Has your mate really set his heart on a Golf ? - my advice would be to get a Honda Civic instead - they are much better value, more standard kit (a/c etc) and more reliable - you mentioned this as key requirement.
Also Honda dealers are doing 0% finance on Civics during weekend of 8 & 9 April.
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A 1.4 Golf is a bit underpowered to say the least, and won't be much fun to drive. It will probably have been worked hard too, because you need to have your toe nailed to the floorboards to get anywhere. They also tend to be somewhat overpriced because they are a popular second car buy with middle-class households who like the VW badge.
Something Japanese like a Corolla or Civic is going to be a much better buy.
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Thanks for all the advise so far. If it were my money I wouldnt be choosing the golf, or at least not this model, but unfortunately no matter how many other alternatives I have given him he is sticking by the Golf.
Must be something to do with the percieved image of the VW badge!!
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corolla's and civics are the sensible mans car.
And we know were getting old when common sense comes in to the equasion(buspass anyone).
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Why don't you do the sensible thing and listen to all the advice above. The Mark 4 Golf was/is a dog. Rubbish to drive and as reliable as an unreliable thing from unreliable land. Go for any number of more attractive and less overpriced alternatives and don't be duped by this VW image thing. I've had 3 Golfs, they were all riddled with faults so will never go there again. I wouldn't touch anything by VW ever again.
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>>don't be duped by this VW image thing. I've had 3 Golfs, they were all riddled with faults>>
Not a case of once bitten, twice shy then...:-)
I've also had three VWs - over the last 14 years - and all have proved first class buys.
The present six-year-old Bora, acquired three years ago, will probably be kept for at least another five years and I've absolutely no worries about that.
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Ive had a golf for 18 months now and the only bad thing i can say about it is its not self cleaning.
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To be fair, the Golf is not a bad car, but you can get better for the money. The 1.4 really lacks power. I wouldn't like to drive one of those 400 miles a week. Last time I drove one it reminded me of the mid-80's Vauxhall Cavalier (non-turbo 1.8D I think) - same glacial acceleration and really having to plan before you pull out. Its a feeble engine even amongst feeble 1.4's.
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Would second the comments above about a 1.4 being underpowered. I've not driven a Mk.4 1.4, but I used to have a Mk.3 1.8 CL with the same 75bhp power output in a slightly lighter body. I bought it as a knee-jerk reaction, hoping for reliability, cheap insurance, and economy after having two sporty but unreliable cars.
Then I started commuting 250 miles per week, and it was not good on the motorway, once you lose momentum would take an age to get back up to speed. The only car I have owned that would decelerate markedly on hills, with your right foot buried in the carpet. The engine had to work so hard that economy was not great.
It was designed as a town car not a commuting car, with light steering, soft and wallowy suspension and the brakes only adequate, dont know whether the same goes for the Mk.4?
Okay as a shopping car but IMO no good for doing 400 miles per week. But having said that mine was solidly built and perfectly reliable.
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"underpowered" is a very personal thing. SWMBO has had a 1.4 Mk 4 golf from new 5 years ago which I drive regularly, while it's a bit underpowered for my taste it gets you there OK. SWMBO reckons it's got plenty of power for her needs, local and long distance & she has (seriously) worried about it being too much power for our oldest lad on the couple of occasions she has lent it to him.
It has also been reliable for 5 years and 38000 miles and the car it replaced, a amrk 2 golf has been pretty good over 115000 miles and 18 years (we still have it) so I guess you could say we are happy with the VWs we have had.
Underpowered to an enthusiastic driver used to faster cars may not be underpowered to most of the motoring population out there.
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Actually just remembered, the head gasket went on my Mk.3 1.8 (£300 fix), but apart from that it was 100% reliable in 2 years of motoring, and I dont regret having owned it. Just not a good motorway car IMHO, for day in day out commuting.
If he test drives one and can take it on a dual carriageway, will be able to see if it suits him...
;o)
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I've also had three VWs - over the last 14 years - and all have proved first class buys. The present six-year-old Bora, acquired three years ago, will probably be kept for at least another five years and I've absolutely no worries about that.
Mods - can't we make this 'sticky' to save Stuartli from keep having to type it every day.. ;-)
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Mods - can't we make this 'sticky' to save Stuartli from keep having to type it every day.. ;-)
Groundhog day again, eh? ;o)
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Groundhog day again, eh? ;o)
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Lol, or as TVM (I think) once referred to it - the VW Trilogy :)
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bbroomlea wrote:
Mate at work is buying a golf - 1998 to 2000 depending on what his budget will get - max 4K...He will be commuting max 400 miles a week...
