S3 or astra vxr,R32

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Candy

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Hiya guy's,
i've been looking around for a MK5 R32 for a while. Now i am in a dilemma i have found a r32 with the right spec but i have also been looking at s3's and Astra vxr nurburgring's and don't know what i should really go for .

The astra vxr does feel like it has a cheap interior and has problem's putting it's power down in the wet especially, also it's a Vauxhall lol
But is the S3 worth the extra £4000 for a similarly specced s3 compared to a r32. The thing attracting me towards a s3 is that's it's quicker. Especially when it's had a remapped which return's 310bhp. Also i think it get's a slightly better mpg.

I like the look's of a r32 and their cheaper than a s3 but i don't fancy getting beat by other s3's and astra vxr owner's. I'm so indecisive even with the littlest thing's so i can't make my mind up what car to go for.

Some people might be bias because this is a s3 forum after all but was just after some friendly advice because some you might have own/owned a R32/Astra vxr previously.

Thank's in advance.
 
Beleive me on this the R32 is amazing, if it were me cancel the astra out mate, Im driving a FWD 1.8T and it does torque steer if i had the option for four wheel drive or quattro etc i would have gone for it!

My friend owns an R32 amazing motor, BUT he is now going to change to an S3 solely because its slightly cheaper to run, its lighter, and more power.
 
i have had 2 r32's mark 4 and mark 5 ........ i always thought the mk4 was a much better car with more character but the mk5 was amazing still but IMO r32/s3 either 1 :) this was my last car before my a3 ....... 2009 from the stealers but she liked a drink lol :)

r32.jpg

:)
 
I looked R32 before I bought my S3 but at the time there was little difference in price and TBH I never really liked way the R32 looked. And having come from a remapped 250bhp MK5 Gti I was never convinced the R32 would give something different enough to spend the money. In fact I decided that if it wasnt an S3 then I would go for the ED30 if I was to by another MK5.
The S3 would always be more tunable and the stying suited me perfectly so sold a kidney and in the end went for the S3. Im not convined I would have kept the R32 3 yrs so the S3 has ended up being quite a sensible purchase.

Have to admit the VXR was never on the shipping list though.....

Cheers
Paul
 
I'd forget about the Astra VXR not too my taste and i mostly see boy racers with them down by me.
And just think they cant compare to an S3 and R32.
If i had to pick it be out of the S3 or as Paul said ED30. I prefer the ED30 over the R32 any day.
Remember you are gonna get slightly biased opinion on an Audi forum so most of the time people will be saying get an Audi or Vag.

I'd go on a few test drivers and compare them. If you dont fancy getting beaten by other S3, R32 or VXR. S3 or ED30 with a remap and you will be happy.
But if i was in your situation S3 or Ed30 all day for me but would also depend on my budget. If you dont mind me asking how much you looking to spend?
 
You could just pitch for an A3 3.2 with obviously the spec you wanted. I too was looking at the R32 and ended up buying my A3 3.2, pretty much the same car and now it's spec'd the way I want still came in 4k under what I would have paid for an Identical R32 with the same performance. In my opinion great car and excellent value.

Worth considering.
 
Whats your budget mate and what would you like out of the car??

I have recently sold my VXR and went for a 170 s line quattro which handles very well and the mpg is grand but compared to the vxr its pretty boring.

My vxr was stage 2 and an absolute weapon imo after the vxr i had a mk4 R32 for around a month and tbh i didnt like it atol, on looks it was a lovely car but performace i thought it wasnt very good compared to the performace of the vxr.

But if i am honest in my heart of hearts and i still love the vxr brand i wouldnt go for the current model i would wait till the new one comes out as the current model has been out since 2005 and cant be compared to the likes of the latest S3 or GTI or Focus RS.

The dereciation of the vxr would be something to consider also, ok you can pick them up cheap but remember you will have to sell it cheap and i would say the S3 will hold its value for alot longer than the vxr.

I never had any bother with my vxr atol and it was a great car and ok clarkson says it torque steers but tbh they dont really and mine was a stage 2 running just over 280bhp. The S3 is a far more tunable car in comparison.

Have you thought about a seat leona K1?
 
Not sure if I may be just repeating what has been said above but I have owned all 3.
I had a brand new 'berg' when they came out in 2008 and I loved it, the Remus exhaust whilst fun, driving around town popping and banging got a little on my nerves. I didn't really find it that bad in the wet and it was certainly quick. I don't get all the comments over, torque steer as it is really not that bad. At least with the berg you get the full leather and the heated seats as standard. Try and stay away from getting one with just sight and light pack as most dealers were given them as their allocation with this spec so there are loads around. Always try and get ones with AFL. If you take a look on the vxronline forum one of the guys started a nurburgring register, you may be able to do a cheeky search on a number to see if you can find previous owners.
I think that with the VXRacing, now the latest (can’t remember the name- Arctic) white edition with the black grill has spoilt the rarity of the limited editions, ruining it for me. With the new shape (GTC) out soon I would wait on this.
I have had a Mk4 and a MK5 R32, I do tend to disagree with most and I actually found the Mk5 much more fun to drive. It did have a couple of tweaks so that may be why. You can pick these up at reasonable money. The noise of the V6 is just unmistakeable. There are millions for sale so if your budget can stretch try and get one with buckets. I know this is easier said than done but you wouldn’t be disappointed if you got this.
I now have a S3 and I absolutely love it and I wouldn't swap it back for any of the other cars, the overall drive of the S3 I just prefer and I think that whilst more money initially, it should be worth more after X number of years.
Well that's my 2p worth
 
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R32 for me. it's probably the last ever V6 hot hatch that will ever be made, not just another run of the mill turbo jobby. it sounds amazing, and if you stick RNS-510 in it it'll have a fresher looking and better functioning interior. the fact that it's now an old shape would deter me somewhat though.

in direct answer to your question, no i do not feel that the S3 is worth £4k more than an R32, but if you're going down that route when why not get a 3.2 A3? that'll be cheaper still, and have the benefit of badge kudos and it not being the old shape... well, not for another 12 months anyway. if i had the money i'd be getting a 3.2 and doing an 8P3 conversion on it with the change.
 
I think your right you may receive slight bias towards S3's on an Audi site :)
I threw the astra around Croft in the wet and was impressed by the speed and handling of the VXR,R32 is just dang heavy for me,the S3 is clinical.
 
farhanali said:
Beleive me on this the R32 is amazing, if it were me cancel the astra out mate, Im driving a FWD 1.8T and it does torque steer if i had the option for four wheel drive or quattro etc i would have gone for it!

My friend owns an R32 amazing motor, BUT he is now going to change to an S3 solely because its slightly cheaper to run, its lighter, and more power.
Click to expand...

Yea most people have said leave the vxr out. But you said that you're friend's changing from a r32 to a s3 but from what i have gathered the s3 and r32 get similar mpg figure's around 23 around town. So how is s3 cheeper to run?


marnie2k said:
i have had 2 r32's mark 4 and mark 5 ........ i always thought the mk4 was a much better car with more character but the mk5 was amazing still but IMO r32/s3 either 1 :) this was my last car before my a3 ....... 2009 from the stealers but she liked a drink lol :)

r32.jpg

:)
Click to expand...

what sort of miles did you do mate? what mpg?

PaulAr said:
I looked R32 before I bought my S3 but at the time there was little difference in price and TBH I never really liked way the R32 looked. And having come from a remapped 250bhp MK5 Gti I was never convinced the R32 would give something different enough to spend the money. In fact I decided that if it wasnt an S3 then I would go for the ED30 if I was to by another MK5.
The S3 would always be more tunable and the stying suited me perfectly so sold a kidney and in the end went for the S3. Im not convined I would have kept the R32 3 yrs so the S3 has ended up being quite a sensible purchase.

Have to admit the VXR was never on the shipping list though.....

Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

I actually like the look's of both car's but can't decide which one i would want to keep for a longer the s3 or r32.

Ash_B said:
I'd forget about the Astra VXR not too my taste and i mostly see boy racers with them down by me.
And just think they cant compare to an S3 and R32.
If i had to pick it be out of the S3 or as Paul said ED30. I prefer the ED30 over the R32 any day.
Remember you are gonna get slightly biased opinion on an Audi forum so most of the time people will be saying get an Audi or Vag.

I'd go on a few test drivers and compare them. If you dont fancy getting beaten by other S3, R32 or VXR. S3 or ED30 with a remap and you will be happy.
But if i was in your situation S3 or Ed30 all day for me but would also depend on my budget. If you dont mind me asking how much you looking to spend?
Click to expand...

