Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Volkswagen Golf R32

Some hard chase-work, followed by some workshop pampering, and the R32 is ready to show Neil Carey its virtues

VW Golf R32 engine

It’s been a busy month for the R32, and it all started with a trip to Autohaus Northampton. Having returned from chase-car duties on last issue’s ‘£10K Heroes’ test, ZVB was looking a little sorry for itself, but after a day at Autohaus it was not only showroom-fresh again, but also sporting two functioning shift paddles. So with the engine now well and truly run-in, it was finally time to enjoy it.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It only took a few runs to the red line for it to become obvious what the R32’s main attraction is. Its V6 feels a little short on power compared with the straight-six in my old BMW 130i long-termer, especially at low revs, but it more than makes up for it with a stunning soundtrack. It’s easy to find yourself saving your upshifts to enjoy the show, and on the downshifts DSG joins the party by accompanying every pull of the paddle with a sharp throttle-blip.

It’s during these full-on blasts that the whole package feels most together. In auto mode around town it can feel a little clunky, sometimes going a gear too low and feeling stiffer than a GTI. However, once you start attacking a twisty road and controlling the gears yourself, the R32 begins to flow, and with both hands firmly on the wheel the speed builds surprisingly quickly. Now I just need to keep an eye on the speedo…

Running Costs

Date acquiredNovember 2006
Total mileage2922
Costs this month£0
Mileage this month2101
MPG this month23.3mpg
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years
Nissan GT-R finishes production
News

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years

The Nissan GT-R has finally ended production, at over 48,000 units after 18 years on sale. It’ll be missed.
28 Aug 2025
Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series
Cheap M cars
News

Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series

£32k will buy you a bog standard 2025 120 or a 552bhp M6, and many greats besides…
29 Aug 2025
Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive
HORSE powered Caterham
Reviews

Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive

Caterham needs a replacement for Ford’s out-of-production Sigma engine. Its solution is a 1.3 turbo from Horse. We drive it
28 Aug 2025