Meegan i wish i had brought one new that must of been awesome to go and buy one, were you ever tempting to part ex it for the mk5? im glad you still have it you would of regretted selling it i reckon i want to buy one now after recently review a mk4 R32 for my channel such an awesome car
I can't tell you how much I appreciate car reviews on older vehicles. I love brand new reviews and enjoy drueling over supercar reviews also, but watching reviews on cars I could actually buy and start a project on are much more interesting.
The R32's are nice cars. 2 of my friends have red ones. One completely stock the other has intake exhaust and suspension. They are pretty nice cars and they do have a very unique sound to them. As for the comments on the owner putting stereo equipment and making the car "flush". Its his car and if it makes him happy more power to him. We buy cars we like and we modify them to meet our needs and make us happy not other people. Some people aren't into big systems some people aren't into 500+ hp tire shredding cars. To each their own. Thanks for making the video guys I enjoyed watching it.
I have a red one, very clean with just 50k original miles, original clutch. I'm the original owner. I've loved this car from day one. It is truly a great performing car. I love it so much it's never been parked outside only garaged always. Amazing VW.
Weve had ours for ages now. Still drives superbly. Im glad we kept it as its still worth almost what we paid. Not super fast but very satisfying and reliable.
I always loved the look of these as well and always wanted one. I'd imagine all those rattles are due to the stereo system shaking every nut, screw and bolt out possible.
It is not 2 banks, or two heads, which is why Volkswagen does not call it a V configuration. There is no left and right bank, meaning its not a V, there is only 1 staggard banking of cylinders, identified as a VR layout
VR =! V But I can think of why americans just call it V6. I don't know if there even are more VR-layout Engines.. I only can think of the VAG VR6 and VR5
The R32's V-6 exhaust note is one of my favorites, and this coming from a muscle car/Corvette guy. It's just got that quintessential German performance growl without being too obtrusive or annoying at cruising speeds. If they had kept the 3.2 V-6 in both the Mk VI and Mk. VII Golf R's, there's no doubt the loyal, VW faithful would follow. In todays age of MPG and performance, the 2.0 R888 motors makes great power, and 30 mpg down the highway eases the EPA nazis. In reality, it's just amazing German engineering over the past 30+ years.
I'm glad to see the MK4 R32 still gets some love so many years after it's release. This car while beautiful in many regards, isn't a spectacular review due to it's lowered stance & extremely stiff suspension set up. Because of this, the feel for the original is lost. I picked up my Tornado Red R32 about 5 months ago and it now has 155k and is bone stock aside from a flapper mod done by the previous owner, and the upgraded from stock headunit + 500w amp & 10" sub which I added. I plan to refresh the suspension components like tie rods & ends, engine/trans/dogbone mount, and a few other odds and ends as at 12 years old it's due. But otherwise have no plans to change it from stock save maybe a different exhaust to give it a little more rasp, and some nice summer tires for meets & G2G's. If you'd like to review it now or after the refresh of components, you're more than welcome to. I'd be honored to have you guys give it a drive and share your thoughts.
I really love the Fast Blast Review series guys! All of your reviews are great but these put a nostalgic twist on your car reviews while also bringing cars back into focus that haven't really been covered since they were new. You cover both the quirks of these cars but also the qualities that made these cars great. The newer cars do everything so well from the standpoint of performance and comfort but many of them lack the old school analog experience of the cars from even 10 years ago and therefore leave the driver feeling, at times, disconnected. I have a first gen turbocharged 1993 Miata on the original motor running 12 psi on the factory ECU. The engine has held itself together for 11 years under boost and still runs strong. If I were closer to you guys I'd be more than happy to hand you the keys. I'm also 6'3" so you guys would fit albeit just. :-) Keep up the good work gentlemen and thanks!
I have a 2004 R32 in Tornado Red, with 71,000 miles, (I bought it new in 2004) with minimal modifications ( a BMC intake, Koni FSDs on original US springs, replacing the blown stock Monroe shocks at 29,00 miles, and different wheels/ tires- that's it. I can put it back to stock except for the shocks...).If you are looking for one to test that's as close to original and hasn't been messed with, drop me a line. I'm in PA, though... I've been down the road in my youth with my VWs- lowering, stiffening the chassis, tuning, etc.- and this is one car that I never want to part with, let alone change the chemistry with Forced Induction, lowering, etc. It would change the dynamics into something that would always be reaching outside of the scope that it was intended to. To me, of course. I liked the video, ( I like any Mk4 R32 video!) and can agree with you about the appeal of the car- it's a driver's car, with sexy engine sounds and is really tons of fun year round- when I actually drive it, anyway. (I'm losing my vision and driving is getting much harder these days.) It never fails to put a smile on my face, and sounds oh so awesome on cold start up in the garage! You two bring up excellent insights about the R32, and really know how to see things for what they are, or could be. I commend you for your enthusiasm and skills, and look forward to watching more of your reviews!
mike johns - I have already parted company with it, Mike. It's been gone since May. 😢 but thanks for your interest! The new owner flew in from Ohio and drove her home for a nice 8 plus hour cruise. I miss that car but I miss driving itself.
The car clearly needs it stock wheels put back on, or at minimum correct offset wheels. I have driven the MK4 hard at track events. As a track weapon, this would not be first choice, as said, it's a front heavy FWD car with Haldex tacked on. Pushed hard on the track, on corners the front plows and under steers, grinds up the tires, and then the rear kicks in and pushes it around, so it sort of rotates. It's like a dog that doesn't like to swim being pushed into the water. It is heavy and that is felt. The exhaust note is first rate. Power wise it has to be pushed very hard to get it to move. If you must track a VW, a GTI would be a better choice. The MK4 R however is a fun street car, I would have no issues blasting around for an occasional mountain run with this car, or even use it as a daily.
With a supercharger or turbo kit installed, I'd agree, stock, nope. I've driven these on several occasions at HPDE events, which told me all I need to know about these cars.
@@kottyking I'm afraid to say that bostonaudi is right. I own an mk4 r32 and an Audi a4 b7 quattro stick shift and the audi has almost the same power as the r32. You really need to push the gas pedal and rev it to feel some power on the r32.
The suspension is H&R race springs with adjustable koni yellows. When the car goes to the track the stereo comes out and the powdered black stock 18" aristos go on. CEL was bad bank 1 o2 sensor.
Well, agreed. Every massive engine is gonna produce a mean growl but VR6 is truly a unique design. They tried to fit a V6 in a small space of a daily driver so the result is a V6 with a single head instead of two. So it's really neither a V6 or I6. It gets it's unique sound from unequal intake and exhaust ports unlike WRX (another of my favorite sounds) which gets that burble from unequal headers. You can't really hear it in this video. I wish they would emphasize the sound... Engineering Explained has a very nice video explaining this in more detail - it's very interesting =)
love watching your videos and i recommend them for friends who are looking to get a new car, as i find these to have informative and insightful reviews, i love my R32 i never want to have another Golf with the exception of the mk6 golf 4, I'm at 168,848 miles now and still love it, I'm all about function over form i regularly take it out up the southern California mountains every other week and this car just keeps going! i noticed in your review of the mk7 gti about how people have this perception that Volkswagens are no good after 60,00 miles i personally think based on how i see and hear other who are either not mechanically inclined, new to the car scene or new, or young car enthusiasts don't fully understand what it takes to matin these cars or have an unrealistic idea, with the warranty going out around the 60k bracket the customer becomes responsible for the repairs while they have been used to having it taken car of, now that these cars have aged younger car people rolling on to the scene buy these cars or euro pean cars rushing to lower there cars and buy expensive wheels forgetting that cars need to be taken care of like anything else thats aged not that i have an issue with lowering a car or wheels just fyi
I like wheels as much as the next guy but lowering it so it looks great at the expense of comfort and it rubbing is counter productive cuz you can't really drive it.. it's a car you look at it, yes, but it's meant to be driven.
What if I told you a complete car enthusiast finds both if they really want it. With my setup I can scrap my bumper on driveways(usually skid plate) but I can also take twistys at dummy speeds all day long.
I am a few months away from selling my R32 as part of purchasing a 718 Cayman S. And the thought of selling that car...makes me sad. I've had it since new and have put 85,000 miles on it. It's still stock. I still love it. I wish I had more garage.
I a sub for some time now but just today came across this review. So awesome. To bad it wasn't a stock or near stock one but still, it was awesome seeing people talking about this car I loved so much. And reading the comments makes me happy so many people still love this car.
I love my R32. mine has just over 100,000mile and looks like its new in side and out ! you guys need to drive mine, its been setup for the track! not over weighted with sounds systems
Just picked up a Tornado Red on cloth (1 of 175) R32 with 53K miles...had a blue one many years ago and needed to scratch the itch again. If you guys feel like driving a more stock version, let me know ;) Great video as always!
tmh44 I had a blue too for many years. Loved it and miss it so much. Many kms on it. Too many. 208k kms (129k miles) and sold it when I moved to another country. At first I kept it and wanted to keep It but I don't go back home that much so I ended up selling it. Hope current owner still happy with it.
Why would you guys review a car that is so "stanced"? I mean 400 lbs of sound system, low life suspension setup?? You two won't enjoy the drive and we will not enjoy the video as much as if the car had been modified for enhanced performance not looks and sound.. Just some constructive criticism.
+Juan Galvis - Fair questions. With these Fast Blasts we want to drive a variety of cars that we think you guys would like to see. While we've had a few people approach us with very stanced vehicles (incapable on a back road), this one is minimal in that regard. Because Joe drives this car hard, year-round, in all weather, we thought it was worth getting on camera. The stereo system was a bit of a surprise, but in the case of every Fast Blast we are driving cars the way the owners drive and love them. Hopefully it leads to interesting discussion for all of us. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
+EverydayDriver would love to see another R32 that's closer to stock or modded from a more performance oriented view. As a viewer I appreciate your integrity to the audience to call out the problems with this car.
+Juan Galvis You missed a thing to criticize them about. They got wrong the second sentence in this video: "This is Vw's first version of the hot GTI." (it was at this moment I knew, they fucked up :D) +EverdayDriver Have you heard about Mk3 VR6? Mk2 G60? And one to the owner: Who puts big sound stuff in a R32? Have you heard the engine? :D
In my opinion those motors are amazingly rewarding to drive. I have a 08 TT 3.2 6 speed coupe, which has a curb weight of 3,100lbs. It's more rewarding with the MKV style suspension lay out with the TTs more rigid frame. It won't win any big power races unless you boost it but can be a rewarding handling car with the right modifications. And with the market can be found for BRZ/FRS money.
Love the car, hate the modifications. I had driven a Passat W8 and feel in love. Dealers price was high, looked elsewhere, found one that was 95% of what I wanted but with modifications: chipped for extra hp, exhaust tuned, tire/wheel package (wide back, narrow front) I did not desire. Could they be overcome? Like a great house with burnt orange shag carpet, gothic paint scheme, or lime green appliances. I decided against it - thinking mods were not in the long term best interest of car. Tail between my legs went back to dealer springing an extra $5k.
my next purchase i think ive just reviewed a MK4 r32 for my channel and fell in love with that epic engine sound, defo a future classic and above all great fun to drive ;)
Great review guys. Love this car. Happened to find one bone stock, 50K, garage kept last summer (mid 2015). Beautiful, like brand new car. I also own a 2000 VR6 GTI, which is my daily driver. 237k and would drive it from coast to coast at the drop of a dime. Fellas, stop acting like children.. you don't have to like the car or his particular setup. If you have nothing nice to say, find some women to gossip and complain with. Leave the auto conversations to the grown ups. No one wants to read your pissing and moaning!
Back when I was a car salesman, I got a 2008 (I think, one gen after thisone) one in on trade in with only 10k miles. I was excited and wish I could have bought it myself. I never managed to sell it. Everyone that came to look at it had to back out after they got an insurance quote. Apparently with the V6 so far up front, they said it cost more to insure than a corvette.....the car ended up going to the auction to get sold off......sad
There's so many people knocking the reliability of mk4's. I wonder how many people have actual first-hand experience with them and not through their buddies and word of mouth guessing crap... I've owned four of them over the course of 7 years now and haven't had ANY major issues with them. My last GTI I bought ('01, vr6) had over 130,000 miles. I beat on that car HARD for more than 2 years, and with regular maintenance, the only things that needed replacing during that whole time were the camshaft position sensor and a wheel bearing.
I almost bought a 2nd gen R32, the one with the large chrome front and middle dual-exhaust. It was very clean, original and to own it all i would have had to do was to trade in my 2 year old diesel Subaru Legacy. I thought about it too long and they sold it to someone else. I've regretted not getting that car ever since...
How much do these go for in good stock condition? I’m strongly thinking about one of these because I want awd and I honestly miss driving a hatch and this combination had a good mix of everything and my god that engine
Funny but the golf started off in the mid 70's sharply designed by giorgetto giugiaro then evolved into the round style over the next 3 decades only to sharpen back up during the mk5 era. However now the mk6 mk7 and 7.5 have gotten roundish until the mk8 which is a bit of mk4 and mk7 slightly chiseled but kinda round lol
Great review as always. Big fan of your show, I think I've gone through nearly all your vids. Loved this car when it came out and lusted after it. I agree your right about the engine being cool. What's really fascinating is that its not a normal V6 but a VR6 which has the cylinders mated at 15 degrees for compactness along with asymmetric intake/exhaust valves. And what other engines are built with this configuration? Well there was the short lived VW W8 used in Passats in 2001. And then bolt together 2 W8s and you have a W16 that lived in a certain Bugatti Veyron.
I enjoy your videos. Also like the fact you moved the cameras further away from your faces. HA HA! Makes for a better video I think. Keep up the great work guys...
Ive wanted a golf mark4 r32 for years, recently thinking about getting one..... reccomendations? or if i push it im thinking a mk5 r32? what you all think mk4 for a fair amount or slighty plus it for the mk5, worth the extra few grand?
Wookies in the Woods will change your mind...We needed the/a R32 Wagon or now the Golf R wagon in the states for the current gen chassis. Sadly, the VR6 is not going to be around too much longer and the traditional VR burble will a rare thing unless you buy it on the Atlas. I should have bought one of these in '04 instead of the 1.8t I bought in '04, but the $6-7k difference was difficult to swallow and the wife didn't like the bolstered seats.
Can you guys review the Honda Fit? I know it may not be something that everyone is asking for but I've heard that it is surprisingly more than just affordable, fuel efficient, and spacious. Car and Driver wrote good things about it's handling dynamics and shifter so I was curious to see what it is all about. Thanks guys!
Had a new one in 2004. Nice car. Sounds amazing. Too heavy, not fast enough, understeer.... AWD was good. In the end just not fast enough for me. Pretty cool car though.
would this be a great first car? because im looking for something not too expensive if i cant get enough money for something mid class in 6 months-12 months.
No they wouldn't be. This is an enthusiast's car and wouldn't make a great first car for a teenager. In part because parts for the MK4 VR6 Volkswagens aren't cheap in their own right. But the R32's parts are about 10-25% more expensive than the regular 2.8L VR6 GTI from the same era.
+E Avila (R32vdubb) Oh you are so right. I forgot about your stupid safety regulations. No glass headlights are allowed in the US and the all Golf mk4 HIDs and regular headlights until 2002 had glass lens. They switched to plastic lens in the Golf Mk5 because the European Law changed too. Sorry for my mistake.
+E Avila (R32vdubb) So it wasn't even an optional extra. Did you get to have the DSG box? Or was it manual only? The Mk4 R32 was one of the first (if not the first) VAG group cars with the DSG option. Give me a Red mk4 R32 with DSG and take my left leg :P
almost every R32 I've ever seen is pearl black then reflex silver. Only seen a handful of the lagoon blue (I think) and only 1 tornado red R32 but the clear coat was peeling off horribly down the entire back of the car but it was still so much better looking but the clear coat ruined it.
Known two people with an R32. They are fun, when they aren't broken...but when the tech's call them "Hanger Queens," (ie, hanging off lifts all the time) you know that it is often. Very, very often
Hi thanks for letting me know this video. If you allow me to get this clip, can I introduce it with Korean subtitles to people who love golf on my channel? People love golf here. 😊
dude i feel you, been in the market for 2 months. Looked at quite a few, but just saw the R32 at the dealership ive been at alot has dropped to 10k so im gonna jump on that hopefully this week. 144k with White BBS RCs from the 04-05 GLI
One guy says it's heavy to begin with, and a lot heavier with a 400 lb stereo addition. The other guy says 3:30 "it's just so light." The '04 R32 is not a "light" car. The nearly useless Haldex all-wheel drive system makes it heavy from the factory. If you want a light car with horsepower, it's the '04 GTI 2.8L VR6 rated at 200 hp. I'll take that lighter car with 40 horsepower less over a heavy pig like the R32 with a 400 lb stereo system. The stereo completely defeats the intent of what this car was designed to be: a more performance orientated GTI. Oh, and the suspension setup is complete crap. Either this car is a track car or a street car. By the looks of it, it's a street car with a track setup -- the worst of all combinations. It's a good thing he intends to keep doing maintenance to the vehicle. He will need to do far more maintenance than if it was kept OEM or OEM+. The fenders alone will keep him busy in the garage for hundreds of hours. Guessing a fender replacement might have been on the list of things to do as of the date this video was produced nearly 3 years ago? How about an video update to show how much more was spent on this money pit. The lesson for everyone to learn is that if you want an "everyday" street car, build it that way. If you want a track car, build it that way AND buy a trailer to haul it to the track. The real shame that most R32 owners never seemed to understand is that their cars are far more valuable when kept mostly OEM or maintained with OEM+ replacement parts where the OEM parts are cheap junk. OEM+ aftermarket parts that are more durable and reliable, equates to a desired collectable car 20 years after its release date in 2004. So called "performance parts" equal: pile of crap car that nobody wants in 20 years because it has big issues. We know VW made some cheap/faulty parts into these cars, and this is why OEM+ is optimal for performance, reliability and value retention. Fortunately, aftermarket manufacturers have designed better than OEM parts that operate like OEM i.e. aluminum coolant pipes, aluminum hood latch release, aluminum oil filter housings, etc. I'll bet this R32 with performance mods will be junked before 2024 when it should turn 20 years old. Prove me wrong at that time with a video update. Maybe by then you'll have an 800 lb stereo system installed? VW would have made the perfect R32 in 2004 if they simply put the 3.2L engine into the GTI, along with the R32 exhaust, deleted the Haldex drivetrain, deleted the rear seats, deleted the moon roof, and spent a little more money on better quality leather and plastic on the interior.
