High(er) mileage MK5 R32 query
Discussion
Hi Guys,
I am looking at getting back into a MK5 Golf - either an Edition 30 or an R32. This will be used for an occasional round trip of about 300/320 miles a week.
I am reluctant to spend top ££££ for a low mileage example air the engines are known to be reliable at >90000/100000 miles. How reliable are the R32 engines?
The reason I ask this is because for a mint low mileage example I will be spending £10k if not closer to £12k. Whereas if I was looking at a higher mileage example I could possibly purchase one for almost half that.
The reason I'm swaying towards the R32 (I have another thread asking for a MK5 GTI/Edition 30) is because they are usually much better specced for similar money to the Edition 30. e.g. I want xenons and I believe they come as standard on the R32, whereas on the Edition 30 they were an expensive option so are are pretty rare.
Anyway - I suppose I would like to know about the reliability of these engines (R32) and also whether there was anything I should look out for?
I am looking at getting back into a MK5 Golf - either an Edition 30 or an R32. This will be used for an occasional round trip of about 300/320 miles a week.
I am reluctant to spend top ££££ for a low mileage example air the engines are known to be reliable at >90000/100000 miles. How reliable are the R32 engines?
The reason I ask this is because for a mint low mileage example I will be spending £10k if not closer to £12k. Whereas if I was looking at a higher mileage example I could possibly purchase one for almost half that.
The reason I'm swaying towards the R32 (I have another thread asking for a MK5 GTI/Edition 30) is because they are usually much better specced for similar money to the Edition 30. e.g. I want xenons and I believe they come as standard on the R32, whereas on the Edition 30 they were an expensive option so are are pretty rare.
Anyway - I suppose I would like to know about the reliability of these engines (R32) and also whether there was anything I should look out for?
I would argue the TFSI's are more reliable, because timing belt.
The chains can go on the R32 engines which is about £800 to sort out.
But to be fair, both are very reliable engines.
The TFSI, as above, has some "common" issues but they can all be sorted with a socket set from halfords (literally you need like a t25 and t30) and depending on the year, either a multispline or a normal spanner for the HPFP cam follower.
you can replace all the common issues on the TFSI for under £100 :-)
I'd say go for an Edition 30.
They are tough and faster and more economical than the R32, lighter too, so the handling is better, and more tunable, £300 will take an ED30 to 300bhp. If you spend £1200 on hardware then £350 on a map that will go to about 360bhp.
The chains can go on the R32 engines which is about £800 to sort out.
But to be fair, both are very reliable engines.
The TFSI, as above, has some "common" issues but they can all be sorted with a socket set from halfords (literally you need like a t25 and t30) and depending on the year, either a multispline or a normal spanner for the HPFP cam follower.
you can replace all the common issues on the TFSI for under £100 :-)
I'd say go for an Edition 30.
They are tough and faster and more economical than the R32, lighter too, so the handling is better, and more tunable, £300 will take an ED30 to 300bhp. If you spend £1200 on hardware then £350 on a map that will go to about 360bhp.
Cant comment on the ED30 engine but the VR6 is next to bullet proof, if maintained regularly regardless of miles. Key is to look for one with a spot on history.
every 40k see's a haldex oil & oil filter change, and the usual 10/12k service intervals with a major at 40k, but generally from what I have looked at and experienced in the last two years of ownership with a MK5 it needs pretty much nothing!
I did have a leaking radiator at the beginning of last year which was a nice £400 bill with VW but im unsure how rare this is, but this is common ( so to speak ) across the m5k range, not just the R.
Body work wise, the rusty front wings spring to mind so check for paint bubbles and poor touch up jobs if they haven't been replaced under recall already.
love mine to bits - not the fastest car by a long long way but its a very capable all-rounder with bags of soul and will sit at naughty mph all day without batting an eye lid. the ED30 will be faster after a simple remap but cant help but think the standard one ive been in felt a bit 'wheezy' in comparison. if your looking for a 08 / 58 / 09 car find one that's well spec'd as at the end of production VW chucked a load out of the factory with poor spec as sales dropped.
every 40k see's a haldex oil & oil filter change, and the usual 10/12k service intervals with a major at 40k, but generally from what I have looked at and experienced in the last two years of ownership with a MK5 it needs pretty much nothing!
I did have a leaking radiator at the beginning of last year which was a nice £400 bill with VW but im unsure how rare this is, but this is common ( so to speak ) across the m5k range, not just the R.
