R32 Understeer

[balkanac]

compared to my friends 325ci it understeers a lot!! its barely quicker too.

[geoff_gti]

compared to my friends 325ci it understeers a lot!! its barely quicker too.

but that's because your car doesn't like you, allegedly...

[Manaz]

compared to my friends 325ci it understeers a lot!! its barely quicker too.

I'd guess the R32 is substantially heavier than the 325ci (just checked - not by much, 1477kgs for the R32 vs 1445 for a 2003 BMW 325ci). 3-series BMWs are beautifully set up for handling, but you should be able to outhandle one in the wet though!

[balkanac]

1477kg? Is that the MK5? im pretty sure mine is around 1450. Doesnt really matter.
I can get a much better launch off the line and in the wet he gets a lot of oversteer but i get even more understeer so it doesnt make any difference. Rolling starts are a bit different, i still cant leave him behind. The only thing that is better is the exhaust note. If i knew this when i was buying the R, i'd have gone for the 325ci. Its a much better drivers car than a golf on steroids

[sir_camel]

1477kg? Is that the MK5? im pretty sure mine is around 1450. Doesnt really matter.
I can get a much better launch off the line and in the wet he gets a lot of oversteer but i get even more understeer so it doesnt make any difference. Rolling starts are a bit different, i still cant leave him behind. The only thing that is better is the exhaust note. If i knew this when i was buying the R, i'd have gone for the 325ci. Its a much better drivers car than a golf on steroids

I don't want to know that just after i have bought my R32!

[Manaz]

1477kg? Is that the MK5?

Mk IV according to RedBook.

I don't want to know that just after i have bought my R32!

They're vastly different cars, to say one's better than the other is difficult IMHO. Yes, there's some understeer in an R32 (fix this with a blue Haldex controller - ask goodfella what he thought of my Bora with one fitted in relation to how the car feels under power), but you learn how it'll behave, and you adjust to it, and each car is good in its own way.

[Treza360]

I don't want to know that just after i have bought my R32!

Ah don't worry about that. At the end of the day a BMW might be a better balanced handler but it's still got that BMW stigma/stereotypes associated with it.
Plus the R32 has better seats, looks better, sounds better and still goes pretty damn well.
Cheers,
Trent

[thekraut]

Anyway what's a bit of understeer when only you and 199 other people at any one time (in Aust) can own a MKIV R32?? Same can't be said for the 325ci

(maybe even less than 199 others - I'm sure there'd be a small few written off/stolen and gone forever)

[JVLR32]

mycar still goes..........very quick, BMW eeek

[balkanac]

At the end of the day a BMW might be a better balanced handler but it's still got that BMW stigma/stereotypes associated with it.

Very true. i still wouldn't mind owning a car that performs like a 325ci, doesn't have to be a BMW.
In order to get the R to perform like that you need about $5k and that really annoys me.