I'm not sure about the R32... i mean, the MKIV GTI had something like 180bhp, was lighter and probably handled better thanks to the lighter engine on the front axle... IMHO an R32 starts to make sense only if you're going to modify it and reach a power level at which the four wheel drive system makes a real difference.
+Alessandro Canziani or because you want the sound of the R32 and to own a rare vehicle. They're worth way more than a standard 1.8t GTI and the price keeps going up.
Everytime you guys review a Vw you talk about Volkswagens like they are unreliable? And like they blow up the moment you go over 60k miles... Vws just like any European car just need routine maintence... Do your timing belt/chains, and water pump when recommended... change the oil on time and you will be fine.. This is coming from someone who has had 2 volkswagens hit 280,000 miles...
i have the same rims bbs le mans...same car but 2.8 v6 ....r32 front and r line and the rims are black....and i never want to sell that car...i will give it away for my son or daughter as a gift in the future...the cars looks nice and i want modify carbon parts and more r line interiour...after 20 years i think people are going to say where did you get that car and you won't find many of them after 20 years...so many asking me if i want to sell...and i say no no no hehe
I bought my R32 2004 new and still have it 12 years later and I still love driving it every single day. It is such a fun car
Meegan Belicka
Same here Meegan. I purchased mine in February of 2004. And I still it and it still puts a smile on my face!
i love that car
Meegan i wish i had brought one new that must of been awesome to go and buy one, were you ever tempting to part ex it for the mk5? im glad you still have it you would of regretted selling it i reckon i want to buy one now after recently review a mk4 R32 for my channel such an awesome car
Meegan Belicka You are soooo lucky!!!
Your lucky, i have a 2.8L 24v VR6 and its a fun daily 👍
"It's a gti with a v6." It's so much more than that.
My Mark IV TDI had 390k still got 56mpg.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate car reviews on older vehicles. I love brand new reviews and enjoy drueling over supercar reviews also, but watching reviews on cars I could actually buy and start a project on are much more interesting.
The R32's are nice cars. 2 of my friends have red ones. One completely stock the other has intake exhaust and suspension. They are pretty nice cars and they do have a very unique sound to them.
As for the comments on the owner putting stereo equipment and making the car "flush". Its his car and if it makes him happy more power to him. We buy cars we like and we modify them to meet our needs and make us happy not other people. Some people aren't into big systems some people aren't into 500+ hp tire shredding cars. To each their own.
Thanks for making the video guys I enjoyed watching it.
I have a red one, very clean with just 50k original miles, original clutch. I'm the original owner. I've loved this car from day one. It is truly a great performing car. I love it so much it's never been parked outside only garaged always. Amazing VW.
Weve had ours for ages now. Still drives superbly. Im glad we kept it as its still worth almost what we paid. Not super fast but very satisfying and reliable.
I always loved the look of these as well and always wanted one. I'd imagine all those rattles are due to the stereo system shaking every nut, screw and bolt out possible.
Im trying to pretend i didnt hear you say it has a V6
It has a V6 ;)
+Chance Hales It has a single head, its not a V. Its a VR6.
It is not 2 banks, or two heads, which is why Volkswagen does not call it a V configuration. There is no left and right bank, meaning its not a V, there is only 1 staggard banking of cylinders, identified as a VR layout
+Craig “ToyotaYoda” Kulig I stand corrected. It's kinda like a cross between a V6 and an inline-6. Learn something new every day.
VR =! V But I can think of why americans just call it V6. I don't know if there even are more VR-layout Engines.. I only can think of the VAG VR6 and VR5
This is the only car whose exhaust sound I can recognize within 2 seconds of hearing it. Nothing sounds similar to this car or as good imo.
ha ha very true i love this and the Audi 5 pot sound beautiful sounding engines ive just reviewed one for my channel and it was awesome
YES!! Thank you for doing this review, I own a blue one, completely stock and I love it. A lot of fun.
The R32's V-6 exhaust note is one of my favorites, and this coming from a muscle car/Corvette guy. It's just got that quintessential German performance growl without being too obtrusive or annoying at cruising speeds. If they had kept the 3.2 V-6 in both the Mk VI and Mk. VII Golf R's, there's no doubt the loyal, VW faithful would follow.
In todays age of MPG and performance, the 2.0 R888 motors makes great power, and 30 mpg down the highway eases the EPA nazis. In reality, it's just amazing German engineering over the past 30+ years.
+Vette_Dude84 I can get 35mpg out of my Mk4 R32 on a cruising day. Not too bad for 3.2L.
The vr6 exhaust note is very unique. I love it.