Body work wise, the rusty front wings spring to mind so check for paint bubbles and poor touch up jobs if they haven't been replaced under recall already.
love mine to bits - not the fastest car by a long long way but its a very capable all-rounder with bags of soul and will sit at naughty mph all day without batting an eye lid. the ED30 will be faster after a simple remap but cant help but think the standard one ive been in felt a bit 'wheezy' in comparison. if your looking for a 08 / 58 / 09 car find one that's well spec'd as at the end of production VW chucked a load out of the factory with poor spec as sales dropped.
Am I right in thinking higher tax on the r32?
Ed30 looks better in my opinion, nicer alloys and better front grill. Slightly quicker when moving, particularly with the mandatory remap which leaves r32s well behind.for your budget I'm sure you'd find one with all the extras and lowish miles.
However tartan not for all, twin exhaust and that r32 soundtrack..... ...ahhhhh.....
I have a good specced remapped ed30 and love it. It has a raspy exhaust note with a few crackles which may not be a 6 pot, but isn't all that bad.
Nice choice to have!
Ed30 looks better in my opinion, nicer alloys and better front grill. Slightly quicker when moving, particularly with the mandatory remap which leaves r32s well behind.for your budget I'm sure you'd find one with all the extras and lowish miles.
However tartan not for all, twin exhaust and that r32 soundtrack..... ...ahhhhh.....
I have a good specced remapped ed30 and love it. It has a raspy exhaust note with a few crackles which may not be a 6 pot, but isn't all that bad.
Nice choice to have!
Thanks for all the responses so far guys. I'm swaying more to the R32 at the moment. Just because it'd be my first V6 or VR6.
I've already had a Mk5 GTI, and I just feel the Ed30 will be too similar. If anything I've read its a little worse in standard guise (minus a remap) for local driving. I don't plan on doing any performance mods on my cars so that effectively rules it out unless I can find an AMAZING one
.
Is there anything else I should look out for? DSG/Manual - whats the general view with guys above who have had these gearboxes?
I know the tax is higher on an R32 (I'm not looking at the 2005/2006 models as most have had way too many owners and are cheap enough for people who are less likely to look after them) but I am willing to put up with the cost for the sound.
Thanks again
I've already had a Mk5 GTI, and I just feel the Ed30 will be too similar. If anything I've read its a little worse in standard guise (minus a remap) for local driving. I don't plan on doing any performance mods on my cars so that effectively rules it out unless I can find an AMAZING one
.Is there anything else I should look out for? DSG/Manual - whats the general view with guys above who have had these gearboxes?
I know the tax is higher on an R32 (I'm not looking at the 2005/2006 models as most have had way too many owners and are cheap enough for people who are less likely to look after them) but I am willing to put up with the cost for the sound.
Thanks again
Edited by 7heGeneral on Tuesday 12th January 12:36
A salient point that has been overlooked so far but, is applicable to any high mileage car, is that it's not just the engine you need to consider. The whole car has covered the mileage and it's much more likely that other parts of it will fail before the engine on a modern car. Bushes will typically go first, then the various steering/ suspension joints then dampers so on and so fourth. If you considering a 100k> mile example, make sure to check all those things. Most of those things are cheap to replace on the Golf though.
I've owned a MK5 R32 for the last 2.5 years and covered 33k miles in it. It's not missed a beat in that time and I've had to do nothing to it other than normal service/ maintenance stuff. As mentioned, VED is steep at £490 this year but that's the only real expense. Mine does between 30 and 33mpg on a run, 25 or so around town so fuel costs are reasonable. Servicing is reasonable even at main dealers (it's just a Gold with a 6 cylinder engine). Tyres are a popular size and they don't seem to wear particularly quickly. I put my last set on around 15k miles ago and they have 5mm of tread depth left. Similarly, brake pads last forever. I was told at the service before last that my rears had 5k miles left in them. 11k miles later, they still had 3mm or so or material left. Of course, that's down to how I drive more than anything but...
I'd strongly recommend you go for a DSG model. I was stanunchly against 'autos' before this but now, I'd never go back. The gearbox is the second best thing about the car, after the engine. It really suits the car in my opinion.
Other than that, as with any car, test drive as many as you can. When i bought mine, I test drove a very rich example at a dealer. It felt so flat and was a real disappointment. The next one I test drove (an bought) was a completely different experience. It was also £4k cheaper!
