BMW 130i vs VW Golf R32 - Was Top Gear Right?

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:39 Exterior
1:05 Drivetrain
1:58 Interior
3:01 R32 Driving Experience
5:06 130i Driving Experience
Thanks for Watching!

[@snggarageeng]

i do not understand why you have so little views and subs ? Continue your work!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man! My slow upload schedule recently probably hasn’t helped…

[@getahanddown]

Channels take time to build. This one is a great example of making content and the audience will grow. You can't force growth instantly as a creator but you can curate a playlist for the 'future channel'

[@martytdd1606]

You should look into it for him.

[@thatguyben3128]

_Great review, both sound fantastic 👍🏼_

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man

[@elliotmeek3375]

Great review

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man

[@nvl2691]

6:15 the manual 130i come with a ZF gearbox actually, the GS6-37BZ. The 125i on the other hand do come with the Getrag 6 speed. Automatics on both were either ZF or GM

[@KiwiCarLife]

Ah yes

[@ztworks6524]

Great review was a clear day in Auckland for once. The red r32 is about to be put up for sale if anyone is interested.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Very nice! Thanks for letting me review it man!

[@NoOne-isZero]

I kinda remember this one driving by the road once...pure red was...very very eye catching.

[@martindupiesanie7081]

I used to own this R32

[@NinjaExcessive.]

Love the content, super interested in your thoughts on the Volvo c30/ Focus RS as a hot hatch really considering one

[@KiwiCarLife]

Need to review one sometime

[@barron204]

Both iconic cars. Also miss the old Top Gear.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Good show it was

[@spadgm]

Good comparo mate, two great cars and I would be happy with either! Ive only ever been a passenger in a R32 and it was really nippy and handled great. I have never been in a 130i, hoping to one day, always liked the idea behind them, 6 cylinder, manual, rear wheel drive!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah man would definitely recommend!

[@Utkarsh_A]

I came across for the first time and ended up buying a 130i by having my search filters set to pretty much the last few words on your comment haha

[@spadgm]

@@Utkarsh_A Haha that is funny mate!

[@AdriWeedMan]

nice to see 130i content thanks

[@KiwiCarLife]

There’s more on the way!

[@cameronnortje2132]

I have a 2006 130i, it has been a brilliant driving experience

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yessss good car I’ve been very happy with mine

[@jackozjack9639]

Hey mate absolutely love your video, would love to see you drive a Mazda 3 mps I feel as though you’d quite enjoy it!

[@KiwiCarLife]

Glad you enjoy the vids man and yeah at some point I will

[@Stinow]

Agreed, but make that a 6 mps plz ;)

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@Stinow already compared my accord with an MPS6

[@getahanddown]

@@KiwiCarLife Both the MazdaSpeed hatch and sedan are such stealthy weapons. You'd think after the STI / EVO then Audi popularity that a 4wd boosted sedan would have been more known.

[@vukasinvlajic152]

A bit brave driving it that hard with the fuel gauge all the way to the left. :D Good stuff mate, nice content.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Thanks man, and yeah I know I filled it up right after haha

[@somalianpirate47]

Found this to be a very interesting comparison

[@KiwiCarLife]

Glad to hear!

[@stingerfist]

Great comparison, I watched the old top gear one to, Clarkson was a bit harsh on the 130i lol hoping to get into a 130i as my first beamer, though R32 may be more stable option 😅 In terms of the exterior, this might be controversial but I think the 130i Limited Edition (3 door with carbon paint) compares to the looks of the R32

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I agree he was a bit harsh I think it’s a great car

[@Bembo985]

I own a manual R32 and have driven a mates 130i a couple of times. Both are fantastic cars but each time I drive my mates car I’m reminded that I made the right choice (for me). The torque band of the vr6 is immense, with so much more low end shove than the 130i, it just feels much more muscular. Whereas the 130i needs all the revs to get the same sensation of power, means it’s feels more alive at the limit but lacks passion when you’re not going hell for leather. The sound of the vr6 is also just unbelievable. It gives the car so much character and soul even when you aren’t slamming it down a background, a characteristic I feel the 130i lacks. The R32 is also far more planted when cornering, owing to the awd. It’s weight means you have to watch your corner entry to limit the understeer, but once the nose is turned in, you can just push down the noisy pedal and leave the 130 for dead after mid corner. Although the 130 can be driven much harder into the corner, this is an aspect most only utilise when pushing hard, which is realistically a maximum 20% of these cars useage. Both are fantastic cars, shining examples of a bygone era when cars had real soul and didn’t need to be artificially amplified. For me, the R32 wins everytime.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Nice man sounds like you’re enjoying your car

[@topmarques]

R32 sounds really good but ultimately, an understeer car that you can't do anything about but back off when you get to the limit. Like the R32 for it's interesting engine design and I've enjoyed one or two. 130i in a manual is a stand out. Makes more power than an original 3.2 Porsche Boxster S. Agile, grunty and fairly low weight. Old school analog driver's car. Have an E81 130i LE 2 dr 6 speed manual. GT3 was better, M2 faster, 997s Carrera S manual so well rounded, Cayman S brilliant but for the 'bank for buck' I'd grab a 130i 6 speed manual if you still can.

