GOLF R32 BUYING GUIDE
The Mk5 Golf R32 is an accomplished all-rounder with a quick turn of pace and a good record for reliability if looked after. John Evans tells all
Asweet-revving 244bhp 3.2-litre V6, four-wheel drive, 0-62mph in 6.5sec (6.2sec in DSG form), Golf quality and that much coveted R badge – all from just £5000. Welcome to the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf R32, the thinking driver’s hot hatch, which, 12 years after its launch, still looks the business.
Prices go all the way to £13,500 for the last 2009-registered cars with less than 50,000 miles, but around £8000 opens up the widest choice of straight, mid-mileage (circa 70,000 miles) cars. Look for one with leather, heated seats and a full service history (it’s especially sensitive to oil changes, so they need to have been done promptly).
Available in three and five-door forms and with a choice of sixspeed manual or dual-clutch DSG gearboxes, the R32 of 2005 to 2009 benefits from having the Mk5’s acclaimed chassis.
It also has a Haldex four-wheel drive system that apportions power to all four wheels or, as conditions demand, to the rears or the fronts. Basically, the Golf R32 is equipped with a proper motor that doesn’t torque steer its way to the bodyshop when you floor the accelerator.
A healthy engine should be rattlefree, liquid smooth and flexible. Maximum power is at 6300rpm but peak torque (all 236lb ft of it) comes in at just 2500rpm. Some say the DSG is too quick and clever by half; in particular, too willing to change down when the engine clearly has the grunt to cope. They reckon the much rarer manual is the smarter choice and a smidgen more economical. You decide, but as long as the ’box has had its 40,000-mile oil changes and the oil cooler is sound, you should have no concerns about DSG reliability.
The DSG’S launch control system divides opinion, some saying the ’box can take it, others that too many launches wear it out. The handbook tells you how to test it. On the other hand, you might find the six-speed manual more involving.
The R32 sits on sports suspension lowered by 20mm and the ride is firm, but the car’s tough interior is well anchored and should be rattlefree. Listen for underbody noises. You can’t expect anti-roll bushes and springs to be in the rudest health, especially on older cars, and there are lots with mileages north of 140,000.
The R32 certainly looks the part, with its deep front bumper, rear spoiler and a rear bumper with a diffuser from which two chromed exhaust pipes extend. It sits on 18in 20-spoke alloy wheels. Inside, there’s a three-spoke f lat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium finishes and climate control. You could have hard-shell Recaro sports seats but the optional heated, leather affairs are more commonplace and comfortable.
Workshops and owners’ clubs (r32oc.com is a useful online destination with plenty of forum activity and technical guides) claim that with regular servicing, the R32 is trouble-free, so this Golf has all the hallmarks of a future classic.