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First impressions of a Mk5 R32 by a GTI driver...


RedRobin
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Nice write-up Red, and very well "penned" 169144-ok.gif

You make a good point when you speak about the R being a licence-loser.

I used to ride big sports bikes up until a couple of years ago, and one of the reasons that I gave up was the fact that they, too, are a "licence-loser".

My last car, a Subaru STI PPP was the same, ie: by the time you were actually having some fun, you were well into ban-territory, and this is the whole point of my ramblings...............A car should be "fun" to drive, IMHO, even at the expense of it being a deadly-efficient muscle car which blitzes everything it comes across. If the thing is too quick to get up to 100 mph, say, then the fun can be taken away, as you`re too busy watching out for the Police.

Dare I say this......the GTI is JUST quick (or slow) enough to have loads of fun in, before you get to silly speeds that would induce a fear of bending for the soap in the shower. grin.gif

It really is a class act !

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Hi OzGTI, yeah still considerable waiting lists here too. I believe NZ has much simpler vehicle compliance than Australia which may also help. We had the Mk4 R32 a very long time before Australia, in fact I believe some Aussies picked up Mk4 R32's from NZ they got sick of waiting so long. smile.gif

Waiting time on a GTI here usually seems around 4 months here. Though I only had to wait 3 weeks as my dealer had the exact spec I wanted pre-ordered (it was intended for the showroom but it never got there...). I was lucky enough to pick it up in late Dec and then road register it in Jan so it's officially a 2006 registered car (helps re-sale values here in NZ).

Car goes in on Monday to get the rear bumper painted (leaving the "centre" section grey plastic look -- as per other TSN'ers).

Still waiting on the VW iPod adaptor, due 14th Jan apparently.

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Hi encee - Your words are spot-on, nail on the head! I'm not saying that nothing could overtake me but nothing did overtake me today....Not one single car! The R32 was def happiest flying in the ban zone. In very general terms I think one can say that most cars are the most fun to drive at roughly 80% of their max ability but although the 0-62, or whatever, times between the R and GTI might be very close and the top speed only 10 mph apart, I wonder how the 0-100 times compare and I think this was probably the point of MrMe's quezzie earlier (I didn't quite understand the reasoning for his post at the time). Also, with the confidence of such traction and gobsmacking brakes, I was much more inclined to 'go for it'. The brakes really were ace....You couldn't want better. Suspension on the .:R was better balanced in relation to the car than the stock GTI's but not as good as my aftermarket setup (in equivalent terms) which is making a very substantial difference to my GTI driving cool.gif I would seriously recommend that every GTI owner who considers modding, should do KoniFSD+Eibach before anything else including re-mapping and exhaust. The difference is extremely rewarding and it's much more important than most people seem to realise imo.

Cheers,

Robin

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Hi Jono,

Yes, you could very well be right about compliance. I like you were able to order a car near to the spec I wanted from a pre-ordered dealer car. I know the dealer so it was a bit easier. They are an VW/Audi dealer - I was about to get the A3 sportback TFSI but then discovered the Golf. Would initially have preferred the Golf to be black - though now love the red and I was also looking to include a sat/nav - not that I really needed it - so the fact its missing is well, no loss at all really.

The only major upgrade I'm interetsed in is the Koni - Eibach option that Red and Jay have. I'm also thinking about the Ipod fitment.

You should post a pic on the painted rear once complete.

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[ QUOTE ]

KoniFSD+Eibach

Can you tell me a little bit more about it i.e. what I would be setting out to ask for ?

And what do you mean rewarding ?

If this has been addressed before don't hesitate to redirect me...

[/ QUOTE ]

....Redirect to KoniFSD+Eibach thread. I'll post back in that 'Koni' thread later in answer to your question about "rewarding"....gotta get breakfast etc.

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Following on from Red's comments (and as an R owner), the "Licence Loser" tag for the R is a real threat!! I was in the Highlands of Scotland over New Year (north of Inverness) and drove back down the A9, pushing the car to the max where safety allowed. The car only tipped over the 1,000 mile mark whilst I was away so I waited for the return journey to flex the rev counter !!

The overall experience was of a very eager car, happy to pull in 4th, 5th and 6th gear at low revs, the torque in the engine being sufficient to pull away happily. Drop from 6th to 4th, floor it and you're past any vehicle in an overtaking manoeuvre, safely and quickly BUT up to top speed in a flash !!

The R was designed as an Autobahn cruiser and it shows ! It may be less aggressive than my old R, the styling may be less appealing to everyone's taste but there is a "wow" factor for me.....parked up in the House of Bruar car park, I was inundated with folk wanting to take a look, albeit, that may just be because this R model is new.

A hugely rewarding car, a balanced and determind drive with the improved MkV chassis and hey, the Blue Devil makes me smile on all trips, especially the long ones !!! 169144-ok.gif

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Interesting review me old cok 169144-ok.gif, not what I had hoped, but what I had expected. If i was to write a comparism between my GTI and my A3 3.2, I think that would pretty much be spot on. We all get carried away with numbers and figures, but at the end of the day, it's how the car makes you feel that is all important. V6's and AWD all sound ace, and they do have their merits, some of which i deeply miss. But the A3 with it's amazing warble, never put a smile on my face like the GTI does, it never egged me out of my house to go for a pointless drive. Sure I haven't got the fastest car on the road, the most expensive, or the best handling, but if you know anything about cars, you'll give it the respect it so rightly deserves for being so worthy of it's badge. IMO the new R32 is unfortunatley going the same way that the GTI went in the mid nightees. The 1st one was a legend (and in the gti's case so was the 2nd) but from then on, VW got lazy. I still strongly believe that we haven't seen the true successor to the original R32, I think this one is merely a stop gap... With the new S3 firmly on the horizon now, I think things are about to get interesting!

