Mk V GTi or R32

[rhubarb]

I'm in the market for a new car, and have been reading quite a bit about both the R32 and GTi's. Planning to go and test drive both on Saturday. I can't find any articles that really comapres the two. Just wondered if anyone else had test driven both and what their thoughts were. From what I've read the R32 is great, but a bit fat and bloaty with the GTi a bit more agile? Anyone know what the depreciation would be like on the R32, would be planning on keeping it for 3-4 years I would think. I'll be using it to either drive to the station (12 miles each way) daily or driving down to Windsor (100+ miles each way) once or twice a week.

[gmk666]

Have a read:

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.

I'll try and dig out the magazine that compared them. I'm sure they preferred the GTI. (Although I would say that, wouldn't I?)

[vee]

I've owned 2 VR6s and 2 V6 4motions so am a big fan of the 6 cyl VWs.
However, I have to say that if I was buying a Mk5 I'd rather spend the money on a well speeced GTi ahead of a R32.

[smb]

I chose the gti over the r32, i do miss the v6 sound after having had 6 cylinders before, but I decided that for an everyday car the gti did it all better and it was much better mpg, I was expecting mid 20's for the r32, and I get 36mpg on the gti over 8000 miles

[alfaspiderman2]

can you qualify that statement though...'the GTI did it all better?'

given the R32 sounds nicer, is quicker and (IMO) looks better, why chose the GTI for any other reason than cost?

I'm more than happy to believe that the GTI is 90% as good as the R32 for 80% of the cost but struggle to believe that is actually better?

don't get me wrong, I want to chose a GTI but don't want to kick myself afterwards for having taken a head over heart decision

[chrish]

I think you need to drive both as its a personal thing.
There have been several threads on hear recently making comparisons and most of the replies I have read favour the R32.
The GTi is lighter and so a touch sportier but as the R32 is 4WD (when it needs to be)its handling is better and so is the power delivery.
Let us know what you think.

[alfaspiderman2]

after my 3 years of motoring hell with the A3 2.0 TDi I vowed that my next car would be -

a) not diesel
b) not front wheel drive
c) have over 200bhp

seems only the R32 will fit my requirements......

[chrish]

alfaspiderman2 said:

after my 3 years of motoring hell with the A3 2.0 TDi I vowed that my next car would be -

a) not diesel
b) not front wheel drive
c) have over 200bhp

seems only the R32 will fit my requirements......

Sounds like you do lots of miles,the R32 will not be as economical as the GTi let alone the TDi on fuel.That apart its great.

[Carlt]

Having owned 2 Mk4 R32's, I test drove the Mk5 version earlier this year. Nice car, but I prefer the looks of the GTI. So we bought a White GTI with a DSG gearbox and a few other options.
Now done 8000 miles and are really enjoying it - made the best choice IMHO

[rhubarb]

Hey guys, thanks for all your replies, mixed opinions as I thought, so I'm just going to have to go and test drive them. Popped down to my local VW garage today. There's a 9 month waiting list for an R32 - yikes, and the sales guy reckoned there was 5-6 months for a GTi, just so happened he had an ex-demo GTi he could do me a deal on (yeah right). Anyway thinks I'm going to have to do a bit of shopping round too. Looking forward to test drives (if I can find an R32 to test drive).

[cuprabob]

When it came to replacing my Leon Cupra R, I test drove both the GTI and the R32, the GTI felt very similar to the LCR but a bit more refined and also great fun. The R32 felt totally different, it was very smooth which meant that it felt slower but it wasn't. I decided to go for the R32 with DSG and I haven't regretted it for an instant. The car is deceptively fast, although my LCR "felt" faster probably because of the turbo power delivery, torque steer and jerks between gear changes. With the R32 there is very little sensation of acceleration apart from the needle rising rapidly.

Whatever you choose you won't be dissapointed as they are both good cars but for me the V6 sound and refinement won along with the phenomenal grip in the wet

[sargent salt]

Read a simalar debate at GolfGTI.co.uk on the MK5 forum page. Got heated worth a read

[thepickle]

alfaspiderman2 said:

after my 3 years of motoring hell with the A3 2.0 TDi I vowed that my next car would be -

a) not diesel
b) not front wheel drive
c) have over 200bhp

seems only the R32 will fit my requirements......

