mmarshall

By CL member request, a review of the 2008 Volkswagen R32 Hatchback


http://www.vw.com/R32/en/us/#

http://autos.aol.com/volkswagen-r32-2008:9406-specs






In a Nutshell: The best small VW product in years....well-designed and built, fun but civil to drive, and space-efficient, but with questionable electronics.





The growth of so-called the "Pocket-Rocket" market in recent years has been enormous....small, compact and sub-compact cars outfitted at the factory with high-performance engines, drivetrains, suspension systems, and tires. These cars, of course, not only appeal to the primarily young, male, caps-on-backwards crowd (Yes, I know that is a stereotype, but nevertheless, there is a lot of truth to it), and offer numerous advantages over the shade-tree aftermarket tuning and revisions that some guys do. They come from the factory with systems and equipment designed tested, and certified by factory engineers...not just hapazardly bolted or grafted on in someone's driveway in an attempt to increase performance without any knowledge of how it will affect engine/vehicle life and safety. Many people, for example, seriously damage or ruin their engines with bolt-on turbos and superchargers that are not properly integrated into the engine's fuel and ignition systems, or alter the steering, wheels/tires, and suspension to the point where it was never designed to be. Serious problems often result.

With the R32 and its other small competitiors, of course, this is not a factor, since the real development work and risk-taking has already been done at the factory....by engineers who are paid big bucks to do their job and get it right. These cars, driven with even an ounce of sense, are not likely to shredding tires, wheels, suspension pieces, or engine parts all over the road. That, of course, is one of the main reasons for their exploding popularity, and why demand for them often exceeds supply. It seems like the factories never produce enough of them, though...they are often limited to just a few thousand each year, as was the case with so many of them....the Dodge Neon SRT4, Ford Focus SVO, Subaru STi, Mitsubishi Evo, etc....

The STi and Evo have been especially popular, perhaps because of their AWD traction, Japanese reliability, and reputation as rally cars, though some of them had clutch and transmission problems in the early versions.....not surprising, when you consider how they are typically driven. The Volkswagen GTI and the limited-production R32 have languished somewhat in the shadows of the STi and Evo, and have never really caught on with the American public, which is rather ironic, considering that back in 1982, Volkswagen practically invented the whole Pocket-Rocket market with the first American-market GTI......essentially a Rabbit/Golf with more power and stiffer springs. (yes, I can vaguely remember test-driving one with a rather arrogant VW salesman....I don't remember his name). The R32 never had turbo power, and the suspension was kept at a civilized level for bumpy roads, but the payoff, of course, was usually watching the STi and Evo taillights up ahead while they pulled ahead in the quarter-mile and outlapped the R32 on the track.

So, how does the new R32 compare with the previous version.....and with its primary Subaru and Mitsubishi competition? Can't comment on the competition yet, as I have not driven the new versions, but I CAN compare the new R32 with the old one.....and the new one, IMO, wins hands-down. It still doesn't have turbo power, but the VR-6.....a Volkswagen classic......offers smooth right-now acceleration without annoying turbo lag. The suspension and tires are stiff enough for spirited driving, yet compliant enough to be only mildly uncomfortable on rough roads. And the DSG is truly superb. The interior, sheet metal, and interior/exterior hardware are all first-rate.

But I had a difficult time assembling some of the data for this review......brochures were not available at the dealership when I drove the car, and IMO, the VW website is annoying, unresponsive, devoid of a lot of data, and confusing in its layout. It is probably the worst manufacturer website I've come across (the second-worst one is Buick's). I had to get some of the data from other sources....I couldn't even find paint colors, engine specs, or a Build-your-own feature for the R32 on the VW site.

But, still, lousy web site or not, it is a NICE car, and I throughly enjoyed the review and test-drive. So.......let's get on with it.













