shorty911

Ok i love the rx8 im an rx8 maniac really i love how it drives how it looks everything about it, but i recently test drove the vw golf r32 which seemed a little bit faster then the rx8 but i was just wondering is their any info that could help me make my decision between the two. One thing that almost made me want to buy the r32 was after i drove it the guy at the vw place sent me a thank you note and even called me and thanked me for my wonderful review of the r32 which really made me want to go back and look again. The r32 isnt as showy but it drives equally as fun as the rx8 in my opinion i really liked the konig racing seats and how everything fit. Please give me some help thanks.

-Ryan

tommy12g

3400 Curb Weight and 4400 Gross weight, damn that little thing is heavy!! looks ....ahh not too good, but it does have alot of power but it is damn heavy! you just felt a little faster since it has more torque but the RX8 should be faster. its also damn expensive for what it is.

Mugatu

iTrader: (1)

Ugh...another "VS." thread. And of course it concerns acceleration.

Honestly, if all you care about is speed, get a neon srt-4...they're really quick and are the best bang for the buck. If you look for an overall package, you'll see that the RX-8 is superior in most every way. The speed is in no way slow, it's just the the low torque makes acceleration a little deceiving.

From your interest in Konig racing seats and the fact that you mention speed over everything else, perhaps you should consider that the RX-8 is not for you.

dwill9578

I agree with above plus it's top heavy like all GTI's and just heavy in general. With the torque it has yeah it will feel faster but it's not probably a drivers race between the two. Interior is nice not as sweet as 8'(IMO) but both very nice cars,just the R32 is dead for 05 makes it rare, but still not worth what it costs.

mysql101

yeah, go for the VW golf. It's what all the cool people buy because it has slightly better numbers on paper, but turns like a tank.

shorty911

thanks for your help in the back of my mind i dont think i could get it over the 8, mainly because when i first drove the 8 it was crazyu how much i loved it but i really just wanted to see what people had to say about the r32 thanks alot.

Ike

Ther R32 IS faster than the RX-8 it doesn't just feel faster, has gobs more torque which can be fun, will have a larger tuner market, outbrakes the RX-8, handles rather well (has a faster slalom than the RX-8), has a hatch for storage, AWD for bad weather. If you want all out performance neither the RX-8 or R32 are the best choice, but they're both good cars and the R32 probably makes for a better daily driver, especially if you live in a bad weather area and need more trunk space.

VikingDJ

I agree. I almost chose this car over RX8. I may have chosen it if it wasn't selling for msrp back when I got my RX8. I'd def give the nod to the r32 in straight line performance but it would be close. I'd give the nod to the RX8 in handling because of the weight of the r32. Braking can go either way. Looks aren't even close. As for daily driver, the r32 is the clear winner. It's the more practical of the two mostly because of it's AWD. The r32 is a great machine, but I'd have to say it's not as good of a value as the rx8, especially now with the RX8 selling for 1-3k below invoice. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the r32 in 2006. Will we see a monster AWD VW?

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I've driven an R32, but only at an autocross. It was, well, challenged in that venue. What I liked best about the car was the seats, and in particular the leather - every time I walked by the car (it's windows were open) it was like walking past a leather furniture store - you know the scent. Very nice.

If the R32 were a little more agile & light, and if it had a symmetric or rear-biased AWD system (ala Subaru) I think it would be a wonderful alternative to the RX-8. But given that it's a FWD car most of the time, it looses points in my mind. Also, I just can't get over the fact that it is a Golf. A very nice Golf, but a Golf none the less.

shelleys_man_06

I've seen a few R32's in my area. They look pretty conspicuous as they look conservative, compared to the RX-8.

Doesn't the R32 use the same Haldex AWD system as the Audis? I heard it's not the greatest, in terms of power distribution. For the R32, I prefer more of a 0:100 torque split towards the rear, like disabling the front for ATTESA-ETS-equipped Skylines.

RX8-TX

Unfortunately never had the chance to test drive it. So, just take what I will say with a grain and a half of salt.

I only got the chance to sit on one. From the go, the driving position was awkward. Now, bear in mind, that was after driving almost 4 months on the 8. Even an STi seemed awkward. However, the buckets on the R32 are...appealing? as well as the racing bucket on an STi. Very supportive (like I would know, ha!)

On the other hand, I've heard very mixed reviews about VWs in general. For one, there's been plenty of people filing under state lemon law (you can probably check some cases out @ www.vwvortex.com or www.club18t.com or www.scc.com) - And for the other, seems like they are pretty stout if treated (and modded) correctly.

My opinion, go by what your gut tells you. The RX8 has been an extremely fun car -within its limits. I am sure the R32 will be a heck of a lot of fun to drive daily. VW's are known for plush and comfortable interiors (except for base Jetta's: yuck!)

That's all I can add to your confusion. :p

takahashi

I like R32. I have a hot hatch with plenty of boot space so I can fit my bike in. Can off limited gravel/ slighty muddy road.

