Article Comments - 2008 VW R32 First Drive and Follow-Up Test

121 messages, Last post on Aug 19, 2009 at 3:27 AM

You are in the Volkswagen GTI Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen R32, Hatchback

First Drive: 2008 Volkswagen R32 - You need to really like German hatchbacks to appreciate the R32's combination of performance and upscale comfort. If you don't, you won't. (more)

Follow-Up Test: 2008 Volkswagen R32 - If pinpoint refinement is your overriding priority in hot-hatch selection, the 2008 VW R32 is the obvious choice. But some will find it too thoroughly baked. (more)

Outline

Messages Page 12 of 13: 1; ...; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; Prev; Next; Last

#107 of 121 6,000 miles on my R32 and counting by bananadan Feb 02, 2008 (1:09 pm)
really not sure what the reviewer in this article is talking about re: feedback from the road in the R32 versus something like the mini s. drove both cars before buying the R32, and thought the mini experience was more than just feedback from the road; it was a spine-jouncing direct coupling with the street. Now if this was a country like Germany or France, where roads are maintained, I might agree. but when driving over broken/displaced concrete slabs as on Interstate 80 in California, or diving through potholes all over this state, the (slight) insulation from the road that the R32 provides is welcome, as is a few extra inches of wheelbase. Sure, your various boy racer/rice rockets have more performance, but the comfort and ease with which the R32 does its near-supercar thing are quite impressive. so if you are talking about a car to drive rather than a car to psych up auto writers, the R32 wins hands down. Also not sure whether the FWD bias in the Haldex setup is correct; I was told (perhaps incorrectly) that the R32 had been set up more like next-generation Audi's, following BMW's AWD lead in biasing the power to the rear in standard conditions. Anyone with more insight?
#108 of 121 First 1500 Mile Report by rmorin2 Feb 02, 2008 (2:19 pm)
I've now driven just over 1500 miles in my R32. Mileage is steadily improving from 18.6 mpg on the first tank to 22.7 on the last one. Most of my driving is commuting on the interstate at 75-80 mph over 2 small mountains (1000 ft. each, OK large hills). Car is everything that I wanted, great acceleration, superb brakes, great handling, reasonable comfort, lots of luggage space, and a stealth appearance. The interior is better than my MCS Cabrio and almost on par with my 335i convertible. So far the only issue I have is a slight vibration in one of the front speakers during high bass portions of music. Just activated my Satellite Radio and the fidelity is very good, on par with the HD radio in my BMW. Considering I paid $400 under invoice for my R32 and got a very fair trade in value on my MINI, I am very pleased. I do not know of another car that offers everything in the R32 for $32K. There are some great deals out there now on both financing and leasing, so if you are considering getting one, now is a great time to buy or lease. IMHO you won't regret it.
#109 of 121 comparisons comparisons by eldaino Feb 06, 2008 (7:37 am)
test drove a mini last night, and then hopped over to the VW dealer down the street. they had 4 R32s. i don't think its bodding so well for them, but i love the car. this is great if you want to get one cheaper than the 35k price tag would insinuate. i think that comparing the r to the sti and evo's of the world is a bit off. its a more of a niche car, and i don't think VW looks at them as real competitors. its a little expensive for my tastes, but id love a newer used one. i just think that you shouldn't go into this car thinking its the end all to performance. its quick, grips very well, and it has a great interior. its not trying to be anything other than what it is, which is something that can be said of very few cars nowadays. its just as fast as the ms3, grips just as hard, but has more roll. and costs more. its a great car, just not for everyone, if you KNOW its not for you, why bother posting?
#110 of 121 Re: R32 questions [drjlag] by eldaino Feb 06, 2008 (7:40 am)
Replying to: drjlag (Oct 12, 2007 11:36 am) i'm all for testing a car well when test driving it, but i would never hound it if i wasn't going to buy it. again, my point still remains: if the car can take your pounding, why not buy it? its just a lame approach to testing cars. not everyone can get one fresh of the boat. but i guess when you go about things thinking you have been 'lucky' sometimes you just don't give a crap huh?
#111 of 121 Re: Test drive [johnfredc] by tangofoxtrot Feb 14, 2008 (11:34 am)
