Why the VW R32 is Better Than the GT! - R32 vs GTI Comparison.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- New uploads Mondays,Wednesdays,and Saturdays! Today's video involves our buddy Cameron who asked if I wanted to drive his bone stock VR6 powered VW R32. Now I had never driven the R32 in any form over the GTI and I always wondered if it was worth the price tag jump from the GTI. Thanks for watching!
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Thanks for watching everybody!
Have any of your guys ever owned one of these?
ThatDudeinBlue I have a stock 2008 R32, as well as the 2004 but with a supercharger on e85. The 2004 is hands down the best VW ive ever driven and I was a porter at a VW dealership.
OvenBakedCumNugget id be down to drive from chicago
Maybe 😏😏😏😎
ThatDudeinBlue drive a mk4 r32 way better than the mk5 trust me
Looked into getting one but the weight and dsg made I️t a deal breaker. Ended up building a 20th anniversary gti. 52mm turbo, FBO, forged rods, full e85. Definitely happy I went this route. Fun on track and on the canyon roads.
This is still one of my favorite cars, hands down. Mk V R32!
I currently own the #2598 MK5 VW R32 and love it. Prior to that I had a MK4 1.8T GTI. I love my R32. It’s truly the next level of VW hot hatch from that era. I just love the VR6 sound. No it’s not the fastest car on the road, but it’s enough to be fun and stimulating on the right road.
I've driven and reviewed a Golf R, and man... That car is truly next level. You'll love the heck out of it whenever you get to drive and review one! The only thing it misses is that epic VR6 sound! The R32 is on my short list to drive. I loved the styling on the 4th gen Golf version of it, someone had one when I was living in the Netherlands. Always rode past it when going to the store. Beautiful!
The Dutch Texan ...that's funny, I'm a belgian texan! :D
Dsg is a bit lame in my view
Isn't it a VR engine??
+Ty Mac The MK6R and MK7R are turbo 4's. The MK6R uses the same engine (FSI) as the MK5 GTI just with a K04 turbo. The 7 uses the TSI engine and uses an IS38 turbo. You can make pretty close to 400hp with just a few bolt ons and tune with MK7R
The VR6 is such an interesting engine. It seems weird at first but the more you learn about it, the more you ask yourself why the hell don't more manufacturers make a compact single head V6.
VW absolutely NAILED the DSG from the MK5 onwards
They actually started them in the MK4 R32
Correction to the dsg only thing.. dsg was only offered in us models. Europe got the choice for manual or dsg.
this car is so fun. even in it's stock mode, still brings a grin to my face when i hit that launch control.
Owning a MK5 R32
Its good to see a big youtuber review one for a change
KoziK
Are replacement parts readily available for the R32?
Engine and transmission rebuilding?
Thanks
@@mikeriv60 Some part yeah. Mechatronic units or anything related the Transmission can take months to get parts for, waited 4 months for a mech unit.
@@ironbloodedmyth1204
Where does it come from ?
@@mikeriv60 Outside of the US from what I was told, they were able to source me one but they never let me know from exactly it came from, no issues so far.
#1382 owner here, and i approve this message. R32 will always be king of the volkswagens. I love mine.
Shayne Hereth Hey! Nice to see a fellow owner chiming in!
#1283 for me
Shayne Hereth I have #18/5000 it’s blue and turbocharged ✌🏽
#4310/5000 right here🇩🇪🚗
Backroads Cruisers mine is number 4950
As the owner of a MK5 Rabbit, I think these cars are awesome and I'd love to have one! Great video as always David.
I bought a Jetta 2.5 in late 2018. Installed a tune and subtle catback to it and it is a fun and kinda peppy little car but in January I went and drove an R32 for the first time. Now I own one LOL, it's such a blast to drive and it blows my Jetta right out of the water. My R32 is #2579
Cameron added a lot to the commentary, I really enjoy when you have the owner on screen too!
Having owned a MKV R32 with FBO and Tune....I'd say its the better Car Overall than the GTI but not the better of the two if you want to mod. The R32 is extremely Expensive to modify and you'll max out around 230awhp with bolt ons and tune. If your pockets are deep then get it turbocharged and it'll eat any GTI in its wake. I highly recommend getting the R32 flashed with United Motorsports ECU and DSG software. You won't regret it.
MANIC R55 supercharger sounds nice
JV only problem is the MKV has no supercharger support in the US. Youd have to work with someone in Europe which gets expensive. There's a few turbo options. A UM tune dealer near me in NJ is actually working on a US supercharger kit for mass production. He has it on a running car just needs to finish the fine details before public release.
And it's slow
Nick Bonilla such a stalker
MANIC R55 troll level=master
One of the main reasons I know about the VW R32 is because when searching for Skyline R32 part these kept coming up. Very cool VW! David please pin this!