Yea i know what you mean if you're driving a vxr people class you as a chav. Also i think that would be my best bet driving both car's and seeing which i like the most.

MOOSH said:
Whats your budget mate and what would you like out of the car??

I have recently sold my VXR and went for a 170 s line quattro which handles very well and the mpg is grand but compared to the vxr its pretty boring.

My vxr was stage 2 and an absolute weapon imo after the vxr i had a mk4 R32 for around a month and tbh i didnt like it atol, on looks it was a lovely car but performace i thought it wasnt very good compared to the performace of the vxr.

But if i am honest in my heart of hearts and i still love the vxr brand i wouldnt go for the current model i would wait till the new one comes out as the current model has been out since 2005 and cant be compared to the likes of the latest S3 or GTI or Focus RS.

The dereciation of the vxr would be something to consider also, ok you can pick them up cheap but remember you will have to sell it cheap and i would say the S3 will hold its value for alot longer than the vxr.

I never had any bother with my vxr atol and it was a great car and ok clarkson says it torque steers but tbh they dont really and mine was a stage 2 running just over 280bhp. The S3 is a far more tunable car in comparison.

Have you thought about a seat leona K1?
Click to expand...

Yea i know the deprecation was another thing i thought about because the vxr won't really be worth much further down the line, but it would be cheaper to buy. But load's of people say that the vxr has problem's putting the power down especially in the wet, some people with vxr's say that they can get wheel spin up into 3rd gear. Don't like the look's of the K1 neither the interior.
 
shame about the Leon cos the exterior is lovely, the interior really was put together by a half breed - I dont know anyone who likes it inside
 
Daughters boyfriend has a Whte Astra VXR Berg 15 or 16th i think and kicking out 320 brake its a animal and looks damn good as well
 
Before my S3 I also had a R32 5 door DSG 08 plate and I have to admit one of the best cars I have owned, and that includes my Porky911 carrera. It was just a great all round car,I had a miltek exhaust that sounded amazing, the DSG box is a treat if your doing a lot of stop start driving and also great if you fancy a blast using the paddles. But just didn't quite have enough power, and thats where the S3 comes into its own, its a great all round car, get the dog in it, can pop the seats down and do your B&Q trip yet in all weathers drive it like a Jenson Button wannabe. And to be honest not much will touch you, I hate to admit it as it sounds a very tosser thing to say but people do look at you in an S3 as they pretty rare, and don't really shout about what they are capable of, where the VXR is very much shouting at the tops of its voice "look at me". And to be honest the average Audi driver is not after that.
So R32 great car, go for it, but remember high road tax
S3 enough said!!
VXR no no no
 
^^^^^^^^^ i want to cry, that was very moving Lucas :bye:...could not have summed it up better :respekt:
 
My concern comes in here with the VXR, i dont slate it at all and in stock form i dont see a problem with the power at all. Its rapid!

However with the increase of torque going through the front wheels, coming out of a corner and planting it im sure youll struggle to get that power down, I personally find that annoying. My previous car was a corolla t-sport it had poor handling stock, Little torque aswell however...I uprated the roll bars, Added some chassis stiffening modifications, Engine mounts better tyres and out of bends it was amazing. Drop down to 2nd or 3rd plant it and fly. That car had little torque and managed to apply the power well. (The CTR is a prime example of this)

Do the above in an S3 and R32 it will respond very similar in the R32 it will be instant power as NAs tend to be more responsive.

My 1.8TFSI is front wheel drive, It handles better than my previous car stock vs stock but because of the turbo and increase of torque through the front wheels i do get alot of torque steer and spin.

All three of the above are very capable the VXR and S3 are going to be serious power plants on the straights, The R32 is a fantastic all round cruiser, It sounds amazing feels very solid and planted and extremely comfortable on long journeys.

In terms of MPG the R32 does struggle around town its heavy and difficult to get the book mpg figures we have yet to see it stick above 25mpg around town, it was better on the motorway seeing the higher 30s.
 
