Stick with my E90 or swap to an R32?
Discussion
Evening,
I'm a bit bored
, I currently run a very nice E90 325i M Sport with a couple of options on it, I've had it nearly 2 years and to be quite frank I've really enjoyed owning it. I don't do many miles, around 8000 per year so it never feels like I live in it and always feels quite special.
However I've always had my eye on the MK 5 R32, it's just one of those cars that I really like the look / idea of. I've enquired about a couple in the past week and am giving it a fair bit of thought.
There is just a part of me that says it might be a bit of a backwards step.
Any thoughts / experience appreciated.
I'm a bit bored
, I currently run a very nice E90 325i M Sport with a couple of options on it, I've had it nearly 2 years and to be quite frank I've really enjoyed owning it. I don't do many miles, around 8000 per year so it never feels like I live in it and always feels quite special.However I've always had my eye on the MK 5 R32, it's just one of those cars that I really like the look / idea of. I've enquired about a couple in the past week and am giving it a fair bit of thought.
There is just a part of me that says it might be a bit of a backwards step.
Any thoughts / experience appreciated.
Interesting mixed bag of responses 
I'm not really interested in an e46, getting on a bit now IMO.
I'd consider a 1 series as I did when I bought my current car but I'd now rather have a 135i rather than a 130i, I'll have to wait until the Mrs goes back to work though as she also wants a new car for her maternity leave.
I'm not really interested in an e46, getting on a bit now IMO.
I'd consider a 1 series as I did when I bought my current car but I'd now rather have a 135i rather than a 130i, I'll have to wait until the Mrs goes back to work though as she also wants a new car for her maternity leave.
kambites said:
Isn't the mk5 Golf "getting on a bit" too? If you worry about that sort of thing.
Not really, the one I'm looking at is a late 2008, the newest e46 M3 would be 2005???Besides I was asking about the E90 and Golf R32, I genuinely have no real desire to get into an older M car, might not be a popular choice with some on PH but it would be mine.
Mastodon2 said:
ITT;
"Buy an old M car"
"I don't want an old M car"
"Have you considered an old M car?"
I too was hoping this would be about the really exciting R32, the Skyline GTR. However, the VW R32 is not bad either. Neither is cheap to run, but from what I gather, the Skyline really demands you to have a substantial savings pot, and a big tube of lube, to pay for it to be fixed it something goes wrong. Two turbochargers, dual intake system, HICAS 4 wheel steering, there is a lot to go wrong on these and it's not every-day stuff! If I was shopping for a Golf R32 though (and this will go against what you have specified so far) I'd want the older Mk4 version rather than the Mk5. I think they look vastly better, and there is probably little difference in performance between the two generations.
Also, the Mk5 version iirc comes with a valve in the exhaust that closes to choke the noise at low revs, making the car sound flat and lifeless during everyday driving, and opening at higher revs. When open, the car sounds great, when closed it's rubbish. I'm not sure if the MK4 had this valve fitted, or if the ones I've heard had merely been modified to have a valve bypass, but they sounded absolutely glorious from the moment the key was turned, from pulling away, right up to flooring it through the gears. They give a really nice V6 growl, and they have so much presence. Given that the looks of both versions of the R32 are hardly outlandish, I think the incredible soundtrack I've heard from the Mk4 really sells it. That said, if you can bypass the valve in the Mk5, you could potentially be onto a winner again, though it's even more "sleeper" than the Mk4 in that it really does look quite a lot like a boggo diesel Golf until you spot the wheels (which only a PH-style nerd would spot) or the dual exhaust tips.
It seems to me the older version just has a bit more character and flavour. But if you are really set on the newest car you can get, I suppose you are probably willing to sacrifice that for the "nearly new car" feeling and possibly better reliability.
I sold one of the first MK4 R32's in the country back in either 2002 or 2003, I can't quite remember. I have driven a few of them but have never had a MK5, I really liked the MK4 and the newer car is supposed to be much better dynamically."Buy an old M car"
"I don't want an old M car"
"Have you considered an old M car?"
I too was hoping this would be about the really exciting R32, the Skyline GTR. However, the VW R32 is not bad either. Neither is cheap to run, but from what I gather, the Skyline really demands you to have a substantial savings pot, and a big tube of lube, to pay for it to be fixed it something goes wrong. Two turbochargers, dual intake system, HICAS 4 wheel steering, there is a lot to go wrong on these and it's not every-day stuff! If I was shopping for a Golf R32 though (and this will go against what you have specified so far) I'd want the older Mk4 version rather than the Mk5. I think they look vastly better, and there is probably little difference in performance between the two generations.
Also, the Mk5 version iirc comes with a valve in the exhaust that closes to choke the noise at low revs, making the car sound flat and lifeless during everyday driving, and opening at higher revs. When open, the car sounds great, when closed it's rubbish. I'm not sure if the MK4 had this valve fitted, or if the ones I've heard had merely been modified to have a valve bypass, but they sounded absolutely glorious from the moment the key was turned, from pulling away, right up to flooring it through the gears. They give a really nice V6 growl, and they have so much presence. Given that the looks of both versions of the R32 are hardly outlandish, I think the incredible soundtrack I've heard from the Mk4 really sells it. That said, if you can bypass the valve in the Mk5, you could potentially be onto a winner again, though it's even more "sleeper" than the Mk4 in that it really does look quite a lot like a boggo diesel Golf until you spot the wheels (which only a PH-style nerd would spot) or the dual exhaust tips.
It seems to me the older version just has a bit more character and flavour. But if you are really set on the newest car you can get, I suppose you are probably willing to sacrifice that for the "nearly new car" feeling and possibly better reliability.
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