Replying to: johnfredc (Oct 25, 2007 7:41 pm) I didn't get much help from my dealer. Is it okay to drive in Sport Mode during break-in? Also, can you use Sport Mode without using the paddles? I noticed in the manual they said during break-in to only drive 3/4 of the top of the speedometer. 3/4 of 180mph is 135mph. Am I nuts or does this sound ridiculous to you also?
#112 of 121 test drove it by huyracing Jul 24, 2008 (7:50 pm)
it was nice, but i preferred the gti. ride quality was worse than the gti. steering wasn't as sharp as the gti. gas mileage is worse than the gti. wasn't really much faster than gti. far more expensive than gti. and i preferred the gti on the 18" huff wheels over the stock r32 wheels. its a good car still, but the gti is a great car. (and you can get a 4 door which is a bonus in my opinion)
#113 of 121 Re: R32 questions [eldaino] by factoryricho Sep 25, 2008 (10:35 pm)
Replying to: eldaino (Oct 11, 2007 10:35 am) On the issue of the "Power Button."( Anyone can try this on their R-32) I understand why this fellow names it the power button. I understand what he is experiencing. If one slides the gate to the right from the "D" position and accelerates at what feels like full throttle (this is where the throttle pedal "naturally stops when accelerating) through first and second gear, and then pushes the accelerator with the force of trying to reach the front headlights, it feels like you are indeed pressing down on what feels like an old time automatic "passing gear." The car will shift down to a lower gear, provided that you haven't reached the red line of that lower gear. The first time I it happened to me, I was upset, because I thought that I had total control in the manual mode. But that isn't the case, and that is the same thing that this fellow is feeling. Yes, if you nail it from the beginning of first gear and red line it in all the gears, you will never notice it. But try what I have said, and see if you don't have the same results. It truly is a "kick down selector," but in the manual position. And people are saying that this car lacks performance. Now that V.W. has perfected the "dual clutch" performance; Porsche has given up on their manual/automatic and so has BMW. They are both using the V.W.'s transmission design layout. Now what does this say about V.W.'s R & D?
#114 of 121 Re: Ummmmm... [eldaino] by factoryricho Oct 04, 2008 (11:34 pm)
Replying to: eldaino (Aug 13, 2007 8:35 am) You are correct in saying," there are a plethora of sources including edmunds own website that will tell you the mkV golfs and rabbits are built in wolfsburg, as is the r32. Look at the vin numbers, they start with a 'w'. " Now, I am surprised, no, stunned that you believe that the "W" stands for "Wolfsburg." I am sure that everyone who read this didn't respond, because you are SO lost. Look at the N.A.D.A. book. It is Yellow. No one but geeks use "Kelly's Blue Book," not unless you are trying to sell a car, or get a loan, because we all use the "Black Book." This is a weekly book that actually shows what "Dealers" are paying for car at their for real "wholesale auction." I won't tell you everything, but check out the N.A.D.A. book. The first "Character" is the country of origin. NOT the town, the car was assembled in. The number "1" is the United States of America. The number "2" is Canada. Three is Mexico, and "W" is for West Germany, when there was such a thing. Trust me, it is not for Wolfsburg. And "J" is for....guess. The 10 digit is the year..... and if you want to know more; use the "plethora of sources," which you haven't. Not bustins' your "plethora of sources," but use them. Replies to this message: shipo (Oct 05, 2008 6:51 am)
#115 of 121 Re: Ummmmm... [factoryricho] by shipo Oct 05, 2008 (6:51 am)
Replying to: factoryricho (Oct 04, 2008 11:34 pm) A couple of comments about your posts: 1) You're responding to eldaino as if he's the one who doesn't understand the basic facts surrounding the R32 when in reality he's got it down pretty well. I think what you're missing is that he was responding in turn to smyle12, and that's the poster that was making comments that were patently untrue. 2) The posts you've responded to are over a year old and the original posters may not even be following this thread any longer. Best regards, Shipo
#116 of 121 08 VW R32 Purchase by tslbmw Oct 06, 2008 (8:55 am)
I am thinking of snatching up one of the few (or should I say, many) R32s still remaining on dealers lots. When I looked up the incentives for this car on edmunds it said there was $2000 in rebate and $2000 in dealer cash; it does not say that this money can not be combined. Should I basically be shooting for invoice minus $4000 as my target price? I have one dealer in my area who has two R32s that have been there for almost a year and I know they would love to unload them at almost any cost.... Thoughts??