YACT: Test drove a new VW GTI

[dbot]

So I'm looking to buy either an R32 or a new MK V in about a month. So I wanted to go and test both before I decided.

I go to the Ellicott City dealership by my place and am greated by the sales person. I tell my situation and right away he starts to walk away becasue I'm not buying today. Now I used to sell cars and I know how it works, but I told him I am definatly buying in a month. And the dealership was dead so he wasn't missing any other customers.

He goes on to tell me there are no MK V's with DSG's on the lot, which I can believe because they are moving fast. But then he goes on to tell me that I can not drive either of his R32's because they are so rare. One has 30k miles and the other has 18k. He also says that the last salesman who let someone test the R32 who wasn't buying that day got fired.

Now I know he's blowing smoke up my @$$ and I'm really getting tired of it. So I just tell him I'm leaving and he gives my his card and says to see him in a month when I'm ready. Yea good luck with that one.

I did go to the Laurel location and had a great experience with a salesman, who I was upfront with again and said I was buying in about a month and he had no problem taking me for a drive in a MK V with DSG and took down my info with what I was looking for so he can call me when he gets one in that matches my needs. Great guy and I am going to buy it from him when they get one in.

As far as the test drive goes, nice car. Really loved the feel and the DSG was very responsive. Shifted just as quick as a manual. I think that sealed the deal.

 

[RichUK]

You could get a BMW 130i for a similar price, if you're looking to buy the car new that is. That's not to say the R32 isn't a good choice, because it is a very nice car.

 

[Jahee]

Originally posted by: RichUK
You could get a BMW 130i for a similar price, if you're looking to buy the car new that is. That's not to say the R32 isn't a good choice, because it is a very nice car.

I'd MUCH rather have the R32 for that price. Just a manual one

Just to let you know... This is a quote from a magazine i read about the DSG transmission on the R32..

"The auto mode, at least around town, is incredibly irritating. Pull upto a junction in 2nd, spot a gap in the traffic and gently squeeze the throttle. In a manual you'd just leave it in 2nd and smoothly waft away on the torque, but the DSG selects 1st with a thunk (you're already accelerating so its like a kickdown) and sends you scurrying up the road like you've just dropped the clutch.
Ambling through town in slow moving traffic can be equally jerky, the DSG juggling gears too often, the clutch slipping with a flare of revs when you'd expect effortless progress. Very odd."

On a positive note however it does say:

"Away from urban constraints its much more positive, every upshift perfectly, imperceptibly nailed and the digitally programmed downshift blip faultless."

 

[Averyel]

Thats par for course for VW. Even in Euro Tuner, in a year long review, they took a paragraph to bash the dealership for being some liars.
Trust me, our family has 6 VW's all in different years and we've all had differing experiences.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: RichUK
You could get a BMW 130i for a similar price, if you're looking to buy the car new that is. That's not to say the R32 isn't a good choice, because it is a very nice car.

1. the 130i has been bangleized, the MK IV or MKV Golf/GTI/R32 are much better looking.

2. Looking at the locations of the dealerships he visited, he lives in the states, more specifically in the Maryland/DC area. We dont even get the 1 series imported here yet and I'm not sure if a definite date has even been set yet, just sometime in 2008.

 

[dbot]

Originally posted by: RichUK
You could get a BMW 130i for a similar price, if you're looking to buy the car new that is. That's not to say the R32 isn't a good choice, because it is a very nice car.

Just looked up the 130 and seems like when it does get here, it will be more than 30k which is out of my range. Looking to stay in the mid 20's