Got an R32 today

[hermanpj]

Traded in my 2000 Range Rover on an R32 today. I've been into fixing Rovers for a while, have restored an old 1991 Classic Range Rover, and have done engine work on my wife's 97 S420 Mercedes, and before that her 1987 560 SL.

Commuting in a 2000 Range Rover is about getting 10 - 14 MPG and constantly worrying the air suspension will fail. It failed on my last Wednesday night and that was the last straw.

So I was going to get a cheap commuter... then i thought, gee an GTI would be nice and it still gets 29 MPG. Then I noticed the R32... and they had it in my favorite color.

So not exactly Green in terms of MPG, my R32 gets more than twice the mileage i was getting, and is a blast to drive.

R32.jpg

[dascrow]

Nice and welcome to the site. Did you get much off MSRP?

[golfzex]

Originally Posted by dascrow

Nice and welcome to the site. Did you get much off MSRP?

R32's look good and have a great sound, but the new Gti will outrun it after just an ECU upgrade.

[hermanpj]

yes i got 2000 off MSRP. Paid 31K for it.

As to outrunning w a chipped GTI thats true I'm sure. I suppose if I wanted to I could take the money I saved buying a VW instead of a BMW M3 and buy a supercharger, nitrous oxide, crank it up from 250 to 600+ horsepower... etc etc.

But then that wasnt my point in buying the R32. I'm 36, have a wife and 2 kids, and a 60+ hour a week job. Sorry to ruin the street-tuner demographic if this forum is primarily a younger crowd!

With this car I wanted something twice as fuel efficient as my outgoing car, and something very quick, but totally stock so I wouldnt have to worry about tuning it.

[golfzex]

Originally Posted by hermanpj

As to outrunning w a chipped GTI thats true I'm sure. I suppose if I wanted to I could take the money I saved buying a VW instead of a BMW M3 and buy a supercharger, nitrous oxide, crank it up from 250 to 600+ horsepower... etc etc.

Thats not even close to what I was saying. The Gti is 10k cheaper and with a $500 upgrade is faster then the R32.

Originally Posted by hermanpj

But then that wasnt my point in buying the R32. I'm 36, have a wife and 2 kids, and a 60+ hour a week job. Sorry to ruin the street-tuner demographic if this forum is primarily a younger crowd!

I am 28, i am far from the fast and furious time of my teens, but im not going to pay more for less of a car.

Originally Posted by hermanpj

With this car I wanted something twice as fuel efficient as my outgoing car, and something very quick, but totally stock so I wouldnt have to worry about tuning it.

GTI: 3100lbs 21/29mpg

R32: 3547lbs 21/29mpg
no 6speed option


You can put the "youngster" tag on me all you want but you paid 10k extra an automatic and heavy GTI.

[TTTurbo1.8T]

Originally Posted by golfzex

Thats not even close to what I was saying. The Gti is 10k cheaper and with a $500 upgrade is faster then the R32.



I am 28, i am far from the fast and furious time of my teens, but im not going to pay more for less of a car.



GTI: 3100lbs 21/29mpg

R32: 3547lbs 21/29mpg
no 6speed option


You can put the "youngster" tag on me all you want but you paid 10k extra an automatic and heavy GTI.

Let him enjoy his new car you idiot. The GTI also has a turbo in it already and that's why a chip can boost it's power up so much, and as for paying more for it, the DSG system will outdo any stick shift you want to throw at it, it has AWD, theres the genuineness of an R32, the engine has WAY more potential than the 2.0T, and this is a forum for appreciating vw's not ripping on people who just bought one. I'd also hope that an AWD, 3.2 liter car is heavier than a 2 liter FWD car, shut the hell up. You're such a dick on this forum, don't post if you're gonna be a cock to everyone.

[TTTurbo1.8T]

Originally Posted by hermanpj

Traded in my 2000 Range Rover on an R32 today. I've been into fixing Rovers for a while, have restored an old 1991 Classic Range Rover, and have done engine work on my wife's 97 S420 Mercedes, and before that her 1987 560 SL.

Commuting in a 2000 Range Rover is about getting 10 - 14 MPG and constantly worrying the air suspension will fail. It failed on my last Wednesday night and that was the last straw.

So I was going to get a cheap commuter... then i thought, gee an GTI would be nice and it still gets 29 MPG. Then I noticed the R32... and they had it in my favorite color.

So not exactly Green in terms of MPG, my R32 gets more than twice the mileage i was getting, and is a blast to drive.

Attachment 46

As for you, I really hope you enjoy the R32, I can officially say I'm jealous of you. I'll have one someday Sorry for the jackass who wants to lay into a new vw owner, that is in no way a representation of the people around here believe me. Welcome to the forums, and any questions we'll try to answer to the best of our knowledge.