What brand of tune are you using? The most I've every gotten is 26mpg 3k rpms in 6th cruising
I'm glad to see the MK4 R32 still gets some love so many years after it's release. This car while beautiful in many regards, isn't a spectacular review due to it's lowered stance & extremely stiff suspension set up. Because of this, the feel for the original is lost. I picked up my Tornado Red R32 about 5 months ago and it now has 155k and is bone stock aside from a flapper mod done by the previous owner, and the upgraded from stock headunit + 500w amp & 10" sub which I added.
I plan to refresh the suspension components like tie rods & ends, engine/trans/dogbone mount, and a few other odds and ends as at 12 years old it's due. But otherwise have no plans to change it from stock save maybe a different exhaust to give it a little more rasp, and some nice summer tires for meets & G2G's. If you'd like to review it now or after the refresh of components, you're more than welcome to. I'd be honored to have you guys give it a drive and share your thoughts.
I really love the Fast Blast Review series guys! All of your reviews are great but these put a nostalgic twist on your car reviews while also bringing cars back into focus that haven't really been covered since they were new. You cover both the quirks of these cars but also the qualities that made these cars great. The newer cars do everything so well from the standpoint of performance and comfort but many of them lack the old school analog experience of the cars from even 10 years ago and therefore leave the driver feeling, at times, disconnected. I have a first gen turbocharged 1993 Miata on the original motor running 12 psi on the factory ECU. The engine has held itself together for 11 years under boost and still runs strong. If I were closer to you guys I'd be more than happy to hand you the keys. I'm also 6'3" so you guys would fit albeit just. :-) Keep up the good work gentlemen and thanks!
Interior kind of Boring??? It was Volkswagens Pinnacle interior at the time! In fact where other Car manufacturers tried to replicate!
Interiors Lush one thing i love about the mk4 R32 the interior espically those seat they were standard in the mk5 the wingback became an option!
Indeed. Look at cars from the same year and you’ll see there’s nothing that can compare to the r32 interior.
Exactly, I love the mk 4 interior
I have a 2004 R32 in Tornado Red, with 71,000 miles, (I bought it new in 2004) with minimal modifications ( a BMC intake, Koni FSDs on original US springs, replacing the blown stock Monroe shocks at 29,00 miles, and different wheels/ tires- that's it. I can put it back to stock except for the shocks...).If you are looking for one to test that's as close to original and hasn't been messed with, drop me a line. I'm in PA, though... I've been down the road in my youth with my VWs- lowering, stiffening the chassis, tuning, etc.- and this is one car that I never want to part with, let alone change the chemistry with Forced Induction, lowering, etc. It would change the dynamics into something that would always be reaching outside of the scope that it was intended to. To me, of course.
I liked the video, ( I like any Mk4 R32 video!) and can agree with you about the appeal of the car- it's a driver's car, with sexy engine sounds and is really tons of fun year round- when I actually drive it, anyway. (I'm losing my vision and driving is getting much harder these days.) It never fails to put a smile on my face, and sounds oh so awesome on cold start up in the garage!
You two bring up excellent insights about the R32, and really know how to see things for what they are, or could be. I commend you for your enthusiasm and skills, and look forward to watching more of your reviews!
mike johns - I have already parted company with it, Mike. It's been gone since May. 😢 but thanks for your interest! The new owner flew in from Ohio and drove her home for a nice 8 plus hour cruise. I miss that car but I miss driving itself.
I bought mine a year ago with only 22K miles, love it and would buy another one if I get the chance.
The car clearly needs it stock wheels put back on, or at minimum correct offset wheels. I have driven the MK4 hard at track events. As a track weapon, this would not be first choice, as said, it's a front heavy FWD car with Haldex tacked on. Pushed hard on the track, on corners the front plows and under steers, grinds up the tires, and then the rear kicks in and pushes it around, so it sort of rotates. It's like a dog that doesn't like to swim being pushed into the water. It is heavy and that is felt. The exhaust note is first rate. Power wise it has to be pushed very hard to get it to move. If you must track a VW, a GTI would be a better choice. The MK4 R however is a fun street car, I would have no issues blasting around for an occasional mountain run with this car, or even use it as a daily.
You've clearly never driven an r32....It doesnt have to be pushed hard at all to get it to move.
With a supercharger or turbo kit installed, I'd agree, stock, nope. I've driven these on several occasions at HPDE events, which told me all I need to know about these cars.
bostonaudi I wouldn't use the stock wheels because they are heavy. Get lighter forged wheels instead.
@@kottyking I'm afraid to say that bostonaudi is right. I own an mk4 r32 and an Audi a4 b7 quattro stick shift and the audi has almost the same power as the r32. You really need to push the gas pedal and rev it to feel some power on the r32.
The suspension is H&R race springs with adjustable koni yellows. When the car goes to the track the stereo comes out and the powdered black stock 18" aristos go on. CEL was bad bank 1 o2 sensor.
Why not test drive a proper R32 where it doesn't have 400lbs of BS speakers in the hatch.
Because it's his car, his to do as he pleases with. Supply your own car if you're going to be a little bitch.
Scott Count it must be your car!
VR6 is one of the best sounding engines... 3:53
Meh, compare that to the hellcat
Well, agreed. Every massive engine is gonna produce a mean growl but VR6 is truly a unique design.
They tried to fit a V6 in a small space of a daily driver so the result is a V6 with a single head instead of two.
So it's really neither a V6 or I6. It gets it's unique sound from unequal intake and exhaust ports unlike WRX (another of my favorite sounds) which gets that burble from unequal headers.
You can't really hear it in this video. I wish they would emphasize the sound...