Model Reviewed: 2008 Volkswagen R32 Hatchback



Base price: $32,990


Major Options: None


Destination: $640


List Price as Reviewed: $33,630




Exterior Color: Candy White

Interior: Gray leather


Drivetrain: Transverse-mounted, 3.2L narrow-angle V6, 250 HP @ 6300, 236 ft-lbs. Torque @ 2500,

6-speed manual/automatic twin-clutch DSG (Direct-Shift_gearbox), full-time 4-Motion AWD











PLUSSES:



Great stereo with superlative, easy-to use controls (Non-NAV).

Good steering...but not as quick as that of some rivals.

Excellent paint job.

Good headroom, front and rear.

Right-now acceleration without turbo lag.

Excellent Brembo (?) brakes.

Good ride-handling balance.

Superlative exterior hardware.

Solid, high-quality body sheet metal.

DSG transmission one of the best on the market.

Classy interior trim.

Comfortable, super-supportive seats.

Clear, no-nonsense gauges, buttons, and controls.

Good-to-excellent interior hardware (with a couple of small exceptions).

Tilt and telescope steering wheel.

Better-than-average warranty (5/60 drivetrain, 4/50 entire vehicle).

Boxy body design gives generally good space efficiency.
















MINUSES:


Questionable electronics.

High price for a compact VW...but not out of line with its competition.

Awful VW web site (not the car's fault, of course)

Odd, flimsy, front and rear wipers.

V6 engine crammed in too tightly.

Unpleasant leather on steering wheel with uncomfortable stiching.

Flimsy, cheap, combination turn-signal/cruise control stalk.

Dummy spare tire and wheel.

Non-power seat controls rather awkward to use.






There is nothing particularly extraordinary about the looks of this car as you first walk up to it. The exterior looks like exactly what it is......a Rabbit/Golf with lowered side skirts, custom wheels/tires, and a nice front end metallic grille assembly. The brake calipers are painted an unusual bright blue color, rather than the more common red or black. The VW people there said they were Brembos, but, as the name was not on them, I could not verify that, even on the lousy VW website. Anyhow, Brembo or not, they were excellent......more on tha later.

The exterior is rather boxy in shape, though in my book, there's nothing wrong with that.....boxiness, IMO, not only sometimes looks more handsome, but often means better interior space efficiency as well (though it can be carried to extremes, like the Honda Element and Scion xB...I'm definitely not a fan of the xB's looks). And the sea of white paint, without any trim lines or anything else to contrast with it, looked a little plain for my tastes. But, a close inspection of the exterior, however, reveals extremely high-quality hardware, paint, sheet metal, and trim. VW did NOT skimp on the exterior quality of this car. Doors, hood, and hatchback all open and shut like bank vaults. Door handles feel hefty and work with precision...as do the exterior mirrors and their swivel-mechanisms.....a source of cheapness on many vehicles, particularly American-designed ones. The liftback not only shuts like a bank vault, but is actuated by a real metal/chrome "VW" logo/handle on it.....not just the usual chromed-plastic. A large, silver-metallic surround of the middle part of the front end also looks and feels classy...not just cheap trim. Only the odd, poorly-designed wiper arms that allow the rubber blades to hang out of the center sections, unsecured, spoil the otherwise high-quality of the exterior...I did not test the car in the rain, but wonder how well those will actually work in practice.

Open the hood, and the obiquitous, transversely-mounted, Volkswagen narrow-angle VR-6 engine is crammed underneath tighter than Pamela Anderson Lee wearing one of Twiggy's bras. In R32 trim, it produces 250 HP and 236 ft-lbs. of torque, enough to get this car out of its own way and then some...more on that later. The extremely narrow (15 degree) bank of the cylinders gives it more or less the appearance of a straight-six, but even so, clearances around the whole engine are at an absolute minimum for reaching almost anything. The plastic fluid reservior bottles are all crammed off to the sides, under the sheet metal, and the battery is also displaced (but here, primarily for weight distribution) Even the orange, T-handled oil dipstick had to be routed up the front side of the engine and arounda narrow hole cut into the front radiator cross-support. I'm sure the engineers tested and certified it in hot weather (and, once underway, I did not notice any cooling problems on the gauge) , but still, a design like that may not bode well for long engine life ......you need some air flowing aroung the engine to help control heat, not just oil and coolant. And, speaking of oil, the filller cap is actually marked "Castrol"...........hey, nothing wrong with that, IMO it is the best oil on the market; I use it myself. But again, the VW people there said that VW requires synthetic oil for this engine....and again, I could not verify that. The cap just said CASTROL; it did not say SYNTHETIC ONLY.

In back, I have already described the bank-vault solidness of the liftgate and "VW" handle. Inside, the cord-strung cargo cover that hooks onto two buttons at the top takes a little trip down memory lane...most wagons and hatchbacks today have the more commmon pull-roller spring covers. The cargo area itself is not bad at all....the high roofline and rather upright liftback give more room for cargo than more swept-back rooflines do. The cargo area is also well-finished in a quality grade of carpet, and the pull-up panel on the floor works easily to expose the spare tire and jack tools......too bad it is not a REAL spare and wheel but the more common dummy-spare.

Open the door and get in, and you will find that, in general, Volkswagen did not scrimp on the interior quality either. You settle immediately into a driver's-style sport seat with attractive, high-quality leather, with sharp but not overly-sharp side bolsters. Here is where my 21 lb. weight loss (so far) in retirement has paid off. Three months ago, I probably couldn't have fit my oversize butt into those side bolsters without at least some discomfort...today, I generally had no problem, though, of course, this car is a long way from the kiddy-car Lotus Elise seats that I reviewed in August. Anyhow, the seats are comfortable, supportive, and appear to be quite well-made, though I did not care for some of the manual seat controls. The fore-aft adjuster, for instance, is a small O-shaped ring on the right side under the cushion instead of the more common seat-wide bar: the big wheel for the rake adjustment requires you to lean forward and take pressure off of it for it to rotate, making adjustment mostly guesswork, and the seat-height adjustment is the traditional Volkswagen hand-pump lever. Only the lumbar support is full-electric.

Most of the rest of the interior, with a few exceptions, is superb. Most of you know that I like wood trim, but even though the R32 doesn't have it, I did not miss it a bit in this car. In its place is a superb, classy silvery carbon-fiber texture trim material that I had never seen before, around the console, dash, and door trim. I've seen carbon-fiber, of course.....many times.....but always in black or dark gray, never a light silver carbon-fiber like that. C-L-A-S-S-Y. The gauges are simple, clear, and easily read. All of the buttons are clear, marked, stand out, made of high-quality plastic, and are simple to use. The steering wheel manually tilts and telescopes, but I was not impressed with its cheap-feeling leather wrapping or the uncomfortable stitching. I was also not imporessed with the cheap thin-plastic stalk on the stering column that doubles as the turn signal lever....the motion itself was silky and well-damped, but the plastic lever itself felt flimsy. I've noticed that same lever......and plastic.....in other German-designed cars, even some upscale ones.

Honestly, though, there is little else inside to complain about. VW, in general, has done a superb job with the layout, execution, and materials. The slide-compartment on the arm rest is cleverly designed to slip back and upwards out of place and snap in place so you have room to reach the belt-buckle down into the lock.....a source of agitation in many vehicles. There is plenty of headroom in front.....and back.......due to the high, boxy roofline. There is also plenty of legroom in front....much less in the rear, of course, as this is a two-door compact. The stereo sound is excellent....almost in the Mark Levinson class, which is somewhat unusual for a German car. The stereo buttons are some of the best and easiest-to-use I've seen in years......simple round BASS, TUNE, TREBLE, FADER, VOLUME, BALANCE, etc...that stick out and are simply turned left and right. A monkey could figure it out in five seconds. The radio-memory buttons have the associated station marked just above them with so that you know just what you are getting before you even push them. Why, oh, WHY, can't all cars be like this? (Chris Bangle, are you listening ? ). But, of course, this was a non-NAV version...the NAV-equipped car (just about the R32's only factory option) would probably have more complex controls.

