Golf R vs Golf GTi vs Golf R32?
Discussion
Swampy1982 said:
What's your budget? And what other cars do you have?
Haven't determined budget, but clearly new is out. Will be a long term keeper. Other cars are a 1987 Porsche 944, and a 1983 T25 camper, hence need for reliable everyday 20 mile cross country commute and long distance car.
I've driven a Mk7 GTi and loved it. Can an R be any better?
You need to drive the R to decide for yourself really. It's faster in a straight line but much heavier and no optional diff so not as great in the corners.
The R32 is a slouch compared to either. It has its charm but it's more of a cruiser than a hot hatch. Not that fast but makes a nice noise.
The R32 is a slouch compared to either. It has its charm but it's more of a cruiser than a hot hatch. Not that fast but makes a nice noise.
I've had a Mk5 R32 (later supercharged) and Mk5 GTI, as well as two 2.0T A3s and an S3.
The R32 is quite an event and, depending on your tastes, may give you a deeper satisfaction than any alternative. It certainly did for me.
Everyone has their own outlook and preferences, but I'm puzzled how often people say that the R32 is a sloth. It's a naturally-aspirated engine and needs to be worked hard for all-out performance, but it's certainly faster than non-mapped turbo engines of its day and - crucially - gives a performance that is so instant, unquantifiable by its nature. It also notably comes into its own at motorway speeds.
If you like the idea of savouring the sensation, then go for the R32. If you tend instead towards something fast for the sake of it, then get something with a big turbo... or, like me, have the best of both worlds by supercharging an R32.
The R32 is quite an event and, depending on your tastes, may give you a deeper satisfaction than any alternative. It certainly did for me.
Everyone has their own outlook and preferences, but I'm puzzled how often people say that the R32 is a sloth. It's a naturally-aspirated engine and needs to be worked hard for all-out performance, but it's certainly faster than non-mapped turbo engines of its day and - crucially - gives a performance that is so instant, unquantifiable by its nature. It also notably comes into its own at motorway speeds.
If you like the idea of savouring the sensation, then go for the R32. If you tend instead towards something fast for the sake of it, then get something with a big turbo... or, like me, have the best of both worlds by supercharging an R32.
The Mk7 GTI is a great car, it's a hot hatchback in the purest form possible. At it's best with the Manual 'box and Performance Pack IMO for the most involving drive.
The R takes things up to another level with the sheer amount of power on offer and feels like a totally different animal. The 4WD really helps with making the full performance easily accessible. Works best with the DSG 'box. But it clearly costs more and arguably has less character than a GTI!
I wouldn't bother with the R32 as it's a much older car (newest examples will be 10 years now) with much higher running costs. A new GTI will probably be faster in certain situations. The V6 soundtrack is all it has going for it IMO, but each to there own
The R takes things up to another level with the sheer amount of power on offer and feels like a totally different animal. The 4WD really helps with making the full performance easily accessible. Works best with the DSG 'box. But it clearly costs more and arguably has less character than a GTI!
I wouldn't bother with the R32 as it's a much older car (newest examples will be 10 years now) with much higher running costs. A new GTI will probably be faster in certain situations. The V6 soundtrack is all it has going for it IMO, but each to there own
Golf R is a very fast car and effortlessly so. I love mine. It’s fast everywhere in all conditions so there’s never a moment where I feel I’m not “wasting” the car for 60% of the year. The Golf R is also quite relaxed to drive briskly. You never have to hammer it to get up to speed, but if you do it’s an absolute riot. The quad exhausts give it a nice noise too despite the 4-pot caveat.
Keep in mind though that if you insist on a manual R the clutch is TERRIBLE and probably won’t last long. It’s a common issue with them. Most often they’re replaced with Sachs organic clutches. I would factor this into your costs when looking at an R!
Keep in mind though that if you insist on a manual R the clutch is TERRIBLE and probably won’t last long. It’s a common issue with them. Most often they’re replaced with Sachs organic clutches. I would factor this into your costs when looking at an R!
Gassing Station | Audi, Seat, Skoda & VW | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff