I nearly went into lots of debt for a newish GTI 1.8T a few years ago. This, and the coil failure episodes that kicked off shortly afterwards makes me glad I didn't.
Mind you my in-laws have just happily handed over £6k for a 6 year old, 80,000 mile GT TDI PD. Nice enough car, but nearly 40% of its new price at this age and mileage??
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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£6K isn't too bad for a barely run in (presumably 130 - is it a 2001 model??) - the market dictates car prices, and I'm guessing that this is from a 'larger well equipped dealer'??
I paid £7500 for my 107K 2004 Golf GTI 150 diesel..... And the main dealers ## retail those at about £11K with sensible (32K) on the clock!
{## Spelt correctly again for you. See www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=32039&...e for further clarification - DD}
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It's a 115bhp, 2001 on a Y, but it does have the full leather interior and the optional electric sunroof (the latter is very rare and my father in law wanted it). Bought from an indie dealer. I agree, there were none around significantly cheaper unless we were prepared to put up with 140,000 miles (we weren't). Even they were £5k+
I'm sure the engine is just run in, but it by no means feels like a new car. Still drives nicely and has plenty of life left in it, but it was a lot of money for what it was I felt.
My father in law wouldn't even test drive anything else, and ignored all advice for alternatives, so it was my job merely to find him the best one I could for what he had to spend. Funny how VWs command such unwavering loyalty.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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>Funny how VWs command such unwavering loyalty.
Except we had a succession of minor lemons - Golf 2 with an early HG, replaced before failure at 50k, also early starter failure. Golf 3 that fell apart fast, albeit at 10 y/o. SWMBO went right off them, and now loves the Focus.
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Except we had a succession of minor lemons - Golf 2 with an early HG replaced before failure at 50k also early starter failure. Golf 3 that fell apart fast albeit at 10 y/o
Don't get me wrong, I know of three unreliable/badly made 2000-2005 Volkswagens, worst being my brother-in-laws former 2001 Passat TDI 130 which cost over £2500 in unscheduled repairs in the year he owned it after the warranty ran out. Clutch and DMF at 65,000 miles, two cases of water ingress, alarm ECU, central locking failure, air-con leak - a huge list. It was a carp car in all honesty despite being inconsiderately driven and well looked after. I had a 1998 Polo which was awful. VW make some nice cars, but I know for a fact they are not better made or more reliable than Ford, Vauxhall or most of the other mainstream brands.
Father in law has quite a good history with VW having owned a mk2 Golf 1.6D which was perfect, a mk3 Golf 1.9TD which was perfect, and his previous mk4 TDI PD 115 (RIP - lost a fight with an artic) which he admitted wasn't as well put together as the mk2 or mk3, and although not exactly a dog, not perfectly reliable either. He also knows all the bad ones that I know, but his loyalty is unwavering. What I don't get is that he won't even look at the Seat/Skoda alternatives which are mechanically identical, but much better value for money. I think a lot of brands, and in fairness,not just VW, rely on people's rigid insistence on what they know. It's his cash and his decision, but sheer weight of odds suggests there's another car out there which will better suit his needs.
But some people can't be told. I did my duty and found the car and he's happy. That's what matters I suppose, but I would have been happier personally in a newer, lower mileage Focus or Megane.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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"optional electric sunroof (the latter is very rare and my father in law wanted it). "
Strange how trends change. When I got my Golf GTI on a T plate ('99) the sunroof was standard. It was air-con that was not. So my GTI 1.8T was pretty rare back then even because I not only had air-con + sunroof (technical a moonroof) but also cruise control, non-standard coloured seats (black GTIs came with black-red but mine had the black-blue checks) and a CD autochanger.... which makes me wonder how someone could give it a new identity in the UK when it was stolen after 6 months. Probably broken for spares or sent overseas.
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....non-standard coloured seats (black GTIs came with black-red but mine had the black-blue checks)
There's nothing non-standard about black/blue seats in a Black GTI.
When the car was first ordered, the customer had a choice of Black/Grey, Black/Red or Black/Blue. Some paint colours precluded certain trim options (e.g. a if you ordered red paint you couldn't have black/blue seats) but certainly all 3 trim colours were available with Black paint. I know because I ordered a brand new Black GTI myself. (I chose Red!)
Black/blue was "rare" because it simply didn't look very nice, meaning not many people chose it.
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I paid £7500 for my 107K 2004 Golf GTI 150 diesel..... And the main dealers retail those at about £11K with sensible (32K) on the clock!
And I paid £7300 for my 53 reg Volvo 2.5T S80 in April with half the miles (52,000). A second and a half quicker to 60, and 12mph higher top speed, plus leather trim and plenty of room, plus the original showroom price was £10k higher than your VW. Might not keep up with the fuel consumption of your diesel though....
VW = overpriced used vehicles. Big non-German saloon = used bargain.
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And I paid £7300 for my 53 reg Volvo 2.5T S80 in April with half the miles (52 000). A second and a half quicker to 60 and 12mph higher top speed plus leather trim
Yeah, but it's a Volvo, which means nobody admires them, which means nobody aspires to own one, which means their value plummets like a lead baloon.
In the next 3 years the GTI 150 will probably still be worth £5k wheras your Volvo will be worth banger money.
So in 3 years the Golf driver will have lost £2.5k to drive a desirable motor with high credibility for 3 years wheras you'll have lost £6k to drive a...... Volvo!
Still feeling smug?
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So in 3 years the Golf driver will have lost £2.5k to drive a desirable motor with high credibility for 3 years wheras you'll have lost £6k to drive a...... Volvo!
Hardly.
The Golf driver will lose more or less the same amount as a Volvo over that period, and I know which I'd rather have. A distinctive, high quality product (Volvo) or a leggy, bland Eurobox with numb handling and a dodgy gearbox (VW).
The VW may have £3000 off what it should cost due to the miles, but a 100K Volvo is going to be a lot more desirable at 6yo than a 150K Golf.
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Yeah but it's a Volvo which means nobody admires them which means nobody aspires to own one which means their value plummets like a lead baloon.
Plenty of market for XC90s and V70s, because they are models that fit the Volvo brand image - large safe cars for middle class parents.
The residuals of the XC90 are considerably better than the oh-so-desirably-badged BMW X5.
Less market for Volvo saloons, but that makes it an opportunity, the idea that lower (percentage) deprecation means that spending an extra £7k on a premium badg won't actually cost me more money is just laughable - less in percentages, but far more in actual pounds sterling.
In the next 3 years the GTI 150 will probably still be worth £5k wheras your Volvo will be worth banger money.
Doubtful, a six-year-old hatchback with megamileage on it is going to be worth very little.
Check price guides - these cars still drop £1k/year.
So in 3 years the Golf driver will have lost £2.5k to drive a desirable motor with high credibility for 3 years wheras you'll have lost £6k to drive a...... Volvo! Still feeling smug?
Pretty much, given that there are 8-year-old S80s on Autotrader with 100k mileage and up with lower spec starting no lower than £3k
And while I'm not especially concerned about credibility, I very much doubt that I am going to have higher credibility with anyone over the age of about 25 (for which read anyone who actually has any money) driving a hot hatch than a luxurious saloon. And I can't imagine for me, finding it nicer driving a small hatchback than a nice big comfortable, powerful car.
Volkswagen is not exactly a prestige badge is it, and the last Golf (well Jetta) I experienced was a complete lemon, which put me right off the idea of Volkswagens being reliable.
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