Compare the2023 Volkswagen Golf RVS 2023 Genesis G70

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Golf R have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Genesis G70 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Golf R’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The G70 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Golf R has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The G70 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Golf R has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The G70 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Golf R. But it costs extra on the G70.

Both the Golf R and the G70 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Genesis dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Golf R’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Golf R’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the G70’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Golf R Manual’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 63 more horsepower (315 vs. 252) and 20 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 260) than the G70 2.0T’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Golf R DSG is faster than the G70 3.3T 3.3 turbo V6 (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Golf R gets better mileage than the G70:

Regardless of its engine, the Golf R’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Genesis only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the G70 2.0T.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Golf R higher (5 out of 10) than the Genesis G70 (3). This means the Golf R produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the G70 every 15,000 miles.

The Golf R offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The G70 doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

The Golf R offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The G70 doesn’t offer an SMG.

For better stopping power the Golf R’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the G70:

The Golf R’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the G70 2.0T are solid, not vented.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Golf R has a standard Hydraulic Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The G70 doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The Golf R stops much shorter than the G70:

For better traction, the Golf R has larger tires than the G70 (235/35R19 vs. 225/40R19).

The Golf R’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the G70’s standard 40 series front tires.

The Golf R handles at .95 G’s, while the G70 Sport Advanced pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Golf R executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the G70 Sport Advanced (24.9 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

The Golf R is 1 foot, 3.5 inches shorter than the G70, making the Golf R easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Golf R is quieter than the G70 (76 vs. 77 dB).

The Golf R has 1.2 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear legroom than the G70.

The Golf R’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The G70 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Golf R’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The G70’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Golf R to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The G70 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Golf R has a standard rear wiper. The G70 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Golf R has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the G70 AWD/3.3T Sport Prestige.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Golf R has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the G70 Advance/Sport Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Golf R’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The G70 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Golf R was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 15 of the last 16 years. The G70 hasn’t been picked since 2019.

The Golf R was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” for 5 of the last 15 years. The G70 has never been an “All Star.”

The Volkswagen Golf/GTI outsold the Genesis G70 by 32% during the 2021 model year.