MK 5 R32 Review

[paulm007]

Guys, good reviews btw, a bit of advice please

I know its a GTI forum however this is related. I have had an EOS on order since Feb last year after seeing it at the motor show.  I have just seen the latest pictures of it and I am disapointed  :cry:  The show car rocked.

Now I know the EOS will come in 2 levels of trim, base and sport, with the sport having 17" ove 16", lowered suspension and uprated ICE.  I think the base model (1.6) is going to start at £19,500 approx.  Now no one wants the base 1.6 of anything do they, so when I ask for the 2.0 or 2.0T sport model I am expecting a £23 - 25k price tag.

Thinking about this the other day, I though would I be better off getting a fully speced GTI or maybe a 3 door R32??

Your views??

[Rhyso]

test drive the GTI and R32 and decide which one you want 

Saw the R32 yesterday and it didn't look as bad as the press photos have shown it.  Interior is such a nice place to be too.

At the end of the day, ditch the order for the EOS and get ether the GTI or R32 - you won't regret it 

[paulm007]

Thanks mate, must admit that is the way I am thinking.

Got a MK4 GT TDI 130 myself at the mo, bought it brand new.  Absolutely love it, how is yours?

[Rhyso]

got the same myself!!

Got it Friday - loving it at the moment, even though I'm stuck in work and its sat in the car park 

Its great blasting past people without even trying!! Have to get a speed camera detector though; many a time I've though i was doing 70 and it was closer to 100!!!  :embarassed: 

[paulm007]

Drove the R32 manual today, totally awesome.   Think you would have to work the gearbox hard though to get the best out of it.  Handling was great with the 4WD but it did feel slightly heavy under acceleration, was particularly flat when booting it in 4th.  Still want one

Unfortunately its circa £25k and I would be pushing the boat out (with insurance and running costs) to get one.  Also the waiting list is bloody huge

Going to test the GTI next week, think that may be the better option.

Anyone know of any good dealers in the south west who may give a bit of a discount?

[VWmaindealer]

Paulm007

If I were you, i'd buy an ex demo GTI now, keeping the EOS order in place. You won't see your Eos until September anyway so you'll get six months to test drive the GTI. If, you find that the GTI is too good to give up, keep it. You'll get list price (or more) on the EOS because the dealer will have sold out (we have already for 2006). The friendly dealer may even give your deposit back (they will be desperate for your Eos as they'll have a lsit for it).

Worst case scenario is that you've had a GTi for six months. lost a tiny bit on it and you've got an Eos.

As for discount, you'll be lucky! Most self respecting dealers won't discount the GTi because us dealers are in a rare situation where we've got three hot products (GTI, R32 and Eos) and we've got waiting lists. It hasn't happend since the New Beetle came out and we're milking it.  If you've got cars sitting round gathering dust, then you'll discount. If you have to order everything and you're not going to get you rmoney for six to twelve months (or three for a GTI) you've got no incentive to discount especially if you know they'll be someone else who'll happily buy that car.  Until the buzz around GTi dies off and it is starting to, to be fair, you'll be very lucky to find discount.

I'm standing by to be corrected tho 

[VWmaindealer]

Oh, and in my opinion, and i've driven both the R32 and the GTi at length. I'd go for a GTI over the R32 but only because I personally prefer the power delivery of the 4cyl turbo over the V6. The R has a beautiful engine and noise but I find the GTi more fun. I think it feels quicker under acceleration due to the turbo rather than the smooth wind up on the R32.

The Gti seems to feel more agile but thats probably just down to the above.

The Recaro big seats are stunning in the R32 and are now available on the GTi. Just shy of 2400 quid if you have them leathered though!!!!!

VWmd

[VWmaindealer]

paulm007 - EOS prices and spec were confirmed today. If you're interested i'll pass them on.

[Matt555]

Great reading fellas, nice and balanced...

We've driven both back-to-back with the initial thoughts of buying a R32 to replace the A3 3.2 Q. 

I know what you mean about security and the sound of the R32, but the Gti just got under my skin that little bit more!  I thought the sound was awesome from the R32, but then the Gti sounded pretty darn good as well.  But it's all about the drive........  The R32 was a better package than the current A3 we have but the Gti just felt so nimble!!  It reminds me of our old 306 Gti-6 we had a few years back, awesome.  Both were great but the Gti just pips it for me....  well the misses, but I have told her that if she doesn't get on with it not having 4x4 like her Audi, then I'll get rid of my Boxster at the end of the year and take the Gti from her 

Matty

[AlexRWD]

Hello gents, and could I be so bold, (as a newbie) to offer a slightly alternative view-point ?

I would start by admitting that I really don`t know too much about the GTI, or R32 at this stage, as I`m just aboout to collect my (slightly) used `05 GTI on Monday, and I`ve never even driven the R32.

I can, however, offer an opinion about All-Wheel-Drives, as I`m just defecting from a Subaru STI to the Golf. As you say, the R32 will, no doubt, grip the roads very well in the current weather conditions (and the dry of course), but, in doing so, will cosset you in a way that front/rear drive cars can`t.

Surely a good thing ?, you may say, (and I wouldn`t really disagree), but what I did notice, when test-driving my prospective GTI the other day, was that it can actually be more fun to HAVE to control the slides that an AWD won`t induce ie, it can actually be more fun for the car to be slightly LESS efficient in the way it puts the power down, if that makes any sense ?  (I apologise in advance if it doesn`t     )

Hi guys - another newbie here (whose partner is about to pick up a new GTi next Sat  ) and I'd have to agree with encee.

Have been a passenger in the prev R32, and I loved it, the car felt so planted, and sure-footed, but I've also prev had a Jap AWD car - Mitsubishi 3000 GTO twin turbo - and you could do silly speeds in all conditions on all roads, but at the end of the day, it was never challenging or thrilling to drive unless you managed to find a clear stretch of road to go at v v stupid speeds, which was rare.

After that had a Fiat Coupe Turbo for a while, but it understeered like a pig and ride was too harsh, really spoiled the car, which was great in many other respects.

After that I had a Honda S2000 for a couple of years, which has a reputation for spitting owners backwards into hedges / fields etc, but at the end of the day it was soooo much more fun and involving to drive!  You knew if might bite you, so you have to treat with respect, and in poor conditions this may mean driving slower than FWD hatch drivers, bit it was without doubt a much more fun and rewarding car to drive.

I don't doubt the new R32 is a great car, and will keep you safe and get you around v quickly, but will it be as involving?

Again, my personal opinion, but I really don't like the new grille, the exhausts, or the wheels.  I thought the old R32 was a much meaner looking car, and GTi also better looking.  R32 grille is too similar to Passats and some other VW's.

Matt555 - were you on S2ki.com?