Looking at a Golf for the Mrs.
54 plate and no climate or sunroof!
Is this going to be difficult to sell on in the future?
Do people see at least one as a must?
Opinions are most welcome!
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Surprised a 54 plate Golf does not have AC... are you sure.
Years ago (99) I got a new Golf GTI Turbo which had an electric sunroof as standard -most cars had sunroofs back then. I added AC and kept the sunroof. But not long after most ditched sunroofs and went for AC as standard.
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I suppose if it was dirt cheap to start with and YOU can live without these options....go for it. Personally I think it would be harder to sell, hence a discount now so you can sell it cheap in X years.
But in the meantime will Mrs jammods be happy without either?
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Why do people assume that sunroofs and AC are subsitutes? I have a sunroof in my car and it got way too hot this summer regardless of whether I opened it or not. The primary advantage to a sunroof I feel is to make the interior lighter and less clustophobic. My parents have AC in their fiat doublo and temperature wise there is no compairing the AC to the sunroof. With the AC on you feel chilled and know even if it does get warm, your still better with the AC.
In terms of cars without sunroof compaired with those that have this feature I have not had the chance to test cars back to back. My feeling is that if you want cooling more than anything else go for the AC, then the sunroof option as the second best. If you can afford both get both.
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Interesting point. SWMBO and I like having both A/C and sunroof, and we specified her Mini with both, rather than any of those packs (Salt, Pepper, Vinegar etc) which are mainly cosmetic. Hopefully we'll see that reflected in a used value in a few years' time.
To answer your question, Jammods, maybe you should go for this Golf if it's really cheap (and if Mrs J can do without A/C), but if it isn't, there should be plenty of better-equipped ones in Autotrader.
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I went for both....
in the summer when it's hot, I use the air con, but for the past few weeks when it's been warm, I've had the sunroof open most of the time.
Today, I put the heater on, but today was the first cold day this winter!
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No air-con, no sunroof = equivalent of doom blue - you'll never sell it.
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My Mum's 2005 Golf 1.9 Tdi S has neither sun roof or air con. It is a genuine UK VW in a nice red metallic. At the end of 2004 a ship load of these arrived in the UK to the wrong spec. They were offered to dealers at knock down price. Ours was £11995 new with full 3 year warranty. The good news is that two years (or it will be ) later we are still getting £10750 for it aganist a new Golf Match. A good Golf in a strong colour will always sell. We never missed the sunroof or the aircon.
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Well it is v low mileage @5.5k, so it does have a redeeming feature.
Cheers for all the help
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At that price and without AC or sunroof it's probably a 1.4E model. I seem to remeber these being sold at £9,995 new as an offer before the MkV model. A basic spec petrol wouldn't be my cup of tea, but there is an irrational demand for Golfs. There are a lot of people who would dismiss all competition. The small engine and low trim will keep the insurance group down, appealing to younger buyers.
How much are you bothered about AC? If you're not fussed, don't like it, or find the dry air irritates eyes etc, going without means avoiding potential costs/hassle to regas or repair after seals have dried out through lack of use.
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£10k, 5.5k miles, 1.6fsi S trim
Wont miss the AC, more concerned about future resale
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What on earth would posess you to spend £10,000 on such a basic, low specification car?
Seriously if all you want out of your motoring is hassle free A-B, then why not spend £5000 on a fantastic holiday and £5k on a used Focus or Golf? The net result would be better.
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Or 3-4k on a nice merc E320 or similar. Mine hasn't missed a beat, (or it would appear, a speed camera!!!!!)
A/C everytime.
Best.....MD
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more concerned about future resale
Depends on what time of the year you intend selling. Late autumn / winter would be less of an issue than at the start of summer.
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I need to read posts properly, I read it as a price of £5.5k which would have to be for a (very late) base Mk4.
Go for whatever you want. Golfs always appear in the top 5 most searched cars on Auto Trader so even as a difficult Golf it still shouldn't be that difficult to sell on. Without having to lug all the AC components around you will have a fuel saving, although that might be trivial!
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Having experienced both (not on golf) my thoughts are:
Sunroof: about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Aircon: essential, even for safety e.g. demisting of windscreen in winter, and comfort in summer. Also no need to open your window to unnecessary car fumes in summer.
