Not remapping an Edition 30 is like going to a brothel for a cuddle. They need it to really come alive.

Owned my Golf Mk5 R32 for two years now. Yes the tax is terrible(£550) and the fuel consumption is terrible but you soon forget about that when you have the window down and your foot on the accelerator. That noise makes you smile every time. Really special and never gets old. Great video

R32 sound will always make you smile and tingle even all the way to the red line

Had my R32 DSG leather since new in Sept 2007.. Now 140,000 miles on and fully serviced and I have cherished it as one owner. I will never get rid of it as there is nothing comparable without spending the wrong side of £38,000. Today its worth about £7,500 tops but to me its worth far more. The Golf R is not the same vehicle at all. OK the R fires off the line much quicker but where does that make a difference. Put your boot down in the R32 at 100 and it pulls like a train.. Its so comfortable and quiet but when pushed has the most delicious exhaust sound. Why don't they still make a big engined car? They are a different proposition to smaller engines which may be fast but always feel strained when pushed compared to an R32. I'd buy another if they still made R32's

I love my edition 30 but you can't beat the sound of the r32

some cars you buy with your head , some with your heart. and I can tell you , years after there gone the heart cars are always missed

R32 all day long. A good mate of mine has one, dsg, 3 door, wingbacks, miltek. Its just perfect. My stage 2 mk6 dsg gtd can give it a good run for its money, but the R32 is such an iconic car and makes such a fabulous sound. Our group of friends have also had various gti's, again, great cars but R32s are just special.

Good conclusion. Both great cars in their own way. In a world of 2.0T's i think the R32 is just that little bit more special.

Great vlog . Just bought a mk5 R32 at the beginning of January. Satin black 3 door with reverse parking sensors and sun roof and manual gear box . Best car I’ve ever owned. The exhaust note is amazing. 👍

Last year I’ve bought an Edition 30 over an R32 purely on the fact that is more nimble and the TFSI engine to me feels more responsive. Love the R32 sound but after test driving both I’ve felt more comfortable pushing the edition to the limit. Also like in this video, I’ve smiled more driving the lesser GTI. The R32 is the gentleman’s hot hatch, a more refined product. Better for a chilled drive. And even if the 2.0 doesn’t sound as nice as the 3.2 it still has an unique way of putting power down. TFSI EA113 gen owners know what I mean. Fuel wise I average at 70 mph 35-37 mpg on a long run in the GTI, where an R32 barely gets 27. Road-tax can be also £200 more per year for the R32 - around £550 year

On another point.. The problem for some people with regards to R32's is in respect of tuning. My car is as standard with no after market parts. It came in 2007 with all the VW extra's and has been regularly serviced and oil changes incl.DSG. I am aware of owners who look to tune the R32. If that is the case they are far better buying a GTi as you can get serious horsepower for your money. The R32 doesn't really lend itself to lots of tuning without spending a fortune on something like a turbo, but then it is no longer an R32. It takes away something that makes the R32 what it is. The solution to that is to buy a cheap 2nd hand Audi or Porsche and bolt on some goodies if you want that sort of performance. From my experience over 13 years of owenership the R32 still commands a lot of respect and admiring glances.. How old is that? No.. surely not... its immmaculate. Yes I know because at times I have used the performance when needed but have never messed with it, bigger exhaust, bolt on spoilers, stripes, turbos etc..is not the way to go with an R32. Buy a GTi if you want to do that. The R32 should be left as it is to enjoy and be admired as one of the all time great VW's that in years to come will become a classic but, sadly no longer made..

I had the Pirelli GTI (same as the ED30) and the R32 - both mk5 - at the same time for about two years. The Pirelli was a lot faster and lighter than the R32. I have since sold the Pirelli and still have the R32, a testament of how awesome the R32 is.

Can’t beat the sound of the 6 cylinder car 👍🏻 Carwow 😂😂

Coming from a Corrado VR6 but having driven plenty of mk5 and mk6 GTI's I would still go for the R32, I definitively prefer the way they feel over the GTI.

It's got to be the R32. I've had one from new in 2006, which followed on from a MK4 R32 and to be honest, i still think £ for £ it has to be one of the finest cars ever made. It has everything. Mine - I'll keep for ever. They're not making any more.

Thanks for making this comparison, a draw feels like the right result for a standard car comparison. They do slightly different things for cars of the same platform. I think all R32 owners such as myself understand that the Ed30 is far easier to tune to be a fast road car but the R32 really is something special, it has a soul. In my experience it really suits the DSG gearbox of the time too. Perhaps the last of the great V6 hatchbacks...

For one summer in 2004 I had in my possession a 2002 GTI 337 (North American version of the 25th AE GTI) and a 2004 R32. Both were amazing cars. The 337 was light, nimble quick. The R32 was not as light, but is was just as nimble (the MKIV GTI still had torsion beam suspension while the R32 had IRS) and much quicker. I wish I had the funds at the time to keep both, but I still have the R32 now 18 years later.

I love the fact you have done this comparison and the balance you have brought to it. I bought my 2009 R32 DSG just over a year ago (and I watched your video on the mk4 and 5 versions beforehand). I also remember looking on Autotrader and switching between my saved searches on the GTI variants and the R32. There was very little in it price wise between Ed30’s and R32s with similar mileage / spec and I just felt that the things that made the R32 unique (last of the V6 lumps, sound and 4WD) made it that bit more special. But Ed30 looks an awesome car too. You pay your money and you make your choice.

Man I miss two door Volkswagens.

I purchased my mk5 r32 06 in 2022 and love it I was looking for around a year and found one for sale by an elderly gentleman averaging 4K miles per year now on 78k. Completely original. I’ve done everything the car needs service wise and me being a perfectionist I’ve had any body work seen to so it’s immaculate:) The sound is amazing such a one off car with bags of character. On longish runs I get 33mpg Love Volkswizard best channel on KZfaq Thank you VDub:)

You forget how good the mk5 r32 is. Don’t think of it as a hot hatch cos it’s more like a e46 m3 with awd. Nice chassis and smooth n/a power delivery to make high speed effortless and cover miles with one of the best soundtracks for the money. I appreciate them more now than ever and it’s got something that is missing from the gti and golf R. Character

Loved my R32. I had a DBP Mk5 5 door DSG for about 3 years. Was a cracking car. Still miss it to this day, always smile when I see one on the road. They're not the fastest things in the world but they're full of character and in my experience very reliable. Been thinking of having another in the future as a bit of a project car, but I have a Jaguar XFR at the moment and don't think I could handle the fuel bills owning both lol. Great video mate, remember your R32 comparison well, that was when I first subscribed to you. You've come a long way since then. Keep up the good work

Further to post in 2019 (below) I am now closing in on 150,000 miles since 2007 and my R32 is still as good as ever. Recently returned from a VW dealer service who told me it is the only one still being regularly serviced by VW in the whole of Somerset as far as they are aware, and its still in excellent form. Its my preferred drive, Its like a pair of comfy slippers. I am lucky enough to own a 2022 AMG A45S+ with stupid amounts of power which is like a missile when driven in anger but it is not an R32 and it never will be. I also have a 2019 Porsche Cayman which is almost as fast as the AMG but far more refined, but if I had to keep one car it would be the R32 despite the fact that both my other cars leave it for dead at the lights. I get looks at my cars, but it is still the R32 I get more people comment.

Just the sound of the R32 that won me over! However the Edition 30 is an amazing performance hot hatch!

They're obviously both very capable cars but there's just something about a VR6 that edges the GTI for me.

I always drive the R32 with traction “off”. I Find It handles better and more enjoyable In wet and the dry.

I bought a r32 for second car managed to get one under 100k miles for £5800 with full service history love the dsg gearbox definitely the best sounding car I’ve had Had to fix few things in the year I’ve had it haldex ecu packed it in guy down south rebuilt it for £120 easy to fit yourself driver’s side front and back door locks stopped working as well but easy enough to do yourself actually like working on it wouldn’t touch my c-class scared I’ll break it

Nice review.👍🏼 I bought 2006 R32 about a month ago and I am totally sold to it. It propably ain't the fastest car out there, but the VR6 sound with Milltek non-res exhaust puts a big grin to my face everytime I start the car and especially when I floor the gas pedal.😎

Just picked my R32 up this weekend and it's the best car I've ever driven. I've had a spin in S3, rs3, m140i. C63amg And to say it's the slowest it is by far the most enjoyable the sound is unique the comfort and the fact it is a rare car just makes the experience even more appealing

I love the edition 30 GTI, but the R32 is something else, it's just insane, driving it gives such a big smile on your face it just feels and sounds amazing.

