[thewizkid]

As the title suggests?

I'm a bit of a newb when it comes to golfs, so here goes......

Been offered a nice black R32 for 19500 with 9000 miles on the clock, full leather and a sunroof, car is on a 53 plate.

Alternativley, quite fancy being one of the first ot have a new GTi.

For 20,000 I can get an import with sunroof, and alloys upgrade.

What do you think?

Which will hold its value better?

Are R32 prices about to drop through the floor due to the imment new arrival?

Cheers in advance.

[]

 

[Chris]

I'd reckon the R prices will drop yeah, but not as much as some people are saying. It's still a pretty rare car remember, and as a package, a very very fine one.

I would personally go for the R... you just get so much more for your money than the new GTI... absolutely loaded to the hilt with plush extra's... VW's best application of its 4motion system yet, a very well sorted chassis, and a fantastic engine - not to mention the stunning looks.

 

[evilhomer]

Just to play devils advocate... definitely gonna be more expensive to run the R... (I know from 4Mo!!!) But you do get the benefit of the 4WD..(And they are beautiful..

Mk5 is growing on me, but looks a little too retro with all that grey plastic (and don't like the interior much either bar the seats...)[?]

 

[Valve]

Go for the R32,

Good looks

Cool Trim

Always 4 wheel Drive

Great Sounds.

 

[Mikedav]

Tricky. I like the R for its V6/Looks/4WD, but the new GTI is apparently a fantastic car to drive and truly deserving of the name. Plus a 'new' model like that will always feel fresher for longer than the last of an old model. Dealers claim the R32 is a 'rare' car and deserved of a premium, but with 89 of them on Autotrader and 1800 odd sold I tend not to agree. As a comparison, only 349 (I think) M3 CSLs were sold and actually I have been told only 147 Bora V6s (because nobody bought them, not a ltd edition). In fact I think a good 25th Anni is harder to get hold of than an R32 right now.

I don't really like the MV but in your position I would order the new GTI, enjoy it for a bit and if I didn't like it sell it on for near what you bought it for. You can then pick up one of the many Rs that are for sale on Autotrader, and the prices will have dropped a little bit more.

 

[thewizkid]

Mike, I tend to agree with the majority of your comments, your spot on the money.

Problem being, I can only get a Gti in Janruary at the earliest. Hence what do I drive till then, my cars going Monday afternoon, and I dont fancy the idea of buses much.

They are both fantastic cars, swaying verdict is depreciation, as you rightly say the MK 5 will retain its value far better.

 

[craigGSI]

go for the R32 bud

remember that the GTI will be an import so it will be worth alot less than others on re-sale

also insurance companies like to charge extra for imports so you prob would be better with the R

nicer looking car as well []

 

[RS2002]

R32s are lovely - but you'd be mad to dismiss the new GTI in its favour.

Oh and using the bus for a few months would only go to entice your appreciation for your new car once you take delivery of it.

Good luck, irrespective of your decision []

 

[TurboTrev]

I will probably get shot down in flames here !! but I've had 4 GTI 1.8Ts and an R32 and apart from the R32 looks and engine note, overall, I preferred my 1.8Ts especially my anniversary. By all reports the MK5 GTI is far better than the MK4 - chassis, engine, everything, so for me it's got to be MK5 GTI all the way. Roll on January when mine's due to arrive!!

Above is my opinion from a previous post! And I reckon R32 prices will start to fall once the MK5 GTI has arrived, especially if 5th Gear and Top Gear rave about it when they road test it (5th Gear tomorrow night). Just glad I got rid of my R32 before the prices started tumbling. At the end of the day, 99% of cars depreciate, unfortunately, nowt any of us can do about that!

 

[Tim Sims]

Dunno what i'd choose but i can see the prices of the new GTI dropping by the summer .... they did it with the v6 on a mkiv. slashed ?2k of em new cos they were over priced!

I'd fancy the new GTI tbh

 

[vedhead]

R32 all day. As said before, the price wont drop and you could chop it in for a new GTI later in the year. Plus remember that the best spec GTIs, recaro seats etc, wont actually come out till a few months later. i think VW said March.

Get an R32!

 

[Dom]

R32 to class motor, when the GTi comes out its bound to have problems the first ones always do

 

[sutherlandm]

I see them as pretty different cars.

GTi is FWD turbo small engine with low spec as standard, R32 is 4WD big NA engine with mega spec.

Had a chat with a guy last night who's had a string of TDI mk4s and then had a mk5 for a while, and...shock horror...much prefers the mk4!

He dislikes the mk5 so much that he got a Peugeot 407 SW instead!

 

[archway]

You have to think about whats going to happen to GTI prices too. Power-wise it will probably fit into the Mk V range where the 2.8 V6 4Mo fitted into the Mk IV. Despite being good cars these depreciated rapidly from new because of the R32 above and the 1.8Ts below, esp. the anni. I dropped about 6K in a year from new when I sold my 2.8.

I would be concerned that the new GTI will fall into the same trap; it seems that there will be a new R32 and while this might affect MkIV R32 prices it will also clobber GTI prices as the GTI will no longer be the range leader. It was rumoured that VW were going to keep the "V" designation for range-toppers with the "R" designation for the sport version so there might even be another V which wont help GTI residuals either.

On the other hand, the R32 you have been offered has already experienced its first years depreciation (almost always the worst) and is still at least 40bhp more powerful (probably more like 60 with the 6463 upgrade) and has 4WD so u can use the power and standard xenons etc.

No contest.....

 

[Gti Fly]

I'd love a mk5 Gti, except

Once i'd spec'd it up, it would cost near enough ?26k

It's got a 4cylinder engine

It's 2WD.

That's my personal view, plus any R32 would have suffered alot of depreciation ALREADY, so you'd be picking up a bargain (relatively speaking). Drive it for a few years, and enjoy one of the very best Golfs ever made

 

[Doc]

R32......everyitme for many of the reasons mentioned.

The GTi is really not a comparator the the R32, moreover it is an inferior car from a number of perspectives

 

[Chris]

That's the thing.. the R has already had the worst of its depreciation, and i cant see the new GTI going along the lines of the Cooper S with little or no depreciation.

Look at it this way... you can pick up some R32s now for ?19k.... and thats with every gadget going, 4wd, and one of the nicest sounding V6's out there. From what i can see, a similar spec'd GTI is going to end up costing you the wrong side of ?24k...

 

[Carlos Fandango]

I have just been through the same decision process and decided on a Mk V GTi.

Firstly it has a better chassis with a multi-link rear end

and secondly due to such positive press coverage I think it will be one of the hottest new cars on sale in 2005 and residules should be very strong

But, be careful of loading it up with options, I have ordered a fairly basic car, to keep the residules as good as possible

 

[Spin 150PD]

If I were in your position I would go for the R32, the R is one of those cars that you probably won't own for a long time due to running costs etc but you would be very pleased to look back and say I did that. Excellent looks and kit with performance & handling to match. I have come around to really liking the new MkV GTi which has surprised me as I really dislike the standard car due to its MPV looks, but would go for the R32 for 12 months, see what the market is doing regarding prices and spec etc then buy the new one as a pretty good compromise, winner both ways []

 

[thewizkid]

Tanks for the info. decisions.....!

Ahhh, Titan!

Dont you get about the place.

I'm still waiting for the link to the import company your using!