For me, no. Because a GTI will always be faster with the same mods as an R (awd has huge power losses from crank to the wheels and also makes the car heavier) and if snow traction is your issue, then you need tires, not awd necessarily. Too much more money for an R and not that many pluses. That's my personal opinion, but honestly it depends on your priorities. Is cost an issue? Do you want bang for buck power? Do you care about 0-60 times? Maybe you get confidence by having awd while driving in harsh conditions? Etc. Etc. Don't get me wrong, the R is great, I'd love to have one if the price was less and awd was more efficient. But we gotta keep it realistic. I thought of all that when I was shopping for my GTI. And as someone else said, clearance is king when it comes to heavy snow. FYI, I was passing stuck cops and other cars during the polar vortex that hit the mid atlantic a couple of years ago. FWD and good tires, plus basic logic. Bottom line, figure out what matters to you, then go with the car that checks most boxes on the list. You can't go wrong with either. If I could afford it I would buy a Mk7 R and Stage 2 it and call it a day. But again...priorities.