Engineering Explained has a very nice video explaining this in more detail - it's very interesting =)
I generally prefer I6s. The hellcat is just from another planet. They will probably publish sights&sounds, so we'll see and compare.
agreed mate that and a 5 POT Audi Quattro lovely
@@uandme41 shelby sounds better
love watching your videos and i recommend them for friends who are looking to get a new car, as i find these to have informative and insightful reviews, i love my R32 i never want to have another Golf with the exception of the mk6 golf 4, I'm at 168,848 miles now and still love it, I'm all about function over form i regularly take it out up the southern California mountains every other week and this car just keeps going! i noticed in your review of the mk7 gti about how people have this perception that Volkswagens are no good after 60,00 miles i personally think based on how i see and hear other who are either not mechanically inclined, new to the car scene or new, or young car enthusiasts don't fully understand what it takes to matin these cars or have an unrealistic idea, with the warranty going out around the 60k bracket the customer becomes responsible for the repairs while they have been used to having it taken car of, now that these cars have aged younger car people rolling on to the scene buy these cars or euro pean cars rushing to lower there cars and buy expensive wheels forgetting that cars need to be taken care of like anything else thats aged not that i have an issue with lowering a car or wheels just fyi
MK4's were the prettiest of them all
I like wheels as much as the next guy but lowering it so it looks great at the expense of comfort and it rubbing is counter productive cuz you can't really drive it.. it's a car you look at it, yes, but it's meant to be driven.
Jamaican Me Crazy then put it on airride
What if I told you a complete car enthusiast finds both if they really want it. With my setup I can scrap my bumper on driveways(usually skid plate) but I can also take twistys at dummy speeds all day long.
I am a few months away from selling my R32 as part of purchasing a 718 Cayman S. And the thought of selling that car...makes me sad. I've had it since new and have put 85,000 miles on it. It's still stock. I still love it. I wish I had more garage.
"rubbing is bad" - dad
I a sub for some time now but just today came across this review. So awesome. To bad it wasn't a stock or near stock one but still, it was awesome seeing people talking about this car I loved so much. And reading the comments makes me happy so many people still love this car.
Best sounding vw engine! Love it
Only 108,984 subscribers as of 9/10/15? How is that possible? Great review always liked these cars.
There great cars I have one with 210xxx miles on it and still going strong.... and also black magic pearl too only 15% where that color
I own and drive an Audi A3 3.2 and the engine is the same and sounds just as great as in this video, highly recommend and a bit more subtle!
I love my R32. mine has just over 100,000mile and looks like its new in side and out ! you guys need to drive mine, its been setup for the track! not over weighted with sounds systems
Just picked up a Tornado Red on cloth (1 of 175) R32 with 53K miles...had a blue one many years ago and needed to scratch the itch again. If you guys feel like driving a more stock version, let me know ;) Great video as always!
tmh44 I had a blue too for many years. Loved it and miss it so much. Many kms on it. Too many. 208k kms (129k miles) and sold it when I moved to another country. At first I kept it and wanted to keep
It but I don't go back home that much so I ended up selling it. Hope current owner still happy with it.
I miss my MK5 R32. The sound is just amazing.
Why would you guys review a car that is so "stanced"?
I mean 400 lbs of sound system, low life suspension setup??
You two won't enjoy the drive and we will not enjoy the video as much as if the car had been modified for enhanced performance not looks and sound..
Just some constructive criticism.
+Juan Galvis - Fair questions. With these Fast Blasts we want to drive a variety of cars that we think you guys would like to see. While we've had a few people approach us with very stanced vehicles (incapable on a back road), this one is minimal in that regard. Because Joe drives this car hard, year-round, in all weather, we thought it was worth getting on camera. The stereo system was a bit of a surprise, but in the case of every Fast Blast we are driving cars the way the owners drive and love them. Hopefully it leads to interesting discussion for all of us. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
+EverydayDriver would love to see another R32 that's closer to stock or modded from a more performance oriented view. As a viewer I appreciate your integrity to the audience to call out the problems with this car.
+Michael Cohen I agree with Michael on this.
+Juan Galvis You missed a thing to criticize them about. They got wrong the second sentence in this video: "This is Vw's first version of the hot GTI." (it was at this moment I knew, they fucked up :D)
+EverdayDriver Have you heard about Mk3 VR6? Mk2 G60?
And one to the owner: Who puts big sound stuff in a R32? Have you heard the engine? :D
where exactly is the stance
If I were going to get a GTI, I would get an R32. I mean just look at how clean that body style is!
In my opinion those motors are amazingly rewarding to drive. I have a 08 TT 3.2 6 speed coupe, which has a curb weight of 3,100lbs. It's more rewarding with the MKV style suspension lay out with the TTs more rigid frame. It won't win any big power races unless you boost it but can be a rewarding handling car with the right modifications. And with the market can be found for BRZ/FRS money.
Love the car, hate the modifications. I had driven a Passat W8 and feel in love. Dealers price was high, looked elsewhere, found one that was 95% of what I wanted but with modifications: chipped for extra hp, exhaust tuned, tire/wheel package (wide back, narrow front) I did not desire. Could they be overcome? Like a great house with burnt orange shag carpet, gothic paint scheme, or lime green appliances. I decided against it - thinking mods were not in the long term best interest of car. Tail between my legs went back to dealer springing an extra $5k.
He said V6, but isn't it VR6?
Yes it's a common mistake but you're right it's an VR6
Le moteur r32 est un VR6 de 3.2litres
actually most are using the Passat blocks and inners from the R36. I could be wrong but i think that 3.3 is the limit that block could handle.
i call it a V6 but yeah its an evolution of the original VR6 engine from the 90s but with a 24v head etc
It is a v6 technically. It’s a 15° vee between the cylinders. Audi even calls it a v6 in some of their cars.
Planning to put this engine on my 95 Volkswagen Cabrio mk3 convertible
my next purchase i think ive just reviewed a MK4 r32 for my channel and fell in love with that epic engine sound, defo a future classic and above all great fun to drive ;)
I like how they review the idea of the car and owners car at the same time
Great review guys. Love this car. Happened to find one bone stock, 50K, garage kept last summer (mid 2015). Beautiful, like brand new car. I also own a 2000 VR6 GTI, which is my daily driver. 237k and would drive it from coast to coast at the drop of a dime.
Fellas, stop acting like children.. you don't have to like the car or his particular setup. If you have nothing nice to say, find some women to gossip and complain with. Leave the auto conversations to the grown ups. No one wants to read your pissing and moaning!
