Tell me about MK4 Golf R32s

dale1uk

dale1uk

dale1uk

Associate
Joined
15 Nov 2005
Posts
2,338
Location
Newcastle
My flat mate is in the market for a hot hatch and as started looking at the mk4 Golf R32s. His budget is up to 10k max so would be looking to get a 2003/4 example with around 60k on the clocks. My knowledge of these isn't great, other than I know they sound immense with a Milltek exhaust on them :cool:, so thought I'd ask some questions.

  • Book mpg figures state 24mpg, how likely is this in the real world?
  • These are 4wd, do they use the same Haldex system as the s3/TT?
  • Whats the handling like? How connected to the car are you?
  • Tuning, what are the options?
  • What should he look out for? How reliable are they?
  • What are the running costs like for these?

His options are still open, so if the R32 is a no go what would you go for instead? His commute is a 25mile round trip and he wants a post 2002' hot hatch. As mentioned his max budget is 10k, but if he can do better for less then he could go down that route - for example my Facelift 2004 CTR was only £5800 with 54k on the clock, and that was the model with air con and in very good condition.

Many thanks
 
I'll be in the market for a more practical car within 12 months and I'm very tempted by one of these...I liked my old MK4 Golf (even though it was a base spec 1.6) and they're pretty cavernous inside with the seats down. Plus they sound gorgeous!
 
Yep, they use the Haldex system. A friend of mine owned one for about 18 months ish and loathed the handling. From what I remember he never had any problems with reliability and he used to treat it like cr4p!
 
Breeny said:
Yep, they use the Haldex system. A friend of mine owned one for about 18 months ish and loathed the handling. From what I remember he never had any problems with reliability and he used to treat it like cr4p!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Well if its the same haldex system then a Haldex controller should make it better by giving it more of a 50/50 split. Handling it quite a big factor so if it's not that great then it would be a stumbling point.
 
I had a TT 3.2 which is essentially the same but in a frilly skirt.


  • Book mpg figures state 24mpg, how likely is this in the real world?
    I got 18mpg if I recall correctly. Wasn't much better on motorway runs either.
  • These are 4wd, do they use the same Haldex system as the s3/TT?
    I think so, but I'm not 100% certain so I'll let somebody else answer.
  • Whats the handling like? How connected to the car are you?
    I liked it, was predictable and gripped well but didn't have a razor sharp feel to it like some cars do but overall it's pretty good - it just doesn't feel like it is.
  • Tuning, what are the options?
    Supercharger? or more likely cams, exhaust, air filter, the usual. Will cost a lot to get much extra power out of them
  • What should he look out for? How reliable are they?
    DSG box in the TT is crap. Mine failed in under 30k miles
  • What are the running costs like for these?
    Depends on your perspective I guess. It was cheaper than the Porsche but more than the Mini will be. If you do a lot of miles the MPG might hurt but it shouldn't depreciate too much which is usually the big killer cost wise.
 
Most MK4 R32's are going for around the £10k marker, they seem to be retaining their value quite well. Tell him to nip onto www.r32oc.com as already suggested as they're a very helpful bunch over there and the classified section usually has some good examples for sale.
 
I've owned a MK4 R32 for the last 2.5 years. IT's been ok but nothing special.


  • Book mpg figures state 24mpg, how likely is this in the real world? - Fairly realistic if driven wisely. I have a 30m round trip commute on a and b roads which often would return 19mpg.
  • These are 4wd, do they use the same Haldex system as the s3/TT? - Yes, they use haldex system. This has to be serviced seperately and something that you should keep up on. It's also somethign you can upgrade to a orange or blue controller which give varying diferent option ie the race haldex (orange iirc) give permanmant 50/50 drive.
  • Whats the handling like? How connected to the car are you? Not that connected to the car but very well connected to the road. It's one hell of a hard ride though and cats eyes feel like massive bumps. Turn in can be a bit slow but they do grip and can be chucked around for a fairly heavy car. It also mean the things start to rattle like nothing else
  • Tuning, what are the options? - Loads - Supercharge, Turbo, Twin Turbo, Haldex upgrades, remaps etc...
  • What should he look out for? How reliable are they? - Mine was very reliable - only a coil pack went and springs. Although things to look out for are Rear springs - they often snap, a poor design fault, I had two replaced.
  • What are the running costs like for these? - Quite expensive. Servicing is expensive, parts are expensive and petrol, well, 200 miles to a 55l tank when driven normally. Best bet is to find an independant VW chap to service one for you - I did. One bill I had was for a Service, Haldex Service, Wheel Bearing, two rear springs and MOT = £800. This was reasonable compared to VW main dealer prices!
Another thing to consider is that they are often targetted by theives. They are easy to break into and on New Years Eve mine was broken into and the entire interior (seat, trim, handles etc) were stolen. This caused my car to be written off. I live in the middle of nowhere so I suspect I was seen, foloowed and then targetted for when I was out without the car. Not a happy day.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yeah, I think the insurance co. works to either 40% or 50% of the value. They don't make the interior anymore so you can't buy them new to replace and even if you did the front seats are like £2k each so it's quite easily written off by the ins.co. They paid out £10.2k for it though. It had done 70k miles.
 
