skifly Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 besides the obvious additions to InsuranceJon's new car fund (awsome broker if you need one!)... Unfortuantely it seems that the niggling questions are starting to eat away at my resolve to not test an R32 and i am now worried about doing the irrational and buying the one i have booked for a test drive at the weekend. So what would i be able to get for a 5k miles GTI with leather, 18's, laser blue and some extras like denison ice link & parrot bluetooth kit? So plans are looking like a set route driven back to back in the R and my GTI. Trip computer set to ave MPG and trying to do a direct comparison then justifying the difference with the £. Or should i just stop with the sensible bull and shun Mr sensible for the little red guy on the other shoulder Not sure why I am posting but hoping someone may be able to offer some rational advice to help my obviously nearly life threatening dilemma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 RR - you have a lot to answer for!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs32 Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 how happy are you with the GTI ? if you love it and your thoughts are "but I wonder of the R is better" then perhaps it's not time to change. If not then give the R a drive and see if you prefer it. There's an irrational purchasing demon in all of us, it's just a case of when it gets triggered. Don't forget that the R is not necessarily a better car for you, it's just a different car from the GTI unless it's right for you. Judging by the support that the GTI gets on here, it's a great car to own, drive and generally be in. But is it the one for you long term ? - only you will know that... And only 5k miles - there must be plenty to come from the engine yet. be sure to on it before making a decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 Hi skifly. You'll probably find that a dealer will try it on and only offer you £17K. Your extras are neither here or there....They are desirables to a purchaser but of little financial value. It's the same with all mods but you bought them for your enjoyment and not for the next owner. Changing from a relatively new GTI to a brand new R32 could cost you up to £8K, so you have to think whether the features which the R32 offers which the GTI doesn't have are worth it - to YOU (don't think about anyone else!). The only way you can decide is on how the R32 feels to you to drive. If you don't have your test drive you'll always wonder and that R32 worm will continue to live in your brain and drive you mad. You might prefer the .:R - I didn't and it even made me appreciate my GTI even more. You have to make sure you get a long test drive (several hours minimum) and preferably on your own if you really want to get to know the car at all. Take Care - the .:R has a lot of grip and grunt and you don't get the same feeling of speed as in the GTI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 I think rs32's advice is spot on. I had the "I love my GTI very much but I'm curious to know if the Mk5 R32 is even better". For me, it's not but each of us is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 Been there, got the T shirt, and lost thousands and thousands of £££'s. The GTI is a very economical, practical and performance package, very hard to find these days. The R will be good, but the R and GTI are like brothers, not father and son. So you might gain a little, but IMO not enough to justify the 'hit' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 well i will have to admit i did the "this cars staying" line a while ago and i definately need to be sensible and make sure i realise the cost to change to what is essentially a similar car, but different - if you know what i mean. my mind is all over the place - sometimes the idea sounds good, other times not (as now in this post). Unfortuantely i think because of my age and the car not having many miles the guy will not let me out on my own. But you never know. Makes you wonder how many millteks i could get for the cost to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 Work it out and get a quote, it'll be a sure-fire way of putting you off ++ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs32 Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 [ QUOTE ] the R and GTI are like brothers [/ QUOTE ] yes they R !! very different car though. totally different drive IMO. For me, the R was better. But that's me, and others would disagree based on their experiences. It will be an expensive change skifly. if cost is a factor for you, the way the R feels to you should make it feel well worth the extra. But you have to drive it to find out. Have you read all the journo material, web reviews etc ? As I mentioned before, if you love your GTI, it's reliable and does what you need it to do, it's probably not a good idea to test drive if you're an impulsive buyer. But if the takes over, give it a go, you may love it and forget you liked the GTI ! Either way, you'll have a excellent car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 its a difficult one as techically i could change as the financing would not be as painful as i would have expected. I have read a lot and have been a bit of a lurker on the 32 forum for a while - the two things that really interest me is the 4wd and the sound. If the car is as eager and lively as the GTI and has the driveability of 4wd then i think i will have a bit of a fight on my hands!! I have to admit the only way i could ever make the decision is to drive the car but to be honest i would feel rather bad if i turned round and didnt feel it was the right car especially after the sales guy said they could possibly let a genuine interested person demo the car. Just to add to the thread i thought people may appreciate this pic of my car parked behind a 32 in leeds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted January 26, 2006 Report Share Posted January 26, 2006 you are a geniunely interested person. Just because you might decide against it, doesn't make you a fake. They're called demonstrators for a reason. BTW, from what you've said, i think you will have a fight on your hands! