2008 Volkswagen R32 - Short Take Road Tests

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $35,430 (base price: $33,630)
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 195 cu in, 3189cc
Power (SAE net): 250 bhp @ 6300 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 236 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual with automated shifting and clutch
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 101.5 in Length: 167.2 in Width: 69.2 in Height: 57.7 in
Curb weight: 3521 lb
FUEL ECONOMY : EPA city/highway driving: 18/23 mpg

Basically, the Volkswagen R32 is a three-door GTI—already one of our favorite small cars, with a comparison-test crown and a 10Best trophy to its name—with more: a 250-hp narrow-angle V-6, all-wheel drive, a full complement of luxury features, and weight. VW manages the R32’s weight gain without losing the GTI’s playful tossability by cinching the car’s suspenders a bit tighter. Spring rates, increased just so all around, mask the additional 332 pounds quite well, leaving the GTI and the R32 nearly indistinguishable in tight Alpine switchbacks. With our test gear riding shotgun, the R32, even fitted with the no-cost-option all-season tires, managed 0.87 g on the skidpad, matching the best number posted by a production GTI in our hands (the early Euro-spec car we tested pulled 0.90 g on summer tires).

Unfortunately, the R32 manages its increase in power without a huge gain in speed over the lighter front-wheel-drive GTI. All R32s come with Volkswagen’s DSG dual-clutch sequential transmission—with launch control—so mashing the throttle yields easy, consistent hole-shots. Compared with a DSG-equipped GTI, we saw a half-second improvement in the 0-to-60-mph blast but just a 0.2-second and 2-mph lead through the quarter, with those benchmarks falling in 5.5 and 14.4 seconds at 97 mph, compared with 6.0 and 14.6 at 95.

No doubt the R32 is a special package, a rare blend of performance and comfort, and a bargain compared with other cars offering the same balance of attributes. But for $33,630, or about $6000 more than a similarly equipped GTI, some might want more than just two more driven wheels, a center-exit exhaust that emits a sexier note, and a slight calming of high-speed ride. How much is a small step toward perfection worth to you?