Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged hot hatch
2004 Volkswagen Golf R32
Dec 20th
“Aw, nuts,” I said to myself when I stepped out of the Volkswagen R32. “Now I’ve got to add another parking spot to my dream garage.”
Even though construction materials for dream garages are cheap, I don’t say that as frequently as you might think. This time I had a good reason to because the unassuming Volkswagen Golf you see here is a very special car indeed. The 2004-only R32 is the hottest Golf ever to grace U.S. shores. It’s also the first North American Golf with 4Motion all-wheel drive (which is called “quattro” when it’s used in the Audi TT).
At a glance, the R32 can be mistaken for a run-of-the-mill GTI. It lacks the wings and flares that many other factory high-performance specials have sprouted. A closer look reveals major design tweaks; big wheels, gaping air intakes and a rear roll pan with dual exhausts. These modifications give it the look of a subtle custom job. 18″ wheels are standard, too. Silver, red, blue and black are the only colors offered.
The seats are made by Koenig, and they’re some of the most comfortable in the industry (if you’re into racing seats that is), with grippy side bolsters and just enough height to keep taller drivers comfortable all day. They’re not for everyone. Neither is the fat, sporty steering wheel. Satin aluminum and chrome trim dress up the usually drab interior. Like the Golf that it’s based on, the R32 has room for four adults, even though it’s only a two-door. It’s also well-equipped. Standard stuff includes a Monsoon sound system, heated seats and automatic climate control.
Under the sheetmetal there’s some serious special-ness going on. The R32 has MacPherson struts and lower wishbones up front, supplemented by a fully independent rear suspension that rides on its own subframe. The R32 rides 22mm lower than the GTI, and shocks and springs have been beefed up accordingly. The ride is impressively forgiving, for such a high-performance car. The serious autocrossers will call it too soft, but the extra damping is welcome on cracked Rust Belt roads that tend to send stiffly-suspended cars packing. The Haldex all-wheel drive system is preternaturally sure-footed, and led us to swerve back and forth on rainy pavement just for the joy of it. In addition to improving wet-weather traction, the torque-sensing differential can split power front to rear to compensate for bursts of acceleration while turning, making the ride smoother. Traction and stability control are included. Big blue brake calipers proudly announce the R32′s anti-lock brakes.
The engine isn’t the same VR6 found in the GTI; it’s the larger 3.2 liter powerplant, borrowed from the V6-powered Touareg SUV, and more power is always a good thing of course. Volkswagen fans have been salivating at the idea of a 240-horsepower Golf for years, and the R32 delivers just that. The R32 is also about torque; with a relatively large-displacement V6 under the hood, the R32 will roll instead of stalling if you let the clutch out gently, just like a big diesel pickup will, thanks to the 236 foot-pounds of twisting power on hand. On the freeway, there’s some exhaust buzz, but it’s far from irritating and the R32 is much more refined than its obvious natural competition, the Subaru WRX. Because it’s not turbocharged, the power is available with just a stab of the pedal, regardless of engine speed. The six-speed transmission shifts smoothly, but like most VW transmissions, doesn’t like to be rushed. Want an automatic? Don’t buy an R32, because you can’t get one.
The R32 also plays the luxury car role better, with a quiet interior and solid construction, which makes you less likely to wonder where all of your money went.
Did I mention money? The only dark spot on the R32′s brilliance is that all of that equipment comes at a price. A starting price of $29,100 is likely to turn off anyone who thinks that one Golf is pretty much like another. With a leather interior added, my test car priced out at $30,625. That’s competitive with the hot-shoe WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which are both more powerful and faster on a race track, but the R32 is much, much easier to live with.
It’s a 2004-only model, with a production run of only 5000 cars planned. Of course, I’m hoping that they’ll find exactly 4,999 motivated drivers… leaving one R32 for me. Move fast if you want one.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Volkswagen Golf R32, which we tested.
Length: 164.4 in.
Width: 68.3 in.
Height: 56.1 in.
Wheelbase: 99.1 in.
Curb weight: 3049 lb.
