Wheelspin on take off when in wet,TSi, GTI and Golf R

[dave_r]

My daily is a bmw 318is E30 and you can feel that the car is balanced properly, its much more enjoyable then the understeering R32 and it costed me 1 10th of the R32 price.

LOL, 100's of cars are cheaper and better balanced than the R32. Doesn't make them better over-all though! I'd still much rather the R32 as a daily than a ~20yo bmw (even if it is a great rwd chassis).

[hooba]

IMO all 3 cars (TSI, GTI and the R) behaive like a FWD car. I have had my R32 for 3 years now and the most annoying thing is the tendency to understeer. none of these cars are balanced properly, but i guess thats what you get in a fwd hatch that has a heavy nose. My daily is a bmw 318is E30 and you can feel that the car is balanced properly, its much more enjoyable then the understeering R32 and it costed me 1 10th of the R32 price.
so if you want to have traction and a car that doesnt understeer easily i'd recommend not buying a golf in any form

You didn't find that the R drove more like a proper AWD car? Where did you drive it? I've driven it on the road and ridden in it on the track with a Pro at the wheel, and I've found the R to be nicely balanced and I can confirm that power on oversteer is there to be enjoyed.

As for the E30, much respect, but you should have gone the 323i or 325is IMHO.

[Corey_R]

I'm not sure balkanac has driven an R because of the comments are mainly based on his ownership of the R32 (at least that's how I took it, because as anyone knows that has driven the R, it is wonderfully balanced).

[REXman]

Lighter engine up front gives the R a much nicer handle than the R32

[hooba]

This month's Wheels magazine has a short review of the R from the launch in Tasmania. Their thoughts on the handling:

In most driving, even on the standard 18-ince rubber, grip is tenacious, cornering attitude near neutral, with just a trace of understeer. It's only on a short section of snow-covered dirt that we manage to slide the tail.