It easy to get mixed up in all these codes for sure!
It's NOT "emkay" - it's "MARK!"
I absolutely love the R32. My friend had a 1998 VW Jetta VR6 and we did an intake and a nuespeed chip to delete the rev limiter and governer. Then he took it to a place called Dubwerks in bensonville Illinois. They can do some amazing things to those cars. This was 13 years ago also so now it's even more impressive what they can do.
The downside is they don’t make power as easy as a GTI
Michael Rodriguez unless u have a enough money to turbo it
It makes better power stock and all costs the same at the end of the day.
1.8ts are making all the records tho. Where there's a fast vrt there's a faster 1.8t lol
Matt Greenland they werent much faster than the gti in the 1/4 or twisties. 0-60 yes for sure
True but Wookiee noises!!! 😁
When you come to Japan, I will let you drive the big-boy MK4 version with the 6-speed
PacificCoastAuto bro most people order cars from Japan and they’re called imports, pls let me know if ur cars are reliable (im from Africa so im not sure how yall make cars BUT i know ur country is one of the most developed countries ever)
Regardless of the hate for this gen R32. I love these! I definitely plan on getting one.
Love this gen R32 design, clean car and good having the owner ride along!
Thanks for picking up the slack left by the Smoking Tire. everyone was bummed when matt announced there would be no more episodes. I don't know if that's what you intended, but regardless it's great to hear more about the specs and story from the driver.
Loving these ride along style reviews! Nothing like scaring the owner of the car while they're sat next to you 😁
BringIt96 .. He's videos is only of he's own face?? No car, no road, no anything but his face???? Wierd to me
Best.TH-camr.Ever.
:')
#truth. David has not changed. He has remained true to the ideals of the car family and car community. Others have come along, maybe exploded but David is just a honest and YouTUBER you can look up to and admire for his genuineness.
DoctaM3 That’s exactly why I love his videos.I love your’s too DoctaM3!
Look whos talking you modest sir! You are probably the only youtuber I follow that own/has access to supercars that is not a snob :)
ThatDudeinBlue dido. I feel like everybody try’s to follow a trend in the car community. Which is I why I will always watch his videos. Rather on TH-cam or whatever platform.
Wouldnt it be called 4 motion not quattro?
Literally just learned about this car the other day! How dope you're making a review of it
I had a 2008 R32 for about 2 years. Definitely a nice car. Good balance of luxury and performance. But always had the itch for an Evo ( dream car). So traded the r32 in for a brand new Evo X. I will always miss the luxury and exhaust note of the R32. But performance wise to the Evo it's no comparison. But for a solid daily driver. The R32 is a great choice.
the new MK 7 GTIs are so fun to drive.....havent been in the new MK7R but would love to see you review one......hope you can find one soon.
Top gear reviewing the R32 is how I discovered this car
Great vid, didn't know a whole lot about this car before this. I always thought the GTI was VWs best hot hatch but this thing is amazing!
Of course it’s better AWD VR6 lol and the mk4 is way better looking
Andres Suarez totally agree
I agree. I like the mk4 better as well. But the longer you look at the mk5 the better it gets.
Haldex is not AWD system change my mind.... Front wheel drive with on off rear.... just dumb when somethin is not workin or expensive on repairs....
@ An AWD system that isn´t AWD. What a genius.
My brother has a black manual R32, just one of the best sounds ever.
-Nissan r32- *VW r32*
No. Just no. I have no idea how drunk you would have to be to put Golf over Skyline
LeBeckStudio ever sat in one? Youll see why the VW is better
i was being sarcastic, it is impossible to compare nissan skyline to a vw.
Firstly - trying to compare cars that have 15 years between them. Second - one of them is JDM icon, the second one is a commuters car made by shitty manufacturer. It probably is fast (not everyone has a car with 250hp engine) and may sound good but c'mon. It's like a shit covered with glitter. It never will be good enough to compete with the real R32
ye
Great video David! My brain took time to catch up when you mentioned R35s and R32s - I confused myself with Nissans 😂, I watched this video again from the beginning and understood which one you were referring to! Just watched your livestream yesterday about the VW monkey gate - I really like some VW cars but this is terrible.
I have been waiting for this review for such a long time
owner of a tuned mk4 1.8t pushing 240whp with just a few bolt-ons with stock turbo. tunability wise, the 1.8ts own the park. only thing I'd get a vr6 for is because of that sound. sound's like a poor mans m3 haha. But I love the turbo too. It's all a matter of preference honestly. nice whip tho!
Do a boosted mk4 r32!
I think most mk4 r33 owners wouldn't want other people driving their cars lol especially an R32T haha. Hopefully someone reaches out to him tho
I have a supercharged R32 and said David could drive mine if he wants to
I have a 500 whp Turbocharged MK5 R32. It’s stupid I’m only pushing 12Ilbs of boost.
