Coutz Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 I'm thinking about trading in the Cooper S against an R32. Used to have a VR6 and love the looks of the MkIV R32 but a lot of road tests seem to criticise the handling. Can't say I'm a big fan of the V looks yet but if the GTI reviews are anything to go by the V platform is pretty good. Is the handling a problem that your average driver (me) notice on the roads? Does any one know if any preview MkV roadtests have been done yet or if there are any write ups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riz Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 Dont rush into it... but i assumed the R32 would handle as well, if not better than the MK4 R32 The MK4 R32 handled very well indeed in my opinion. Just wait until UK roadtests have been done.. shouldnt me much longer now. Riz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazr32 Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 first of all welcome to tsn you will find loads and loads of info on the r32 here so dive in and inwardly digest. as for the handling i have never had any problems with it, you will get people that will come on here and have bad reports about certain aspects of the car but will rave about others, what you have to remember is that the mk iv is a limited edition whereas the mk v looks like it is going to be a mass production model and as yet is mainly hearsay. if i had between fifteen and twenty grand in my pocket at this moment in time then there would be no contest but then i am biased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32Ash Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 I suppose it depends what you are comparing against the R32 when you are talking about handling... I've never had any complaints about it. My previous car was a Golf Rallye SE (4wd supercharged etc etc) with coilovers and other fancy bits, and I'd say the R32 handles better at speed. Have a look here for another opinion of the R32 versus the WRX and M3's handling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v6tas Posted October 13, 2005 Report Share Posted October 13, 2005 I consider myself lucky as i drive a MK4 R32 and the wife drives a Cooper S. The handling of the R32 is just fantastic IMHO. Normal driving is a pleasure, hard driving and fast cornering (where safe obviously) is an even bigger pleasure. Even if you think you might have overcooked a corner the all wheel drive gubbins kicks in and slaps your wrist !. As for changing the Cooper S for an R32 you wont be dissapointed in fact i would be suprised if the smile never went away !. I have the pleasure of both cars and the Cooper S is a great fun car but you wont regret the upgrade i can assure you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Welcome to Tyresmoke Coutz [ QUOTE ] Cooper S [/ QUOTE ] Fantastic car - great fun to drive [ QUOTE ] Is the handling a problem that your average driver (me) notice on the roads? [/ QUOTE ] The MkIV R32 is a well balanced and good handling car, esp with the 4WD. It is, however, engineered to understeer, because your "average" driver will always back off on the throttle when the car starts to go straight on around a corner and the ESP will sort the car out. The understeer is very easy to dial out with uprated front and rear anti-roll bars from companies like www.neuspeed.com - one of their UK distributors is www.awesome-gti.co.uk. I also run top and bottom strut braces on the front of mine and it is now a very neutral handling car. If you need to compare it to another car on the road, then it is closer to the Impreza STI with this set up. Having driven a Mk5 GTI, even though it is 2WD, compared to the Mk4 GTI, it is streets ahead - well balanced and a much stiffer chassis. It is easy to induce understeer, but lift off mid-corner and it soon sorts itself out. I am in no doubt that the Mk5 R32 will be a fantastic handling machine [ QUOTE ] Does any one know if any preview MkV roadtests have been done yet or if there are any write ups? [/ QUOTE ] There is a write-up in the November edition of CAR Magazine, which compares the Mk5 R32, BMW 130i M Sport and 2006 Subaru Impreza STI. Their opinion is that the Subaru is out-dated, the BMW is good, but the R32 is, without doubt, the only one to go for. Of all the auto mags out there, the two that I read are CAR and EVO, because I value their objective views on cars and decent trips they take for test drives. Let me know if you can't get CAR Magazine in Guernsey and I will send mine over when I've finished reading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClimberSP Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I will say yes. In fact, I'm waiting to test-drive a MKV R32 in november. Then, I will have my oppinion formed. The V platform is better (much better) than the IV one, so I think that VW has a very good base to get a very good car. A spanish review I have read they said that a new sport is coming, they call it "Golfing": having fun in corners with the new R32, its balance, its motor, its brakes... all in the car allows to drive fast and give a lot of confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP27 Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I have to say that I am torn on whether spending towards £30k on a VW golf makes sense?!! I am not in the market for a family saloon, I cannot buy a Porsche (for business reasons) and I cannot get over excited on the alternatives such as an M3, an S4, a Subaru or anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I'm getting depressed now TP - I hear bicycles are coming back in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coutz Posted October 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I have to say what a great forum, thanks for all the unbiased information. I'll definitely look out for the review in Car next month. Thank for the offer Mook, we do get CAR Magazine here in Guernsey, What we don't have over here is VAT, wehey! What we do have is a 35mph speed limit and instant licence ban if you get caught breaking it, boo! Luckily, I do get to take the car away 3 or 4 times a year for a run up to Scotland, so a chance to let rip. One further question, any Golf owners out there with the VW DSG? How is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TP27 Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I'm getting depressed now TP - I hear bicycles are coming back in... [/ QUOTE ] Not in this weather they're not!! It's only 4 months now until a new R MIGHT come along!