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

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

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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)

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#80 of 121 Re: R32 questions [eldaino] by drjlag Oct 12, 2007 (11:36 am)
Replying to: eldaino (Oct 11, 2007 10:35 am) Well, you thanked me for encouraging dealers not allowing test drives on limited edition cars, so I (sarcastically, by the way) said you're welcome. One note: the european manuals don't have such break-in "rules" (at least for P cars) for the engines. Explain that! And why do you care so much about me test driving cars and the way in which it happens? Do you really care about the person who buys that white car? Are you worried in the future you might buy a car that has been "bullied"? My advice is to look out for yourself and your own purchases. Pre-order cars that you want and make it clear you don't want anyone test driving it. You may have to put 20% down, but it's worth the money for your sanity. On the other hand, these cars aren't really that expensive. Even BMWs aren't that expensive in my mind. Having a custom-made P car for 70 to 100 K, when the car arrives, it has about 5 to 7 miles on it and it is not fooled with until you pick it up (of course you pay 10 to 20 % before you get in it). R32s came with a couple of stickers on the door (like a seal on a new package). For those who pre-ordered these, they were not test driven. Oh, and how many miles did your R32 have on it when you purchased it? You do have one don't you? You bought one right? Because if it was more than 5, say 30, it was "bullied" with out a doubt. The only way to be sure is to have the door stickers on the on the outside of both doors not tampered with. Did you have this luxury? I would guess not, but if so, you shouldn't have to worry. But you can worry for your fellow man (woman), I guess. Hey, I vote you to be the moderator. How's that! Enough....it's the weekend and I'm out! Enjoy, Dr. J. Lag Replies to this message: eldaino (Feb 06, 2008 7:40 am)
#81 of 121 Re: Test drive [upstatedoc] by drjlag Oct 12, 2007 (11:59 am)
Replying to: upstatedoc (Oct 12, 2007 5:22 am) It's hard to get below MSRP on these types of cars. Mine had a $3K mark-up and I told them no way. I think they were asking over $35K. Try your best, but before long they will all be gone. I would push, that you want the car, but not the nav and see if you can bring the price down with that angle. I wouldn't pay more than $33K for the '08 R32 even with nav. I'll tell you this though, I paid $29K for more '04 R (full leather) and it's still worth about 23 to $25K according to Kelly Blue Book with 47K miles on it for a private sale. And for suggested retail price, get this, $29K. Crazy! Even trade-in is at least $19K! And this car is almost 4 years old with only 6 more monthly payments. Now, that's a great investment (for a car purchase at least). I can only assume the '08 R will follow suit. And condsidering the fact that the '04 R is a manual, no power lumbar, no xenon, no in-dash 6-disk changer, no head-light washers (which you will probably use in the snow, up (or down) the mountain in the dark winter evenings), no-spare tire, no cooled glove-box, no mp3 adapter, 10 less hp, no dual-zone climate control, not as solid of a feel, not as low of a ride height (the EU '04 R was lower than the NA and had xenons, these didn't make it over the pond though), no TPMS, no foot-well lighting, and anything else I may be leaving off. I think that's a pretty reasonable price. Finally, everytime I get into my '04, I smile. I love it! That is worth a lot, to say the least. And the '08 is growing on me too, but the manual is great! Too bad the 6-speed wasn't made for the '08 as well. Good luck! And I'm out for real this time.... Cheers, Jason Replies to this message: johnfredc (Oct 25, 2007 7:41 pm) 151aeweenie (Oct 28, 2007 3:46 am) tangofoxtrot (Feb 14, 2008 11:34 am)
#82 of 121 Re: Test drive [drjlag] by johnfredc Oct 25, 2007 (7:41 pm)
Replying to: drjlag (Oct 12, 2007 11:59 am) I have had my gray '08 R32 three weeks and I can tell you it is a truly astounding car. Leave it in D and it is a pussy-cat: smooth, quiet, stress-free competence. Put it in S and floor it and... watch out! I am very pleased. My previous car was a '96 VR6 5 speed which was quite fast in a straight line though exhibited a bit more understeer and body lean than is sporting. I liked that car a lot, but this R32 has touched me somewhere deep inside. I don't use the paddles much, because starting in S, then shifting into D at speed gives all the thrills I need plus, approaching a corner (if you time it right), moving the lever from D into S is just the ticket for perfect downshifts and just the right gear coming out. I'm sold on the DSG. Wonderful car, so buy one now. If Porsche acquires VW we may not see any more of them. Replies to this message: 151aeweenie (Oct 28, 2007 3:46 am) tangofoxtrot (Feb 14, 2008 11:34 am)
#83 of 121 Re: Test drive [johnfredc] by 151aeweenie Oct 28, 2007 (3:46 am)