Did you post a thread about this on R32OC? Think I vaguely remember seeing one very similar to that...
 
eidolon said:
[*]What should he look out for? How reliable are they?
DSG box in the TT is crap. Mine failed in under 30k miles
Click to expand...

Given we are talking a bout the MK4 R32 the DSG gearbox issues are moot.

Here is my take based on onwnership of 2 Audi A3 3.2s and a MKV R32

- Book mpg figures state 24mpg, how likely is this in the real world?
I used to get anywhere between 6 [!] and 30mpg out of the Audi's and around 25mpg out of the R32 with mixed driving. Driven sensibly anything mid to high twenties is achievable. Hooning it, well thats where the 6 came from :p


These are 4wd, do they use the same Haldex system as the s3/TT?
IIRC yes (assuming you mean the MK1 S3). The MKV R32 has a slightly different split although it is still similar.


Whats the handling like? How connected to the car are you?
Handling is good although you do get the typical VAG lightish steering which is lacking in feel. Grip is excellent, as is body control although you will find the heavy engine will make the car initially understeer. The Haldex 4WD system as well as the grip does mean it gives you a lot of confidence cross country (A & B roads). One thing I did find with the R32 I had was the brakes were a bit lacking in feel, they stopped the car but felt either on or off.

Tuning, what are the options?
Typical mods I have seen are: Induction, Exhaust, Manifolds, Cams and ecu remapping. My R32 was de-limited (revved to 7500RPM - up from the 7000rpm red line) and derestricted (155mph limit removed). Expect to spend big money for big power if you want it.

What should he look out for? How reliable are they?
I can't really comment on the MK4's reliability although my MK5 did have gearbox issues (irrelevant as it was a DSG).

What are the running costs like for these?
Running costs will be on the high end of the spectrum although manageable if you plan ahead. As Fox suggests with BMW's a reasonable contingency fund is a must in case something goes wrong. Fuel costs will be quite high although it will depend how you drive it and what you are coming from in comparison. Factor in high tax costs (its 273g/KM IIRC and hence is firmly in the £450+ tax bracket) and insurance to the mix although the latter will be very much dependant on your own details. Consumables and servicing will also be on the high end of the spectrum.
 
Not that I'm biased, but why an R32 over an S3? Sure the R32 sounds nicer, but if you're looking at a whole package the Audi has some edges of it own. The lighter engine helps with the weight and handling and the engine is much simpler and cheaper to modify. A simple remap takes an S3 up to 265bhp and 280lb/ft for less than £400 for example.

I think it's ambitious to get an E46 M3 for 10k to be honest.
 
you could get a mk5 gti for that price, and see about 270bhp for around a grand extra. Food for thought
 
Focus ST ? Will be newer but isn't as exclusive and will probably depreciate more heavily.
Mk1 Focus RS ? Prices seem to be holding fairly solid, but is getting on a bit now if that concerns you. Not REALLY fast but given it's a turbo should be cheaper to get more power. Relatively rare. Apart from the reputed torque steer, bearing in mind I'm basing this on the standard models too, the Focus has FAR better handling feel than the Golf. Similar to the Mk4 R32 in many ways then lol.
 
Why are these worth so much?

7 year old Golf that isnt THAT great worth £10k still?! You can get a newer shape A3 3.2 for less?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom