Crystal blue persuasion

[IndyMike]

Well, deep blue pearl anyway.

Gotta say after just over 2k miles I really, really dig this horseless carriage. Yeah, you can definitely feel that it's on the heavy side especially from a dead stop, but its handling and nimbleness when put through the paces once it gets up to speed (and it doesn't take long when using the paddles) easily puts any to the back of my mind.

This car is solidly built. Easily as well built as any BMW I've had. And to be honest that kind of mass gives me peace of mind when pitted up against the leviathans that clog up the roads these days. I'm confident that its responsiveness can avoid an accident, but should it be unavoidable and metal hit metal the occupants should fare as well if not better than those in the other vehicle(s). And its brakes are simply fantastic. It will whoa you up so quick you'll be kissing the windshield fairly regularly. In fact they may be too good. They are so touchy right now that they make trail-breaking very difficult.

The interior has everything exactly where I would expect it to be (save of course the power windows which are on the door, but since it's a manumatic it doesn't bother me as much as if it were a stick). The leather seats are more comfortable than those of any car I've ever had. There are so many adjustments available that if you can't find a cozy fit somewhere within the range then you must really have serious back problems.

This car is flat out just fun to drive. It can probably hold the road as well as the ZHP. The suspension is almost as tight as the ZHP's, but the steering is just a tad bit looser which leads to a bit of under steer. But mated to the brakes and DSG paddles it becomes a blast as it navigates tight curves, serpentines and curved on-ramps with aplomb. The suspension really absorbs any bumps or irregularities and insulates those inside the cocoon very well. It's not as raw as the ZHP, but that is what adds to its appeal to me as a daily driver. Plus the AWD aspect plays right into the inclement weather capability that I need for a daily driver, especially if it's the spousal unit behind the wheel.

I haven't tried Launch Control yet, and to be honest I don't know if I ever really will. I'm not looking to beat anybody off the line, just toy with them when carving up the country back roads that I like to take when I'm feeling frisky and heading down to Bloomington on weekends.

Appearance wise I find the MKV body style really cool and attractive. Some people whine that it's too similar to a rabbit with aero kit or the GTI, and that the front grill is too Jetta like, but to me I like that entire lot just fine. It can fly under the radar and easily blend in with the other econo boxes that are littering the roadways more and more each day.

And what about the exhaust? Well, it's nothing short of schweeeet when you want it to sing. At WOT, or when downshifting then hard on throttle it has a burblish tone like a small block V8. It doesn't do much for my wife, but for me it never fails to put a SAG on my mug. But when you're driving sedately and in a pedestrian manner it can be as quiet inside as a Buick. Like a bit of Jekyll and a little Mr. Hyde, depending upon your level of arousal and interest.

About the DSG; well, I'll not go so far to say that it's as fun or engaging as a manual, but it's a different type of entertainment and you'll be hard pressed to find a manumatic more able in this department than the DSG, especially when using the paddles. And the fact is while the little woman can drive a stick, she'd really rather not if it can be helped. This makes this tranny the perfect blend for a daily driver for me.

Right now the computer says I'm getting 24.4mpg, which is excellent considering I've had a few hard romps in it these past couple of weekends and that our daily driving is strictly sans freeways.

Gripes? Yeah, I've got a few but it's more directed at VOA than the vehicle itself. First of all, I don't understand why you market your signature vehicle with some serious de-contenting such as; the back windows are devoid of molding; there is no matching 'R' signature dead pedal; no front fog lights; while the GTI gets an onboard compass the R32 does not; no smoked taillights as the ads originally claimed. In addition, at the factory they made the egregious error of affixing the front license plate holder to the shield instead of allowing the dealership to affix it if the customer so requested. To their credit they've fessed up to this mistake and a new shield is on order and will be replaced under warranty. All of these are definitely individual nitpicks, but collectively it sort of leaves you to scratching a part of your anatomy.

All in all though, I've loved every minute in this car so far. Naturally, that might change once I've had a chance to experience VOA service, but at first blush I'm very enamored of this car.

In comparison to the MKIV R I would say that the car has been transformed into a GT. Some people may not like that, and especially that you can no longer get them with a stick. And others naturally gripe that for the package you get it's not worth the $33k sticker price. Well, value is relative and in the eye of the beholder each has his own standards that must be met to garner his coins.

But without equivocation I can say this puppy has more than met my expectations. I've never paid MSRP for any vehicle, and this one is no exception. But in retrospect if I absolutely had to pay MSRP as the price of admission, knowing what I know now this is one car I would not balk at having to do so.

I'm not sure if they sell out the entire run of 5000 R's, but #923 is in some might happy hands and I hope to keep it that way for a long, long time.

I'll admit that in the beginning it was the color that caught my eye, but at this point the rest of it has latched onto my heart.

My first foray into VOA land has been an unqualified happy success so far. Stay tuned to see if it will stay that way for long.

[zeroday]

Nice write up and nice car. I've always liked the r32; they just seem like they'd be a lot of fun to drive (as confirmed by you and many others).

[lemming]

i'm staying tuned.

any commentary on if you can feel the power being apportioned from the front to rear while the power is being applied? i dunno what the default setup is, just curious how they implement it in the R.

[equ]

Somehow I missed this... Nice pics, congrats!

[Jeff_DML]

nice, congrats.

DSG still automatically upshift at/around redline?

