Mk4 golf R32, any good?
Discussion
Had one a few years back, sold it after 6 months. Didn't like it...
Reasons being mpg awful, heavy, lack of feel, steering and not that fast.
Plus sides of them are the seats and sound (mine had a milltek exhaust)
Thought for the same money, insurance costs, and better mpg you can get n E46 M3, Audi S3 (remapped) etc... More fun cars to drive..
Reasons being mpg awful, heavy, lack of feel, steering and not that fast.
Plus sides of them are the seats and sound (mine had a milltek exhaust)
Thought for the same money, insurance costs, and better mpg you can get n E46 M3, Audi S3 (remapped) etc... More fun cars to drive..
it could have been an even better car if VW didn't make it so darned heavy! I know, how about a previous owner's thoughts…?
Great engine - unstressed with great throttle response but it MUST have an ECU upgrade (by VW) which I think is called v4243 to smooth out a strange hesitation at 2.5k ish rpm. With this, there's a bit more power too. Oh and they sound superb.
The chassis is good although a tad vague in the limit - grip is amazing though.
The interior is very classy IMO - understated and simple but well made. The seats look cool but aren't actually that comfy and the leather is a bit rubbish (many say it's fake!) and they hit the roof when they fold forwards.
I had to sell mine when it became a major thief magnet but in the year I had it, it was a very good car. MPG is mid 20s.
I tested an S3 at the time and nearly fell asleep at the wheel - utterly dull compared to these. Performance is brisk rather than super rapid but it's a lovely, linear power curve up to the red line like all good N/A engines.
Great engine - unstressed with great throttle response but it MUST have an ECU upgrade (by VW) which I think is called v4243 to smooth out a strange hesitation at 2.5k ish rpm. With this, there's a bit more power too. Oh and they sound superb.
The chassis is good although a tad vague in the limit - grip is amazing though.
The interior is very classy IMO - understated and simple but well made. The seats look cool but aren't actually that comfy and the leather is a bit rubbish (many say it's fake!) and they hit the roof when they fold forwards.
I had to sell mine when it became a major thief magnet but in the year I had it, it was a very good car. MPG is mid 20s.
I tested an S3 at the time and nearly fell asleep at the wheel - utterly dull compared to these. Performance is brisk rather than super rapid but it's a lovely, linear power curve up to the red line like all good N/A engines.
Edited by Vladimir on Thursday 27th March 19:44
Vladimir said:
I know, how about a previous owner's thoughts…?
Great engine - unstressed with great throttle response but it MUST have an ECU upgrade (by VW) which I think is called v4243 to smooth out a strange hesitation at 2.5k ish rpm. With this, there's a bit more power too. Oh and they sound superb.
The chassis is good although a tad vague in the limit - grip is amazing though.
The interior is very classy IMO - understated and simple but well made. The seats look cool but aren't actually that comfy and the leather is a bit rubbish (many say it's fake!) and they hit the roof when they fold forwards.
I had to sell mine when it became a major thief magnet but in the year I had it, it was a very good car. MPG is mid 20s.
Different kind of image I know but have you considered an Impreza WRX? Can't be beaten for performance per pound. The only reason why I mentioned it was, I was in the same position as you a few years ago. Bit of a VW fanboi and wanted a mk4 R32 or Mk5 GTI but saw a few Imprezas for sale in my area, which were signifcantly cheaper for same age and miles (still didn't really like the Impreza image though) but drove one and fell in love with it and kept it for 2.5 years. No regrets! Part of me still hankers for a mk4 R32 though!Great engine - unstressed with great throttle response but it MUST have an ECU upgrade (by VW) which I think is called v4243 to smooth out a strange hesitation at 2.5k ish rpm. With this, there's a bit more power too. Oh and they sound superb.
The chassis is good although a tad vague in the limit - grip is amazing though.
The interior is very classy IMO - understated and simple but well made. The seats look cool but aren't actually that comfy and the leather is a bit rubbish (many say it's fake!) and they hit the roof when they fold forwards.
I had to sell mine when it became a major thief magnet but in the year I had it, it was a very good car. MPG is mid 20s.
Geeba said:
yeah I like a lot about them... road presence.. interior seats etc...
but.. yep heavy and not that fast... remapped 18T will be all over you like a cheap suit...
If its that or a MK5 GTI... seems your not worried by fuel consumption.. I'd go Edition 30 and a remap!
