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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#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)
#90 of 121 R32 Pricing by rmorin2 Dec 09, 2007 (7:49 am)
In my area, metro DC/Baltimore, R32s are available at invoice ore even below. With the price of gas and the excellent features of the GTI, R32s are not selling like hot cakes. I am still considering one but would like to hear from owners about their experience and mileage.
#91 of 121 R32 vs. GTI w/DSG by rmorin2 Dec 09, 2007 (8:02 am)
Is the R32 worth the $10K difference in price? Try to convince me. Thanks. Replies to this message: upstatedoc (Dec 09, 2007 9:41 am) rmorin2 (Dec 19, 2007 8:40 pm) upstatedoc (Dec 10, 2007 11:50 am) johnfredc (Dec 16, 2007 6:46 pm)
#92 of 121 Re: R32 vs. GTI w/DSG [rmorin2] by upstatedoc Dec 09, 2007 (9:41 am)
Replying to: rmorin2 (Dec 09, 2007 8:02 am) Maybe drjlag could convince you, he has two of them. (see previous post) I couldn't justify it, spending $35k on a summer car. I went w/ an '08 GTI, nearly the same performance and better mileage. P.S. Why are you getting rid of the mini s? Replies to this message: rmorin2 (Dec 19, 2007 8:40 pm)
#93 of 121 Re: R32 vs. GTI w/DSG [rmorin2] by upstatedoc Dec 10, 2007 (11:50 am)
Replying to: rmorin2 (Dec 09, 2007 8:02 am) Read my test drive post from Oct. 12th. Replies to this message: johnfredc (Dec 16, 2007 6:46 pm)
#94 of 121 Re: R32 vs. GTI w/DSG [upstatedoc] by johnfredc Dec 16, 2007 (6:46 pm)
Replying to: upstatedoc (Dec 10, 2007 11:50 am) Just a follow-up to my previous post (above). My new R32 is definitely the best VW I have ever driven. It never puts its foot down wrong, always has traction, corners at high rates with total composure. I do want to add, though, that I have yet to get used to the DSG. It's that "sequential" thing that gets me. Our other car is a 5-speed Boxster, and driving it after the R32 really points up how often one skips gears while down-shifting a manual transmission. You know: 5-3, 4-2, 3-1 shifts? I haven't figured out how to make them properly with the DSG. It took me several years to get speed-shift timing perfect with a manual... maybe it will take me that long with the DSG. I especially have trouble pulling smoothly but strongly out of toll booths after approaching just below speed. Flooring it is OK for me, but rarely for my most frequent passenger. Any advice out there? I wish the display constantly showed what gear the car was in for D and S modes. Also, I've read that some Japanese cars have programmable transmissions where certain parameters can be set by the driver. The DSG needs a mode between D and S. Plus, the throttle blips on downshifting (in S or paddle mode) spin the motor too much for anything but super aggressive driving. That's the beauty of a manual transmission, guys. Easy to finesse a shift. My old VR6 was like silk. The funny thing is that the most frequent comment about my R32 is "what a beautiful car"... I guess it is! It makes GTIs look all tarted-up and over-wrought.
#95 of 121 Re: R32 vs. GTI w/DSG [upstatedoc] by rmorin2 Dec 19, 2007 (8:40 pm)
Replying to: upstatedoc (Dec 09, 2007 9:41 am) I had 2 convertibles, a new 335i and the 05 MCS cabrio. It was getting near the expiration of the warranty and I was tired of driving 85 miles to the dealer. A friend has an 04 R32 and after driving it I was convinced I had to have one. Mine is being delivered on 12-28 as we will be out of town until then with relatives. Can't wait to drive it in the snow, it does have the all season tires. The R32 will be my daily driver, the BMW only goes out of the garage in nice weather.
#96 of 121 Re:Out of touch? [bepperb] by 600kgolfgt Dec 21, 2007 (4:56 am)
Replying to: bepperb (Nov 28, 2007 7:36 am) 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! At $35K, I would go with the 135i over the Japanese offerings. Japanese cars are reliable, to be sure. But the dirty little secret the Japanese automakers aren't revealing is the fact that they use imported RECYCLED steel from the U.S. and other countries. German manufacturers make their own galvanized steel. When a German and Japanese car get into a collision, you will see the difference. Damage that is repairable on a German automobile would be considered a total loss on a Japanese one. I saw that first hand when my wife's Passat was caught in the middle of a chain-reaction collision a couple of years ago. Two teenagers in a Toyota ran into a line of cars stopped at a stop sign. My wife's car was 3rd from the rear, right in front of a Lexus ES350, which rear-ended her, and sent her into a Mercedes in front of her. No one was seriously hurt - but to make a long story short, the Toyota received massive front-end damage and was totalled, the Lexus who ran into my wife was totalled, but my wife's car sustained damage to only the front and rear bumpers (she had to actually show the trooper the damage up close to prove that she was hit). The bumpers did such a good job of absorbing the damage that the actual steel body was untouched. The Mercedes in front of her sustained minor damage to the rear bumper. Japanese cars cost less than their German counterparts for a reason...You get what you pay for... Replies to this message: byronwalter (Dec 22, 2007 9:49 am) ddburns (Dec 22, 2007 6:30 pm) byronwalter (Dec 23, 2007 7:49 am) 600kgolfgt (Dec 23, 2007 9:55 am) byronwalter (Dec 24, 2007 2:09 pm) and 2 more... 600kgolfgt (Dec 27, 2007 11:45 am)