the regular-issue Spielberg design, but also visually fit the R’s performance-focused character better with their pragmatically straight spokes and lack of diamond-finish glitz. I’d be working out a way to have mine in silver though. 

The Final Edition’s Nappa-appointed seats also continue with the carbon-pattern bolsters of other leather-equipped Golf Rs, which I’ve never been a fan of given real carbon isn’t a pliable material, but it’s certainly distinctive.

With my modest 172 cm height, I never had any trouble with the old model, but the new 1 Series is a bit more more spacious by all the important measures.

The back seat base and backrest are a bit flat though, which is probably to help the backrest fold almost flat, but probably not very supportive during hard cornering.

There's also no centre armrest in the back or cup holders, but you do get bottle holders in the doors.

You also get two ISOFIX child seat mounts and there’s two USB-C charge points in the back of the centre console, but there's no directional air vents unless you opt for the dual-zone climate control that comes standard with the M135i. 

The boot has grown by 20-litres to a pretty impressive 380 litres VDA which includes a very useful cavity under the floor instead of a spare tyre. An inflation kit is there for those duties. With the back seat folded flat, boot space expands to 1200 litres VDA. 

Nothing new here, with the same five-door livability we’ve seen from every MK7 Golf R.

There’s cupholders front and rear, bottle holders in each door, an armrest on the back seat and ample room for four average-height adults at once.

There’s ISOFIX shield seat mounts in the two outboard positions, and top tethers for all three rear seats. 

The 343-litre boot is still 37 litres smaller than a regular Golf due to the R’s rear differential eating into the space, but it’s still a decent size for its class and expands to 1233 litres via the 60/40 split-fold. Also eating into that space is the space-saver spare under the boot floor. Many of the R’s rivals have moved to a more compact inflation system, but you’d be grateful for the spare if you ever need it.

Compared to the regular Golf R that continues to be available - including the uber-cool wagon that sadly hasn’t made the cut as a Final Edition - the Final Edition hatch adds $2500 for a list price of $57,990. 

The three special colours of Victory Blue, Viper Green and Violet Touch Pearlescent purple will cost you a further $300, but the other Final Edition goodies are black mirror caps, Dynaudio premium sound system, lashings of Nappa leather trim (upgrading from the regular Vienna), Final Edition badging and the black Pretoria 19-inch alloys we’ve seen on other Golf R special editions and in my opinion are the best MK7-era Golf R wheel they made.

If none of the special colours tickle your fancy, you can still opt for Pure White, Lapiz Blue or Deep Black Pearl with your Final Edition, but if you’re after Tornado Red or Indium Grey, you’ll have to stick to the regular Golf R.

Other standard Golf R features beyond its hot mechanical package and subtle design tweaks include a 9.2-inch multimedia screen with gesture and voice controls on top of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, heated front seats with electric driver’s adjustment and memory settings, tinted windows, active LED headlights, active cruise control and front and rear parking sensors. You can also add a panoramic glass sunroof for an extra $1900. 

If anyone you share financial responsibility with suggests that nearly $60k is a lot for a small hatchback, you might want to remind them that Mercedes is asking nearly $100k for an A45 S, and it’s far from double the car.

Both cars use versions of the three and four cylinder petrol engines from before, with the popularity of automatics leaving the previous manual option consigned to history.  The 118i’s 1.5-litre turbo three cylinder now produces 103kW/220Nm, with max torque available all the way from 1480-4200rpm. The 118i now uses the seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, as seen on Mini models that use the same engine. 

The M135i’s 2.0-litre turbo has been tweaked to take the place of the six-cylinder M140i from the last model and now produces 225kW/450Nm, with max torque available all the way from 1750-4500rpm. Its auto remains a torque converter though, but now the transverse-mounted unit also shared with Mini models with the same engine and splitting drive to all four wheels via the xDrive system for the first time. The drive split is constantly variable, but the rear bias tops out at 50 per cent and the only limited slip diff is an electric unit on the front axle.

