Rchive- An FL5 ownership journal

[Kevv_Her]

Looking back would you have kept your FK8 instead of upgrading? Or were you more than happy with how it all turned out?

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[Noize]

Looking back would you have kept your FK8 instead of upgrading? Or were you more than happy with how it all turned out?

Looking back, I would’ve gone from FK8 to R and not had an FL5 and a second Golf R between.

I really like all of them, but the Mk8 Golf R is the best place for me!

 

[ThanksGTA]

Thanks for sharing your journey. I read the whole thread today so I was a bit surprised to see you go from what seemed to be enjoying the car to selling it.

I'm curious why you prefer the DSG over the 6MT? Assuming traffic just must be horrible for your commute. Maybe it's just me, but the biggest selling point of the MK8 R (or FL5 for that matter) is that it comes with a 3rd pedal.

 

[Noize]

Thanks for sharing your journey. I read the whole thread today so I was a bit surprised to see you go from what seemed to be enjoying the car to selling it.

I'm curious why you prefer the DSG over the 6MT? Assuming traffic just must be horrible for your commute. Maybe it's just me, but the biggest selling point of the MK8 R (or FL5 for that matter) is that it comes with a 3rd pedal.

Honda, unlike VW, can make a great manual transmission.

The VW manual clutch is only good for stock power. The DSG is typically 5mph and .5 second faster in the quarter mile with the same power.

I always pick manual over auto, but the dual clutch DSG is an exception to that rule.

 

[ThanksGTA]

The DSG is typically 5mph and .5 second faster in the quarter mile with the same power.

Any DCT will be faster by comparison to the same car with a manual transmission. That's not a unique feature to the Golf R.

 

[Noize]

Any DCT will be faster by comparison to the same car with a manual transmission. That's not a unique feature to the Golf R.

Sure, but some DCTs are good and some aren’t. Just like manuals. The FL5 manual is fantastic. The Mk8 manual is vague, sloppy, can’t be rushed, and the clutch is weak.

The VW DSG is near PDK level in performance, and vastly outshines its competition.

 

[Clark_Kent]

Damn, sorry to see you go! I was expecting you to be around for a bit longer. Enjoy the Golf R, I've heard really good things about it.

 

[RickyJeezus]

Looking back, I would’ve gone from FK8 to R and not had an FL5 and a second Golf R between.

I really like all of them, but the Mk8 Golf R is the best place for me!

Seems like MK8 Golf R is best for most people, it does everything well...only problem is that damn infotainment and touch controls on the steering wheel.

Patiently waiting to see what the updates are going to be to the infotainment next year before considering one. I had a MK7.5 GTI before my FK8 and I definitely miss it, was the perfect size and made so much sense as a daily/fun car.

 

[Noize]

Seems like MK8 Golf R is best for most people, it does everything well...only problem is that damn infotainment and touch controls on the steering wheel.

Patiently waiting to see what the updates are going to be to the infotainment next year before considering one. I had a MK7.5 GTI before my FK8 and I definitely miss it, was the perfect size and made so much sense as a daily/fun car.

It’s funny about the journalist complaints on the infotainment. And compared to the FK8 infotainment system, it’s a freaking dream. It’s certainly not quite as easy or intuitive as the FL5, though.

Edit: it’s rather easy once you get the hang of it.

 

[RickyJeezus]

It’s funny about the journalist complaints on the infotainment. And I compared to the FK8 infotainment system, it’s a freaking dream. It’s certainly not quite as easy or intuitive as the FL5, though

I would say, the most important function of an infotainment system is to be easy to use.
My buddy just picked up a 2024 X5, and talk about a nightmare system to use if you're not tech inclined.

 

[TypeRD]

Agree! Simple things like turning on the climate controls and adjusting the temperature and fan should not require 2-3 layers of menus to do what you want. For awhile, manufacturers were putting everything on touchscreens because, 1. It was the sexy thing to do, and 2. It costs less than incorporating a bunch of analog controls. I think Honda struck a great balance between analog controls and touchscreen controls in the FL5 (which I assume is carried across the entire Honda lineup as well).

 

[Laznz]

Seems like MK8 Golf R is best for most people, it does everything well...only problem is that damn infotainment and touch controls on the steering wheel.