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Hi TP - I couldn't have written it better myself! Your description is totally spot on! The R32 Mk5 is a truly great car but just a bit too eager to fly into the ban zone and I find it feels heavy at slow speed. That same feeling of weight is of course welcome at high speed. Is yours DSG or manual?

fagash - I know you are right about the DSG version, especially as I love the DSG so much in the GTI. DSG S-mode coupled with 4WD is guaranteed to be awesome and I can tell that it will very much suit the V6 engine. BUT....Body styling.... It's exactly equivalent to that girlfriend who is an absolutely wonderful friend and character and loves you to bits, but you don't fancy her in the way that creates electricity, [and vica versa for a lady - He's really great and everything a girl could wish for, but he's not cute enough].

Jay, my friend, with all these posts asking will he or won't he I'm tempted to start a poll! But I would feel a bit vain doing so.

I have to admit that I'm still remembering and enjoying yesterday's R32 drive. I could swear I saw that fuel guage actually move! I can currently afford her thirstiness but it's her fill-up frequency that I would find a nuisance - Optimax pumps aren't exactly at epidemic proportions.

169144-ok.gif

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Hi LeMan - As you wrote a while ago....You and I have some very very similar views smile.gif . I know this will sound like stick-in-the-mud pre-judging but I won't be interested in the new S3. You said it yourself - I've got Golfitis.

I know you aren't that keen on mods but the KoniFSD+Eibach suspension upgrade further transforms the GTI - Better than re-mapping or exhaust imo. Btw, I have taken your specific advice and cleaned up and boxed my OEM suspension so I can sell it later. I've kept my OEM rear valance and exhaust too.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, collease 169144-ok.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

Hi TP - I couldn't have written it better myself! Your description is totally spot on! The R32 Mk5 is a truly great car but just a bit too eager to fly into the ban zone and I find it feels heavy at slow speed. That same feeling of weight is of course welcome at high speed. Is yours DSG or manual? 169144-ok.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Red, mine is a manual and I can see benefits on shorter journeys (being a heavy car) in having the DSG but for me on the open road, I like to 'stir the porridge' !!

As a matter of reflection, my fuel bill for the first month of ownership has come in (AmEx). Since taking possession of the R on 2 December, up to today, I have spent £176.21 on feeding the Blue Devil with Shell Optimax !! Now, I've covered 1,186 miles, the car was full at delivery SO....it's expensive to run !!

Having said that, my other options were an M3, an S4 or to wait for an RS4 (which is too much dosh). I'm glad to be the owner of a R32, despite the running costs !! 169144-ok.gif

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[ QUOTE ]

thanks to you Red, I've gone off the boil for the r32.

as I said previously in your wish list posting a while back a gti with AWD would be awesome!

[/ QUOTE ]

....Ooops!! One thing I really DO NOT want to do is put others off because of my individual preferences. You have to drive one for yourself if the R32 worm in your brain has got ya!

If the Mk5 .:R looked more like this I'd feel more seduced and less caring about her extra heaviness [some of those bigger laydees can move very nicely!! grin.gif]....

golf5faceliftgrassdesign1.jpg

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i love the photoshopped pic above.

i know exactly where your coming from re the R32. i thought this would be your response to the test drive.

Youve just got to love the GTI. its all about the smile on your face and the warmth in your heart that counts, not the warmth of your trousers !!!

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Well that's it red, will have to throw my DSG R32, and go for the RS4 at the end of this month............. smashfreakB.gif

Can the piggy bank cope???......... UHOH7.GIF no lets not go there.... suicide.gif

Oh and Leman I really would'nt compare an Audi A3 3.2 with an R32, chalk & cheese mate, owned both and a TT 3.2, both those Audi's are basically lifeless touring limos.

You should really get out there and give an R32 a TD.

I can perfectly understand Red's comment about the car feeling heavy, compared to his gti, but red I dont think has driven a MK4 r32 (please correct me if I am wrong red)

Because that is eactly how the car initially feels, but it just bloody amazes you, with what it can do, when you start pushing it.

I have owned both a gti (one currently on order for the missus) & R32 cars and I know exactly what he is saying,it's all pros and cons, but you wont get a much more planted car anywhere, than the 32 and in the type of driving conditions we have,it really takes all the beating for me..........

just my pennies worth........ SPericani2.gif

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agree the GTI visuals are better as an overall product package. it's a great blend of style, sleekness and detailing - especially the front end. 169144-ok.gif

but the fairly non-descript looks of the new R were one of the main reasons I went for it, also the same reason why I wouldn't have bought the MK4 R. coming from an Impreza WRX, am fed up with all the attention it gets, it's too much. New R's grill aside (will have to get used to it), the semi-stealth option is preferable for me.

and have persuaded myself that it's OK becase I can't see the grill whilst ECLIPSe.gif

the photoshop pic looks OK, but it wouldn't have sold itself to me in the same way as the real one. reckon VW have got the new R's looks pretty close to spot-on for the market they're aiming at.

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