I still love my mkv GTI at the end of the day, can’t beat the turbo sounds
Most awesome car ever made.
I love the first gen of these. The engine note is spectacular
These simply are NOT fast in N/A form, even with FBO’s/cams/tunes. But they’re still fun and have a unique sound. Albeit not as cool looking as the MK4’s it’s still a great daily that puts a smile on your face every time you drive it.
The Mk4 R32 looks better in my opinion😍😆
Defo liking this new format David... nice to get the owners involved
Hey David, if you ever find yourself back in the D.C. Area, you should review my Passat W8 6 speed wagon
ughyoutookmyusername yeah he should! that thing sounds nasty!!
I had the 2001 Passat GLX with the 2.8 30V, 4-Motion and it was a ton of fun making right around the 200HP mark, and I’d love to experience the W8. I’m about a few hours away from D.C but around here there are like no W8’s available
arent there less than 1000 in the US? super sick man!
IYlercy there are supposedly 97 wagons with a manual in the US
DatRandyKid the w8 is fun, but mostly only because you can row through the gears and listen to it without going too much over the speed limit. She's a heavy lady, but I'll keep it forever
Really happy to see you interviewing the owner
this is great
The GTI has always been FWD, it is a heritage thing, the FWD is also obviously lighter so if you compare a new GTI to a new R around a track they are very close in times. The GTI and the R are both awesome and both have their place. Great vid!
Gorgeous car. & It's the weight of the engine and AWD that eliminates the wheel spin.
I used to have a friend who owned one of these in a dark blue color and I loved it. It was faster than my modded 86' RX-7. My RX-7 was more fun to drive though.
Drove one for a awhile loved it but something about it always made me want more. The problem with this car is that the fuel consumption is catastrophic. Have a Mazdaspeed 3 now and it's much more exciting.
how did that crappy mazda work out? lmao
Love when David uploads 🙌🏽
Everyone I see reviewing an R32 always has a wide smile across their face.
Currently deciding between this or the gti, obviously gti is cheaper to buy, keep, fix, run etc. And i love the tartan seats! But V6 and twin centre exhausts, this is like SOPHIES CHOICE!!
My dad has a bone stock blue 2008 R32. I forgot what number it is out the the 5000, but it’s on the steering wheel
He has number 4111/5000
I got #4310/5000 Tornado Red
VyroZ 3.2L 4548/5000 Tornado Red
Andy Garcia I have a manual version in the uk 🇬🇧 would have liked the dsg though!
I snagged a MK7 GTI because I knew I could invest the money saved in mods and have the car I have always wanted. If I got an R I would want to keep it stock and would likely trade in eventually for maybe an audi. With the GTI I feel like I want to make it mine and keep her forever and that is the plan!
By far one of my favourite cars was my mkIV gti 1.8t. Rode well and sounded great! Hoping in the future to do a mkIV r32 build.
Makes me miss my MKIV R32 and Corrado. The MKIV was definitely better looking than the V. Of course now the performance and looks of my new MK7 GTI are way better than both of the R32's, but I definitely miss that VR6.
Someone give this dude a mk4 r32 with a big ol turbski on it.
Man, this thing is so sick. If I ever get away from Saab life, the 2004 R32 is my third choice behind a Subaru or an Evo. Theres a guy in my city with a tuned red MK4 R32.
i feel like i could hang out with these dudes and have a good time talking about cars
Glad to see another VW on the channel! Now would love to see you drive a MK4 R32 and do a comparison :D
I had one,they are ok love the sound but I think lack of power even my girlfriend drove it and said, sounds good but is not that quick. But overall nice car especially if you live where it snows 😀
I like that you have the owner in there talking with you.
As soon as he said rabbit. I knew he was real! RABBIT SQUAD. It's my first car. Slow af, but hella agile
Yessir! Loved my rabbit
I own #1430 and it's the most fun I've ever had driving a car. If you ever have a chance to buy one, do it !
Thanks for showing some Volkswagen stuff!
I have a MK7 GTI, stage 2+, full bolt ons, IS38 turbo, southbend stage 3. I spank r32s with wheel spin.
A mk7 golf r with same mods? No. Those things are so underrated.
Love your content man keep up the good work
i have the audi a3.2 vr6 dsg model. love it
Funny enough I am 95% sure I'm gonna opt for a GTI MK7 buttttt one side of mine really craves a R32 and my friends think it's much cooler than a mk7 gti... this video makes me more indecisive. Thanks!
Tom's Garage mk7 GTI is infinitely better
AlexCell33 I agree I've driven 3 of them up to today and they are a blast + they are super reliable and get good mpg and all those things andddd they are turbo which is what I like and it has an easy platform to mod it if I want to in the future!
