TTAC Reviews the R32
October 8, 2007 – 9:55 am by Matt Radel
Filed under Volkswagen R32
The Truth About Cars shares their take on the uber Golf, er, Rabbit.
Always one for an interesting (and usually extremely honest) review, Robert Farago of TTAC has dropped his well written and amusing two cents on the new R32. While I highly recommend that you head over to TTAC and read it for yourself, I can sum it up for you – the GTI is a “better driver’s car, for less money”.
Now, there are a lot of nice things said about the R32 in this review. It seems to get all the praise it deserves. But I think Farago has hit the nail on the head. With this generation, VW has narrowed the gap between the R32 and the GTI. It seems that they’ve given the GTI driver much more, and R32 guy just a bit more than that. Was it the right move? I personally think so. Cannibalizing a collector’s market for the sake of a much larger one is a regrettable move, but a necessary one. VW was in sad shape before unveiling the Mark V GTI, and they’ve made somewhat modest strides to improve their shape since.
Now, I’m writing all of this without seeing one of these puppies in person. Maybe I’m completely wrong, and the new R32 lives up to and surpasses the holy grail quality of it’s predecessor. But seeing the pics, reading the reviews and considering the slow sales thus far has somewhat confirmed my suspicions(I’m still reserving judgment though).
What do you guys think? Anyone been privileged enough to take both a GTI and an R32 for a spin?
TTAC Reviews the R32
October 8, 2007 – 9:55 am by Matt Radel
I have an ’07 GTI, but have yet to drive the R32.
I can say that my local dealer, Harper VW in Knoxville, TN, has a number of R32s sitting on the lot. And they’ve been there since the release a few months ago.
I owned the original GTI “pocket rocket” in the 80′s. It was a revolution in small cars, and created ripples throughout the automotive universe. Today, I own a 2008 r32. It feels like it was forged from a solid chunk of billet, (unlike the “beer can” feel of my former Subaru WRX). Glove soft leather interior, all the latest safety technology, plenty of all wheel drive performance, and the practicality and roominess of a hatch. Is it a $30k plus auto? Maybe not for you – especially if you live in the “0-60; quarter mile” universe. But for an old GTI hot hatch man like myself, I can’t think of anything better. Its the natural evolution of what I owned over 20 years ago.
I went on a canyon run recently with some MKV GTis and r32s and took note of some disappointed R32 drivers that couldn’t shed the “lesser” GTis through the twisties.
I have driven bot 2008 GTI and own a 2008 R32 by far the R32 is a better car however I used to own a 2004 R32 and it is in my opinion a better “race car” than the 2008 R32. With the gear ratios in the 08 you no longer feel the torque and sunk into the seats as before in the 04.
2 cents