Volkswagen Golf R32: Volkswagen Golf R32

I’ve been seeing how the other half live this month, having swapped my economy-class Golf for the heady business-class atmosphere of Chee’s TT. With both cars having identical 246bhp V6s driving all four wheels, I wanted to find out if there are sufficient differences to warrant the TT’s £5K premium.

A good chunk of that extra hard-earned goes on the interior, which, as soon as you lower yourself in, feels a world away from the slightly grey Golf’s. Soft, red leather and elegantly detailed controls instantly make the TT feel special, and its low roof-line makes the Golf feel like a van.

Once on the road, though, the gulf starts to close. The TT turns harder and seems ever so slightly quicker, but the Golf feels like a more malleable partner. The TT’s fierce turn-in gives the impression that it could very easily be followed by equally fierce oversteer if you misjudge your entry speed, whereas the Golf, once you’re past its slightly scruffy turn-in, just scrubs off the speed by tip-toeing into a balanced, controllable four-wheel drift.

Next month we hope to help the R32’s softening turn-in by replacing its well-used Continentals with something new. Let’s just hope the guys got it right on last month’s tyre test.

Running Costs