Back when I was a car salesman, I got a 2008 (I think, one gen after thisone) one in on trade in with only 10k miles. I was excited and wish I could have bought it myself.
I never managed to sell it. Everyone that came to look at it had to back out after they got an insurance quote. Apparently with the V6 so far up front, they said it cost more to insure than a corvette.....the car ended up going to the auction to get sold off......sad
Great video as always guys!
There's so many people knocking the reliability of mk4's. I wonder how many people have actual first-hand experience with them and not through their buddies and word of mouth guessing crap...
I've owned four of them over the course of 7 years now and haven't had ANY major issues with them.
My last GTI I bought ('01, vr6) had over 130,000 miles. I beat on that car HARD for more than 2 years, and with regular maintenance, the only things that needed replacing during that whole time were the camshaft position sensor and a wheel bearing.
I almost bought a 2nd gen R32, the one with the large chrome front and middle dual-exhaust. It was very clean, original and to own it all i would have had to do was to trade in my 2 year old diesel Subaru Legacy. I thought about it too long and they sold it to someone else. I've regretted not getting that car ever since...
How much do these go for in good stock condition? I’m strongly thinking about one of these because I want awd and I honestly miss driving a hatch and this combination had a good mix of everything and my god that engine
Funny but the golf started off in the mid 70's sharply designed by giorgetto giugiaro then evolved into the round style over the next 3 decades only to sharpen back up during the mk5 era. However now the mk6 mk7 and 7.5 have gotten roundish until the mk8 which is a bit of mk4 and mk7 slightly chiseled but kinda round lol
A shame for the low cambered setup :/
H&R street springs with stock alignment
Yeah and those ricer wheels. I mean everyone has their own taste right, gotta respect
its horrid and then he adds a 400 lb sound system
@@rayflower1915 im glad i have legit bbs lm's on mine and not those "reps". Rpf1's seem like the way to go for the mkiv r32 tho
Great review as always. Big fan of your show, I think I've gone through nearly all your vids. Loved this car when it came out and lusted after it.
I agree your right about the engine being cool. What's really fascinating is that its not a normal V6 but a VR6 which has the cylinders mated at 15 degrees for compactness along with asymmetric intake/exhaust valves. And what other engines are built with this configuration? Well there was the short lived VW W8 used in Passats in 2001. And then bolt together 2 W8s and you have a W16 that lived in a certain Bugatti Veyron.
I enjoy your videos. Also like the fact you moved the cameras further away from your faces. HA HA! Makes for a better video I think. Keep up the great work guys...
I have a 07 Audi A4 3.2 fwd and am looking to sell it and I have narrowed it down to a mk5 r32 or a mk6 gti, is the fwd biased awd system worth it?
Love the mkIV R32's best still... I'd take one over the new one...
Ive wanted a golf mark4 r32 for years, recently thinking about getting one..... reccomendations? or if i push it im thinking a mk5 r32? what you all think mk4 for a fair amount or slighty plus it for the mk5, worth the extra few grand?
Wookies in the Woods will change your mind...We needed the/a R32 Wagon or now the Golf R wagon in the states for the current gen chassis. Sadly, the VR6 is not going to be around too much longer and the traditional VR burble will a rare thing unless you buy it on the Atlas. I should have bought one of these in '04 instead of the 1.8t I bought in '04, but the $6-7k difference was difficult to swallow and the wife didn't like the bolstered seats.
I don’t like the look of the new golfs. They’re too round. They look like lowered crossovers. These are the ones that were always cool to look at.
I just drove by a blue R32 a couple of hours ago! I didn't know it was made in 2004.
Where does all that weight comes from? (besides the sound system).
All wheel drive
Got me a Vr6 2.8 12 V don't ever think I will sell it. But I always wanted the R 32
Can you guys review the Honda Fit? I know it may not be something that everyone is asking for but I've heard that it is surprisingly more than just affordable, fuel efficient, and spacious. Car and Driver wrote good things about it's handling dynamics and shifter so I was curious to see what it is all about. Thanks guys!
Had a new one in 2004. Nice car. Sounds amazing. Too heavy, not fast enough, understeer.... AWD was good. In the end just not fast enough for me. Pretty cool car though.
love the drone shots!
I miss my R32 I had for a couple years. I wish I would have kept it. I've said that about other cars I've had though too (Elise, Evo IX RS, etc)
oops @ 0:05
"2004 Volk(s)wagen Golf R32"
;-)
would this be a great first car? because im looking for something not too expensive if i cant get enough money for something mid class in 6 months-12 months.
no plus there not cheap there pretty rare
+matt boyer But investment opportunity.
No they wouldn't be. This is an enthusiast's car and wouldn't make a great first car for a teenager. In part because parts for the MK4 VR6 Volkswagens aren't cheap in their own right. But the R32's parts are about 10-25% more expensive than the regular 2.8L VR6 GTI from the same era.
Can you review a 2004 vw glib and stock if possible thanks
First version of hot GTI? What about mk3 VR6?
+Steve Young the VR6 from what I understand was more comfort oriented than sporty.
Fantastic video. Where are you guys driving
5:10 or roll the fenders at least
r32's have HID's as standard. Did it had an accident or is it a swapped car?
Not in the US!!! Sadly
+E Avila (R32vdubb) Oh you are so right. I forgot about your stupid safety regulations. No glass headlights are allowed in the US and the all Golf mk4 HIDs and regular headlights until 2002 had glass lens. They switched to plastic lens in the Golf Mk5 because the European Law changed too. Sorry for my mistake.
+E Avila (R32vdubb) So it wasn't even an optional extra. Did you get to have the DSG box? Or was it manual only? The Mk4 R32 was one of the first (if not the first) VAG group cars with the DSG option. Give me a Red mk4 R32 with DSG and take my left leg :P
Wow, I never knew they were that heavy, kind of crazy for that package
almost every R32 I've ever seen is pearl black then reflex silver. Only seen a handful of the lagoon blue (I think) and only 1 tornado red R32 but the clear coat was peeling off horribly down the entire back of the car but it was still so much better looking but the clear coat ruined it.