[@aivarusk218]

Good to see you’re enjoying the golf, but for me.. its the 130i every time. I owned both at the same time 5 years ago, the 130i is noticeably quicker in a straight line, feels far more agile and lightweight compared to the golf and is quite a bit better on fuel. Golf is still a fantastic car though.

[@Bembo985]

⁠@@topmarqueslast I checked, all cars require you to back off at the limit else you’re likely going to end up in a bush! On the Michelins ps5 i find my car to be extremely playful near the limit, inviting some oversteer on lift off that helps rotate the car into the corner when needed. It’s actually far more playful once you get to know it than the weight figures and the under steer label it’s bashed would have you believe. It’s a car that once you learn how to drive it is super rewarding, especially with that sound.

[@Bembo985]

⁠@@aivarusk218glad you enjoyed the 130 too. I find I couldn’t feel any noticeable difference between the two in terms of straight line speed. What I noticed the most however was the mid gear acceleration from the R32 thanks to its wider and larger torque band. Which when added with the awd, makes it a much quicker corner to corner prospect, especially in the wet. Around town the fuel economy is absolutely dreadful, around 12l/100km, but it does alright on a highway run normally averaging ~8l/100km. In terms of the agility, I can agree, you’re never able to hide the weight penalty. That said the R32 is still incredibly agile, and isn’t that much worse than the 130i too make up for it’s shortcomings in terms of practicality and ride comfort!

[@honorview8525]

would u be able to do a review on the is200t vs the is350 of 3is or 2is ?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Hmm I’ve done the IS350 but that would be a cool comparison

[@honorview8525]

@@KiwiCarLife i thought the is200t would be quite a good comparison espically to the previous gen as its a turbocharged varaint with similar handing characteristic from what i heard

[@marcushubbert-persson4373]

Wouldn’t mind testing my xr5 turbo Mondeo against ya bmw

[@Vikturus22]

That would be an interesting outcome!

[@marcushubbert-persson4373]

@@Vikturus22 definitely I believe the xr5 is 168kw and 330nm so would be very close and not to mention 6speed manual too

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@marcushubbert-persson4373 oh yeah absolutely man hit me up on Insta @kiwicarlife.yt

[@tomthompson7400]

17 grand ,,, I bought my 130i msport for 3 and a wee bit ,,, its a mighty car at humble money,

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah exactly!

[@magicflip1731]

Do you think the 130i is a car with too much power as a first car? Been into motorsport and karting since I was a child, and want something fun but reasonable in terms of power and maintenace. Would love to hear your opinion.

[@KiwiCarLife]

If you’re pretty used to driving karts and have good car control a 130i would be an awesome first car for sure

[@nikko1984]

Alteady 40k thumbs up after 1 minute. The algorythm of youtube is definitely f...ed up nowadays.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha gee must be doing well!

[@hondamanvtec2894]

418 likes now

[@bb57365]

Would have been better apples to apples manual cars. The r32 is just a very special car.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Manual ones basically don’t exist here. And is it? It’s a vw golf with a great engine, that’s slower than the lighter, faster and rwd 130i. I think the bimmer is a more unique car. Plenty of Awd hatches out there, but only one is rwd

[@Will0w_Th3rianPawzz]

Looks like the Golf was a bit more fun from my screen.

[@KiwiCarLife]

I’d say fun factor was pretty even imo

[@jezzalowe5121]

You can get the Audi A3 Vr6 in manual, its just rare

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah the golf is better imo

[@Swiss4.2]

@@KiwiCarLifeYeah they’re better but also command a premium. Here you can find a decent A3 with the 3.2 for less than 5000€ which won’t even get you the rattiest R32.

[@rjj00]

Can you do R32 vs 3.2 A3?

[@KiwiCarLife]

There’s really no point as they are the same cat underneath

[@rjj00]

@@KiwiCarLife Even driveability wise? A lot of people say the R32 feels more stiff and planted around corners!

[@christopherriley1187]

So which did you think was best? Golf or 1 series?