Even in bangerdom territory plenty of cars around for £500-£1000 with working aircon, So in the 10k territory I world expect aircon. I would not consider a car without aircon, and as the majority of cars now have it as standard, the price differential with or without it is minimal. What is more important is the condition of the car.
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I prefer to have both. Not only does the sunroof let in a lot of light but opening it (tilted) significantly increases the airflow through the heater. Very nice in summer. The shape of cars these days results in very little aerodynamic pressure at the heater inlet grill. My Focus has to have the heater blower on all the time to get any flow at all. In fact turning the fan off makes the system default to recirculated air ~ what's that all about?
--
L\'escargot.
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I have cars with sunroofs; two have A/C, two don't. I wouldn't have a car without a sunroof; I hardly notice the absence of A/C. Only the other day was I reflecting on this and coming to the conclusion that the value of A/C is over-rated. It takes me back to the days when A/C was uncommon and the general consensus then was that it wasn't really needed anyway in our climate (which hasn't changed that much, in spite of all the hype).
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The Aygo we had had aircon, but for the first few miles we didn't use it to see what a non aircon Aygo would be like. The interior became very humid and oppresive, once the aircon was on the interior environment was much better and from then we never turned it off. I now wouldn't consider a car without it, to me it's as essential as power steering.
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It all depends how the car is used - if it is a short commute (10 minutes) then either would do, if the car is used for longer journeys then I would regard AC as essential (as would SWMBO).
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Unless you smoke or carry planks from B&Q, a sunroof is a waste of time, and a potential source of leaks and wind noise, and often reduced headroom too. Aircon is a must have these days IMHO, as the roads are so inefficient that traffic is crawling so no breeze through the windows, and we seem to be in a humid weather cycle the last few years.
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I have to agree, the efficiency of roads these days is really something
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Have a Scenic with double sunroof and AC and have had problems with both! If I do have a sunroof, I prefer it to be able to tilt as well as slide back, the Scenic's only slides.
Call me old fashioned, but I think it adds something to a car's profile with the sunroof in a tilted position, maybe goes back to when a neighbour had a Granada with a sunroof which was "the" thing in those days and it just looked so sporty when tilted!
My Fabia doesn't have a sunroof and I don't miss it, in fact I like the "solid" feeling of it compared to the rattles and creaks I get from the Scenic.
Ever been in a Scenic with the double glass sunroof when it has been frosty outside. The noise and creaks that comes from it as it defrosts are unbelievable!
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"Ever been in a Scenic with the double glass sunroof when it has been frosty outside. The noise and creaks that comes from it as it defrosts are unbelievable!"
I know exactly what you mean but you dealer should be able to fix it.
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>>Is this going to be difficult to sell on in the future?
Yes, I would think so. Its not so much that the value will be lower, more that why would someone buy a car without when there are so many available with ? Of course some will, but it reduces your audience, therefore takes longer to sell (if at all) so you end up reducing the value to again broaden the audience.
Mind you, I think the whole idea of buying cars with a care about what they'll be worth in the future is fraught anyway. Even traders get that wrong. Better to buy it, enjoy it and face what comes when it comes - assumign you like the car in the first place.
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OP might as well go buy a lada and save pots of cash
stick a ferrari badge on the bonnet that will fool the neighbours just like a poverty spec golf would
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Mark, I agree with you in general, except that:
1. We're talking about spending £10,500 on a 2-year-old car - for which you can get a new Focus or Leon with air con - and presumably a lot of the appeal is the perceived quality and resale values of a Golf;
2. It's done 2,750 miles per year... has it been serviced? Has it ever been out of second gear even?
3. It's not cheap - you can get a 10k mile car with the same age and spec, plus air con from a VW franchise for the same money if you do a national search, certainly for a three-door.
If she really wants a Golf V and this is the only one you can find that you can find that you can afford then I suppose you should go for it... otherwise there'll be one that you will sell on more easily along shortly.
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Thanks for the advice your right theres plenty out there but a lot tend to be 5 door and she insists on 3.
I have a problem with the fact its 2 years old and hasnt been serviced.dealer insists its not ready though1
The search will continue
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No service in 2 years?? Walk away.
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Three doors are cheaper. Do a national search for approved used VWs on the website.
