[EpicE90]

I hate that vw has decided to put the 4 cylinder into the new golf R . The greatest part of the r32 was that sweet vr6 rumble. Was scanning youtube today and found this video- Think im gonna set it as my homepage

[Greenkirby21]

Golf R better.

Why? The new engine is MUCH lighter, better gas mileage, and more horsepower then the MKV R32.

Golf R also has the latest version of haldex AWD system. I believe the old one only activated the AWD when slippage was found, the new one now works all the time.

As you said, the only downside is that the Golf R does not have such a sweet sounding sound as the R32 in the exhaust. However, there are some exhaust for the Golf R now that give it a sweet burble and sounds IMO better then a stock R32, however, I don't think the golf R will ever get to being good as a modded R32 in terms of sound.

O, and the Golf R is easier to tune as well. Apr chip gives you 300 HP+ with only tune : )!

I like the milktek exhaust personally

[EpicE90]

I agree with you the new R is overall a better car. But truthfully anyone whos REALLY interested in full blown performance wouldn't buy either of these cars. So the marginal performance increases don't outweigh how much better the r32 sounds lol. That's the best part of the entire car imo.

[mtla4]

Get used to it good sounding cars are disapearing and fast: gone are the M5,civic SI,x5 4.8is,vr6,r32,e46 m3,etc(very long list). Now turbocharged,supercharged vaccums are there in force.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by Greenkirby21

Golf R better.

Why? The new engine is MUCH lighter, better gas mileage, and more horsepower then the MKV R32.

Golf R also has the latest version of haldex AWD system. I believe the old one only activated the AWD when slippage was found, the new one now works all the time.

As you said, the only downside is that the Golf R does not have such a sweet sounding sound as the R32 in the exhaust. However, there are some exhaust for the Golf R now that give it a sweet burble and sounds IMO better then a stock R32, however, I don't think the golf R will ever get to being good as a modded R32 in terms of sound.

O, and the Golf R is easier to tune as well. Apr chip gives you 300 HP+ with only tune : )!

I like the milktek exhaust personally

Holy shit, wasn't expecting someone to write what I was preparing to just now. The huge differences are performance related. The weight balance is marginally better with the four-banger (35kg less), and the MKVI chassis is better overall compared to the MKV. I think it also looks better. The only downside is the less-than-inspiring exhaust note.

Originally Posted by EpicE90

I agree with you the new R is overall a better car. But truthfully anyone whos REALLY interested in full blown performance wouldn't buy either of these cars. So the marginal performance increases don't outweigh how much better the r32 sounds lol. That's the best part of the entire car imo.

The exhaust note is the only real plus to owning an R32.

Here's an interesting post from VWvortex:

Apart from the obvious upgrades between Mark 5 and Mark 6 models, the upgrades that make the Golf R stand over & above the R32 are:

1. EDL – EDL is the low speed part of the XDS electronic diff. It imperceptibly brakes the inside front wheel, forcing the torque out to the out-bound front wheel. It’s an electronic intervention that is proactive on the Golf R and Golf GTI (MK6), rather than reactive as in the case of ESC on the R32. It’s also what gives the Golf R an advantage over the Audi S3 (S3 doesn’t have EDL diff I’m told- Audi RS5 does).

2. Generation IV Haldex AWD is has lifted the bar over Generation III Haldex system. It relates to a hardware upgrade involving a high pressure hydraulic pump shifting drive rearwards, rather than a simple software upgrade.

3. Standard suspension tune on the Golf R is way ahead of the standard R32 for ride & handling, including body roll (whole Golf range for that matter).

4. 35kg less mass up front – No amount of suspension tuning can compensate for a balanced chassis. The R32 is less front heavy than the GTI, but the Golf R if further improved on the front to rear weight distribution, in addition to less overall mass – makes a difference when stringing a serious of corners together.

5. Stronger performance higher up in the rev range – Golf R motor hits its stride just before the R32 starts to lose some stem.


