GTI and R32 - Not a debate...

[Jester_Fu]

Don't want to start an arguement, just thought i'd share my recent impressoins of the two cars given i've had my R32 for a couple of weeks and the dealer loaned me a GTI while the R was getting a 1000km service for 2 days. Both cars had around the same millage - The GTI with 1368km and my R32 going in with 1320km.

So, the GTI is a damn tidy car. The car i was loaned was a 5 door manual with sunroof, but only cloth trim. The cloth seats aren't quite as comfy as the leather R32 seats, but do seem to wrap around more on the upright bolsters.

Torque steer is very controlled even under hard off the line acceleration. To me, this was a real surprise from a turbo engine. Turn in is sharp and responsive - much better than my last FWD car. Steering feel all round is a very nice compromise between sporting intent and every day usability.

Ride is very good and comfortable, but damn it sticks when you pot it through the twisty bits Tends to lose traction when you accelerate hard out of a corner over 3000RPM, but that's to be expected in a FWD IMO.

The gearbox felt a bit more notchy than the R. I'm not sure why this would be - is there that much difference between them? The shift in the R is much smoother and feels more precise. Maybe just a variant between the German made and SA cars?

Now, i'm an ex-Peugeot owner... my last 5 cars have been Peugeots (amongst others) and i've still got a 205GTi in the drive which is a rally/race project. It pains me to admit it but the Golf GTi is everything the pug is not. Great torque, great handling, great ride/comfort, very nicely put together and just civilised fun. Man... i feel like i've been missing out for soooo long The MkV GTI is a very nice ride. Mah... I'm crossing over to the dark side

The turbo in stock mode on the GTI is lovely. Such a nice consistent entry into power. Very predictable, which makes for good controlled fast driving. The car would certainly benefit from an LSD, but that's nothing i haven't experienced from other cars in FWD producing 130kW+. The torque once the car is moving just keeps coming. Makes for a very interesting drive when you put a little boot up it's bumb!

Now... on to the obligitory R comparison. The R just sticks. What can i say? It inspires absolute confidence in corners above and beyond the GTI. And i should damn well hope it does with 4WD and a bigger ticket price!

The R feels a little slower after sitting in the GTI for 2 days... but it's not. The torque delivery is just so linear and consistent, you don't get the thrilling kick from the turbo in the GTI, but you boggy along very quickly. Watch your times and speeds, and you quickly figure out that you're not going slower, it just seems to do it with sooooo much less fuss... and a sexy little growwwwlll.

The GTI engine sound is sweet, but the noise from the R is just sex. If VW made that noise come out of a GTI, i bet they wouldn't sell any R's! Clutch point in both cars, and feel, is about the same. Very nice on both counts... there's quite a few manufacturers who could take notes from VW here.

The inside finish is nicer in the R32. I wasn't a fan of the fish scales at first, but damn it after being in the GTI for 2 days, they just seem to fit nicer. The first thing i picked in the GTI was polished door handles inside against brushed aluminium inserts on the door panels. Chalk and cheese, VW! The engine spin on the R fits much more nicely with the polished handles - they seem to blend. The GTI really looks like they missed some consistency on the trim... I also like the center ash tray/storage in the R better for finish. I thought it was a bit trashy at first, but against a matt black setup in the GTI... the R looks like class. Yeah, i know my R has leather and this GTI not, so no other comments on the trim other than the consistent spots between models. I thought i'd live to hate the fish scales, but after 2 days in the GTI, i'm a fan. The door handles and spin highlight really work together nicely and make the inside look more coherent.

So, on the bright side i don't regret buying the R I could certainly live with a GTI as well, but although it's much nicer than my last Puggy, it's not enough that i would have changed from the Pug to the GTI for the money. That said, you GTI owners have a very very sweet ride. Props for such good taste!

[pinzvidz]

Interesting comparo... at the end of the day we all own VWs and that's what counts! You'll have to do this all over again when the MKVI GTI and R32 (or will that be a R36 Golf maybe?!?) come out.