^^^ poor attempt to better the previous post :)

The icing on the cake Lucas was that I had in my head me at B&Q last weekend, weekend before I had my large breed and giant breed dogs in the back..... amazing how much it takes whilst still becoming an absolute slayer of most cars your likely to encounter :s3addict:
 
Last edited:
Candy said:
Yea most people have said leave the vxr out. But you said that you're friend's changing from a r32 to a s3 but from what i have gathered the s3 and r32 get similar mpg figure's around 23 around town. So how is s3 cheeper to run?




what sort of miles did you do mate? what mpg?



I actually like the look's of both car's but can't decide which one i would want to keep for a longer the s3 or r32.



Yea i know what you mean if you're driving a vxr people class you as a chav. Also i think that would be my best bet driving both car's and seeing which i like the most.



Yea i know the deprecation was another thing i thought about because the vxr won't really be worth much further down the line, but it would be cheaper to buy. But load's of people say that the vxr has problem's putting the power down especially in the wet, some people with vxr's say that they can get wheel spin up into 3rd gear. Don't like the look's of the K1 neither the interior.
Click to expand...

Well the people who say that need to learn how to drive mate, i had a st2 and it was seriously fast and ok yes im sure it would spin in 3rd but i am not 17 and know how to drive a fast car fast if you get me. If you wanted to be uber certain it wouldnt spin fit a lsd to it they are under a grand to fit and there are alot of people who swear by them. Im sure any front wheels drive car with that amount of power will struggle to put the power down in the wet but why would you be driving the car that hard in the wet that it would spin?? My vxr was 5 years old when i sold it with 89k on the clock and other that a bottom arm it wanted for nothing and gave me no hassles atol, the interior on them can be jazzed up some what and the seats are very comfortable.
 
LucasS3 said:
Before my S3 I also had a R32 5 door DSG 08 plate and I have to admit one of the best cars I have owned, and that includes my Porky911 carrera. It was just a great all round car,I had a miltek exhaust that sounded amazing, the DSG box is a treat if your doing a lot of stop start driving and also great if you fancy a blast using the paddles. But just didn't quite have enough power, and thats where the S3 comes into its own, its a great all round car, get the dog in it, can pop the seats down and do your B&Q trip yet in all weathers drive it like a Jenson Button wannabe. And to be honest not much will touch you, I hate to admit it as it sounds a very tosser thing to say but people do look at you in an S3 as they pretty rare, and don't really shout about what they are capable of, where the VXR is very much shouting at the tops of its voice "look at me". And to be honest the average Audi driver is not after that.
So R32 great car, go for it, but remember high road tax
S3 enough said!!
VXR no no no
Click to expand...

The vxr and S3 were aimed at different markets mate and i would say they are not in the same league, i would agree a vxr says look at me and the S3 doesnt but thats what some people want i guess. I didnt when i bought one, i bought it because it was fast and looked great and was reliable and didnt cost the earth to service, which i guess an S3 will be i also know the mk4 R32 is very costly at the main dealer.
 
farhanali said:
My concern comes in here with the VXR, i dont slate it at all and in stock form i dont see a problem with the power at all. Its rapid!

However with the increase of torque going through the front wheels, coming out of a corner and planting it im sure youll struggle to get that power down, I personally find that annoying. My previous car was a corolla t-sport it had poor handling stock, Little torque aswell however...I uprated the roll bars, Added some chassis stiffening modifications, Engine mounts better tyres and out of bends it was amazing. Drop down to 2nd or 3rd plant it and fly. That car had little torque and managed to apply the power well. (The CTR is a prime example of this)

Do the above in an S3 and R32 it will respond very similar in the R32 it will be instant power as NAs tend to be more responsive.

My 1.8TFSI is front wheel drive, It handles better than my previous car stock vs stock but because of the turbo and increase of torque through the front wheels i do get alot of torque steer and spin.

All three of the above are very capable the VXR and S3 are going to be serious power plants on the straights, The R32 is a fantastic all round cruiser, It sounds amazing feels very solid and planted and extremely comfortable on long journeys.

In terms of MPG the R32 does struggle around town its heavy and difficult to get the book mpg figures we have yet to see it stick above 25mpg around town, it was better on the motorway seeing the higher 30s.
Click to expand...

Fella i had a vxr and if you know how to drive them cornering and handling is not an issue and tbh they are exciting to drive fast, you just need to tame them.

S3 & R32 is a different breed...

Vxr mpg around town i was seeing 28.5 daily and motorway 37 - 41
 
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