There is no substitute for cubic inches- CARROLL SHELBY. No replacement for displacement. Every engineer knows this. It’s why 4 cylinders go bang when highly tuned and vr6T’s are happy at 600bhp if you know you know

I've got the blue dsg R32 with back box delete and 4 inch black chrome tips, fits the bumper cutout neater and with the back muffler delete you can get some nice vr6 meaty dsg farts if you paddle shift at 3.5k revs,, sounds epic. I've also got black 19 inch ava Memphis alloys too which give it a wider stance and bit more of an aggressive stance, rest is standard. It's an experience to drive everytime you take it out.

This is a similar situation with me buying the RS3. I looked at the slightly newer S3 but the sound of the 5 cylinder won me over. Out of the Edition 30 and the R32 I would actually choose the Ed30, I don’t enjoy NA cars anymore but not only that I have also been in a modified Ed30 in the past and I was very impressed with it. Another good video Andrew 👍🏼

I was actually thinking of trading my mk5 R32 in towards an M135i/140. Something is telling me I will regret it though. Great video as well 👍🏻

Nicely put together. There is a widespread misconception that brake discs are made from steel. Most vehicle discs are in fact cast iron. Motorcycle discs can be made from steel because they are not required to dissipate as much heat as four wheeled applications and the aesthetic is important.

I prefer the Edition 30s, they feel quicker in a straight line and are better in the bends as you don't feel thre extra weight up front you get in the R32

I've got both, edition 30 is much quicker when they're both mapped but the r32 for me, the engine tone, the feel and drive is just top notch!

The R32 has so much more theater. Love it.

R32+turbo=perfection

That R32 is just lovely. That V6 engine just sounds so wonderful on its own with standard exhaust, just so modest but for those that know........ a great and lovely car and without a noisey aftermarket exhausts that p*ss the neighbours off and add little other than making the driver look like a chav. Great review and two great cars, for me it would have to be the V6.

I have a GTI ED30 which has been changed with complete brake kit from R32, Oettinger 305 hp update and Audi S3 intercooler and - the best - a Bilstein B16 Ride control suspension which actually makes the car more comfortable (besides being lower and more firm if you push the bottom). A Golf V does not get better than that. Perfect for B-roads, highways - and quite good on a track.

Great video Andrew love the VR6 in the Mk V such a special car albeit that Edition 30 is hard to beat - decisions hmmm I’d have to say R32 for specialness and that six seems like a must have extravagance in 2020 and still enjoys corners :)

Its a real tuff one. From owning previous vr6's, 4 motion and a mk2 tt 3.2 I love the noise but i always steal my wife's stage 1 edition 30 on a nice sunday as it just so quick through the bends. Your right on fuel though. Our edition 30 manages about 24 mpg although the wife doesn't drive it far.

R32 is one of my all time favourite cars. Yes you can remap the GTI to silly BHP, but it will never sound like an R32 no matter what you do to it. R32 for me all day long.

Nice to see the comparison in manual transmission for both cars. We don't have this chance here in Canada. Only DSG for the R32.

The road tax is the biggest killer for the R32. What's your opinion of the Audi A3 with the same engine? Quite a few for sale for reasonable prices. Plus a lot fall into the lower tax pre 2008. A cut price R32 or a bit of a barge with an Audi badge on?!

I have owned both. R32 wins everywhere except when you fill it up, OUCH!

R32 all day long, nothing will ever beat that noise, even a stage 2 e30 wouldn’t change my mind.

In 1995 I bought a Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 UK model. I did 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and 140mph. It weighed about 1300kg. 4 wheel drive, analogue everything. I had a mild remap done by a local Subaru expert and it did the standing quarter at Santa Pod in 13.5 seconds. I had it off the clock on the autoroute in France. It stuck to the road like poo to a blanket, it involved and inspired the driver. How far have we come in terms of outright road cars ?

That was an interesting video Andrew, I once owned a 2002 Mk 4 V6 4 Motion, enough said, this was followed by a 2006 MK 5 GTI DSG what a revelation this was, a truly good car, even today the MK 5 GTI is a good yard stick to compare today's cars.

