The Volkswagen Golf R faces some stiff competition these days, including the new Ford Focus RS, and premium offerings from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-AMG.
All of these have more power than supercars from a few decades ago, and the ability of carrying up to 5 passengers, while getting a decent-sized boot.
This is why choosing one that suits you best is tougher than you’d imagine, so Autocar wanted to make the selection process easier, by taking the Volkswagen Golf R and the Mercedes-AMG A45 out for a test.
Trying to prove which is faster between the two was no rocket science: the VW has 306hp and 295lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, whereas the AMG is good for 376hp and 350lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque.
There is also the huge price difference between the two, as having more power at your right foot means paying an arm and a leg, which, in this case, is nearly £52,000 ($65,110), or £10,000 ($12,520) more over its starting price, in the UK.
The facelifted Volkswagen Golf R can be had from around £32,000 ($40,065), in Europe’s largest RHD market, so is the AMG still a clever choice?