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 well guys - here is the official comment on the 32 from me! "loved the car but it seems too tame and refined and not have the eagerness of the GTI. Shame as couldnt really fault much besides the silver ashtray." So as much as the car was a good drive i didnt feel like i did on the GTI test drive and didnt have a deep desire to have the car. Simply the cost versus the difference made it a no-brainer really. I suppose looking back i agree with Red's views after his 32 test drive. Looks like i will wait a few months and then start considering a few little tweaks to the car or simply an advance driving course! if anyone is interested the guys at City VW were happy to let me have a decent test drive (with them) and have a 32 demosntrator for sale at the moment at list. The price quoted for a silver manual with leather, RCD 500, armrest and tracker was £27150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleywater Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Too tame? Skifly Well unflustered maybe! But tame........... Just could'nt classify my car as tame......and in comparison to a gti, as good a car as it is....... R32 is just much faster...... with DSG a hell of a lot faster..... I agree with the cost issue if P/Xing, but if you were deciding between a new gti & R32 the price difference like for like is not a lot...... I would have to say, that I think we sort of agreed on a previous post here, that a test drive only gives you an impression of a car, nowhere near the whole experience of owning and driving a car, I could echo a lot of the sentiments viewed here, after my first drive,but the more I drive the R32, the better it get's, does everything you want and more, cant fault it, even the fuel consumption is reasonable, could be the DSG not sure, lot more frugal than my MK4 R. If you look what is about for the money these day's, I think that the R is extremely good value for money, an excellent performance package for the dosh........ Just my ten cents worth......... But in your position skifly, would stick with the gti, nice spec car, just enjoy it mate.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonl Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 [ QUOTE ] and in comparison to a gti, as good a car as it is....... R32 is just much faster...... with DSG a hell of a lot faster..... [/ QUOTE ] eer, and then you woke up and smelt the dream on mate. R32 is a tad faster, but don't get carried away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Yep, even though only a half-day on-my-own test drive, I found the R32 faster at higher speeds but the GTI felt faster as a ride. The whole power delivery feels different. The R32 is far from "tame" but simply didn't feel so sporty to me. Scientifically I think the performance statistics are fairly close between Mk5 R32 and GTI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_d Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Scientifically I think the performance statistics are fairly close between Mk5 R32 and GTI. [/ QUOTE ] Yes, very close. Although the GTI is quoted as 7.2 to 60 and the R32 6.5 to 60, these figures are fairly far from the truth. Most magazines seem to gain figures of 6.7-6.9 for the GTI and about 6.4 for the R32. Of course, 4wd should help grip, especially in the wet, and so the R32 is quite a bit quicker round a track. I could have gotten a base spec R32 for the price of my GTI, I didn't because I like toys , if I had another few grand handy then I'd probably still be deciding... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 well - maybe tame was not quite the right word to use. As RR said the power delivery is different (lack of turbo will defo make a difference) and although it was a great car i personally didnt feel like it was worth the cash to change. Maybe it would be different if I didnt have a gti though. i will admit that the car was quite deceptive at speed too and was blatantly a license loser - but then so is the GTI. I think the GTI seems more eager, lighter and nimble especially at lower speeds and feels like a faster car. In terms of real world performance - my gti may not get me through the twisties as fast as a 32 but really i dont think i care as i would prob be having at least as much fun as in the 32, albeit probably not as safely as if i had the haldex doing its job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhs Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've tried both, and the R32 in DSG is a great car - but very much point and squirt, as the 4WD just powers you to where you are pointing the car. The GTI in DSG is