[Thomas]

that definitely was an interesting read. I did think however that the R36 was going to be a souped up Passat or am I mistaken?

[Splashalot]

....... I wasn't a fan of the fish scales at first......

Hmmmm, wouldn't that smell after a few days parked in the Sun?!

Great write-up 8-)

SS

[pinzvidz]

I did think however that the R36 was going to be a souped up Passat or am I mistaken?

No you're quite correct, I'm refering to what they might do for the next generation Golf V6.

[Jester_Fu]

Cheers guys!

They're both great cars and both beyond my expectations from a Euro hatch.

[Tim]

agreed they are both awesome cars in their own right! Certainly cant argue with the VW 6 cyl engine note!

My impressions of the two cars are kind of similar but some of the things u point out in the GTI are the things that swayed me towards it. It is less composed for sure but to me that just delivered a more involving drive and a much friskier car even though it would be slower point to point

One question though. How did u find the ride comfort from either car in day to day driving? much difference between the GTI and R32? GTI in my mind is quite nervous until you start pushing it harder.

[Uomo]

Nice comparison, i just love that R32 exhaust note - i wish i could tune my GTI to have the same sound.

by the way R32 and GTI are both made in Wolfsburg Germany. GTI is not made in Seth Africa.

[Tim]

Nice comparison, i just love that R32 exhaust note - i wish i could tune my GTI to have the same sound.

by the way R32 and GTI are both made in Wolfsburg Germany. GTI is not made in Seth Africa.

3 door GTI is made in germany. 5 door is made in SA

[Jester_Fu]

One question though. How did u find the ride comfort from either car in day to day driving? much difference between the GTI and R32? GTI in my mind is quite nervous until you start pushing it harder.

The R32 definately feels more confident. It just does what it does... The GTI is a little more live, and you're right, you need to be paying attention when you start to push it. Neither car is hard to drive in traffic or at low speed - they're both very quiet, the torque is in the right places, the gearbox is definate (shifts are easy and accurate, despite being a touch longer than i'd like in both) and the suspension travel is very compliant over ruts and potholes.

The GTI definately feels a little more harsh than the R, and the suspension tries to compensate by having a fairly large amount of compliance early on, then the springs seem to get harder to squish. The R is similar in that regard, but probably a little more consistent across the band. You definately know where you stand with the R from the very onset. The GTI takes a bit more time and confidence to pick it.

There's a definate direct responsiveness and direct feel about the GTI that makes it feel more live/nervous at lower speed - but totally agree when you push it all of those things work together to tell you exactly what the car is doing. It doesn't get any more live or dead feeling at speed, you know where you stand.

It's harder to unsettle the GTI than other FWD's i've driven, but the R is just astonishing. I'm still getting use to it, but when you throw it into a corner you can feel the heavy front end and front wheel bias making it feel like a FWD... then all of a sudden it just sticks to the line you've picked. In that regard - when you're pushing it - the GTI is probably a little more natural feeling. You know it's FWD and know what it's going to do. The AWD in the R lets you think it's FWD for just a split second, then tells you to "harden up princess and put your foot back on the accelerator HARD".

There's no doubt to make the GTI go fast point to point, you need to be comfortable with it. Much more so than the R to get the same sort of speed. When you start to really push the R, though, it's very rewarding. I'm no where near the limits of the car - i probably never will be with driving skill - but every time you do something at speed in it, you come out thinking "WTF? Have to go a bit harder next time!". With a more 'perky' engine, the R would be a very very fast car. Power lets it down a little, but the way it goes through a bend more than makes up for it. IMO, the GTI sways a little the other way - the engine is a real ripper, great Turbo engine... but the power delivery and cornering would really lap the 4Motion up, or at least an LSD. That said, i personally wouldn't have bought an S3 because it's turbo and i need to cover a few miles every year = lower resale at the end of the lease.