There’s also no mechanical differences for the Final Edition, but this is hardly a bad thing.

The 213kW and 380Nm from the familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre, combined with the seven-speed DQ381 wet-clutch dual clutch (DSG) auto that came with the 7.5 update still carry a 4.8 second 0-100km/h claim, which is still mighty fast for this end of the price spectrum. Maximum torque available all the way from 1850-5300rpm, which bodes well for everyday easy urge from just 2.0 litres. 

Now more than a couple of years into production, this wet-clutch DSG seems to be faring much better than the often trouble-plagued dual-clutchers of yore, and VW is committed to keeping these issues in the past. 

No, there’s no manual option anymore, but anyone that doesn’t understand how fundamental the DSG is to the Golf R character just doesn’t get it.

Official combined fuel consumption is a decent 5.9L/100km with the 118i, but the M135i steps up to 7.5L/100km) 2.0 litre four in the m135i. Both engines require premium unleaded. 

Fuel tank sizes vary across the two models also, with the 118i measuring 42 litres and the M135i managing 50 litres, despite its need to package rear drive components somewhere under there also. 

This results in a decent theoretical range between fills of 711km for the 118i and 666km for the M135i. 

The Golf R’s 7.2L/100km official combined fuel consumption figure is mighty impressive for a car boasting a 4.8 second 0-100km/h claim. 

It does need the exxy 98 RON Premium unleaded to do its best though, but can manage with cheaper 95 RON Premium. 

Among my many Golf R experiences, I managed to record an even more impressive 6.9L/100km highway figure during the month my family spent aboard the previous Grid Edition wagon, which aside from being 70kg heavier than the hatch, was also fully laden with kids and luggage at the time. 

During this test of the Final Edition, I aimed for the opposite end of that spectrum by recording pump figures after a morning of flat chat track driving around Luddenham Raceway. 

The result? Try 17.1L/100km including to and from the nearest servos, which is pretty amazing considering I get about 16L/100km from my standard 1.6-litre MX-5 under similar circumstances, but with miles less performance than the Golf R. 

So with its 55-litre fuel tank, you can expect a range between 310-797km, depending on whether you’re cruising along the highway or using all 213kW on the track.

For a brand with a marketing slogan of pure driving pleasure, this is the important part, particularly given the new 1 Series has lost its rear wheel drive USP. 

Why do some of us love rear wheel drive? It tends to be more fun when you're driving on the limit, and generally makes for nicer steering because you're only using the front wheels to turn corners.

So how does the new 1 Series drive? That depends on which version. 

The 118i is quite a nice package really. It rides a bit more gently than what I remember in the A-Class and generally feels more like a premium product. It also feels a step ahead of the 2 Series Active Tourer it shares its underpinnings with, which is a good thing.

The three-cylinder engine is quite smooth for a fundamentally unbalanced triple, and it makes enough power to get you out of trouble. 

Do you miss rear wheel drive? Not really, as you can only tell the difference when you're going real fast, which let's face it, is not somewhere 118i drivers are likely to go very often. 

The M135i is a vastly different beast, as you'd expect. Aside from being real quick, it's that much tighter everywhere, but still definitely on the more comfortable side than what we expect the future full house M version to be.

The continuously variable xDrive all-wheel drive system does a great job of putting its power down, but the rear bias maxes out at 50 per cent, which is probably spot on for chasing lap times, but means you miss out on the tailiness of the old one altogether. 

So it’s not as classically fun as the old M140i, but it’s easily faster, and that's what will probably matter most to most buyers. 

Of all the Golf R’s many bow strings, the way it drives is clearly the most important. Like most of these attributes, it’s also changed very little in the past six years. 

It’s always a nimble little jigger with a light, yet connected feel in the nose and heaps of urge available under your right foot. 

The chassis is still a smidge tighter than a GTI, but a fair chunk faster, and just on the right side of comfortable enough to live with for car-apathetic family members. 