I'm so glad you said that the cooking MK5 GTi on 17's has the best ride/handling balance of any hot hatch. I said exactly the same when I owned mine 2 years ago. Wonderful cars. 2 years later and I've come full circle to a DSG equipped R32. I don't compare it to other hatchbacks. To me it's more like a miniature grand tourer. It's an epic motor..

Thanks for the brilliant video Andrew. For me I think the noise and spin tingling will outweigh the edition 30.

All I can say about those 2 perfect machines is..~ "Man..what a tough..but nice dilemma to have picking one of these....Its the choice of either: 6 cylinders..and no fuel left right after you set off..or..better economy..with still top performance....Also..which would people prefer on looks alone as well....

These are always a go to when the notification comes out. Great content as always and very well put together without so as to be overly polished it becoming sterile as so many are 👍The passion for the brand always comes out but remains objective rather than rose tinted. Plaudits aside, Can you do a review of the TTQS please, with a 2020 lens on. Scant content on these, even from new. I'm torn between getting rid of mine so your thoughts would be interesting.

Great review just like the last one you did mk4 v mk5. I'm on my 2nd Mk5 R32 i love them they are not very tuneable but that isn't their thing. I went back to them after my Mk7 R got pinched.... They are comfy, brisk reliable & characterful. Most important thing is they are different from all other Golfs.

Thanks for making this video. Do u remember when i asked you which one is a better car gti vs r32? I have a gti and also bought a r32. They are 2 completely different cars. I enjoy the nimbleness of gti but i also love the raw power of notes of r32.

Can appreciate the R32, but a simple remap on the edition 30 would be so much faster and fun in a straight line and in the corners.

Thanks for the content Andy, great video! Struggling to find a decent R32 with cruise control at the moment on the market. Do you think buying one without it & retrofit later would be an viable option? If it is, do you know where should I get this retrofit done? Any advices would be much appreciated!

great video as always Andrew. i have always wanted a mk5 r32 having had a mk3 vr6 and falling in love with that engine. i had a standard mk5 gti and felt rather underwhelmed and didn't keep it for long...but...loved the body kit on the ed30. think the mk5 r32 might just be back on my radar for the end of the year. thanks.

Thanks for the great video. Great to see someone that makes honest, unbiased reviews!

Another brilliant and interesting video between the GTi ed30 and R32. I get that the R32 is heavier at turn in and feels more planted than a GTi, making it a more of a mature drive, whereas the GTi can be more alive more of the time. I adore my mk5 GTi and last December when a colleague saw my car and they said that my car did not look its age (2007 on a 57) or it mileage, now currently on 119,000. miles, which I think says at of how I look after her and the build quality that VW went to town on. My car is stock apart from Bilstein B12's and Powerflex bushes and that has made the turn in more positive and sure footed making spirited drives more enjoyable more of the time. I keep thinking about changing my car, but I just like mine to much and besides, its becoming a bit of a classic now.

ED30 all the way,mines savage,they need mapping stage 2+ Rtech to be a real monster DSG all the way to 👌

The running costs of the R32, including the road tax, will be significantly higher than for the edition 30.

Love my R32 in DBP. Exclusive on the DBP is blue tinted glass which few people notice.

I drove a R32 and was shocked at the price with options on road costs $70k aussie. I bought my Mkv Gti in late 2008. And I still have it. It was less than $50k. With 74,000 kms on the clock now. The charcoal canister and N80 valve just went. Cost at vw $900 all up. Still no TCR available down under.

Armrest is also an option on the Ed30. . . Mine didn’t have one 😪

I wished they delivered the R32 without the 4WD system. The A3 3.2L already had both if you were in for that. We knew the GTI was the driver's car, yes the engine is not as involving but it is pretty good for what it is. Kuddos to that 30th edition.

I'd pick the R32, gives me the fizz.

Great video and as an owner of a mk5 and mk4 R32 I totally agree with you regarding your comparison and I loved the video you did back in 2017 too! Looking at the prices you have these two cars at on your site, it seems the r32 is still at a premium price. Would you say the mk5 r32 will go up in value in years to come?

My 08 R32 DSG has the RNS 510 head unit and my steering wheel has buttons and better stitching, I wonder why yours doesn’t? Maybe because of the head unit?