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiftyPence Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] .......here in Guernsey, What we don't have over here is VAT, wehey! What we do have is a 35mph speed limit and instant licence ban if you get caught breaking it, boo! [/ QUOTE ] wow, another Guern on TSN welcome fella, PM sent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Dont rush into it... but i assumed the R32 would handle as well, if not better than the MK4 R32 The MK4 R32 handled very well indeed in my opinion. Just wait until UK roadtests have been done.. shouldnt me much longer now. Riz [/ QUOTE ] I'd ignore the car mags and just make your own opinion when you have tried it. Best of the bunch is CAR and evo (as mook said) but they are all subjective opinions and you rarely see a journo putting their money where their mouth is and buying a car tested.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decked Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I'd wait and see if an R36 comes out....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbor32 Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi - I had a similar dilema - i too own a Cooper S, and after three and a half years of fun driving I started to feel like a change. I ordered the new R32 about 6 weeks ago, i have not test driven the R32 and I dont know much about the mark IV to make comparisons. When i ordered the Cooper S I had not driven that either (as I ordered 6 months before launch) I feel like I have outgrown the Mini - its a great car, and I was struggling to think of a car that would be as much fun - however the mini has a few downfalls (size of boot,harsh ride around town, and they are becoming increasingly common) I have test driven the mark V Gti, and its a great car, when i totted up all the likely options on the GTI I was in the same price bracket as the R32. The styling of the R32 is not to everyones taste. To those that say 'wait for the r36' i would say fair enough, but I am buying an R32 and if the R36 is better then I will just trade up. I suppose I have taken a bit of a gamble ordering without testdriving it. I would suggest going with your instinct - if you like the car go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Best of the bunch is CAR and evo (as mook said) but they are all subjective opinions and you rarely see a journo putting their money where their mouth is and buying a car tested.... [/ QUOTE ] I disagree on that Gareth - CAR run a fleet of various cars from Smarts to Jags and change them every year or so, with write-ups at the back of the mag. I reckon you could give it another year or so and they will have one on their fleet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I'd wait and see if an R36 comes out....... [/ QUOTE ] Don't start that one off again Decked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32North Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 jimbor32 - happy to take you for a blast in a MKIV R32 if you want to know what one is like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markallain Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 And then if you like it you can buy mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32North Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] And then if you like it you can buy mine [/ QUOTE ] No, he's supposed to like mine and then offer to buy it off me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Best of the bunch is CAR and evo (as mook said) but they are all subjective opinions and you rarely see a journo putting their money where their mouth is and buying a car tested.... [/ QUOTE ] I disagree on that Gareth - CAR run a fleet of various cars from Smarts to Jags and change them every year or so, with write-ups at the back of the mag. I reckon you could give it another year or so and they will have one on their fleet [/ QUOTE ] er..well no actually. Those cars are "lent" to the mags by the manufacturers and they are not bought at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coutz Posted October 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Local VW dealer let me have a TT 3.2 with the flappy paddles today to get a feel for the engine and gearbox. Then we kicked me where it hurts by offering 8.5 k on the Cooper S as trade in! Proceded directly to the BMW dealer who told me they could do a lot better on a trade in against a 130i M. Now im realy confused, maybe I can just take the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Easy, sell the car back to BMW then buy the R32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calm Chris Posted October 16, 2005 Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 Buying a Mk5 is like marrying a really ugly girl who is great in the sack. Only you will appreciate it! Might I suggest that you all consider the new Seat Leon which in Cupra mode will have the R32 engine and the Mk5 floor pan. Same car, with cheaper options and far better looking. That's where my money will be going in Summer 06 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markallain Posted October 16, 2005 Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 Definately worth taking a look at the Seat. And good to see you back Chri5. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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