Cargo space: 14 cu.ft. (seats up); 38.8 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $29,100
Price as tested: $30,625
Engine: 3.2 liter DOHC 24-valve V6
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 240 @ 6250
Torque: 236 @ 2800-3200
Fuel capacity: 16.4 gal.
Est. mileage: 19/26
2005 Acura RSX Type S
Nov 9th
We’ve driven the Acura RSX plenty of times since its introduction in 2001, so when the updated 2005 version arrived we decided to do something different with it. Acura’s sport-compact hatch is the darling of legions of car modifiers and cruisers everywhere, and its prowess on the track is undisputed. But how well-equipped is the RSX for a road trip? We packed up a handsome copper-colored RSX Type S and headed to the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, to find out.
For 2005, the RSX Type S gets a minor design tweak and, of much more interest to performance buyers, a boost in horsepower and a re-tuned suspension. These changes should help to keep the popular RSX near the top of the sports-coupe heap even in the face of redesigned competitors from Mitsubishi and Ford.
At first glance, the RSX seems to say anything but, “road trip.” This stubby, four-place hatchback is shaped rather like an upside-down speedboat, with a tapered nose, aggressive four-unit and an arched silhouette. On the RSX Type S, the side sills and body cladding are more noticeable than before, and the taillights have also been redesigned. 17″ wheels are standard equipment on the RSX Type S. It’s a sports car that can double as a grocery-getter, not a long-distance runner. Our test car was painted Blaze Orange Metallic, a brilliant and distinctive hue that impressed some onlookers and led others to call it “pre-rusted.”
Inside, there’s more than enough space for two people and a weekend’s worth of luggage. The cockpit is open, with a low console and instruments clustered in front of the driver. Titanium-colored trim accents the headrests, dash and door panels. There’s lots of legroom up front, and the rear seats are habitable but far from capacious. With the rear seats up, the trunk will hold sixteen cubic feet of stuff. The interior is sparse but decently equipped, with automatic climate control, a moonroof, and side airbags. The RSX has a nice Bose sound system. On the road, there was space in the console for necessary travel incidentals like fast-food cups, snacks and maps. Our only two complaints were a lack of leg support for taller drivers, an oft-repeated gripe of ours, and a lack of decent visibility to the rear.
We expected the biggest downer of the trip to be the RSX’s 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. Don’t get us wrong; this award-winning powerplant deserves all of the accolades it has earned. Hotter cams and a larger intake for 2005 bump the RSX Type S’ horsepower to 210. Around town, the i-VTEC variable valve timing system and the race-bred 2.0 impress, with seemingly limitless rev ability and high-rpm pulling power. On the freeway, though, the RSX is turning between 4000 and 5000 rpm at all times, and Acura’s 2.0 is not a quiet motor at high revs. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the RSX didn’t assault our eardrums too badly. With the revs so high, power was available when it was needed, and fuel economy didn’t suffer as much as we feared it would, either. The RSX impressed us mightily, and had no trouble dealing with the traffic of Toledo, Cincinnati, Louisville or notoriously congested Nashville. The six-speed manual transmission is direct and responsive, thanks in part to carbon synchros in fifth and sixth that improve shifter feel. The RSX is also a certified Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV).
The suspension consists of MacPherson struts with control links up front, and double wishbones at the rear. For ’05, Acura has done a comprehensive retuning, with a lower ride height, new bushings and thicker stabilizer bars. The front coils are inversely wound to reduce unwanted steering inputs from spring windup. The RSX Type S is “track-tuned” with firmer springs and shocks and a front strut tower brace. It’s stiff on the road, but not uncomfortably so. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard equipment; fortunately, we never needed them during our trip.
All in all it’s good news for RSX owners and intenders; if you find yourself needing to make a long trip, your little Acura won’t punish you for it. Acura’s one-price strategy makes buying one easy, too; the RSX Type S starts at $23,570.
The Fact Box:
All specs are for the 2005 Acura RSX.
Length: 172.4 in.
Width: 67.9 in.
Height: 54.9 in.
Wheelbase: 101.2 in.
Curb weight: 2840 lb.
