Looking to purchase a 08 R32

bigbadvoodooguru said:

oh but there are miatas and Z4's and 350z's and mustangs and wrx's and mr2's and now there are gt86's and brz's and all sorts of other stuff that is so much more interesting and fun to drive. I know my MR2 blows my Rabbit, the MKV GTI's I've driven, and my brother's modified MKIV GTI out of the water and that thing has cost me less than 3 grand total. And I redid the interior so it's mint WITH heated seats

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chunkisagoonie said:

1. It's a lot of money to spend for a car that's only marginally better than a loaded Mk5 GTI that costs $7-8k less. If I was prepared to drop $25k on a GTI, I'd look into buying a Mk6 with a factory or CPO warranty.

2. Versus a GTI, the fuel economy is abysmal. My buddy leased an '08 R32 when it came out and he averaged about 19 mpg, spirited driving. I consistently get 25-26 mpg driving the same way on my GTI. An R32 is about 500 lbs. heavier than a DSG GTI because of the larger motor and the AWD system. More weight to push + thirstier engine = bad mpg.

3. The benefits of AWD are practically negated living in a low-elevation city like San Diego. You'd truly only see those benefits on a track.

4. I know you said you wanted to hold off on tuning, but if you end up getting the bug later, the 2.0TSI motor is much cheaper and easier to tweak. It has much more power potential for less money.

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bigbadvoodooguru said:

and if you are dropping 25k get a MK6 model. No reason to buy a generation old (soon to be two).

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The Fed said:

An R32 is good off the line if use the launch control due to the AWD. Other than that a Stage 1 GTI is faster to 60, the quarter mile, and like he ^^^^ said.

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UGFast89 said:

You have to consider gas mileage and transmission. DSG was and still is in the developing stages and they are notorious for recalls. It is also an AWD. More gas, less mpg. But it's a fun car and rides well with a v6 engine. Too out of my price range. I'd settle with a gti with manual transmission.

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Qwoz said:

Coming from a family that owns 2 gtis, a 2012 golf TDI, and an R32, I would have to say the only tangible benefits of the R32 over the GTIs are:
-4 wheel drive, great in the snow
-the stock exhaust note
-and if you're picky, power response is slightly better in the R32.
The GTI is faster, lighter, has better MPG. Spend 600-1000 in mods on the GTI and it will be significantly faster than the R32. After an intake and Rev D. DV, I like the sound of my GTI better anyway.


also you say you would like to stay away from tuning. Why not spend 600$ and get an APR stage 1 flash on a GTI? Super reliable (more conservative than tuners such as unitronic), and a huge leap in performance. No hardware required, you take it in and they hook it up to a computer. Need to take it in for service? The modes are switchable and you can put it back to stock for the dealer. If I were you I would consider the chip in your purchase decision.
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Like I said before I am not a VW expert, where can I read more info on that stage 1, stage 2 tunning guys are talking about?

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So you guys are basically telling me that a Stage 1 GTI will out perform a 08 R32 with just a couple of hundred bucks invested on it ($700)

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Roberto.TJ said:

Last question what year GTI should I look it to?

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chunkisagoonie said:

Check out APR's website. They have kits for Stage I/II/II+/III and a pretty good job explaining the differences.


Generally speaking, anything from 2008.5 onward would be your best bet because of the newer TSI motor. 06-08 GTIs have the FSI motor, which has historically been prone to issues with its fuel pump, cam lobe and PCV. These issues are practically non-existent on the TSI.

I've been pretty lucky with FSI, but I do maintain it very well. With that said, I'd only consider an FSI if the car in question has a good, well-documented service record.

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The Fed said:

Here's what I would look for: A 2010 or 2011 off-lease, CPO car. Depends when it was bought. Look for one about 2-years-old from DATE OF FIRST SERVICE (which is the date it was originally sold), and you should have about another one year of factory warranty and 2 years worth of CPO warranty. An off-lease car is more likely to be UNMODIFIED and undamaged. And it's more likely to have serviced at the dealer because routine maintenance is free for the first 3 years.

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Roberto.TJ said:

What do you mean by CPO?

Thanks again the Fed for this great tips....

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Roberto.TJ said:

Thanks you for your feedback....

have the 2008 and over models had any recalls?

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Roberto.TJ said:

This looks like a good deal?

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/2902772492.html

What do you guys think?

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chunkisagoonie said:

That price is on the high end of KBB private sale, but it does have extended maintenance and looks well-maintained. Low miles for a 2-year old car, too.

I would ask the seller what "extended maintenance" really means. Is it an actual warranty extension or just a normal maintenance (lube, filters, etc.) extension? Big difference there.

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