I really really love MkV, the alloys on the edition 30 are so nice, and the tartan interior is epic. Great video.

Tiff said the ed30 was boring 😔

Great comparison video :) The Mk5 R32 is the best golf ever made in my humble opinion. Unique car that sounds amazing. Love the fact vw made a car like this in factory spec :)

Really tough call I could see you fighting with yourself to which one you would have massive smile 😊 when Corning in the edition 30 but as soon as you opened the R32 ..... that noise got the hairs on the back of your neck on end it’s the reason I still keep my corrado VR6 love it. Cheers for the Video Andrew loved it 👍🏻👍🏻

Not surprised your sat on the fence Andrew , the R32 is just as almighty as the Edition30 I agree with you. 🙏🏼👍🍻 Great video as always 😎

Prefer the sound of the R32 but the edition 30 is the rarer car these days

Thanks for a great review. My wife is Golf mad, she has a tastefully detailed mk2 country syncro and a mk5 5 GTI. I'm more Lotus/Lancia but I have a Golf fetish also.

nice, i have also an edition 30 with upgrade high pressure fuel pump, wagner intercooler und 3,5 downpipe. but its in germany and only my summer car. i love this car...

Love the R32 noise but a stage 2+ edition 30 is way more fun!

Massive fan of the R32 😍. Fantastic video and review Andrew 👍

I used to own a 9n3 Polo GTI in that very red, this makes me really really miss it.

Thanks Andrew for such a great comparison. I have heard a few 4R32s being enthusiastically accelerated. The exhaust sounded like a demented trombone being played at full volume - but I'm not complaining!!!👍🏼

Great video , my friend had a mk4 R32 and it was an awesome car to drive , and the sound was impressive to say the least :-)

Big fan of the r32 but i went for the edition 30 stage 1 and ur gone.

Love my Mk5 R32! Great Video once again!

Thanks for a great vid. All the way for the R32, cause there is no other hatch like it, instant torque, quick takeoffs at the lights with no loss of traction and that sound....OMG. The Gti is cool too and is great for mods but there are legions of other copycats to choose from.

The twin exhaust system looks good on the r32, but overall for looks put a nice bodykit on the edition 30 would look so much better ,,,, the front of the r32.looks like a normal mk5 golf tdi,,,,, ,compared to the gti front ,,the gti ,looks a lot meaner,,,

Golf GTI MK5 ED30 ALLLLL DAY LONG,R32 sound good but that’s it,the drink petrol like fuck there slow as hell,but an ED30 easily tunes big power and loads of fun,minds running 382BHP 412ft/lb of torque dsg and leaves most cars behind

A question. Am I right in thinking that Audi fitted a 3.2 V6 (same engine??) in the A3 (model code 8L)?? Might be interesting if you could get your hands on one of those...

Have a mk5 gti myself and besides the sound I wouldn’t have a r32 (don’t like the rear bumper of the gti but hey) the gti is such a competent and complete car

The Audi TT mk2 coupe 3.2 has a better balance with the R32 drivetrain because of the 70% aluminium body, and 120 kg lichter than the R32. I love mine😁. I don’t need the space in the back, so i do not have that problem. 1415 kg with DSG.

I have mk4 r32 in 3dr dpb and its probs beat looking golf in my eyes ans.alot others agree. But i prefer the look ofnthe editon 30 to the mk5 r32.. edition 30 fron with all the honeycomb grills looks much more special then the mk5 r32 and interior lookls more better in the edition 30.. only the engone in the r32 is better then edition 30

The Edition 30 is the one 'anniversary' GTI I never got that excited about to be honest. I remember being a judge at GTI INternational when VW brought some to the show as part of the launch....I was just seriosuly underwhelmed. R32 for me out of these two I think.

I’m lucky enough to have an R32. Never driven an edition 30 but have to say it would have to go some to beat the R32 in terms of driving fun.

The golf 3 vr6 was a beast you hear it from 100 meter

Excellent video, this and the mk4 and mk5 r32 comparison videos are some of my favourites!

Another great gti up load. Really helpful info #gti club

the central exhaust pipe arrangement on the Mk5 is odd, the Mark 4 R32 has a better rear end imo,. The GTI looks good in red.

R32 all the time

Im loving the love for the r32