David Sarabi
Eurocode Tuning
The stock GTI was pretty good, well equipped, but suffered from a lack of brakes. It needs better pads, at the very least. It naturally understeers a lot and the relatively dull throttle response produces slow DSG gear shifts.
The modified GTI had excellent performance. It revs quickly and shifts harder as a result. The suspension was equally as comfortable as the stock car but offered improved handling on the limit. The exhaust droned at low speeds, but was fine over 4000rpm. The handling was more neutral than stock but it still understeered.The R32 was more stable than both GTIs but its tires overheated quickly, which caused it to understeer even more. It has a nicer powerband than the 2.0T cars because there's no turbo lag. On the whole, the R32's handling was comparable to the GTIs because their nimbleness counteracted the weight of the 4Motion system. But all the VWs could use camber plates to add some negative camber to aid corner entry.
The BMW was very comfortable but there was a delay in the throttle ahead of the turbo lag, meaning you have to wait a long time for things to happen. And once on boost there was a slight hesitation on full throttle, although that could have been poor fuel.
The handling was unbelievable. It was neck and neck with the R32, but while you need to know how to get the best out of the AWD R32, the RWD 135i felt right immediately.
The R32 made a great sound with the stock exhaust but the 135i was quieter and had no creaks or rattles at all. Where the VWs generate quite a bit of road noise, the BMW was more refined.
I'm a VW/Audi guy and don't like to admit a BMW might be better but the 135i is phenomenal. It's completely won me over. This is the car I'd take home, without doubt.
If you can genuinely buy a 135i for $35k, then I'll buy one. But even if the BMW is more money, it still represents better value because its tuning potential is huge and its level of performance is so high that you'd have to spend thousands on an R32 to get it to the level of the 135i. The R32 is a great car but the 135i is undeniably better.