Took delivery of my R32 Friday after 6 months with me Gti, and gotta echo some of rob.gti's points: The Gti felt very agile for a car of it's proportions - the R32 really does feel like you're lugging some weight, which maybe feels more reassuring than the Gti but definitely not as lively! The grip in the R32 is just awesome - the Gti was struggling to pin the power down as the winter kicked in - took the R round some lanes on Sat and my god can it hold on even in dodgy conditions! I'm a bit concerened about some of the styling on the R as well - the tacky dash inserts and ashtray cover belong in a run out Rover or tarted Korean chariot - VW have made 1 big mistake here! Needless to say they won't be staying that long and for 218 i'm replacing them with the brushed steel items that made the Gti feel just that bit special! I'm also a fan of chrome mirrors and have put a set on order from Awesome as they pick up the detail in the grille spot on (have to say the grille looks superb in the flesh - very aggressive)! Now the wheels - they're the full 18 inches, same as me Gti but the full faced Monza's on the Gti look so much better in the arches - the MK5 golf is a big car and the Zolders on the R look lost in the wheel arches. The hunt is on to find a wheel to replace them - any ideas??? And now to that amazing exhaust note in the Gti - anyone who's running a Mk5 gti will tell you it's kinda addictive! I was hoping the R wouldn't dissapoint and I'm pleased to say it's pretty good, a faint rumble at idle sounds great, but dip the clutch in traffic and blip the go pedal and there's just the most amazing raspy bark (that's left a few pedestrians in shock this weekend)! The R's quieter crusing noteis better on long journeys as well as the Gti's note can become a bit intrusive on long motorway hikes. The Mk5 Gti is an awesome car, but after a few days with the R I have to say I'm hooked - was thinking I'd be pining to get the Gti back after having read some of the recent press reviews on the R, but I'm glad to say the R is money well spent - it's 1 composed car with the most amazing grip - and to a true Golf enthusiast it's probably not as high on the fun factor as the Gti but my god does it feel like 1 special place to be!
Glad you are happy with it. If i came into some money id probably have one of each! If i could only afford one or the other, im really not sure what id choose.
Glad you like is GTiV. To be honest, I wasnt dishing the R32, its a fnatastic car and at the end of the day, the GTI and R32 are built for two different people, so I really dont see them stealing each others customers. Atleast you can have more fun in the winter than me, bloody roads seem to be covered in Vasaline when I put me foot down
