New Renault Megane RS vs Honda Civic Type R vs Volkswagen Golf R

Behind the wheel

Driving position, visibility, build quality

A good driving position is important in any car, but it’s even more crucial in anything likely to be tearing around corners. The Civic’s is tough to fault; you sit suitably low in the car, the seat supports you in all the right places and the pedals line up neatly with the steering wheel. We only wish the brake and accelerator pedals were slightly closer together.

The spacing of the Mégane’s pedals is better suited to fast driving, and its seat holds you in place just as well as the Civic’s through corners. However, the driving position won’t appeal to everyone, because the seat base is angled up towards the front of the car, so it can feel like you’re sitting in a really supportive deck chair.

The Golf’s driving position is, well, just like any other Golf’s. That’s mostly a good thing, although the seats are more like the pews you’d find in a regular hatch, so they aren’t ideal for hard driving. They’re comfortable the rest of the time, though.