Volkswagen R32 Jonesboro GA

Let's get this straight right off the bat: The Volkswagen R32 is not as fast as the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Nor does it have the grip of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. But you know what? Who cares. This car isn't about scorching test numbers. It isn't about wings and scoops and Ricky-racer attitude. It's about being the best Golf ever, a hot little hatch that cleverly combines speed, poise and everyday livability with the likable, unassuming personality of a Volkswagen.

At first glance, it's easy to see why people are inclined to group the R32 with these rally-bred dynamos. It's priced in the same $30K neighborhood, has all-wheel drive, a 240-bhp V-6 and 6-speed manual transmission. It's aimed at the enthusiast market and designed to deliver license-threatening performance. But while the STi and Evo sacrifice a measure of refinement to achieve their class-dominating speed and handling, the R32 strikes a welcome balance between all-out performance and real-world civility.

Think of it as a younger sibling to the Audi S4. The personalities and performance characteristics of the two cars are actually quite similar. The S4 is certainly faster (and almost $20K more expensive), but its power delivery, handling composure and quality execution are all mirrored in the R32.

Central to the R32's flexible nature is its fourth-generation Golf chassis modified for VW's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system. Gone is the torsion-beam rear suspension (and with it the Golf/GTI's endearing 3-wheeled "dog & fire hydrant" cornering attitude), replaced by a multilink setup with dual-link trailing arms. The shocks, springs and anti-roll bars have all been beefed up, and compared with the standard GTI VR6, the businesslike R32 sits nearly an inch lower.

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