[hermanpj]

Wow - what a response. Is everybody on this forum so feisty? This is going to be so much fun! I've been on other forums for years, but this is my first VW forum. You guys sure are fired up! Bruce, I just thought it was odd that in your opening and only line you thought it important to tell me essentially little else other than, nice car, but a souped-up GTI will outrun you. My point was this: I dont care - its not why I bought the car. My rationale for buying it was to get a dependable, comfortable car with better economy than my previous car.

Are you concerned that I'm bragging I bought an R32? And that's why you feel its important to set me straight? To tell me I overpaid for a car that can get smoked by a GTI, so there!? WOW. Let me re-assure you: I have no illusions - GTIs and R32's are Volkswagen Rabbits. I bought a Rabbit. A nice one. But at the end of the day, a Rabbit. I'm not bragging. I assumed this was an enthusiasts forum, and perhaps another R32 owner would respond with some comments. You know, dialog about what to look out for... that sort of thing? I didn't know I had to be careful not to set you off.

The comment I made about 'younger demographic' was firstly a comment on my age and perhaps irony that I am driving a younger man's car, and secondly a tounge-in-cheek apology to the forum if not being concerned with street tuning and racing these cars puts me at odds with what the forum likes discussing. Read what i wrote. That comment was a polite, and humorous apologetic for the forum since I hadn't had the pleasure of interacting with anyone in it. It was not for you to personally misconstrue as labeling you.

As to how much extra I so unwisely paid for my excessively costly and overweight Rabbit, here are the figures:

An 08 GTI with autobahn package and 6 speed DSG automatic goes for $28K (really almost $29K). Thats the baseline for comparison, not the base GTI which is $22.9, because that is the car I was looking for. Unfortunately there were none around in United Gray. So I paid $31K for an R32. That's $3K more, not $10K more. I got the color I wanted, and and along with that I got dual zone climate control, a V6 engine, 18 inch wheels, more robust brakes, and full time all wheel drive. $3k extra for all that. I would actually call that a good deal.

As to the curious inclusion of weight data at the end of your comments: Yes the R32 is heavier. If you say its 400 lbs heavier, great. I don't care what they weigh. I would note that the extra weight is due to the R32 having a powered rear axle, a driveshaft to that axle, a transfer case, and a larger engine. So I agree w you on that point: I did buy a heavier car than you did. What I don't get is why thats important. Oh I know I know... if you are racing these things, you want them to be very light... but, check this out:

I'm not racing it.

Except maybe to the grocery store to get a jug of milk in the middle of the night. I'm not going to chip it either. Or supercharge it. Or do anything else that would void a powertrain warranty. All I'm going to do is drive it to work and back. To the airport once a week. Errands on weekends sometimes. So... why is it important that a GTI weighs 400 lbs less and with a $500 aftermarket chip, will beat me in straight line acceleration? A Rabbit with the 2.5 5 cyl would beat me from a stoplight because I don't consider the wasted gasoline important enough to win stoplight races.

I also acknowledge I am guilty of buying an automatic as you so rightly point out. I must be nuts. Crazy me not wanting to shift constantly in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic on my daily 45 to 90 minute commutes in Dallas.

I do hope you enjoy your car, and if racing is important for you, I wish you luck!

[hermanpj]

Originally Posted by TTTurbo1.8T

As for you, I really hope you enjoy the R32, I can officially say I'm jealous of you. I'll have one someday Sorry for the jackass who wants to lay into a new vw owner, that is in no way a representation of the people around here believe me. Welcome to the forums, and any questions we'll try to answer to the best of our knowledge.

Thanks, Cody. I think I'll enjoy this forum. Thanks for the reassurances that this is in fact an inclusive place where enthusiasts can share! LOL...

I actually enjoy responding to stuff like that. I sell and arrange large IT contracts for a living, so debating is fun for me. As long as its all in good fun.

Good stuff! See you around.

[golfzex]

Originally Posted by hermanpj

Wow - what a response. Is everybody on this forum so feisty? This is going to be so much fun! I've been on other forums for years, but this is my first VW forum. You guys sure are fired up! Bruce, I just thought it was odd that in your opening and only line you thought it important to tell me essentially little else other than, nice car, but a souped-up GTI will outrun you. My point was this: I dont care - its not why I bought the car. My rationale for buying it was to get a dependable, comfortable car with better economy than my previous car.

Are you concerned that I'm bragging I bought an R32? And that's why you feel its important to set me straight? To tell me I overpaid for a car that can get smoked by a GTI, so there!? WOW. Let me re-assure you: I have no illusions - GTIs and R32's are Volkswagen Rabbits. I bought a Rabbit. A nice one. But at the end of the day, a Rabbit. I'm not bragging. I assumed this was an enthusiasts forum, and perhaps another R32 owner would respond with some comments. You know, dialog about what to look out for... that sort of thing? I didn't know I had to be careful not to set you off.