Well, good as the interior is, this car was built to drive, not to gawk at ***** and switches, so let's do it. Start up the 3.2L V6 with a conventional ignition key in a side-column-mounted ignition switch.....still no BMW-type push-buttons.......and the engine settles into a smooth, refined idle but not quite Lexus-quiet. The exhaust, being a drivers' car, gives a slight burble even at idle. The v6, once warmed up with oil pressure and ready to go, has PLENTY of smooth, refined power....it is not quite as lightning-quick as the 280-300 HP turbo engines in the rival Subaru STi and Mitsubishi Evo, but instead offers instant, right-now power across a wider torque band, without annoying turbo lag. I did not redline it, of course, as I never do with a brand-new car, but even so, You will feel a substantial shove in your back when you put your right foot down. Like the STi and Evo, even the weight and drag of the 4Motion AWD did not rob the VR6 of much of its power.....partly due to the efficiency of the superb DSG (Direct-Shift Gearbox).

Ah, yes.....the DSG. If there is a better overall transmission in the world today for normal driving, I'd sure like to see it. This one was every bit as good as the one I tested last year in the Audi A3...smooth and unobtrusive (as opposed to the clunkiness of some other automatic-clutch manuals). This transmission, like other no-clutch manuals, combines the best of both worlds.....manual efficiency with automatic convienence. It went through its six speeds as smooth as silk, whether manually shifted or left in pure auto-shift. Manual shifting is done either by bumping the lever up and down the right-hand slot or by (+) and (-) steering-wheel paddles. The lever itself is smooth, well-constructed of nice materials, has a good feel, and operates with precision. If this transmission has any drawbacks at all, it is in the complexity....the twin-clutches require very precise motion and computer work to get those silky shifts without a conventional torque converter. If it breaks or malfunctions after the warranty is up, repairs could be complex and expensive. But even so, the DSG has been well-received in the U.S......VW does not even bother to send us any conventional manual-shift R32's like it does in Europe.

Steering response, while OK, was noticeably slower than in some other sport sedans I've driven....but it was not sluggish by any means. This, of course, was originally a car that, like other Golfs/Rabbits, was designed on a nose-heavy, front-drive platform, and later adapted to AWD. Steering feel was generally good.....close to but not quite to BMW standards......but I think the car could benefit from a slightly quicker ratio in the steering rack, especially if it is going to be marketed as a serious sports sedan (or rather, hatchback).

The ride/handling combination, especially compared to the rock-hard Mitsubishi Evo, IMO is excellent. Despite a slight slower-than-usual stering response for a car of this type, the general handling is excellent. The suspension allows a slight amount of body roll.....not enough to be really noticeable, yet holds on to the road well enough to generally bring a smile to a handling enthusiast. The low-profile tires and firm suspension settings make bumps noticeable but not really uncomfortable..only mildly so. The ride is a little stiffer than I myself would like in a daily driver, but I could easily live with this car long-term if I had to. Handling, at the moderately hard inputs I gave it, is a slight amount of initial understeer followed by a pretty fair amount of cornering grip....those used to driving last-generation Evos might find it a little wanting, but most drivers will be more than satisfied.

Brakes, likewise, were superb for a non-Porsche car of this type with a front-engine. I've already mentioned that the blue-painted calipers may or may not be Brembos, but nevertheless, they have a delightful pedal feel and response.....no sponginess at all, with right-now action. The response was smooth, instantaneous, linear, and well-modulated. And the pedal is well-placed for big shoes like mine.....no hang-ups over or under the pedal going from gas to brakes, or vice-versa.















The Verdict?