[Jeff_DML]

edmunds review

[lemming]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

edmunds review

as Ed and i will usually say: places of work where they drive many, many cars for a living and review usually have a breadth of perspective that we, as subjective people, do not have.

so while it is easy to be dismissive of the review, it's also hard to discount it, too, because for the most part, i've never disagreed with an edmunds.com writeup.

[IndyMike]

The Edmunds review (at least for the most part) is pretty accurate. The only part I don't understand and take at least some exception to is the comment about lack of communication and isolation to the driver.

I only have the Dunlop AS's and I can honestly say they speak volumes to my hands and rump. Their (Edmunds) road communication lexicon and definition is different than mine. Of course, it could also be that I'm just getting softer in my maturing years.

But to be perfectly honest, I don't care what any rag writes or says about this car, pro or con. And you can argue 'til the cows come home about the direction and intent that VW took with the new R, but their execution was spot on IMO.

I've been on the road a lot lately, so it's only recently (like yesterday) that I've had a chance to reacclimatize myself with its behavior.

But it still tickles me that despite its obvious girth so readily obvious from a dead stop, once you've hit the throttle and get past that initial inertia it's as if it's a transformer bot moving its weight in a way that gives the impression of a lighter projectile. Having been a tanker in a previous time and life, I can only equate it to a sabot round, that is heavy-arsed dead weight when loaded into the breach block, but when it makes contact with the firing pin rifles and wends its way down range with amazing alacrity.

Okay, that's probably a bit of an exaggeration. But it exemplifies one of those little big things that draw me to it.

And those seats - they are so well bolstered that they seemingly snuggle, contort and envelop themselves around your body. Then, on cold days like today when you turn on the bun warmers and you arrive home you don't want to get out even though the kitchen door is but a mere 10 feet away.

Yeah, I'll admit my bones are getting old and that I'm rambling on like an old Nelly. And probably as little as 5 years ago I would have dismissed it for its perceived shortcomings as readily as Edmunds did.

But right here, right now I can't imagine a better daily driver for my current clime and condition. It just provides a perfect blend of sport and luxury that BMW has been my benchmark for until now. This car at least equals if not surpasses it.

And I can't wait until the snow flakes start falling in volumes this winter so I can test the AWD capabilities. I'm hoping it's at least as enjoyable as the days of summer and fall have sorted themselves out to be.

Of course, the initial dreaded VOA service experience is but a month away when I'm due for the 5k oil change so everything could change in the blink of an eye. So expect my next post to possibly be found in the Rant forum.

[lemming]

Originally Posted by IndyMike

The Edmunds review (at least for the most part) is pretty accurate. The only part I don't understand and take at least some exception to is the comment about lack of communication and isolation to the driver.

I only have the Dunlop AS's and I can honestly say they speak volumes to my hands and rump. Their (Edmunds) road communication lexicon and definition is different than mine. Of course, it could also be that I'm just getting softer in my maturing years.

But to be perfectly honest, I don't care what any rag writes or says about this car, pro or con. And you can argue 'til the cows come home about the direction and intent that VW took with the new R, but their execution was spot on IMO.

I've been on the road a lot lately, so it's only recently (like yesterday) that I've had a chance to reacclimatize myself with its behavior.

But it still tickles me that despite its obvious girth so readily obvious from a dead stop, once you've hit the throttle and get past that initial inertia it's as if it's a transformer bot moving its weight in a way that gives the impression of a lighter projectile. Having been a tanker in a previous time and life, I can only equate it to a sabot round, that is heavy-arsed dead weight when loaded into the breach block, but when it makes contact with the firing pin rifles and wends its way down range with amazing alacrity.

Okay, that's probably a bit of an exaggeration. But it exemplifies one of those little big things that draw me to it.

And those seats - they are so well bolstered that they seemingly snuggle, contort and envelop themselves around your body. Then, on cold days like today when you turn on the bun warmers and you arrive home you don't want to get out even though the kitchen door is but a mere 10 feet away.

Yeah, I'll admit my bones are getting old and that I'm rambling on like an old Nelly. And probably as little as 5 years ago I would have dismissed it for its perceived shortcomings as readily as Edmunds did.

But right here, right now I can't imagine a better daily driver for my current clime and condition. It just provides a perfect blend of sport and luxury that BMW has been my benchmark for until now. This car at least equals if not surpasses it.

And I can't wait until the snow flakes start falling in volumes this winter so I can test the AWD capabilities. I'm hoping it's at least as enjoyable as the days of summer and fall have sorted themselves out to be.

Of course, the initial dreaded VOA service experience is but a month away when I'm due for the 5k oil change so everything could change in the blink of an eye. So expect my next post to possibly be found in the Rant forum.

there is something for a less frenetic driving experience, i'll happily agree with that. it's usually difficult to write about intangibles anyway as they're difficult to convey in print. many cars are about intangibles and this would be one of them.

my only gripe is silly and that is that i still am enamored of using three pedals and shifting.

[TD]

Originally Posted by lemming

there is something for a less frenetic driving experience, i'll happily agree with that. it's usually difficult to write about intangibles anyway as they're difficult to convey in print. many cars are about intangibles and this would be one of them.

my only gripe is silly and that is that i still am enamored of using three pedals and shifting.

The lack of a third pedal is the only thing keeping me from seriously considering one. And the GTI sucks by being FWD-only.