![]() ![]() The driving position is fantastic, with well-bolstered seats that are snug but comfortable. It is like a fine gourmet dish where each ingredient, no matter how small, plays a vitally important part in the finished whole. The more I drove the R32 on some winding country roads, the more I realized that it offers a very well balanced experience, and that no one piece of it could define the car as a whole. 2004 Volkswagen Mk4 Golf R32 reviewed by Mind Over Motor I have heard that R32s like to understeer pretty hard at the limit, but in the context of a fun drive in the real world, the thing felt nimble, balanced, and unflinchingly composed through all types of corners. Through turns I kept it at about 7 or 8/10ths, and the car felt unbelievably solid. However, neither will most owners when driving on the street. Now, I admit that I was not pushing this R32 to 10/10ths on public roads, of course not. It did still have a decent rumble to it when I got on the throttle, but the exhaust would surely be my first order of business if I were to buy this car. Sadly, though, the exhaust on this car was stock, so it was a lot more quiet than I would’ve liked. ![]() Obviously I’ve seen many videos on Youtube of R32s running straight pipes, so I had my hopes up for this one. Either way, the R32 definitely has a good amount of power, but not so much that it becomes the dominant trait of its driving experience.Īdding equally to the power is the sound that the VR6 makes when you open the taps. Volkswagen claims 240hp from the Mk4 R32, but this one may have been “chipped” because it felt a little stronger than that to my butt dyno (I was told it had some light modifications). The Golf R32 is definitely what I would consider “fast” in street car terms, building speed at an exciting rate, however the power doesn’t have nearly the same level of ferocity as you will find in the turbocharged Subaru STi or Mitsubishi Evo. When accelerating hard, the R32 has a feeling of smooth, sustained momentum during shifts, again, not dissimilar to a Porsche 911. The VR6 makes pretty consistent meaty torque throughout its rev range, giving it solid performance from the mid range on up to redline. Its 3.2L VR6 engine absolutely loves to rev, and it offers a level of responsiveness similar to that of a Porsche 911. While the R32 may have a very similar physical package to a Subaru WRX, many of its driving dynamics are more those of a traditional sports car. I’m generally not one of the electric power steering haters out there, but the difference is as tangible as can be. Yes, this is one of those cases where an older car with hydraulic power steering feels more alive and connected than newer versions with electric power steering. Most immediately notable is the steering, which communicates beautifully. I’ve driven both of this car’s successors, the Mk5 R32 and the Mk6 Golf R, and I have to say that the Mk4 R32 has a certain something that its replacements do not. In short: fantastic, and a lot better that I had thought it would be. ![]() In total just 5000 mk4 Golf R32s were imported to US shores, making them one of the rarest cars in their range. Interestingly, the R32 was the first production car to feature a dual-clutch gearbox, although the US only received R32s equipped with manual transmissions. After four generations of GTIs, VW decided that something more was needed to compete with the more serious performance cars of the world. ![]()
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