Roll the dice? 2004 Volkswagen R32 with 399,767 miles

The R32 is one of my favorite Volkswagens — at least among the ones we actually got in America. A great sounding 3.2 liter VR6, 6-speed manual transmission, 4motion all-wheel drive, Königseats, a different yet conservative body kit, 18 inch OZ Aristo wheels all finished off in some special colors. Yes, it was still a MK4 at heart and the interior smelled like crayons but at least you could hit the accelerator pedal in first gear and not worry about spinning the front wheels uncontrollably. Now that these cars are heading towards their teenage years, the really nice ones are holding their value quite well but the ones that were driven hard and put away wet? Well, again, this is still a MK4 so you can imagine what kind of state they are in. So when I saw this Deep Blue Metallic for sale with almost 400,000 miles on it I had to take a closer look.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 Volkswagen R32 on Autotrader

Year: 2004
Model: R32
Engine: 3.2 liter VR6
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Mileage: 399,767 mi
Price: $5,900

This 1 owner no accident 2004 Golf R32 is a great entry level opportunity for someone to get into an R32. Whether you purchase to use as a daily driver or build as a race car this will definitely be the most affordable, running driving, clean title MK4 R32 on the market. Although this is the highest mileage Mk4 R32 we have seen but it still has lots of life left in it. The Carfax report shows very detailed Dealership service it’s entire life by the one owner it has had. The engine runs very well with full power and does not smoke and no Check engine light. The Ac blows cold, engine runs at proper temperature and fans cycle as they should. The car does have obvious cosmetic issues which can be seen in the pictures which include very rough leather on the front seats, damaged Rt front fender and other dents, dings and scratches on the rest of the car. There is also light rust on very front of both rockers behind the front wheels. The car runs and drives fine but the transmission does have lots of noise in most gears, more than likely needs a freshening with bearings. This car is being sold as-is and there is no warranty!

On the outside, this R32 actually looks really good for nearly 400,000 miles. I assume it has a lot to do with it being a single owner car but outside of some chipping around the fenders and a missing lower front grille, I am impressed. Once you open the doors, it is a different story. If you would of told me a mother black panther with a fresh litter of kittens was living inside it, I would of believed it. Those front seats are absolutely destroyed to the point of no return and even the rear seats show a heavy amount of wear. The rest of the interior doesn’t look too bad, but it’s easy to overlook all the peeling plastics that don’t show up too great in photos.

The price is $5,900 which in my opinion is extremely optimistic. I could maybe see that price if the drive train was sorted, but the sellers warning of transmission noise gives me pause. Probably this R32 will be snatched up for use track use or maybe even parted out for a swap into another Volkswagen chassis. Either way, it’s always interesting to see how cars hold up when miles are piled on.

– Andrew