An R32 with coilovers & aftermarket haldex system will show a slight to moderate improvement on reducing under-steer – depending how the coilovers are set up. Adding a set of H&R solid adjustable sway bars makes a very pronounced improvement in reducing under-steer, albeit at the expense of a reduction in ride comfort. H&R bars on hard/hard will make for a drifter and will understeer less than standard, but still understeer at the limit with reduced margins for error – H&R bars on front soft/rear hard will have the R32 much closer to neutral in chassis tune – noticeably so from 8/10ths onwards. H&R solid adjustable sway bars on soft/hard F & R will have the R32 turning from its centre axis like a downhill skier, rather than turning from the front with under steer as is the case with stock sway bars. H&R sway bars don’t change that fact that the R32 has an extra 35kg up front and higher overall mass reducing the threshold of grip –v- Golf R.


Would I sell my R32 for a Golf R?


Depends ... If you mainly drive around town, then no. The R32 would be easier to live with given its low down responsive V6 motor - the chassis improvements of the Golf R are not as likely to be fully explored for city driving & the Golf R motor has turbo lag to contend with.


If you spend a good amount of time driving extra-urban/tourist routes, then yes. The Golf R’s lighter weight, improved chassis balance making for a more fluid drive, new generation haldex system coupled with EDL diff has put the Golf R into another league as a driver’s vehicle.

[mtla4]

But lets be honest the MK5 R32 was a failure: too heavy, DSG only. The MK4 was better, much more demand (high resale value). There are still some brand new mk5 parked at some dealerships. It's not hard to do better then the MK5.

[EpicE90]

I agree the mk4 is a better car. Seemed like it had more soul. Putting the dsg into the r32 imo was a mistake. Yes it performs well etc but I think the target audience for the r32 or new Golf R want a manual trans.


Years end- That was a very informative post . Some things I did not know about the new R.

[0-60Motorsports]

Originally Posted by Year's_End

Holy shit, wasn't expecting someone to write what I was preparing to just now. The huge differences are performance related. The weight balance is marginally better with the four-banger (35kg less), and the MKVI chassis is better overall compared to the MKV. I think it also looks better. The only downside is the less-than-inspiring exhaust note.

The exhaust note is the only real plus to owning an R32.

Here's an interesting post from VWvortex:

Bump for an old but useful thread. I have a MK5 R32 and been having bad luck with it. As its my DD i want a more reliable car so im thinking of getting an MK6 R instead. I am waiting for a chance to test drive an R to see if its worth upgrading to or just sell the R32 and get a BMW as my DD.

[Jamesons Viggen]

Mk5, two pedal only, no thanks.

Would take a boosted mk4 or an APR tuned mk6 instead.

[Vervain]

Originally Posted by 0-60Motorsports

Bump for an old but useful thread. I have a MK5 R32 and been having bad luck with it. As its my DD i want a more reliable car so im thinking of getting an MK6 R instead. I am waiting for a chance to test drive an R to see if its worth upgrading to or just sell the R32 and get a BMW as my DD.

Try holding out for the MK7 R or get an M235i

[IEDEI]

you can find really good bargains on 'leftover' Golf Rs....they were very hard to sell for VW in the $35k+ price range. I had found several 'new' Golf Rs with huge $5k+ discounts immediately.....but the 135is was sooooo good that the Golf R really couldn't compete

they are good cars....but honestly as some others have said the MK4 R32 was the best of the lot.....same car as the TT V6, but in a more practical hatchback form. They may not have the best chassis, but were definitely the most fun.

[bimmer Don]

Down side is the us spec can't turn off stability control. So it's crap at the track.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

you can find really good bargains on 'leftover' Golf Rs....they were very hard to sell for VW in the $35k+ price range. I had found several 'new' Golf Rs with huge $5k+ discounts immediately.....but the 135is was sooooo good that the Golf R really couldn't compete

they are good cars....but honestly as some others have said the MK4 R32 was the best of the lot.....same car as the TT V6, but in a more practical hatchback form. They may not have the best chassis, but were definitely the most fun.

