Volkswagen Golf (Mk4)

csmager · 1 Mar 2006 at 11:10

[TW]Fox said:
So move down a class, seriously. 1.4 is not enough for a Golf class car.

Agreed. I got a 2003 Golf 1.4 Match at 17. It's a great car - electric windows, air con, cd player, alloys. Reliable...

Slow as hell though. 0-60 in about a week. (I think it's actually 14 seconds. So it feels like a week). Go for the 1.6 if at all possible.

NickXX · 1 Mar 2006 at 11:55

A 1.9TDI = 100Ps, 1.6 Petrol = 115Ps (I.e. the petrol 1.6 is more powerful than the 1.9 Diesel). You could try that with your parents.

BHP-wise, the 1.9TDI lies between the 1.4 and 1.6 petrols. In reality though it's a whole difference story.

MagicBoy · 1 Mar 2006 at 19:19

NickXX said:
A 1.9TDI = 100Ps, 1.6 Petrol = 115Ps (I.e. the petrol 1.6 is more powerful than the 1.9 Diesel). You could try that with your parents.

BHP-wise, the 1.9TDI lies between the 1.4 and 1.6 petrols. In reality though it's a whole difference story.

Not on the Mk4. The 1.6 8v is 100bhp, the 16v is 105bhp. The 1.6 FSI in the Mk5 is 115bhp with a 6 speed box.

At the risk of turning the thread into a diesel debate, which I don't intend ... The TDI is a completely different proposition. They hold their value better (and were overpriced when new IMO) so are likely out of budget unless you find a high mile nail of a S. The performance stats are the same as the 1.6, but the in-gear shove makes it more effective more of the time. TDIs don't suffer the engine electrical issues or gearbox/diff maladies of the four pot engines.

Lopéz · 1 Mar 2006 at 19:32

[TW]Fox said:
So move down a class, seriously. 1.4 is not enough for a Golf class car.

I would tend to agree. It's like buying a 1.3 Sierra or a 1.6 Mondeo - the engine just doesn't have the grunt required to make the drive bearable.

I'm not a VW fan myself, but I certainly wouldn't say there is an "Anti-VW mob" mentality here, no more than there is against Ford, Vauxhall. People always have silly preconceptions with no basis in fact about certain manufacturers. It's normally because their dad's workmate's cousin had a Ford Anglia in 1903 and the CV boot split when he was doing 195mph over a goat trail in the Himilayas having not serviced it for 31 years.

Luke15 · 1 Mar 2006 at 19:53

It hate Ford Mondeo's

Im part of the VW crowd.

[TW]Fox · 1 Mar 2006 at 21:40

Luke15 said:
Im part of the VW crowd.

I'm not part of any crowd - I like great cars and dislike over-rated or poor cars. I don't give a stuff what the badge is - just becuase it's a BMW doesn't mean it's going to be good and I've got to love it, just becuase a Vauxhall doesn't mean its going to be bad and I've got to hate it.

Brand loyalty = cutting nose off to spite face. Feeling you are part of a 'crowd' and therefore duty bound to support every single product that marque makes simply becuase its made by your prefered manufacturer? Hmmmmm

Luke15 · 1 Mar 2006 at 22:02

[TW]Fox said:
I'm not part of any crowd - I like great cars and dislike over-rated or poor cars. I don't give a stuff what the badge is - just becuase it's a BMW doesn't mean it's going to be good and I've got to love it, just becuase a Vauxhall doesn't mean its going to be bad and I've got to hate it.

Brand loyalty = cutting nose off to spite face. Feeling you are part of a 'crowd' and therefore duty bound to support every single product that marque makes simply becuase its made by your prefered manufacturer? Hmmmmm

Yes i do. I would prefer to buy German being German and all

I support my countrie's exports.

PeterT · 1 Mar 2006 at 22:12

I have had a Mk IV 1.8T GTI since 1998 and the only thing that has conked has been a window winding motor, a couple of divertor valves for the turbo and one battery. Clutch has a slight judder that I may get fixed. Most reliable car that I have owned.

PeterT.

[TW]Fox · 1 Mar 2006 at 23:20

PeterT said:
I have had a Mk IV 1.8T GTI since 1998 and the only thing that has conked has been a window winding motor, a couple of divertor valves for the turbo and one battery. Clutch has a slight judder that I may get fixed. Most reliable car that I have owned.

PeterT.

You must surely be the only 1.8T 20v powered car owner who managed to survive 1998-2002 without the coil pack issue

PeterT · 2 Mar 2006 at 21:32

Hi [TW]Fox, tell me more about the coil pack issue as I haven't had it .... yet!

PeterT.

Will · 2 Mar 2006 at 21:35

[TW]Fox said:
You must surely be the only 1.8T 20v powered car owner who managed to survive 1998-2002 without the coil pack issue

Hey, my dad had two 1.8T 20v Passats (one on a T plate and the other V reg) and never had the coil pack issue on either of them (about everything else went wrong with them both but thats besides the point

).

Behemoth · 3 Mar 2006 at 10:07

I had a Mark 2 Golf which had a Polo 1.3 litre engine and Polo 4 speed box, that thing was slow. Like others have said go for the 1.6, you'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

Scottland · 3 Mar 2006 at 10:25

What about a Seat Leon? You'd have more to choose from in your budget, and they are in essence the same as a Golf.

Having driven a 1.4 Golf, I would agree with the rest in that it isn't enough to pull the Golf along nicely.

To put it into perspective; It's the difference between having a nice drive (1.6) and driving a long thinking "Why the hell didn't I get the 1.6, come on move it lard ####!!!" (1.4)