2019 Porsche 718 Cayman Vs. 2019 Infiniti Q60
The 718 Cayman鈥檚 optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver鈥檚 seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Q60 doesn鈥檛 offer an easy entry system. The 718 Cayman鈥檚 instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often 鈥榠diot lights鈥?don鈥檛 warn you until damage has been done. The Q60 does not have an oil pressure gauge. Porsche Entry and Drive optional on the 718 Cayman allows you to unlock the driver鈥檚 door, trunk and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Infiniti Q60鈥檚 Infiniti Intelligent Key doesn鈥檛 unlock the trunk. To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 718 Cayman offers an optional rear wiper. The Q60 doesn鈥檛 offer a rear wiper. In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The 718 Cayman offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Q60 doesn鈥檛 offer headlight washers. Optional air-conditioned seats in the 718 Cayman keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q60 doesn鈥檛 offer air-conditioned seats.
It was a little different for the brands鈥?garage networks in our latest Driver Power dealer poll, with Honda retailers ranking second, while Volkswagen came 18th and Mercedes was in between, in 13th place out of 28 manufacturers. Our depreciation experts predict that you鈥檒l lose 拢16,930 on the Civic over three years, because it holds on to 49.5 per cent of its original list price and is the cheapest car of the three in this test. The Golf鈥檚 expected 47.1 per cent residual value means a loss of 拢18,467 over the same period, while the A 35 still sheds 拢18,288 with its anticipated 48.6 per cent figure. Thanks to its long list of standard equipment, the Type R is by far the best-value model of our trio. It鈥檚 also the cheapest to insure: our example driver will pay an annual premium of 拢420 to cover the Civic, whereas it鈥檚 拢725 and 拢695 for the A 35 and Golf R respectively. 鈥淟ift off mid-corner and the Honda will start to tighten its line.
Hit the throttle and the front wheels will pull you around the bend. The Volkswagen Golf R set the blueprint for modern hot hatch design with its potent engine, four-wheel-drive layout and practical body. Prices for WLTP-homologated models haven鈥檛 been released, but you can buy a brand-new 2018 car from stock for 拢34,910, which sits between its rivals here. Under the skin of the Golf is the VW Group鈥檚 MQB platform, which is the basis of many different models. It鈥檚 versatile, too, which allows the R variant to use four-wheel-drive. The 2.0-litre petrol engine produces 306bhp and the R鈥檚 four-wheel-drive system makes excellent use of the powerful motor, especially thanks to Volkswagen鈥檚 clever XDS electronic differential. Opting for the 拢850 Dynamic Chassis Control adds adaptive suspension, which allows you to switch between Comfort, Normal and Sport modes. It鈥檚 pricey, but still worth having because it broadens the Golf鈥檚 already impressive everyday usability without compromising its handling. The interior is another strong point in the VW, because build and material quality are excellent, and the neat design means the cabin feels spacious without losing any practicality.
The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system is excellent, too. Standard equipment on the Golf R isn鈥檛 quite as generous as the Honda鈥檚, but it鈥檚 on par with the A 35鈥檚 because you get 18-inch alloy wheels, sat-nav, a digital dash, smartphone connectivity, parking sensors and a reversing camera. There are also LED headlights and keyless operation to match both rivals鈥?specifications. The Golf R鈥檚 potent engine, snappy DSG gearbox and four-wheel-drive traction work together very well, resulting in ballistic straight-line performance. It was the fastest car from 0-60mph (4.3 seconds) and took just 4.0 seconds to go from 30-70mph through the gears, which was 0.2 and 0.3 seconds faster than the Mercedes and Honda respectively. It was also quickest in our fourth gear 30-50mph test, beating the A 35鈥檚 3.3 seconds and the Type R鈥檚 3.4 seconds with a time of three seconds flat. The Volkswagen was faster than its rivals in higher gears as well, asserting a straight-line advantage everywhere in the slippery conditions of our test.