Patiently waiting to see what the updates are going to be to the infotainment next year before considering one. I had a MK7.5 GTI before my FK8 and I definitely miss it, was the perfect size and made so much sense as a daily/fun car.

I had a mk7.5 golf before my FL5. I loved it, but the only issue was I had to fold the back seats down to fit golf clubs into the boot. When shopping for the FL5 I considered the mk8 golf R and Cupra Leon, but couldn't get over folding the back seats down to fit the golfclubs in. So with that in mind the FL5 was the winner.

 

[1970B302]

Sorry to bring this back from the dead but I read all this and wanted to pick @Noize brain because it sounds like he’s got a lot of experience, as do I, with these type of cars. I won’t bore you and list all the performance cars I’ve owned but I’ll say this. I’ve had multiple GD STIs, a 2016 STI I bought new and drove for 4.5 years, a 2017 Focus RS I got in 2019 as a new leftover and replaced the STI with, mk8 GTI, and I’m now on my second GR Corolla. I’ve had more VWs than just about anyone I know from scirocco 16Vs to big bumper gti 16Vs, corrados, R32s, etc. love VWs. The mkiv R32 is maybe on my top 3 all time car list based on that car as a package. Anyways

my focus RS was a great car, but I did similar to what you did with your FL5 and sold it at the beginning of the covid rather than towards the end like you to recoup and come up on top. I loved that car, but it was black and a small # of the black ones had defective paint. Mine did and while the ford dealer offered a repaint I didn’t want a specialty car with unoriginal paint and 20,000 miles - so I sold it. Fast fowarding daily drivers in between to my second GRC I have now. My first one was black core with all 3 packs inc performance diff package, and I wanted a white one so I sold it and got a stripped out core with zero packages and just stupid factory options. In the street you can’t feel the difference, the steering is the same. I commented because I saw your comment about the fk8 to fl5 in relation to evo ix to X. People who know cars and ask about my GRC how it drives etc I explain to them it’s the closest thing to a modern evo IX I’ve ever driven - and if it had the steering from the focus RS it may as well have a evo IX badge on the back. I could never deal with Honda dealers adm. I almost bit the bullet at 5k over but stopped myself. In the event I have a chance to get one I may - you know how us car guys are when an opportunity arises - but you relating the IX to the fk8 makes me thing that’s what I should buy instead. Not necessarily to replace the GRC , but as an alternative daily if possible.

if the fk8 is the IX and the fl5 is the X, how long until Honda heads and type R owners/ collectors start buying all the virgin FK8s? There was nothing besides refinement the X did better than the IX to me and the X never felt like an evo. It felt bigger and sloppier while the IXs - especially now on a tire like the sport cup 2 - have fighter jet levels of Precision and are like a scalpel with wheels. Nothing under $50k to this day has had the feel those cars did to me - not the GRC, RS, FK8 I drove briefly years ago and can’t remember much about due to a pull over 5 min in.
Will the FL5 be rendered irrelevant in 5 years? By 2013 90% of the evo guys were reverting back to the IX. Just wondering if you have any further thoughts on that….

for me the best era for these types of cars where 04-07. OG MKIV R32, GD STI, Evo 8-9 … nothing was as connected and invigorating to drive as those especially then. They just felt special. My GRC is nice, solid as a rock, and it has tank like built quality and chassis quality. Not a squeak or rattle in either of the 2 and we have poor road conditions here…..but just like my 16 STI, RS, MK8 GTI, and maybe the civic type R It doesn’t have that same Magic those OG Cars did. See if I ever drove my GTI 16Vs I had, or my scirocco or corrado I currently have - and then the R32 my father has I can clearly sit there and say yup you can feel the progress but the special factor isn’t lost. No new car has that special factor in this segment anymore….unless I should consider spending serious seat time in an FK8 because I’m missing something

 

[Noize]