I was in the same bmoat as IEDEI. Golf R was on my list of potential new daily's a few months ago. Biggest draws were obviously 4 door, awd, and tuneability but like all VW models, you have to tune the car and risk warranty just to get the performance you'd expect from factory. $35k for their top tier performance model that puts down a slower quarter mile than a Honda Accord is terrible value. And yes, of all people I know straight line isn't everything but still...

I do think the Golf R looks way better than the MK5 but the MK5 VR6 hands down has the best exhaust note in stock form. The car just sounds like an exotic. The MK5 didn't offer much performance over the MK4, not to say the MK5 was a bad car but the MK4 was just that good imo.

Originally Posted by bimmer Don

Down side is the us spec can't turn off stability control. So it's crap at the track.

I wonder if it can be coded via VAG-COM

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by bimmer Don

Down side is the us spec can't turn off stability control. So it's crap at the track.

I thought they fixed that for late 2012 and 2013 cars? I'd also assume APR and others have addressed that.

Like others, I wouldn't consider a Mk5, but 4's and 6's are both interesting. I test drove a Mk4 and while it was clearly Haldex, it was pretty enjoyable, much better than early TT's. The Mk7 however, with 290 hp and much less weight seems like it will likely be very appealing.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by bimmer Don

Down side is the us spec can't turn off stability control. So it's crap at the track.

nah. that's really easy to override with coding

[A_Squared]

I used to own an MK4 R32 and I absolutely loved it. It wasn't the fastest car, but it was solid. I had a magnaflow catback which sounded amazing, would put a smile on my face every time I punched it. I also looked into getting the Golf R prior to my 135i, but just couldn't justify pricing as mentioned above. Here is where I think VW went wrong and even the VW dealer here agreed with me as they were not selling a lot of Golf R's. The big selling point for the R32 was that it was rare, only 5000 made for the states. Simple business practices played into effect, limiting the quantities and increasing the demand led to justifiable pricing at that time. Let alone that it was only produced in 2004 and 2008 at 4 year intervals. But now, VW mass produces the golf R and attempts to justify its high pricing as if it's as rare as the R32. Don't get me wrong, I still love VW/Audi, but I prefer my 135i hands down. The R32's VR6 motor is hard to get power out of unless you turbo or supercharge, so from a tuner aspect I could see why most prefer the Golf R.

Here is an old pic of my R32 on stasis coilovers.

[0-60Motorsports]

Thanks for all the replies. I just test drove the R. Fantastic car and with DSG and the newer gen Haldex system it was a great drive. Sure the power delivery is not linear and chunky like the VR6 but its very smooth and faster than the R32.

The thing is the R has proven to be very reliable here compared the R32.

If i get a good deal on the R im jumping on it.

[intoflatlines]

Golf R is much much better than both of the earlier R32s in terms of performance. MKIV R32 is best in the looks/sound department though IMO, and the MKV is just meh with the rounded styling and DSG-only transmission in the US.

Golf R AWD isn't that great compared to Torsen based systems like Subaru/Quattro.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by 0-60Motorsports

Thanks for all the replies. I just test drove the R. Fantastic car and with DSG and the newer gen Haldex system it was a great drive. Sure the power delivery is not linear and chunky like the VR6 but its very smooth and faster than the R32.

The thing is the R has proven to be very reliable here compared the R32.

If i get a good deal on the R im jumping on it.

I didn't think the Golf R came with DSG, must be a US thing.

[dubsesd]

I think so. Canada only gets the manual. I bought a e90 instead because my wife doesn't drive stick.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by Anodite10

Try holding out for the MK7 R or get an M235i

This. I'm in the camp for a MkVII myself. Just waiting... and waiting.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Year's_End

This. I'm in the camp for a MkVII myself. Just waiting... and waiting.

I think you and I are in the same waiting room. Either a Mk7 R or an STI BRZ. Chris Christie will probably be President before either of us have one.