Well, let me just preface this blog by saying most  VW owners are not going to be happy with what I have to say, that being, this car was a let down. I went to the VW dealer yesterday looking to drive a GTI as a possible replacement for my recently departed BMW M5. However, when I got there, there were no GTIs to be had. But they did have a shiny new R32.
Now we're talking! I had heard about this car, that it was a super GTI with all wheel drive, performance and most of all the DSC gear box. I gave the sales guy my license and jumped behind the wheel with my buddy John in tow. My first impression was not good. At $35k the R32 is no budget mobile, but then it was never advertised as one. Problem was, it felt like one. The center console was cheesy plastic and while the rest of the interior was nice, it wasn't $35k nice. In fact a $20k Honda Accord felt as though it was made with better quality materials.
Anyway, we got it on the road and the first thing I noticed was the exhaust note, which I must say was delightful--a nice little whirring note that gets deeper the harder you accelerate. The VW engineers got this part right. Acceleration was ok--no real torque to speak of, but it does get off the line ok thanks to its AWD system. But it just does not feel fast. I wasn't overly thrilled with the DSC transmission either. Now don't get me wrong, the tranny is FANTASTIC--almost too good. Problem is that this is a performance car, which means I want to feel the shifts. The DSC is SO smooth that I was looking down at the tach to see if the transmission actually shifted when I hit the paddle.
Handling is top notch as well, it cornered great and is very nimble for a 3500+ pound car. That, combined with great brakes, make it a very surefooted ride. It's just that the price that keeps killing me. If this car was say $25k or $30k then maybe. It's just that the car doesn't have the performance to back up the asking price. Sorry VW, but keep trying.
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