Folks, I LIKED this car, even even though sports sedans and coupes are generally not my forte....you can see that from my rather short list of MINUSES. It is refined, well-built, relatively space efficient, uses surprisingly high-quality materials inside and out, is fun to drive, and, while the high-performance summer tires are not the best bet for winter traction, promises at least decent foul-weather performance if snow is not deep. Like its two main competitors, the Subaru STi and Mitsubishi Evo, it is somewhat pricey for a car its size, but that money buys a lot of equipment and performance.

I cannot compare it directly to the new WRX/STi or Evo, as I have not yet reviewed them, but the new R32 compares favorably to the old STi and Evo in several ways. It is not quite as fast as the smaller Subaru and Mitsubishi Turbo Fours, but does offer right-now, kick-in-the-pants acceleration without their turbo lag, and has peak torque (over a flatter curve) at lower RPM. Its ride/handling balance is more civilized as well....the Evo will beat the hell out of you on a bumpy road. The DSG gearbox is nothing short of superlative...a good candidate for display in the Automotive Hall of Fame. Its interior beats both the old STi and Evo, hands-down...no comparison at all.

But, like any car, it is not perfect. IMO, it needs more substantial wiper arms, better leather and stitching for the steering wheel, a turn signal stalk to match the rest of the high-quality interior, a real spare tire and wheel, power seat controls, maybe a slightly quicker steering ratio, a better reliability record for its electronics, and.......(please, VW)......a MUCH better web site where you can actually FIND some information. Anyone seriously interested in this car definitely has my blessing.....it is pricey for its size but offers a lot for the money, solid construction, and a lot of driving fun. But get your deposits in....VW will sell only 5000 of them this year in the American market.

plex

iTrader: (11)

Good review mmarshall even though I probably won't own one I always liked the R32

mmarshall

Yes....though larger, heavier, and perhaps not quite as agile as the original GTI of 1982, it is easily the best of its successors yet.

whoster

i'm pretty sure it doesn't have Brembo brakes.

the VW site would have touted their use of Brembo in their setup.

mmarshall

I don't know. They sure aren't touting much else on the site...but maybe it is just my slow computer, or things on that web site that are that are too high-tech for my laptop. But I generally don't have that problem with other manufacturer websites, just VW's....and I use a lot of different auto-company sites to help people make car-buying decisions and shop.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

always like this car, very good value and quality as well as performance. but will I ever get one? probably no, just not my style...

mmarshall

Not quite mine either....a little too sporting for my tastes. But I genuinely liked a lot of things about it, primarily the quality of its materials, brakes, and the DSG gearbox.

You mention "good value", though. While there are lots more expensive cars out there, 34K is not cheap by any means. The question is...is it worth what it costs?
Probably a borderline yes.

LexFather

Wow, great review. I think your experience at the dealer (no brochures etc) and website are echod by a lot of people, thus some of VWs failings here.

I am also a fan of this car. Thanks!

Koma

iTrader: (3)

I've seen 3 already in my area. God I want one. You can pick one out easy by the dual center exhaust.

MoLexus

Awesome review marshall.

mmarshall

...and, to an extent, the lower body cladding.

Get your deposit in.......VW will only sell 5000 in the American market for 2008.

mmarshall

Thanks. I always look forward to driving any DSG-equipped vehicle. That transmission, like BMW's steering feel, is addicting.

Koma

iTrader: (3)

I'm not in the market for a vehicle right now but otherwise I probably would. And sell it a couple years down the road as R32s have kept their value well.

rotaryrock

Prefer the look of the MK4 to the MK5 but I'd take an MK5 R32 anyday
VW better give it some serious grunt tho when cars like the 135i come out and blow it out of the water in terms of performance... heck even a modded GTI can keep up with R32 easily.

Koma

iTrader: (3)

The R32 has a near Audi like interior, it's built as a fast DD. The GTI is FWD so it'll need a lot of suspension tuning where as the R32 can do better in twisties.
The 135 is pricey though, and ugly. Heh.