Why is the rear seat missing a headrest?
Can you guys do a video on the toyota aristo jzs161
I have a mk4 vr6 can someone help what off set wheels are on that
That interior has held up pretty well for a MKIV golf/jetta.
Known two people with an R32. They are fun, when they aren't broken...but when the tech's call them "Hanger Queens," (ie, hanging off lifts all the time) you know that it is often. Very, very often
Hi thanks for letting me know this video. If you allow me to get this clip, can I introduce it with Korean subtitles to people who love golf on my channel? People love golf here. 😊
"He's done everything he can to make this car stiff...strut tower braces, swaybars, and subframe bushings".
LOL That's like just getting started.
What year is it?
What roads are these ??
a lot of design has gone into the Golf, fun car to drive, economical, quick to wash and easily maintains the speed limit, isn't that good enough?
I love watching your review.
Would love to see RSX Type S review :)
what size rims and tires is that?
Wheels: Linea Corse Lemans 18's et35 Tires: Ventus v12 235 40 r18
Such a shame we dont have any of these here in Brazil. In fact we only have 99 of the vr6 model.
I'm in the market for either a MKIV R32, or a newer MKV GTI 2.0T. Having a hard time deciding.
+HypnoticSuggestion get the r32 trust me you won't regret it I've had mine since last nov and its been a dream
dude i feel you, been in the market for 2 months. Looked at quite a few, but just saw the R32 at the dealership ive been at alot has dropped to 10k so im gonna jump on that hopefully this week. 144k with White BBS RCs from the 04-05 GLI
Nice, good luck with it. I'm still looking, hoping to have something this month.
+HypnoticSuggestion good luck to you too! These cars are few and far between took me forever to find these!
:D
What kind of rims are these ?
They look like BBS LM replicas. Reps are usually shit wheels from China but a lot of peeps run them cuz they cant afford real BBS wheels
First hot gti? Mk3 vr6 also.. 🤔
One guy says it's heavy to begin with, and a lot heavier with a 400 lb stereo addition. The other guy says 3:30 "it's just so light." The '04 R32 is not a "light" car. The nearly useless Haldex all-wheel drive system makes it heavy from the factory. If you want a light car with horsepower, it's the '04 GTI 2.8L VR6 rated at 200 hp. I'll take that lighter car with 40 horsepower less over a heavy pig like the R32 with a 400 lb stereo system. The stereo completely defeats the intent of what this car was designed to be: a more performance orientated GTI. Oh, and the suspension setup is complete crap. Either this car is a track car or a street car. By the looks of it, it's a street car with a track setup -- the worst of all combinations. It's a good thing he intends to keep doing maintenance to the vehicle. He will need to do far more maintenance than if it was kept OEM or OEM+. The fenders alone will keep him busy in the garage for hundreds of hours. Guessing a fender replacement might have been on the list of things to do as of the date this video was produced nearly 3 years ago? How about an video update to show how much more was spent on this money pit. The lesson for everyone to learn is that if you want an "everyday" street car, build it that way. If you want a track car, build it that way AND buy a trailer to haul it to the track. The real shame that most R32 owners never seemed to understand is that their cars are far more valuable when kept mostly OEM or maintained with OEM+ replacement parts where the OEM parts are cheap junk. OEM+ aftermarket parts that are more durable and reliable, equates to a desired collectable car 20 years after its release date in 2004. So called "performance parts" equal: pile of crap car that nobody wants in 20 years because it has big issues. We know VW made some cheap/faulty parts into these cars, and this is why OEM+ is optimal for performance, reliability and value retention. Fortunately, aftermarket manufacturers have designed better than OEM parts that operate like OEM i.e. aluminum coolant pipes, aluminum hood latch release, aluminum oil filter housings, etc. I'll bet this R32 with performance mods will be junked before 2024 when it should turn 20 years old. Prove me wrong at that time with a video update. Maybe by then you'll have an 800 lb stereo system installed? VW would have made the perfect R32 in 2004 if they simply put the 3.2L engine into the GTI, along with the R32 exhaust, deleted the Haldex drivetrain, deleted the rear seats, deleted the moon roof, and spent a little more money on better quality leather and plastic on the interior.
Beautiful car I mean it's keep up in looks with the newer ones..
Please review the Altima coupe 3.5 6 speed
Best VAG car ever built!!!
I'm not sure about the R32... i mean, the MKIV GTI had something like 180bhp, was lighter and probably handled better thanks to the lighter engine on the front axle...
IMHO an R32 starts to make sense only if you're going to modify it and reach a power level at which the four wheel drive system makes a real difference.
+Alessandro Canziani or because you want the sound of the R32 and to own a rare vehicle. They're worth way more than a standard 1.8t GTI and the price keeps going up.
absolutely, there's no arguing about the sound or the value of the thing... i just doubt it's worth it in terms of driving experience
CRX-Si 91 - Fast Blast Review - Everyday Driver PLZ! :D
wish the car was stock but otherwise, another great review!
Everytime you guys review a Vw you talk about Volkswagens like they are unreliable? And like they blow up the moment you go over 60k miles... Vws just like any European car just need routine maintence... Do your timing belt/chains, and water pump when recommended... change the oil on time and you will be fine.. This is coming from someone who has had 2 volkswagens hit 280,000 miles...
where is this road?
You ain’t rubbin you ain’t dubbin.
Should review the 08 (mkv) R32
i have the same rims bbs le mans...same car but 2.8 v6 ....r32 front and r line and the rims are black....and i never want to sell that car...i will give it away for my son or daughter as a gift in the future...the cars looks nice and i want modify carbon parts and more r line interiour...after 20 years i think people are going to say where did you get that car and you won't find many of them after 20 years...so many asking me if i want to sell...and i say no no no hehe