R32 - first mods?

[macdaddy]

Hi guys.....I am about to start the new car thought process as my 4 year lease on a XR6 Turbo has about 6 months to run. I am at cross roads as to what direction to take re car. Is it time to take the plunge and do what the better half wants and get a 4WD (Touareg, RX 350,X5) or stay fast. I am off to test drive the new STI within a couple of weeks and I like the sound of it. However I am alos pretty keen on the R32. My only concern is that its not that quick. I would want to mod it fairly quickly. What would be the first steps? I am also keen to hear peoples opinions on DSG/ I hear that you get over the excitment of it within months. I love driving, so its hard to get me off manual.

Oh and I ma sure someone will reply with "search the forum for all the answers you need" however I have looks and just want someone who had done mods to say "I'd do this first and this second and this is the gains you can expect"

Thanks guys.

[Pharkus]

Hi there and welcome.

I'm not too sure as to the reasoning behind your other half wanting a 4WD. Dogs, kids, etc.

I have a 5 Door R32 manual and am absolutely happy with the overall package. The car will remain stock as there is nothing further you could possibly do to modify it to make it substantially better., other than a rear badge delete

6.3s 0-100 is pretty good for the price and though I'm sure that the WRX may be a "bit" quicker and does have more potential to increase its power, being a turbo, the R32 does more than enough to hold its own. Remember there are speed limits

At the end of the day, do you want a car that, in my opinion, is the full package. Or do you want to spend a similar amount and then have to go through all theh hassels of aftermarket upgrades that may or may not add to the "value" of the car. I will not get into ADR compliance, warranty, cost etc that is involved with modding as the factors vary from person to person.

Have you test driven the R32? Best way to find out what suits you is to get into one and give it a go. My vote remains with the R32.

[jb747]

The R32 may be fractionally slower than a WRX, but the lack of turbo lag makes it a much more pleasant drive. Quite honestly it's a classy car and the Subaru isn't.

Make sure though, if you're buying something for both of you to drive that the missus understands some of the limitations of an R32. It's very low; you really don't want it parked amongst the other cars at the supermarket. My missus just 'kerbed' one of the wheels of my R32, and I don't think she liked my reaction much.

The driving experience of a Touareg vs Lexus vs X3/5 is vastly different. I've got a full sized 4wd as well, and I hate driving it on suburban roads, simply because of the size. If she just wants a high driving position, then the smaller soft roaders are the better choice.

[macdaddy]

The 4WD vs Hatch is more of a lifestyle choice........is it time to get a more practical car. The missues is more concerned about where the car comes from, that being european. She drives a Mk5 Golf and loves it. She doesn't really care about the size.

The new STI will blow the R32 out of the water and I will want to track the car a few times a year if I go the hatch route.

I took the R32 for a spin and loved it. I generally lean towards turbos (I also had the Focus XR5 Turbo for a year whilst having the XR6T) but the note from the R32 is fantastic.

I will wait and run the new STI and see how I feel. I am thinking 5Dr R32 in Manual

[gregozedobe]

The new STI will blow the R32 out of the water and I will want to track the car a few times a year if I go the hatch route.

If you are basing your thoughts on the acceleration times on what the car mags get on test, just remember their standing start technique for manual 4WDs relies on a boot full revs, sidestep the clutch and simply ignore the horrible sounds of mechanical distress. Not many owners drive that way for long (it gets too expensive). I have heard that a more realistic (car-friendly) take off technique is up to 1 second slower on Subies.

A much better guide is what it feels like with you driving the way you like to drive.

[GermanwithaVdub]

If you are basing your thoughts on the acceleration times on what the car mags get on test, just remember their standing start technique for manual 4WDs relies on a boot full revs, sidestep the clutch and simply ignore the horrible mechanical sounds of distress.

i thought htis was the only way to take off

[shami]

Twin turbo kit

[SoVeReIgN]

Hi guys.....I am about to start the new car thought process as my 4 year lease on a XR6 Turbo has about 6 months to run. I am at cross roads as to what direction to take re car. Is it time to take the plunge and do what the better half wants and get a 4WD (Touareg, RX 350,X5) or stay fast. I am off to test drive the new STI within a couple of weeks and I like the sound of it. However I am alos pretty keen on the R32. My only concern is that its not that quick. I would want to mod it fairly quickly. What would be the first steps? I am also keen to hear peoples opinions on DSG/ I hear that you get over the excitment of it within months. I love driving, so its hard to get me off manual.

Oh and I ma sure someone will reply with "search the forum for all the answers you need" however I have looks and just want someone who had done mods to say "I'd do this first and this second and this is the gains you can expect"

Thanks guys.

Can get a 20kwish out of new software and extractors + exhaust.

But if you want serious power, need a turbo or supercharger kit.

Readily available from the U.S where they go nuts on the V6.

[balkanac]

macdaddy, you came to VW forums and you are asking if you should go for a Subaru ove the flagship Golf? What did you expect?
I had a Liberty B4 before this car, and it was faster, but the fun wasn't there. And lets face it, subaru really dropped the ball with styling the new Impreza. That is just hideous, go for the R32, at least it looks nice

[macdaddy]

macdaddy, you came to VW forums and you are asking if you should go for a Subaru ove the flagship Golf? What did you expect?
I had a Liberty B4 before this car, and it was faster, but the fun wasn't there. And lets face it, subaru really dropped the ball with styling the new Impreza. That is just hideous, go for the R32, at least it looks nice

I came to VW Forums re mods for the R32....clearly you guys would support a R32 purchase over that of a Subaru! I agree though re the styling of the R32 over the Impreza. The STI looks a lot better than the WRX, but still agree with you.

An additional 20ishkw would be perfect. I odn;t want to go down the twin turbo path....not yet at least!

[Jester_Fu]

If you're serious about doing track days and generally having some fun while going fast, i would have thought the Haldex upgrade was the place to start. It's the first thing i'll be doing to my R32 when i get it after Friday. All reports say the power transfer from the mod makes handling much better than the stock setup, and for $1400 or so for the kit (price i've seen in Aus), i think it's pretty good value.

I'm also going to try a short shift kit, if there's one that fits. My car is manual, and during test drives i thought the shift was a little long compared to some of the other car's i've driven. The shorter shift is bound to help shave a little off the real world 0-100 time in a manual.

I'm also interested in trying the Revo software update. They don't claim much in the way of kW's... but the torque gains i saw in their dyno results make me go wow! At the end of the day, it's all about torque and how much you can get on the ground that determines how fast your car will get to 100km/h... and how fast you can push it out of a corner.

To be honest, the exhaust mods seem a little pricey to me for the gains. I'm not a fan of air intake mods because, well, most people forget that the main gain is noise and the big loss is cold air. I've yet to see a kit that seems as well placed to get consistent cold air into the engine. Most of the kits sit within the engine bay, sucking down hot air.

Just my 2c's, but i bought the R32 because of how damn quick it goes through a corner with so little effort. The finish, the comfort, the quality of build, the consistency of an NA V6 over a 4 pot Turbo. The R32's not in the same league as a WRX - you'd be comparing dog food in a can with wagyu beef (obviously the R32 is the Wagyu ). Anyone can go fast in a straight line, but the Europeans seem to have the world of corners well in their control!

[macdaddy]

I love it....dog food vs Wagyu!!!

Thanks Jester. I was thinking the Haldex + software + short shift.

I'll let you guys know which path I take. I am leaning strongly towards the R32 and everyday I spend on this site, I lean harder.