Or try this one: tinyurl.com/ybgmty
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Three doors are cheaper. Do a national search for approved used VWs on the website. Or try this one: tinyurl.com/ybgmty
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Thanks david................but she insists on silver!
Women!
Found a couple of 1.4's that look interesting though
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If possible I would always have both but, if I had to choose, A/C would be first.
One useful benefit of a sunroof is that on very hot days when returning to a parked vehicle opening the sunroof cools the car much quicker.
However if, like the 1989 1.3 VW Jetta I used to have, it has the lift up type glass sunroof and no blind, it can be a real nuisance whilst driving with the sun shining directly into the vehicle.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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AC every time - I hate the sun beating down on me when I drive - it gives me a sore head. If someone gave me a convertible I'd swap it for a car with a proper roof and AC.
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I will always specify my new cars with a sunroof and of course Aircon is de rigeur nowadays. I can't imagine what it must be like, now, driving in our frequent hot and humid summer months without A/C. It imbues a sense of calm and well being and that everything is right with the world while all those poor souls around me, without A/C, are getting all fretfull and wound up in traffic jams and hot under the collar (literally).
The sunroof lightens the interior of the car and can be used when, say, parked up and the sun isn't necessarily directly overhead, thus making the interior light and airy.
On my present car, a Golf, the sunroof only added another £495 to a car costing over 15 grand and I think that's a small price to pay for such benefits. However, if I had to choose to have only one of these it would be A/C everytime.
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OP might as well go buy a lada and save pots of cash stick a ferrari badge on the bonnet that will fool the neighbours just like a poverty spec golf would
Thanks for the constructive comment!
Its not about fooling the neighbours though
FWIW the neighbour has a Golf GTI on a 55 so they wouldnt be fooled.
Its about getting the other half a nice looking................. quality feeling car, having driven a 51 Clio from new she wants something better now.
The Golf has electrics, 8 airbags, cd, etc so its harldy poverty, if it had AC we would get it.
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I find many sunroofs give windnoise at speed. that's totally unacceptable. AC is a must for me..
Having said that, Yaris has both AND the sunroof is well designed so no noise at speed, so on hot days, sunroof on tilt plus aircon = lovely and cool..
If buying second hand I would buy no car without either...
As for a two year old Golf, it's your decision . Not one I would make but each to their own.
madf
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No service in two years - isn't VAG VSI as indicated OR a max of two years between. If it has low milage it WILL have needed a VSI service before two years was up unless it has spent a long time stationary.
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I can remember when the mkv came out the basic model never had a/c but vw were adding it as a free extra and then added it as a standard feature.I wouldnt of thought there would be many without aircon( free extra you dont say no) and cant think that many would want to buy without a/c so could be hard work to get rid of in a few year.If it were me i think id let this car sail away.
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The most important point coming from this thread is Gordon's - if it hasn't had a service in 18 months to 2 years, don't get it. Even if there is a dashboard indicator saying it isn't due yet, with that low mileage it shouldn't have been on that type of servicing plan.
I'd say a Golf is too heavy for the 1.4 engine: it will have to work harder than a 1.6 to pull a fairly heavy body. Encourage Mrs J to be patient and wait for a silver 3-door 1.6 with A/C to come up - it will, sooner or later.
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Judging by the posts in this thread, the result seems to be no A/C = undesirable, therefore difficult to sell on. A sunroof can always be retrofitted. Personally I would not consider a Golf without A/C.
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Air con = oh yes.
Sunroof = not fussed.
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Air con is an essential piece of kit. I decided that when I got stuck on the M25 and it hit 44 degrees in the car. The sunroof didn't help at all.
I've got a sunroof as well as aircon on the current car. I think I've used it no more than a few times, although it is nice in autumn and spring when you just want some airflow through the car. Of course having a sunroof does allow your drunken passengers to play tank commander, which is a bonus.
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Thanks again for all the input.
We passed on that particularcar but Mrs J is no the proud owner of a 54 plate 1.4fsi (A/C)
Bought privately for a great price!
Re the 1.4 its enough for the type of driving she does.................1.6 and 6 gears would be wasted on her!
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Wise fella, as someone said, pass on any car thats not perfect for you, because there is another along in just a moment that is.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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