Tom's Garage make sure to get the performance package with the LSD
AlexCell33 I have driven with and without performance pack and didn't really feel any difference, they say the difference is really when you are putting your foot down out of a corner in a track or something a bit more intense... I'll have to drive both again to see
The brakes hold up better for track use but I think I've heard if you are going to do a lot of track driving you need aftermarket or TTRS brakes.
I call mine Dr Jekyll. For me the r32 is the perfect 5-6/10ths car. fun and rewarding, confidence inspiring. the biggest problem is the weight. because it does everything else so well, and the haldex gives you so much grip when you have any level of power going through it. When you find the limit, and you reach for the brakes. you find out it's a gti with an extra 300kgs.
Mk4 R32 all the way.
I like before i even watch because you never have a bad video
Been waiting for this review for years 😭
2008 R32 💥🔥 I’m with it
If you ever are in NY i'll change your opinion on that title! My car beat a brand new 2018 Golf R from a dig and roll. It's a blast.
Best way to start the afternoon Bluedude Post a Video Pancakes And Coffee 😎
Mk7 GTI manages same 0-60 and 1/4 time as R32 without AWD. Stage 1 APR makes GTI's 1/4 mile time 13.1 seconds(14.4 in R32) and I am pretty sure MQB platform is more tossable.
I'm so glad I found this video. It may have just convinced me to find a MKVR32 to baby, and save $10k from buying an MK7.5. I've wanted a gti since the V debuted when I was a senior in high school, and have loved them ever since. Sadly it seems VW is losing touch with what makes the GTI great with their MK8. The GTI is an enthusiast vehicle. Not a computer on wheels. I believe the 08 R32 may just be the drivers car!
Love VW’s. Have a MKVII GTI and I love it. Next car for me is going to be a Golf R
I am in a 2009 mkv GTI but I looove the R32!
Even the gearing in the mk5 1.4 tsi is perfect 1st is very fast 2nd is fast but you can hit 70 in 2nd, 3rd in the perfect balance .
You can’t beat the sound of an R32😍
And these motors are insane, they Are being swapped into the MK6 Rs and MK7 Rs and making well over 800hp and giving supercars a run for their money...IN A HATCHBACK!
David you need to try a mk4 R32 now ;) To bad I'm up in Toronto canada. I do come to the us a bit if you want to drive mine
Awd adds weight, affects fuel economy, loses more power through the drive train and losses steering feel. Most hatch backs (apart from hyper hatches e.g a45 amg) don’t need awd to put the power down
Wanna review a bagged 58 beetle and bagged 16 jetta with 800hp?
Review a 20th Anniversary GTI 😎
I don't know if it's special in the US , but in Germany every version also was available as a manual from the beginning :D
alright, im in the price range of E90 323i and ...this
is the 4wd on r32 better though?
n thing ive always liked about vw is how comfortable the drivers seat is. everything is in place.
i have a mk4 gti vr6, this makes me want an r32 so much more!
lol at Em-Kay-Six at 4:58 ... It's Mark-Six... Also a Mk6 R will blow the doors of the Mk5 R32, this guy is fantasy land and has no idea what he is talking about. I personally love the R32 but $ for $ Turbo always beats NA.
Changing it up a bit. I like it :)
The R32 is better than the GTI, until you put a few bucks in the GTI. It will eat the R32 up in a straight line. I love the VR6 motor, I've worked on one for longer than I like to admit, the engineering and sound can't be beat. NA power is nice, but there's no easy bang for buck mods, unfortunately. Stage 2 on mine, and it is easily putting out the same power, or more I guess if 250 is crank rating. I'd like the AWD for traction, the added weight from the drivetrain and that engine weight difference is apparent. I'd wager a R32 is equivalent to a GTI with a Stage 1-2 tune, depending on tuner, a Diff, and some upgraded suspension to account for the traction difference. I wouldn't call them better, except for the rarity, sound, and the VR6 as a whole. You're essentially getting the same interior, a two door, my preference, and the same chassis, which is a little sloshy without some suspension and stiffer mounts. They also carry a premium in the used market, way too expensive for what you're getting. A VR6 can be had elsewhere, for a whole lot cheaper and you still get the sound with a chopped exhaust ;)
NA power is only nice if you don't live at a higher elevation. I live in SLC UT and love having a turbo up here. Probably mostly just an issue for people that live in SLC or Denver though.
You need to do more reviews like this!!
Where I live I can get a mk6 gti for around $7500-$12K or I can get a mk5 r32 for around $8K. Should I get the mk6 gti or the mk5 r32?
It was my birthday this past Saturday David! Show some love? Lol
Happy late birthday!
Its a single head 15° v6. Its like the best an inline 6 and v6.
Such awesome cars were really popular a few years ago in the uk
I feel like they just became best friends ..:)