Replying to: johnfredc (Oct 25, 2007 7:41 pm) My gray one should arrive this week. I'm glad you are so pleased, I expect to have the same reaction. Unfortunately my butt is still in the sandbox, I'll have to wait for R&R in January before I can drive it. But, I've been waiting 2+ years, so what's another 2 months? I had a 2000 Euro-spec Integra Type-R when I was in Germany. I still miss that one, I'm hoping the R32 can fill that void a little bit. I realize they are vastly different cars in a lot of ways, but I'm hoping the R32 will be just as fun to drive.
#84 of 121 Follow-up Test! by KarenS HOST Nov 13, 2007 (6:08 am)
Follow-Up Test: 2008 Volkswagen R32
#85 of 121 There are a couple of problems with this car by ccd1 Nov 13, 2007 (10:15 am)
First of all, the R32 isn't sufficiently better than the GTI to justify the added price. This has been the verdict on the A3 2.0 vs the 3.2 and the TT 2.0 vs. 3.2. The second problem is that, at around $35k, the R32 is up against some pretty stiff competition like the WRX STI, the EVO X and probably the BMW 135i, not to mention the 350Z, G35 and RX-8. The R32 will probably sell well because not many cars are being brought into the US, but I personally would not choose this car over most of the competition. VW just didn't bring enough to the table. Replies to this message: traderyin (Nov 14, 2007 12:38 pm)
#86 of 121 Re: There are a couple of problems with this car [ccd1] by traderyin Nov 14, 2007 (12:38 pm)
Replying to: ccd1 (Nov 13, 2007 10:15 am) I can't agree more, ccd1. $35k is way steep for a hot hatch. This is just an Audi TT with 6k discount. How's the performance number stack up against the Mazdaspeed 3? I think I take the MS 3 if I want a hot hatch.
#87 of 121 Out of touch? by greening Nov 14, 2007 (2:25 pm)
I'm not seeing a single car with impressive fuel efficiency. Where are you people? Accceleration? For what? Jack rabbit starts at traffic lights? We owned a car 20 years ago that got 40 MPG. We owned a car 10 years ago that got 60 MPG. Let's get with the program and the consumer and stop with the gas guzzlers. Show us a car that makes sense! Replies to this message: deepclue (Nov 18, 2007 3:44 pm)
#88 of 121 Re: Out of touch? [greening] by deepclue Nov 18, 2007 (3:44 pm)
Replying to: greening (Nov 14, 2007 2:25 pm) I bought this car two days ago, drove it to the airport, and flew out for business. I have not stopped thinking about it since! I'm dying to get back and drive it home. I was in the market for a VW GTI/Audi A3 and my eye caught a blue VW R32 still in shipping wraps. Had the dealer prep it for a test drive and fell in love with it instantly. So did my wife. The GTI needed pushing to blast off, and did so screaming; the R32 was more of a precision machine. Hyperspace acceleration was delivered with a pleasant growl instead of a scream; cornering with the 4Motion system was just perfect. The DSG transmission's paddle shifters are smooth and addictive. According to the owner's manual, the transmission even has a "drag start mode": depress brake with left foot while in "Sport" mode, rev the engine up to 3,200rpm, and let the brake go. The car then red-lines every gear by itself. Is that a statement or what. The interior is incredibly beautiful. Very sporty but very tasteful, too. The seats are gorgeous and it feels like you're being hugged. (I find them far more tasteful than the over-the-top European Recaros.) The Xenon headlights are a definite improvement over traditional halogen. Watching the beam pitch and yaw is really cool too The stereo is perhaps its weak spot. It's not "bad," but for a "premium stereo" system it's frankly disappointing. My (now former) '03 Jetta GLS 1.8T had a stock stereo that I could swear sounded better. The faint monochrome LCD display is a let-down, and the absence of iPod integration is just backwards. (It does have an Aux input, and a six-CD changer that reads MP3 discs, which I'll be sure to try.) By the way, I made the dealer what I considered a win-win offer, and within ten minutes we were doing the paperwork. $1,200 over invoice (about $500 below MSRP). Don't be fooled by mark-up antics--at the end of the day, a car is a car is a car. I don't get why people say this is not a good investment. Tell me one car that can give you a 250hp V6, AWD, a truly tasteful yet mean interior, and all the bells and whistles you can think of for $33k. I'm 35 and the Evos of the World are just not for me. And at $38k for comparable equipment (and in my opinion more bland interior), the A3 3.2 was a no-go for me.
#89 of 121 Re:Out of touch? by bepperb Nov 28, 2007 (7:36 am)
Are you kidding? Every vehicle doesn't need to be designed with your preferences, which from your post I assume to be high mileage and low emmisions. This is a low production vehicle designed for a different market than you are interested in. Find a more appropriate place for your comments, not performance review discussions, please. If anything, VW is out of touch with the rest of the performance oriented hatchback scene. Aren't the mazdaspeed 3 and WRX priced in the mid 20's? Of course, why people buy any small hatchback when a 2.5gt Impreza or Accord/Altima V6 Coupe can be had for 8 grand less is beyond me. For 35k one can do so much better. 135i please! Replies to this message: 600kgolfgt (Dec 21, 2007 4:56 am) byronwalter (Dec 22, 2007 9:49 am) ddburns (Dec 22, 2007 6:30 pm) and 1 more... 600kgolfgt (Dec 23, 2007 9:55 am) and 3 more... 600kgolfgt (Dec 27, 2007 11:45 am)