[@KiwiCarLife]

Honeslty they’re so similar it’s hard to choose between them. Manual vs manual I’d be happy with either. But because there’s more manual 130i’s around I’d say the bimmer

[@Inspherespace]

there is no best depends on your ability and what you want golf for round town learning to drive, bmw if you want or know how to drive properly

[@muscle_car_guy2338]

You're sitting very high in the Volkswagen because of how high you got the seat. I mean, you can see the arms of the seat that lift it higher up as you're talking about the golf. Maybe lower the seat and then let us know what you think😅

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I should have lowered it down

[@17t135i]

My F20 116i with stage 1 tune and xhp tcu flash with its zf8 speed is probably faster than either of these, however these old 6cyl NA engines just sound so much better, these cars just have more soul, the only negative is fuel efficiency

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah that’s the thing aye, modern turbos may be faster, but old 6 cyls are much more fun

[@hexagonosaurus5848]

Ewww no.

[@joshklaver47]

The fuel economy isn't too bad with Valvetronic. 9L per 100km is realistic, and quite impressive for a 3.0 with that level of performance.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@joshklaver47 yeah I averaged low 8’s on my trip to Auckland and back. Normally around 10-11

[@marlonbaird6070]

116i are quicker due to turbo but I doubt from 3rd gear it would keep up also not they super unreliable with the Citroen/Peugeot engine but i must say bmw 8spd is a masterpiece

[@slightlyjaded8098]

I'm not saying the alfa is a better car, but sharper? I daily a r32. my father has a 147 gta. that thing is nuts, and will swap ends if I sneeze wrong. I love my car because it will pull me out of an accident on my right foot. dad's 147 is far more nuanced. and honestly is an accident waiting to happen for a less experienced driver.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah in that case I’d rather have the R32. I like something balanced

[@robmule4647]

I prefer the look of a M sport kitted 130i over a mk5 R32.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Fair enough I’d be happy with either I think they both look good

[@robmule4647]

@@KiwiCarLife definitely, both fun cars. R32's are over priced in the UK though relatively speaking.

[@The_Noticer.]

There is only one manual 130I in NL for sale with 300K kilometers on it. And two in Germany for 20K euro+. European cars might be nice, but their market is not...

[@KiwiCarLife]

Really?? I would have thought there would be heaps. At least 15-20 manual 130i’s have come up since buying mine

[@akx4753]

There are way more up for sale in germany....

[@nvl2691]

Bought mine for 5k euro in Switzerland... 2006, M-Sport manual with xenons, parking sensors, cruise control, sunroof, heated seats... missing electric seats and iDrive.

I pay 10k 330i 2005 120k km last year

[@robmule4647]

You can buy a rough one for 3000 British £

[@joshklaver47]

Some anti-roll bars will sort out the handling in the 130i.

[@KiwiCarLife]

Yeah I imagine, will have to look into that

[@joshklaver47]

@@KiwiCarLife Have you tried the E90 330i? I just bought one for a steal. It needs a little TLC, but I'm excited. It was going to be either that or a 130i for me.

[@KiwiCarLife]

@@joshklaver47 I’ve driven an E46 330i but I imagine an E90 would also be excellent

[@joshklaver47]

@@KiwiCarLife Some other interesting mods for the 130i would be a 135i muffler, which flows and sounds much better, and some MILVS. Not to be confused with MILFs(hehe), they are Modified Intake Lift Valvetronic Supports. Essentially they are just factory parts that have been machined to give you about 1mm extra lift and 3° extra duration, similar to fitting upgraded cams, but much cheaper and an easier job. They do require a remap, though. BMW Performance also made carbon fibre cold air intakes, although good luck finding one of those now.

[@nvl2691]

@@joshklaver47 MILVS don't require a remap to run, they require a remap to make significant power. Would also recommend replacing the eccentric shaft sensor at the same time. Getting the valve cover off is not something you want to do twice.

[@user-vg7bb7ym8x]

No way are Alton cuzen I’m his friend

[@KiwiCarLife]

Haha yep I sure am!

[@Vikturus22]

Best hat hatch under 10k Me: laughs in $7500 mk6 gti

[@KiwiCarLife]

I would MUCH rather have these

[@Vikturus22]

@@KiwiCarLife 100%. My mate has a 2dr R32 mk5 manual with wingback seats. Worth a small fortune

[@hexagonosaurus5848]

​@@Vikturus22still a fucking golf 😂

[@joshklaver47]

The Audi S3 is also great. I know a guy who has one with just bolt ons and the stock turbo, which does low-12 second 1/4 miles on standard 98 Octane. It's a real sleeper.

[@Vikturus22]

@@joshklaver47 they are nice cars! My mate who buys these type of cars cheap (he buys like gtis r32’s s3’s etc for cheap does the maintenance like timing chains etc and flips) has a s3 he just bought for $6k