Not for any fang or track use though. I will not like the understeer of the car.

AUD$70K for a hot hatch. Yes if I have a million in the cash account

Gord96BRG

Here you go - EVO magazine comparison test of R32 vs. RX-8 , from August 2003. (They acknowledge the greater power of the R32, then pick the RX-8 as the winner of the comparison).

Regards,
Gordon

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Gotta love Evo - my favourite mag.

Yes, the R32 uses the same AWD system as the TT. Which is to say, it's FWD until the electronics say otherwise. Sort of like the Acura MDX <ducking>.

RotorManiac

british magazine 'evo' compared the two cars and came out with the rx8 as a winner...

Red-Devil

Interesting comparison

I agree with all said here, but as I have now owned both (ok not the R32, but a hot 1.8T Gti), I can say this:

The Rx8 has way more character and is much more inspiring to drive. It grows on you all the time and gets better every time you drive it. The grin factor is always there. :D In fact its the first car to truely inspire me. (My previous car was a BMW 330i, and I struggled to find a car to inspire me out of it, The Rx8 is still way more fun)

The golf was nice, practical, quick in a straight line, but "invisible and conservative in todays flooded hot hatch market. I had my golf back for a night last night whe I had to leave the Rx8 at the dealership overnight. Well, it reminded me why I changed and now I feel truely glad to have made the change.

Just a humble opinion on my own experience. Hope it helps.

RotorManiac

Not even if I had ten million euros in my bank account. I've driven golfs and I've travelled long distances, all I can say is, these cars are amazingly overestimated. Other competitors are much much better cars from different aspects...

canaryrx8

iTrader: (3)

if I had money to throw away I'd go to www.hpamotorsports.com

RolenImportsRX8

I too almost bought one. An amazing sound from that VR6 with an aftermarket exhaust. Something that I miss. I wouldn't say that my vr6 was top heavy, just nose heavy, and it handled like she was on rails. I wouldn't mine checking out the new A3 with the 3.2L, my other choice. Considering where vw design is headed(golf/bora) I haven't looked back! Awesome cars though. Heres the car I had before the 8.

Rxdriftingaction

I beat R32 before. R32 is not that fast. and it's ugly.... and small. and expensive. I really have no idea wat on vw's guys mind... if u really like fast car. buy evo rs.. and mod it hard as u can. if u mod about $6000 on rs(performance) which is the same price as r32 the base model. with no option. I sure u won't have any interest to race with r32.. cuz ur evo may faster then 360.. so y play with r32.. but which u giving up is ... audio.... leather seat. powerwindow..and bababa... fortunately u still got A/C... (if u really want a fast car. go for evo rs.<not evo>) evo mr is not worth in us. cuz it's different with jp version. not a big different with rs. just got 6 speed manual and .. a lighter wheel. it's not really matter to evo. no need 6 speed. 5 speed is enough... and it's way expensiver.

AbusiveWombat

The R32 appeals to a similar crowd as the RX8, but for those that want torque rather than rpms. It's a practical quick car that has a great interior.

Those that want and R32 don't need to be the fastest on the block...that why they didn't get an '03 Cobra or EVO. Sounds very similar to the RX8 crowd.

smd3

I owned a GTI 1.8t, my buddy has an R32. He beat me by about a car length from say 40 - 100. It wasn't all that much quicker, and he's got a couple of modifications the shortened shifter is all I can think of right now, oh and a K&N drop in replacement filter.

They are very nice, but other than the seats in the R32 they don't feel sporty. I got rid of the GTI because I was sick of FWD understeer on the autocross track. I did so much to fight it, and it was looking like I was going to need much stiffer suspension, and a differential.

I would have considered the R32, except the insurance would have been more, and it's a limited production car. I didn't want to deal with those factors.

The 8 is a much more fun car to drive in my opinion. The R32 is a beautiful car though. I do miss the style of my GTI, I wish I could have both cars.

Ike

Please tell me english is your second language.

Tirminyl

Right.

EVO MR is more drastic than the RS. The MR's are the power houses (FQ300, FQ340, FQ400). They are about 300lbs lighter than current EVO with a bit more horse power and more torque and bigger turbo amongst other things while retaining the 3yr 36,000 mile warranty :D

R32 is a nice car. Nothing I can point out about it that others haven't already said...now I just gotta test drive one.

playdoh42

hurray, another EVO fan .

y pay that much for the R32 when the EVO VIII is in the price range and better in everyway? If its a R32 skyline GT-R, then its a diff story , hehe. Im getting off topic. Neways, If you are concerned so much with straightline acceleration and racing seats, RX8 is not for you. Its for a more refined and civilized crowd. No pun intended, I think you'd enjoy a R32 or EVO or SRT-4, 350z more, or the new Stang GT if you like the muscle car look. Otherwise, id get the 8. Its a special car that goes beyound performance.