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Value Comparison: New GTI vs. New R32
Written By daxgti on Oct. 9, 2007.
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The guys over at Volksbloggin are wondering, has anyone test driven both? As far as value goes, I feel that you really get more bang for your buck with the GTI over the R32. Yeah, you get the venerable 3.2l VR6, all-wheel drive, some nice trim and body differences and the allure of the R32. But pricewise, you get almost the same stuff for far less with the GTI. Whaddya think?
BenzInsider
Written Nov. 2, 2007 / Report /
I haven't driven any of them, so I can't really say anything about the cars. The one thing I can say is that VW has made the MKV GTI too close to the R32. When you look at the history, the MK3 and MK4 GTI's were all far below the VR6 versions. There was a clear difference between them, not just in price, but also in the way they performed.
So as I was saying, the new GTI is great, maybe too great, when you compare it to the R32.
My 2 cents
estarla
Written Nov. 2, 2007 / Report /
I haven't driven a MKV yet. Not a one. :( Yet.
I have an ex with a MKIV R32. We lived 30 miles apart, so we only saw each other on the weekends, so we'd swap and I would borrow it for a week and he'd be stuck with my MKIV Jetta VR6 12V. [Evil laugh.] Before that he had a MKIV GTI 1.8t with the GIAC X-chip and I have to say that the R32 was so much more refined. The VR6 is smoother in general so I know it's a bad comparison especially when it's Haldex plus the (minimal) turbo lag with the 1.8. Then again it was no issue that there was so much more performance in the MkIV R32 over the GTI, especially with its introduction (or import) in the 4th year of that run.
With the MKV, if I'm not mistaken did they not increase the hp at all? It's still got 250 hp so what exactly is the difference (improvement) besides the body style? And Xenons. I guess that it's also another 5,000 to add to the limited 5,000 MkIVs they put out? I know also the suspension is very much improved in the MKV bodies.
So if you improve the MKV GTIs but just give the R32 a new shell then well...you're right, there's not much bang for the buck. Now the R36 might be another matter...
I might be mistaken on these specs. I'd be appreciative of any corrections, actually.