1.4 litre Golf is certainly underpowered - IIRC, road-tests at launch here in Ireland suggested it struggled with two people aboard.
Would your mate consider an original-model Seat Leon, bbroomlea? A friend runs a 01 MY for 20,000 miles a year on a mix of primary and secondary roads and has had no trouble with it over 5 years from new. 1.4 doesn't seem as asthamtic as the Golf - possibly due to a lighter body and different gearing?
One small thing to watch with Golfs and Leons - the trim on the door pulls and centre armrest wears easily. Once the top lacquer is worn away, it leaves the unsightly grey undersurface visible. Not serious, but neither is it appealing if your mate is paying a premium for the Golf's image.
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to save Stuartli from keep having to type it every day.. >>
This is the first time I've typed the second paragraph...:-)
Secondly I'm a touch typist so can probably type it quicker than you can say it...:-))
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PS
I just get fed up with the constant slagging off of VW products, especially as professional and personal experience has never revealed the levels of unreliability etc claimed.
My own advice over the past 20 years or so to anyone thinking of buying a used car has always been a Golf and many have taken that advice up. As far as I'm aware, all have been very satisfied.
There's also the advantage that you will always get good money if you part with a Golf, which is more than can be said for many other marques' vehicles of a similar age.
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I'm on my eighth VW in a row,out of my own pockets as well. That must say something about their likeability.
Be prepared to have deep pockets,relatively, for spares and repairs though.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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My VW's have been generally good, a few things here and there but nothing too bad. Most people who buy VW's seem very loyal, they wouldn't buy a Focus even though on many criteria it may be the better car. Badge snobbery is alive and kicking.
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>>they wouldn't buy a Focus even though on many criteria it may be the better car.>>
I would agree, but not fully on the badge snobbery aspect - in fact my offspring's 1.8 TDCI Focus is a wonderful drive, as is the Mondeo, and is remarkably quick - except for the fact that I buy cars, as someone else states, with my own money and I want them to last me for a long time...:-)
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VW parts are not expensive if you go to GSF or Euro Car Parts, and use an independant garage. At 6 to 8 years old you wouldn't want to take it to a main dealer anyway.
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I just get fed up with the constant slagging off of VW products
Mr PS , oops, Stuartli,
If it's constant slagging off you want, then try owning a Vauxhall Vectra.
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>>If it's constant slagging off you want, then try owning a Vauxhall Vectra.<<
I tell you something - I had a lift in one of those Vectras once and it was more boring than a box of boring things.
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The latest Vectras seem OK - bloke over the road has one (04) and I've been impressed both by the ride and the interior on the occasions I've been given a lift.
Certainly a lot better than the previous model.
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It's the 2.2's that are rubbish Stuart. And that soggy autobox that goes with them.
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It's the 2.2's that are rubbish Stuart. And that soggy autobox that goes with them.
Slap.
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Stuartli - What's for a VW clearly did not pass em by in the Customer satisfaction surveys - always rated worst than Honda & Toyota.
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always rated worst than Honda & Toyota.>>
Funny though, isn't it, that Skoda is always in the top three...:-)
I'm obviously aware of the astounding reliability of Japanese marques but, as I've stated before, I can only go on personal experience.
In fact over the last 42 years I've had a "new" used car about every three years on average and none of them has really given me any great headaches.
Earlier cars owned (yes, I know one or two will cause amusement) included an FSO Polonez, Fiat Miafiori 1.4, Vauxhall Magnum, Morris Minor 1000 and a Hillman Minx (last version, with the 1725cc engine).
I also drove virtually every other marque over a period of 15 years in many parts of the world.
The outcome was that I decided the best quality and value for money (for me at least) in my price range was a VW. As I've always liked saloons I've had two Jettas and now the Bora (acquired for not much more than I would have paid for a Vento thanks to a pal in the used car business).
Others would have - and indeed did - go for different manufacturers. If we all liked the same things life would be very boring.
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Tee ! Hee! I'd forgotten all about the Vauxhall Magnum. Don't see many about do we?
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Stuartli - That may be the case but every Satisfaction survey done says Civic & Corolla cars and dealers are far superior vehicles in terms of Value, reliability and dealer service.
You must be one of the few lucky ones that gets a good experience with Veedubs - I bought 7 before recently buying an Accord for me and Corolla for the missus - both far superior to any Golf or Passat I previously owned.
The Jap car dealers are in a completely different league to the VW dealers round our way.
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Part of the entertainment of this site is the gentle slagging off of people's pet loves. Alfas, VWs, BMWs etc.
I forgot to mention lardy Chrysler 300C s as well.
Oh and Citroens ..