There’s always a nice rumble from those four exhausts and sounds more like a WRX than the current Subaru, but not enough to annoy those same family members or wake the neighbours. 

I’ve personally spent thousands of kilometres aboard all variations on road, track and ice, with the wagon loaded to the hilt, and child seats locked and loaded, and it’s hard to think of another car with such breadth of ability and appeal. 

The ride comfort and grip from the seats is indeed better with cloth and Alcantara trim, which was standard on the few Mk7 cars not optioned with leather or the limited Mk7.5 Grid Edition to my knowledge. But it’s still a nice place to be with whichever grade of leather you wind up with. 

The Final Edition’s media launch included the aforementioned morning at the still very fresh Luddenham Raceway, which is a tight, technical and short 1.4km track with lots of elevation and camber changes and grass runoff into oblivion to keep you on your toes. 

Just the place for something small with great point to point acceleration and extremely safe chassis balance then. Sounds a lot like the Golf R to me. 

With the drive mode switched over to Race to sharpen up the steering, dampers, transmission and throttle to make the most of the experience, the Golf R feels more like it’s crouching ready to pounce. 

Even in Race mode, the steering is still relatively light, and the crispness of all other controls helps to overcome the numbness of wearing a race helmet.

Chassis balance is generally good, and gives way to subtle understeer once the limits are reached. It’s therefore a relatively safe way to go fast and makes inducing oversteer that much more satisfying given the effort required to induce it on throttle liftoff.

We fiddled with the tyre pressure balance from front to rear to add a bit more front end grip, so don’t feel you need to run out and splurge on semi slicks to alter your R’s track performance straight away. 

The stability control can be switched off altogether if you’re wanting to really push things, but I didn’t actually think to given it was my first time at Luddenham and the runoff can be on the precarious side.

Like most road-focused performance cars, the tyres get too hot after a handful of full noise laps and the brakes start to smell, but it’s all in the name of prioritising on-road all-weather performance. 

In short, the Golf R continues to be a really easy car to drive at its limit, and therefore a safe option for hitting the track if you’re still working your way up to Senna status.

Safety has always been a Mk7 Golf strong point, and despite first appearing nearly eight years ago and the regular Golf's maximum five star ANCAP safety rating being based on standards dating back as far as 2013, it’s continued to offer features to seemingly keep pace with much more recent products. The all-wheel drive Golf R (and Alltrack) is sadly still officially unrated.

Nonetheless, dual front airbags are complemented by a driver’s knee bag, front side airbags and curtain airbags front and rear. 

The city AEB only works at speeds up to 30km/h, but does include pedestrian detection and is bolstered by multi-collison braking that holds the brakes on after an initial collision to prevent successive impacts.

It also features driver fatigue detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane guidance and rear cross-traffic alerts. 

BMW is yet to step up to the five year warranty offered by most mainstream brands and now Mercedes-Benz and Genesis, continuing with the three year/unlimited coverage matched by Audi. 

As always, BMW describes the service intervals as condition based, and the car will alert the driver when a service is due. This will occur at least every 12 months though, but individual intervals will vary based on how the car is driven. 

This can all be bundled into five year/80,000km service packs though, with the Basic pack costing $1465, but the Plus pack adds brake pad and disc replacement to regular fluids and consumables for $3790. Assuming 12 month intervals, these prices are about average for a premium branded product. 

Another detail that’s changed during the Mk7 Gold R’s lengthy lifespan is VW’s warranty extension to now cover five years and unlimited kilometres, which thankfully represents the status quo for mainstream brands these days.

Service intervals are a generous 12 months or 15,000km and are covered by capped price servicing for the duration of the warranty. 

The average cost per service during this period is $559.80, leading to a total cost of $2799, which is only marginally more than a regular Golf and quite impressive for a car in this performance league.

This cost can be reduced by prepurchasing a Volkswagen Care Plan, which will cut the servicing price over five years down to $2300, or can also be purchased as a three year plan for $1350.