You really should have a go in a mk5 gti. It would be very harsh of you to rubbish all front drivers based on your A3 trauma The 03 Leon Cupra that the Golf replaced was probably on the same chassis as your A3 wasn’t it? On some decent roads that I have driven on in both cars, I found I was able to carry quite a bit more speed in corners in the Golf. The chassis is simply better on the Golf thereby inspiring greater confidence in corners. Going off on a bit of a tangent here but anyway ... Do you know the straight section on the evo triangle just after you turn right after the Sportsmans Arms? I found I was able to hit a speed 25mph faster at the end of the straight in the gti compared to the Cupra. Partly due to a simple case of more bhp/lbft, but mostly imo due to the better chassis meaning I could enter the sweeping bend at the top faster.

Like any road car with 200bhp going through the front wheels, if you stomp on the loud pedal in the wet you are going to have traction issues off the mark, but you really have to be a total hooligan (and I am at times) for traction and typical front drive tendencies (e.g. understeer) to be an issue in the majority of conditions in the gti. All imo obviously

[smb]

alfaspiderman2 said:

can you qualify that statement though...'the GTI did it all better?'

given the R32 sounds nicer, is quicker and (IMO) looks better, why chose the GTI for any other reason than cost?

I'm more than happy to believe that the GTI is 90% as good as the R32 for 80% of the cost but struggle to believe that is actually better?

don't get me wrong, I want to chose a GTI but don't want to kick myself afterwards for having taken a head over heart decision

Alfaspiderman, here were my reasons for saying the GTI was better at doing all the everyday things better. Bear in mind I said as an everyday car
1- ligter , more responsive handling, the R32 with the V6 engine upfront showed a lot more understeer at times in general road use. THe 4wd doesn't kick in until you are really going for it, so in real terms less than 1% of the time in normal road use. The rest of the time you're just carrying extra weight. Investing money in driver training would get you better performance out of a gti than a non trained driver in an r32.
2- interior much the same between the two but R32 has smaller boot
3- I accept not everyone has this as an issue, and in my case it's wasn't cost , but at the miles I would do, I would have to stop andfill up every other day, with my previous v6 golf I just got fed up stopping at petrol stations every other day.
4- EVO decided the GTI was better than the R32, as it provided more fun and a better drivers experience , not the fastest but a better drivers car.
5- looks, I have to disagree with your comment that the r32 looks better, it's personal taste but the GTI looks better to me.

[alfaspiderman2]

thanks for the response

I don't doubt anything you're saying, i just feel that a GTi would be too similar to my A3 (which is actually on the same floorpan)

believe me, I want to want a GTI after 3 happy years with a Mk2 some time back

EVO's view of the 2 cars is the thing that'd sway it the GTis way for me - those guys seems to be pretty objective and look for similar things as I'm looking for

besides, on my company car scheme, the R32 is about 20% dearer than the GTi all things being equal....

[Nicholas Blair]

Go for the GTi - the R32 was a bit of an anti climax when I drove one.

[leonski]

Hi,
From what I have gathered through speaking to VW employees that I know (both mechanics and sales) they all seem to think the mkIV r32 was better than the mkV r32, but if they had to choose between the new r32 and the gti they would always choose the gti, for both looks and drivability. The only negative is you won't have the sweet sounding V6!
If I had to replace my mkIV r32 I would either buy another mkIV r32 or a mkV gti.......

Happy hunting!

[greatgranny]

Motorpoint are doing new GTIs for £20k with DSG and immediate delivery, Motor provider R32s for about £24k 3-4 months delivery. If you are not too fussed about exact spec these are bargains.

[Marki]

alfaspiderman2 said:

can you qualify that statement though...'the GTI did it all better?'

given the R32 sounds nicer, is quicker and (IMO) looks better, why chose the GTI for any other reason than cost?

I'm more than happy to believe that the GTI is 90% as good as the R32 for 80% of the cost but struggle to believe that is actually better?

don't get me wrong, I want to chose a GTI but don't want to kick myself afterwards for having taken a head over heart decision

I find it hard to belive the GTi will be better

[smb]

Marki said:

alfaspiderman2 said:

can you qualify that statement though...'the GTI did it all better?'

given the R32 sounds nicer, is quicker and (IMO) looks better, why chose the GTI for any other reason than cost?

I'm more than happy to believe that the GTI is 90% as good as the R32 for 80% of the cost but struggle to believe that is actually better?

don't get me wrong, I want to chose a GTI but don't want to kick myself afterwards for having taken a head over heart decision

Marki, read my later post, explains it all. And just becuase the r32 is more expensive doesn't make it a better car.

Alfaspiderman, I tried some A3's with the 8P platform aswell before getting the golf, even though it's the same floorpan, they drive completely differently. Give one a go.
I find it hard to belive the GTi will be better