2008 VW R32

Rabbit Done Right

If you love tight little European hotties enough to pass up the same-priced competition from Audi, Mercedes and BMW -- we are talking about cars here, ahem -- then the 2008 Volkswagen R32 is just the über-hatch for you.

For the rest of you, right now your wallet is probably shriveled like Greg Louganis after a dive into an unheated pool. But perhaps if I explain what an R32 is, your purse will return to its normal, voluminous proportions. Think of the peppy, 170-hp VW Rabbit hatchback, which costs around $16,000. The next trim in the Rabbit lineup is the admirable GTI, which adds a 200-hp turbocharged engine, a sportier suspension, and seven grand to the base price.

Then take a two-door GTI, include VW’s Haldex all-wheel-drive system and acclaimed dual-clutch manumatic transmission, and switch out the engine for a normally aspirated 250-hp V-6 that purrs and growls like a tigress in heat. Now you have an R32, a car darn close to an Audi A3, as the two share the same platform, engine, and six-speed gearbox. And oh yeah, tack on $10,000 to the GTI’s sticker, which brings the R32’s base to a dizzying (for a hatchback) $32,990.

But forget the tag—with the R32, it’s all about the ride. First, the R32 zips from zero to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. Next, R32’s razor-sharp handling allows you to toss the hatch in the twisties and tighties like a rally racer. And if during this hard driving the R32’s standard 18-inch tires find a slippery patch, then its AWD system can instantly shift 100% of the power to either the front or rear tires. Finally, when you need to end the fun, massive brakes with boldly visible, blue-painted calibers lie in wait.

When you climb into an R32, you really know what you’re paying for: The R32 is chocked full of luxury finishes, high-tech design elements, and advanced safety gadgets. Standard features include heated leather seats; automatic climate control; rain-sensing wipers; auto-dimming rearview mirror; a premium audio system with ten speakers; electronic stability control; and front, side, and curtain airbags.

Sure, there are less expensive vehicles with great handling and all-wheel-drive, such as the Mitsubishi Evolution and Subaru WRX STI. However, these are raw cars, which are great to drive on the track or on a weekend sprint down the coast, but they lack the R32’s cosseting luxury and everyday comfort.

The vehicles that make the R32 a fetish ride are the German sport runners, like an entry-level BMW 3-series, Audi A4, or Mercedes Benz C300. At about the same price as the R32’s, these cars are roomier, equally or better handling, and, for the status-seeking, more prestigious. And let’s not even talk about the super-sick BMW 1-series coupe, which will storm America next winter and should base for around $30,000.

So who is left to love the Volkswagen R32? Maybe the guys who stopped next to my R32 test car at a traffic light and gave big smiles and thumbs up. Or perhaps a GTI buyer who finds herself flush with an extra ten grand. Or maybe just someone who wants the best little hatchback on American lots—the all-new 2008 Volkswagen R32.

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