Cargo space: 16.0 cu.ft.
Base price: $23,570
Engine: 2.0 liter 16-valve four-cylinder
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 210 @ 7800
Torque: 143 @ 7000
Fuel capacity: 13.2 gal.
Est. mileage: 23/31
2003 Volkswagen GTI
Aug 25th
For some reason, it seems like every time I get a Volkswagen GTI, I end up at a car show. My drive in the 2003 GTI VR6 was no exception; within hours of picking the car up, I was hanging out in a parking lot with a bunch of Subaru WRX owners, talking shop. It’s a testament to the GTI’s name and ability that this unassuming hatchback was able to draw nods of favor from guys who were used to 300-plus horsepower super-sedans.
Volkswagen’s GTI has been around for a long time, but its “street cred” is as powerful as ever. With a choice of powerful turbocharged four-cylinder or V6 engines packed into a compact, well-built and great-handling body, nobody’s going to point and laugh when you pull up to the show ‘n’ shine in one.
The body has been more or less untouched for several years, but the GTI still looks handsome and modern. It’s boxy, but the edges of the box have been rounded off, the seams and shutlines smoothed out so the GTI radiates an air of quality. The standard 17″ wheels look nice. When we arrived at the show, we found one of VW’s yellow twentieth-anniversary GTIs to park next to. This special edition features unique wheels and badging, and showgoers compared the two GTIs favorably. Both versions sport blacked-out taillights, VW’s signature “stinger” antenna, and dual exhaust outlets.
Inside, there are appointments befitting a $20,000 sports coupe. The seats are chair-height and just right for keeping passengers in place during hard cornering. Volkswagen’s signature violet gauges were popular among our passengers, as were the red LEDs hidden in the back of the rearview mirror to cast ambient light at night. The GTI is comfortable for four, thanks to a relatively high roof and its squared-off body style, but getting into the back seat of this two-door can be difficult. And one last quibble: the dash-mounted cupholders are practically useless.
But who needs to eat or drink when you’ve got V6 torque in a compact car? The autobahn-bred GTI is solid and silent on the freeway, and will accelerate strongly even in sixth gear. The 200 horsepower, 2.8 liter VR6 six-cylinder engine is also notably quiet, even under hard acceleration. The comparatively large displacement allows the GTI to remain calm where other speedy four-cylinders are screaming, and as a result the VR6 feels refined and relaxed at speed. The available 1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder produces an impressive 180 horses, but lacks the VR6′ seamless rush of power. Our VR6 test car was equipped with a silky and direct six-speed manual. This transmission will not suffer slam-shifting; the GTI prefers to be treated like the car of the competent driver. Smooth driving inputs are rewarded by speed. The GTI has a way of making you feel like you know what you’re doing, the way some old sports cars used to. It’s a fun car to drive fast.
Compared to some other hot hatchbacks, the suspension is squashy. That just makes the GTI easier to live with, though. It’s not racetrack-sharp, but it’s not race-track harsh. In fact, the GTI acquitted itself very nicely on violently bumpy roads. MacPherson struts up front are coupled with a traditional torsion beam in the rear. Volkswagen has dialed a healthy amount of positive caster into the suspension to keep the wheels level when the GTI is running hard, and torque steer is negligible. Anti-lock brakes and traction control are standard equipment, as are front, side and side-curtain airbags.
The GTI may be the most refined of the small hot rods out there. In addition to the sporty-yet-comfortable ride, standard equipment includes heated mirrors, a CD player and cruise control. With a price starting at just $21,995, you’ll be tempted to show off the window sticker as well, when you find yourself at the inevitable car show.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2003 Volkswagen GTI VR6, which we tested.
Length: 164.9 in.
Width: 68.3 in.
Height: 56.7 in.
Wheelbase: 98.9 in.
Curb weight: 3036 lb.
Cargo space: 18.0 cu.ft.
Base price: $21,995
Price as tested: $24,715
Engine: 2.8 liter DOHC V6
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 200 @ 6200
Torque: 195 @ 3200
Fuel capacity: 14.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 21/29