:-)
madf
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I know - I'm new to this and it's great fun.
I am genuinely pleased that fellow back roomers are having a good experience with any make of car. Unfortunatley my experience with Veedubs was not good - even worse when I bought a Saab 900.
It took me a while to learn from my mistakes.
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got to sat my 1st golf gt tdi 110 was a disaster ...
the 115 and 130 after that were brill cars .... the modern fords are 1st class...
rear wiper motor breaks a small pipe on te inside which means a whole new unit
rear squirty pipe comes off on the inside fills the boot panel with water then leaks into the rear lock which destroys it ... and if you have an alarm then its lots of sleepless nights
electric window guides in the doors fail...
also in the 5 spped gear box a riveted plate has been known to come off destroying the gear box ...
ph an i almost forgot the under seat airbag connector needs to be hard wired ...
makes you wonder ..!
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the modern fords are 1st class...
First class?
You have not been on enough ford forums then.
Ever since i bought my focus estate i have been looking at the focus forum,you wouldnt believe the amount of problems these cars have.There like most forums though,people looking for fixing advice and to have a moan at there pride and joy picking up another fault.Own a ford and you post often!!
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I bought a Passat thinking that I would be buying a "quality" vehicle. A month doesn't pass without something breaking on it. My litany of woes will bore most of you but I'll list a few from the last 2 years:
Front suspension
Coolant temp sensor
MAF sensor
Flooded footwells
Heater matrix failed
and yesterday the boot lock broke.
It's definitely something Japanese (or Korean) for me next time.
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My A4 had the same problems:
front suspension
Air con heat exchanger
catalyst
I have found Ford very reliable tho...
madf
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rear wiper motor breaks a small pipe on te inside which means a whole new unit
Audi A3s (first generation) also suffer from this. Audi do a repair kit (£22.50+VAT) comprising a replacement wiper shaft, pipe and tubes of grease (presumably it's a lack of the latter that causes the problem). I expect there's a VW equivalent.
rear squirty pipe comes off on the inside fills the boot panel with water then leaks into the rear lock which destroys it ... and if you have an alarm then its lots of sleepless nights
Also an A3 problem. Tends to happen if your tailgate washer nozzle gets frozen up I think.
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Just an update for everyone.
Mate is now getting a 51 plate Focus 1.4 instead. Its much lower mileage and a couple of years younger than the Golfs in his budget. Out of frying pan and into the fire IMO but he seems generally happy with it.
Thanks for all of your advise..invaluable as usual on here.
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I'm really pleased your mate has seen sense and not fallen foul of the "VW image thing". I dream of the day when the whole country wakes up to the fact that VWs are hugely overrated pap and consequently stop buying them. Then hopefully the whole company would go bust. It would be just reward for the arrogance and nonchalance I had to put up with from dealers not wanting/knowing how to repair the shoddy, unreliable Golfs I have had the misfortune to own.
Bitter? Me? Too right I'm bitter. And it seems we're the only country that seems to think that VWs are upmarket. In Germany they're run of the mill, everyday transport with no discernible image to speak of.
Oh and I have to tell you this - it'll make you laugh. After my last catastrophic Golf I went to price up a Mk 5 for a laugh. I seem to remember the dealer wanting £17000-£18000 for the GT TDi which was funny in itself but when I told him I'd been looking at X Type Jags, BMWs, Saabs, Volvos etc. he had the temerity to claim that VWs are in the same bracket. At that point I told him that could be the reason why they're losing customers like me left, right and centre 'cos I for sure do not class VWs the same as those I listed above. The arrogance defies belief.
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Best point him in the direction of the focus forum then.
You can bet your bottom dollar hes going to need it because these cars seem to suffer problems like they were built into the car at the factory.
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And it seems we're the only country that seems to think that VWs are upmarket. In Germany they're run of the mill, everyday >>transport with no discernible image to speak of.
Very true. the image in the uk of VW amazes me.I have always thought of them as bog-standard average runabouts.
Its the "teutonic engineering" baloney thing i'm afraid.
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bbroomlea: Mate is now getting a 51 plate Focus 1.4 instead.
As a 1.4, he should find the Focus less asthmatic than a Golf. One friend swapped a 95 MY Passat for a 1.4 Focus (see - no axes to grind!) and is happy with it. Its not a ball of fire, of course.
Incidentally, he was perfectly happy with the Passat over 10 years too - just unwilling to pay the premium for a new Golf over the Focus or Mazda he could get within his budget.
Here's hoping your mate's experience of the Focus is closer to all those German drivers who put it top of the TUV survey rather than the inhabitants of the Focus Forum!
- Gromit
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