Vodcast: Toyota GR Yaris vs Volkswagen Golf R

Is the Toyota GR Yaris a hot hatchback? Or is it a rally replica, mega hatch, or something else besides? And is this updated Golf...is it a Gen 2, phase 2, evo, .2 ... or other? And how does it compare to the latest Volkswagen Golf R?

Join Matt Prior and James Disdale in the latest episode of the Autocar vodcast Middle-Aged Tread as they talk about these questions and much more besides, including the Ford Focus RS, the best Golfs, the VR6 engine, Ford Escort Cosworth and more.


Autocar, the world's leading motoring magazine and website, delivers industry-leading news, the most in-depth car reviews and opinion from our team of experts. Our presenters include some of the world's top motoring journalists who have unrivalled access to the world's fastest, rarest, most exotic and most exciting cars on some of the world's best roads and race tracks.

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[djj]

WoW, how to bore your viewers shitless‼️

[TheMcinto]

That's 20 minutes of my life I won't get back 🙄

[classicgator]

With reference of what to call the new GR Yaris, the Japanese have Zenki and Kouki. Zenki = early period or first period. Kouki = later period or final. Chuki = middle period

[gaycha]

I am lucky enough to run both cars. GR is more fun, has vastly superior handling, faster down the twisties and always leaves you smiling every drive. Golf is more accelerative, faster on sweeping roads, motorways, and is by far most comfy and grown up cruiser. You can still chuck it around, but with nothing like the ease and fun of the GR.

Both great cars of there time. There won’t be any more like it.

[jimfray]

Glad you two are having fun.. but nobody else is

[MiataBRG]

For cars that are lively and built for excitement, this is a painfully dull video. Why not try to make it a bit more interesting? I'm out.

[bitumen]

That I have a lot of money, I would buy 2 of the same GR Yaris, one for everyday driving and one for saving. That car in next 15-20 years will worth a small fortune. Future classic for sure.

[andy]

The GR (both Gen 1 & 2) are in completely different leagues to the Golf. In fact, I'd say they are both so far apart that the GR is in an entirely different universe. Both great cars but the GR is better in every sense other than practicality.

[Televisiontechnology]

I had a BMW135ix with 4wd and active suspension - felt quick on open roads, but steering meh. Just not very engaging. Now have Gen 2 GR. Auto, mainly used for weekend mountain runs. Its so rapid on these narrow roads with loads of corners, brakes can stand on really late and hold up well. The steering feels much sharper with better feedback than most recent cars Ive owned or driven. The gearbox is rapid, usually drive it with the paddles. Even as an auto it’s not the best daily, as poor economy by standards and noisy - but used as its meant to be driven, theres little else to compare it to. Feels more motorsport than the usual hot hatch.

[paulallen]

In period the Escort Cosworth was good, but back to back with a Sunny GTiR, I bought the Nissan. I've now got GRY and it's the closest to the GTiR I have had since.

[ians]

Everyone bangs on about how expensive it is as a Gen2 but if you put the 33, 500 price it was on launch into an inflation calculator it comes out I a few pence over 41, 761, so the new model is in fact about 500 quid more expensive like for like and nothing like as cheeky as Porsche and other German manufacturers have raised their prices!!

[JurisKankalis]

The video quality for a large british outlet is absolutely next level. The sound is atrocious and the black five seconds where "camera lost signal and editor just couldn't give a f_ck" was totally a brilliant place to... place a nice drive-by sequence in.. But luckily, the editor just couldn't be bothered to give a f_ck. Either way - both cars are probably pretty brilliant - the tiny Yaris has the same amount of driven wheels and roughly horsepower (less torque though) as my 530 diesel xdrive - but half (HALF) the number of cylinders. The Golf, on the other hand, has more of everything - including space - but less appeal, mostly thanks to VW (WHY??) going away from the brilliant ergonomically perfect interior controls of the Gen 7 Golf - to the idiocy (did I already ask -- WHY????) of the touch controls that seems to be one of the top-three misinformed and mis-judged decisions - in the automotive sector - ever - and that coming from the People's Car brand with the Sitze... seat.. Main office in Wolfsburg... with tons of autobahns on its doorstep. WHY?

[antoinedoinell]

GR all day. Nobody wants to deal with crappy crank seals, rear main seals, HVAC issues, and the general diminishing standards of build quality at VW.

[theusefulchannel]

I typed in...the cure to insomnia...and it brought me here.

[LivingLifeSlower]

Ive just bought a Corolla GR Sport for the dogs, and I've been that impressed that everything just works, that I'll probably look at a GRY too.

Ive had BMW M3 V8, M4, and M4 CS and Audi RS4, and im really taken with the Toyota.

[adrianbennett]

The Toyota will hold its value far better than the VW

[paultaylor]

Nice chat but not much conclusion. Think I know anyway, but it would have been nice to have had my thoughts confirmed.

[urbanstrencan]

Toyota GR Yaris the rally car for the road 🤟🤟🤩👌

[gdritchie]

Car Share used to be mildy amusing, I mean its good to see that Peter Kay has lost a few pounds but Sian Gibson has really let herself go...

[Acidegspoon]

4:05 fake news. Here in Japan the cheapest one is the RC, a very spartan version for racing, with halogen headlights, no infotainment system, etc. for 3.49 million yen. A bargain if compared to the RZ version that starts at 4.48 million yen and the RZ High Performance, listed at 5.33 million yen.
All the versions have the same 1.6 3 cylinder engine with 304ps and the same manual or automatic transmition.