The comment I made about 'younger demographic' was firstly a comment on my age and perhaps irony that I am driving a younger man's car, and secondly a tounge-in-cheek apology to the forum if not being concerned with street tuning and racing these cars puts me at odds with what the forum likes discussing. Read what i wrote. That comment was a polite, and humorous apologetic for the forum since I hadn't had the pleasure of interacting with anyone in it. It was not for you to personally misconstrue as labeling you.

As to how much extra I so unwisely paid for my excessively costly and overweight Rabbit, here are the figures:

An 08 GTI with autobahn package and 6 speed DSG automatic goes for $28K (really almost $29K). Thats the baseline for comparison, not the base GTI which is $22.9, because that is the car I was looking for. Unfortunately there were none around in United Gray. So I paid $31K for an R32. That's $3K more, not $10K more. I got the color I wanted, and and along with that I got dual zone climate control, a V6 engine, 18 inch wheels, more robust brakes, and full time all wheel drive. $3k extra for all that. I would actually call that a good deal.

As to the curious inclusion of weight data at the end of your comments: Yes the R32 is heavier. If you say its 400 lbs heavier, great. I don't care what they weigh. I would note that the extra weight is due to the R32 having a powered rear axle, a driveshaft to that axle, a transfer case, and a larger engine. So I agree w you on that point: I did buy a heavier car than you did. What I don't get is why thats important. Oh I know I know... if you are racing these things, you want them to be very light... but, check this out:

I'm not racing it.

Except maybe to the grocery store to get a jug of milk in the middle of the night. I'm not going to chip it either. Or supercharge it. Or do anything else that would void a powertrain warranty. All I'm going to do is drive it to work and back. To the airport once a week. Errands on weekends sometimes. So... why is it important that a GTI weighs 400 lbs less and with a $500 aftermarket chip, will beat me in straight line acceleration? A Rabbit with the 2.5 5 cyl would beat me from a stoplight because I don't consider the wasted gasoline important enough to win stoplight races.

I also acknowledge I am guilty of buying an automatic as you so rightly point out. I must be nuts. Crazy me not wanting to shift constantly in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic on my daily 45 to 90 minute commutes in Dallas.

I do hope you enjoy your car, and if racing is important for you, I wish you luck!

Haha i hear you man, i took your comments as a shot and jumped back at you.........it looks like i took what you said wrong and so I apologize.

I have beef with the new R because they took away the option of a 6speed manual. I just enjoy the whole driving experiance and to me shifting is a big part of that.

............buy anyway sorry again for jumping on ya, have fun with the new R.

[golfzex]

Originally Posted by TTTurbo1.8T

You're such a dick on this forum, don't post if you're gonna be a cock to everyone.

How about you dont post until you have some real car knowledge and can do more then repeat what other people have done and accomplished.

You post in every new thread with nothing but regurgitated information you have heard thrown around the tex(like a BOV is bad for a 1.8t).

You just use this forum to make yourself feel important and act like you have any real knowledge about vw's.

You prob stay off the text because you know you would be called out on your repetitious hearsay as fast as you could produce it.


Run along little boy.

[omfg]

Originally Posted by hermanpj

GTIs and R32's are Volkswagen Rabbits. I bought a Rabbit. A nice one. But at the end of the day, a Rabbit.

Gti's and r32s are golfs.... not rabbits.

[hermanpj]

Originally Posted by golfzex

Haha i hear you man, i took your comments as a shot and jumped back at you.........it looks like i took what you said wrong and so I apologize.

I have beef with the new R because they took away the option of a 6speed manual. I just enjoy the whole driving experiance and to me shifting is a big part of that.

............buy anyway sorry again for jumping on ya, have fun with the new R.

no worries! i enjoy a little lively discussion - as long as its not rancorous! have a good one!

[hermanpj]

Originally Posted by omfg

Gti's and r32s are golfs.... not rabbits.

sorry... i thought they were the same. i just got into VWs.

The Rabbits, GTI's and R32s look like the same body so I thought they decided to call the basic Golf 'Rabbit' now to bring back that brand name?

So whats the real story?

[golfzex]

Originally Posted by hermanpj

sorry... i thought they were the same. i just got into VWs.

The Rabbits, GTI's and R32s look like the same body so I thought they decided to call the basic Golf 'Rabbit' now to bring back that brand name?

So whats the real story?

Many people have a prob with vw calling the new Golf a Rabbit. They only did it to try and sell more units to people who remember the old ones.


Its just a name, the Rabbit is really just a MK5 Golf.