also great, but needs more care to get the car to go where you want it. So maybe it is a less good car, or maybe it's a driver's car? The other thing is that in the GTI you knew you were going faster - maybe because of the traction control and limited road grip, whereas in the R32 you just are going very fast effortlessly! So as far as my licence is concerned, the GTI may be the "safer" car, and for me, more involving on the road. Technically and rapidity-wise the R32 is an excellent technical solution! I also tried the 130i, which was more "fun" than the R32, but again, less assured on the road with only 2 wheels gripping and a lot of traction control lights. Price-wise the GTI is one insurance level lower and has better fuel consumption than the R32, but at this price point, who cares? £100 or so won't make me purchase differently. Overall my money's on a GTI with DSG, and will consider a remap to 220-240 in due course (£599 incl). So I respect the R32 for its technical supremacy and great stability and takeoff, but felt it more "sterile" on the road - very fast yet quiet and look down at speedo and think - ooops! GTI less so...... Just my halfpence worth..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs32 Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Skifly, LeMan, Red not sure I would ever try to fully compare the 2 cars like-for-like. yes comparisons are important but these 2 cars are not trying to acheive the same objectives IMO. without a doubt the GTI is a fantastic all-round package with a great engine and super handling, however it can't get close to the feel of the R32. If you were trying to compare in the other direction the same would be true, the R32 cannot get close to the feel of the GTI, but does not try to be a GTI in any way - performance or otherwise. obviously I have a bias in a certain direction because of my recent purchase , but I never considered GTI vs. R32, the only reason I drove the GTI was to try DSG vs. Manual. From my own perspective it mattered not one jot to me how many 10th's quicker the .:R was. On the subject of licence losing, I have to say that the .:R makes me a much calmer driver than when I had the Impreza WRX, there was something about the scooby that made me drive like a maniac . Not to say I won't give the.:R a blast, but it doesn't encourage the stupid behaviour without me thinking about it. Refinement is a big factor here I think. just my 10-penneth ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 i am thinking that once AMD get their one-click remap i will take a look. Would also consider a milltek and the suspension updates soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Hi rs32, nhs (Welcome to TSN!!), skifly, I very much agree with what you are all saying - It isn't a competition between the two. The comparison is nevertheless interesting and inevitable. If I hadn't already bought the GTI and the Mk5 R32 looked as good as I think the GTI does, then I most likely would have paid the extra for the .:R. Either way, the VeeDub Golf legend continues....The Mk5 is truly a great little package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleywater Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Hi Leman, I'll keep smelling the roses, and you keep dreaming...... I think 4 seconds TG power lap quicker than gti, constitutes a dam sight faster, by any definition And after having chewed up both my mate's gti's on an early hour's monday morning 'A' road burn up......... And yes we did swap motor's,and yes I am worst driver! and yes the gti is a great car, but it is not as fast as an R, even an R with a tight engine..... And of course the obligatory traffic light shoot out, which was very illuminating, "arse for grass" spring's to mind.... I am not knocking the gti,I've got one on order, for the better half! Just stating a fact, that the R is a much faster motor......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Peeps here on TSN are doubtless bored witless with hearing me enthuse about Millteks (though I still get PMs about them!) and now I am also enthusing about my suspension mods. I would even put KoniFSD+Eibach anti-roll bars as numero uno before Millteks on any planned list of mods. But though I haven't taken the plunge yet, a Car Control Course is very much to be recommended....We all like to think we are great drivers but how skilled are we really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Hi fagash, I'm not disputing that the R32 has a performance edge but all this is pretty academic when you consider that someone in a Caterham (another TSN member) gets seriously beaten on a circuit by someone like Don Palmer (a Car Control pro) in a Mk5 Golf TDI !! But I realise none of us in this discussion is currently trying to say "my nob is bigger than yours!" etc and we are only looking at relatively small differences. I'm sure that each one of us has chosen the best car for themselves. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skifly Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 you feeling a bit "spikey" again today red...? Will definately look at going for a course but probably nearer the time my tyres are ready for replacement. Which reminds me i need to look into the VW servicing and warranty package. Want to specify other tyres for car though when they are in need of a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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