Paul
I've owned a MK5 R32 for the last 2.5 years and covered 33k miles in it. It's not missed a beat in that time and I've had to do nothing to it other than normal service/ maintenance stuff. As mentioned, VED is steep at £490 this year but that's the only real expense. Mine does between 30 and 33mpg on a run, 25 or so around town so fuel costs are reasonable. Servicing is reasonable even at main dealers (it's just a Gold with a 6 cylinder engine). Tyres are a popular size and they don't seem to wear particularly quickly. I put my last set on around 15k miles ago and they have 5mm of tread depth left. Similarly, brake pads last forever. I was told at the service before last that my rears had 5k miles left in them. 11k miles later, they still had 3mm or so or material left. Of course, that's down to how I drive more than anything but...
I'd strongly recommend you go for a DSG model. I was stanunchly against 'autos' before this but now, I'd never go back. The gearbox is the second best thing about the car, after the engine. It really suits the car in my opinion.
Other than that, as with any car, test drive as many as you can. When i bought mine, I test drove a very rich example at a dealer. It felt so flat and was a real disappointment. The next one I test drove (an bought) was a completely different experience. It was also £4k cheaper!
Paul
xjay1337 said:
I would argue the TFSI's are more reliable, because timing belt.
The chains can go on the R32 engines which is about £800 to sort out.
I'd say go for an Edition 30.
They are tough and faster and more economical than the R32, lighter too, so the handling is better, and more tunable, £300 will take an ED30 to 300bhp. If you spend £1200 on hardware then £350 on a map that will go to about 360bhp.
The chains were sorted out in 2006, so only the 2005 model year MK5s are (potentially) affected by chain stretch. With VCDS and a cable, you can at least forewarn yourself by periodically checking measuring blocks 208 & 209, but yeah, it's a nasty job. Gearbox off, top half dismantle. Yuk. Done it 3 times now.The chains can go on the R32 engines which is about £800 to sort out.
I'd say go for an Edition 30.
They are tough and faster and more economical than the R32, lighter too, so the handling is better, and more tunable, £300 will take an ED30 to 300bhp. If you spend £1200 on hardware then £350 on a map that will go to about 360bhp.
Agreed with the ED30 comments as I went R32 > ED30. I don't miss the R32 *at all*. The ONLY advantage the R32 has is traction off the line, otherwise it just boils down to engine note choice. The TFSI's note is bloody awful, but I'm more into go than show.
pinseeker said:
Ed30 looks better in my opinion, nicer alloys and better front grill. Slightly quicker when moving, particularly with the mandatory remap which leaves r32s well behind.for your budget I'm sure you'd find one with all the extras and lowish miles.
However tartan not for all, twin exhaust and that r32 soundtrack..... ...ahhhhh.....
I thought the same about the tartan, but I was happy to over look it in view of the rest of the car's pluses! BUT....the ED30s seats are the best I've ever had, in any car! Everyone comments on how comfortable they are, and being cloth, they don't creak and squeak like my R32's leathers used to.However tartan not for all, twin exhaust and that r32 soundtrack..... ...ahhhhh.....
Interestingly enough, the Edition puts down 221lbft torque at 2250rpm and the R32 puts it's peak of 236lbft down by 2800rpm. You'd therefore think the Edition would feel quicker below 3000rpm, but it doesn't! As you say, once rolling, they are inseparable in terms of pace.
Agreed on the DSG gearbox, a must for both cars. Get it remapped to remove the auto upshift when using the paddles in manual mode.
SuperchargedVR6 said:
The ONLY advantage the R32 has is traction off the line
It's very easy to catch the Haldex out, the the wet, in the R32 though, I seem to do it all the time with the result being monumental (front) wheelspin, a frantically flashing ESP light and no forward motion. I blame the on/ off FBW throttle response!SuperchargedVR6 said:
Everyone comments on how comfortable they are, and being cloth, they don't creak and squeak like my R32's leathers used to.
My leather seats dont creak or squeak (57k mile example). The centres do go shiny though but nothing a clean doesn't sort. And bar the different centre material used (they're still leather everywhere else), the R32 and ED30 seats are identical (headrest embossing aside). So comfort levels will be the same.SuperchargedVR6 said:
Interestingly enough, the Edition puts down 221lbft torque at 2250rpm and the R32 puts it's peak of 236lbft down by 2800rpm. You'd therefore think the Edition would feel quicker below 3000rpm, but it doesn't!
Feel is more about torque delivery than absolute numbers though. The torque from the BUB seems to be instant and always there before the intake changeover. The advantage of the big displacement of course.Paul
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