Sorry to bring this back from the dead but I read all this and wanted to pick @Noize brain because it sounds like he’s got a lot of experience, as do I, with these type of cars. I won’t bore you and list all the performance cars I’ve owned but I’ll say this. I’ve had multiple GD STIs, a 2016 STI I bought new and drove for 4.5 years, a 2017 Focus RS I got in 2019 as a new leftover and replaced the STI with, mk8 GTI, and I’m now on my second GR Corolla. I’ve had more VWs than just about anyone I know from scirocco 16Vs to big bumper gti 16Vs, corrados, R32s, etc. love VWs. The mkiv R32 is maybe on my top 3 all time car list based on that car as a package. Anyways

my focus RS was a great car, but I did similar to what you did with your FL5 and sold it at the beginning of the covid rather than towards the end like you to recoup and come up on top. I loved that car, but it was black and a small # of the black ones had defective paint. Mine did and while the ford dealer offered a repaint I didn’t want a specialty car with unoriginal paint and 20,000 miles - so I sold it. Fast fowarding daily drivers in between to my second GRC I have now. My first one was black core with all 3 packs inc performance diff package, and I wanted a white one so I sold it and got a stripped out core with zero packages and just stupid factory options. In the street you can’t feel the difference, the steering is the same. I commented because I saw your comment about the fk8 to fl5 in relation to evo ix to X. People who know cars and ask about my GRC how it drives etc I explain to them it’s the closest thing to a modern evo IX I’ve ever driven - and if it had the steering from the focus RS it may as well have a evo IX badge on the back. I could never deal with Honda dealers adm. I almost bit the bullet at 5k over but stopped myself. In the event I have a chance to get one I may - you know how us car guys are when an opportunity arises - but you relating the IX to the fk8 makes me thing that’s what I should buy instead. Not necessarily to replace the GRC , but as an alternative daily if possible.

if the fk8 is the IX and the fl5 is the X, how long until Honda heads and type R owners/ collectors start buying all the virgin FK8s? There was nothing besides refinement the X did better than the IX to me and the X never felt like an evo. It felt bigger and sloppier while the IXs - especially now on a tire like the sport cup 2 - have fighter jet levels of Precision and are like a scalpel with wheels. Nothing under $50k to this day has had the feel those cars did to me - not the GRC, RS, FK8 I drove briefly years ago and can’t remember much about due to a pull over 5 min in.
Will the FL5 be rendered irrelevant in 5 years? By 2013 90% of the evo guys were reverting back to the IX. Just wondering if you have any further thoughts on that….

for me the best era for these types of cars where 04-07. OG MKIV R32, GD STI, Evo 8-9 … nothing was as connected and invigorating to drive as those especially then. They just felt special. My GRC is nice, solid as a rock, and it has tank like built quality and chassis quality. Not a squeak or rattle in either of the 2 and we have poor road conditions here…..but just like my 16 STI, RS, MK8 GTI, and maybe the civic type R It doesn’t have that same Magic those OG Cars did. See if I ever drove my GTI 16Vs I had, or my scirocco or corrado I currently have - and then the R32 my father has I can clearly sit there and say yup you can feel the progress but the special factor isn’t lost. No new car has that special factor in this segment anymore….unless I should consider spending serious seat time in an FK8 because I’m missing something

Man, I hate to be this guy since you asked for my opinion, but I disagree with about 90% of everything you said.

I guess I kind of like most of the opposite/competition cars that you mentioned.

I hate Subies. Terrible transient boost response, weak engines, understeer city.

I also don’t like the GR Corolla, especially the Core without the diffs. The dash and front clip are huge, car feels 300 lbs. bigger than it is because of that. The engine’s power delivery is linear, but 1.6 liters does not fun make. interior is cheap, shifter meh, and it understeers like a Subalose. It is nothing like an Evo to me.

Regarding Evos, while the IX might be peak Evo, the US version ain’t. No SAYC in the US VIII and IX, and therefore, the X will rotate so much better. The X has Mivec on both sides, the 4B11 head easily outflows the 4G63. The X seats are also a lot better. The 4B11 can also make a crap ton of power with completely stock internals reliably. So while it’s not 4G63 level, it’ll still make 500whp without too much effort.

On to the Type R, the FL5 is a bit heavier than the FK8, but has higher grip levels due to 265w tire with better compound and more damping. I do like the front end’s turn-in better on the FK8.

I would take an FK8 or FL5 over any US WRX/STI, GRC, or RS by a mile. Huge upgrade over all those cars if you value handling.

 

[Clark_Kent]

You are missed around here. I hope you are well and the Golf R is treating you well.

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