Having previously owned a 2006 GTI and now driving a 2006 r32, I'll chuck in my views..........
The r32 has everything the gti had but it somehow feels a bit more special (to me anyway!)
Fantastic grip, boot it out of a wet junction and you're off without a hint of drama, 3rd gear wheel spin in an ed30 I would guess......
Great engine with bags of torque, 20 mph in 6th gear is no problem, you can more or less leave it in higher gears all the time around town. The lazy power delivery (at lower revs anyway) suits my 40 something driving style now as well. Stick your foot down though and you're be hard pushed to find ANY car with that kind of sound track !
Mpg is worse but not as bad as I expected, 19 mpg stop/start with cold engine round town and up to 33-34 on a steady 65-70 gentle run. A road blasts with general running around will see about 23-25 average I reckon. My gti averaged 28 mpg in my ownership so its not a million miles away. Mind you, I was originally looking for an ed30 but they're few and far between for sensible money and miles, so I looked at the R. As soon as you hear one start and blip that throttle you'll more or less get the cash out your pocket - seriously !
I picked up a 55 plate steel grey manual 5door with 86k, 2 owners and stacks of history for £7700, cheaper road tax too!
Try one, you'll be sold on it!