Well im a little worried about fuel consumption as im moving from a fabia vrs that can do 60 mpg on a run so its gonna be a shock! But i don't know of anything else other than the mk5 gti that has 200hp and does 35mpg (at a push i know)but.. yep heavy and not that fast... remapped 18T will be all over you like a cheap suit...
If its that or a MK5 GTI... seems your not worried by fuel consumption.. I'd go Edition 30 and a remap!
Yes, they're probably only just about as fast as a Mk5 GTI and they are heavy and thirsty, but they're hardly the slowest car in the world, are something of an urban legend and carry a certain amount cachet to most people and unless you plan on track work the handling is very surefooted and secure in normal driving. As for the MPG, well depends how much of a cheap skate you are - personally my motor averages 25mpg and to me that's just fine, but some people would be appalled by this figure, namely Mrs Morgrp who drives a diesel.
I appreciate not everyone likes them, but most people who bemoan them have never even sat in one let alone driven it. Personally, I'd go for it and give one a try.
I appreciate not everyone likes them, but most people who bemoan them have never even sat in one let alone driven it. Personally, I'd go for it and give one a try.
willmagrath said:
Well im a little worried about fuel consumption as im moving from a fabia vrs that can do 60 mpg on a run so its gonna be a shock! But i don't know of anything else other than the mk5 gti that has 200hp and does 35mpg (at a push i know)
A BIG push in a MK5! Ed30 will be mid 20's especially after a map... but 300+ bhp 
Hate to say it... but MK5 GT-TDI? 170Bhp....
Edited by Geeba on Thursday 27th March 20:06
Vladimir said:
very interesting and a great read!! weird how they seem to love it, but when reading other reviews, they dont agree at allwillmagrath said:
Well im a little worried about fuel consumption as im moving from a fabia vrs that can do 60 mpg on a run so its gonna be a shock! But i don't know of anything else other than the mk5 gti that has 200hp and does 35mpg (at a push i know)
I went from a dull Polo 1.4 TDI to my Impreza and didn't regret it for one second. It was well worth it. Only doing a short commute though, if you're doing 50 miles per day then it might be a bit more of an issue!white_goodman said:
willmagrath said:
Well im a little worried about fuel consumption as im moving from a fabia vrs that can do 60 mpg on a run so its gonna be a shock! But i don't know of anything else other than the mk5 gti that has 200hp and does 35mpg (at a push i know)
I went from a dull Polo 1.4 TDI to my Impreza and didn't regret it for one second. It was well worth it. Only doing a short commute though, if you're doing 50 miles per day then it might be a bit more of an issue!
but the fabia is so pokey it's gonna be weird to have something thats only a bit faster that costs quite a bit more to run!willmagrath said:
Good point, i only have a 7 mile commute at the moment but the fabia is so pokey it's gonna be weird to have something thats only a bit faster that costs quite a bit more to run!
Haven't had much experience driving the R32 but it must be as quick as a mk5 GTI and the mk5 GTI is a lot quicker than a diesel Fabia vRS even in standard tune and much more rewarding (no offence to the vRS, as I really like them for what they are). If you want a petrol hot hatch that will return decent mpg, a mk5 GTI would be pretty hard to beat. 35-40mpg on a decent motorway run but 20mpg (or less) if you hoon everywhere. They do require premium fuel though (not sure about the R32). I'm not sure if it was strictly necessary but I always ran my Impreza on premium fuel too. but the fabia is so pokey it's gonna be weird to have something thats only a bit faster that costs quite a bit more to run!white_goodman said:
willmagrath said:
Good point, i only have a 7 mile commute at the moment but the fabia is so pokey it's gonna be weird to have something thats only a bit faster that costs quite a bit more to run!
Haven't had much experience driving the R32 but it must be as quick as a mk5 GTI and the mk5 GTI is a lot quicker than a diesel Fabia vRS even in standard tune and much more rewarding (no offence to the vRS, as I really like them for what they are). If you want a petrol hot hatch that will return decent mpg, a mk5 GTI would be pretty hard to beat. 35-40mpg on a decent motorway run but 20mpg (or less) if you hoon everywhere. They do require premium fuel though (not sure about the R32). I'm not sure if it was strictly necessary but I always ran my Impreza on premium fuel too. but the fabia is so pokey it's gonna be weird to have something thats only a bit faster that costs quite a bit more to run! although to defend the vrs, it has been known to keep up with type r's and gti's on a track day, even i was surprised! But i'm sure off the line they'd be quicker, as the diesel runs outta puff!! And they'd be a lot more funGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff