SOTW: Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V
Shed makes the case for a much-maligned iteration of the Golf GTI
Looks honest enough...
Shed takes the view that the Mk4 was the last real Golf. According to this Luddite definition, he has therefore owned several examples of every kind of Golf. The Mk3 is the one he misses the most. In GTI form the 1992 European Car of the Year was smoother-riding, better braked, quieter and more refined than the Mk2 GTI, and arguably more solid feeling than the Mk4 (although that might be another urban myth).
Thankfully, it isn't one of these
Back to the important matter of the fastest Golf GTI of those first four iterations. Folklore has it that each new GTI has been slower than the previous model. However, like many urban myths, this was an urban myth. Each new GTI was indeed heavier than its predecessor, and Volkswagen’s careful (or stingy, depending on your view) power increases from one model to the next never seemed to be enough to make up for the added lard.
When the Mk4 GTI was released, Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe and BTCC driver Phil Bennett put this ‘newer equals slower’ thing to the test. They took all four GTI iterations from the Volkswagen press museum to Castle Combe, where they achieved the following lap times:
Interior: dour, but solidly put together
Mk2: 1min 33.1sec
Mk3: 1min 31.2sec
Mk4: 1min 27.2sec
Admittedly, the Mk2 they had was practically unused, with a tight engine, so at the end of the day these results may only really show what a difference improvements in grip and braking can make. But if you shout these numbers at your drinking buddies and then immediately change the subject, you’ll very likely make your point stick.
It would certainly be interesting to revisit this test with the same tyres fitted to each car, but in the meantime here’s one of Sutters’ conclusions from the Combe. “The key difference between the Mk2 and the Mk3 is that the later car covers the ground more rapidly, more efficiently if you like, without feeling all that dramatic – which is the precise effect Volkswagen was seeking when it designed the car.”
Ah, for the days of a big red badge in the grille
We won’t belabour you with the foibles of Golf ownership: any self-respecting PHer should know these by heart. What we will say is that 2009 may not sound all that long ago in the context of world history, but four human years is equivalent to about 83 VW cambelt years, so fitting a new one now would be a wise precaution. Once that’s done, you can enjoy the sunny uplands of tight, 150hp motoring for five, safe in the documented knowledge that your car is faster round a Wiltshire racetrack than any old Mk1 or 2.
Here’s the ad:
Finished in Dragon Green and registered in December 1995 this Golf GTI was the best I could find after viewing several. I purchased the car in August 2009 as a temporary run about and it has been so good I decided to keep it. I am only selling now as a family friend has offered me a newer car at a good price.
Our family business is mechanics and tyres, the car has been serviced four times with us including a cam belt at first ownership in 2009 and rear suspension in 2012. The car has just had a service and a new front tyre for the new owner.
The car has MOT until November 2013 and is currently SORN.
After looking at six other cars in 2009 I was frequently confronted with rust, tears in seats, big wheels that rubbed in arches etc. I saw this one which was advertised as a standard example with *no rust*, and it had an excellent interior and was nice and tight to drive. I bought the car and have tried to keep it in the best condition that I could. Since then it had developed a small rust bubble under the driver’s door seal which I treated and painted in dragon green and it is hidden under the seal. (I only noticed it when cleaning). There is a little lacquer peel now and the odd light scratch here and there but I think this has still got to be one of the best around and with one of the cleanest interiors, no rips or tears anywhere.
Everything works although the fuel gauge is temperamental intermittently.
It drives extremely well, nice and tight for the age and still in standard trim. It has an Alpine CD player (original Sony tape deck and boot changer included in sale), black grill badge and boot sticker are the only things I have changed. It comes complete with good service history with lots of stamps in the book plus the original book pack including all manuals and service book with lots of stamps and old MOTs.
[Harlequin image: Analogue Kid]
Thats a first!
Personally I like the MK3. Mate had a 8v as a company car back in the day and it was a nice car to drive, refined, well built with nice controls.
I nearly bought one years ago but insurance was a bit expensive so bought a Primera SRi :-) Also it wasn't that well equipped compared to the Primera.
I had a "shed" 8v for almost 2 years but they do suffer from the old crusty rusty and following a wing collision, it looked a bit scrappy and things kept failing due to its age ('96). Ultimately, I killed it myself by trying to fit new rear shocks for the MOT and cocking it up and severing the rear brake pipes - at which point it went to a breaker.
However, I liked the car and had a great blat across country behind a new BMW 3 series who couldn't get away from me. I quite liked the softer and more compliant suspension (especially compared to the replacement Mk 6 Fiesta ST) and the 8v engine had character (again, unlike the Ford unit). I did enjoy it though and a good one is worth keeping. had I not crunched the wing on mine, I suspect I might have kept it and spent more on it.
That interior is also less than solid with the brittle plastic being prone to breaking clips and they also suffer from worn ignition barrels.
something about swapping twin headlights for a single unit made it look cheaper too,(same problem BMW had from E30 to E36 in my eyes).
and it needs tax.....
still, offer £650, settle at £700, and its got a sunroof, (oh the days when people specced the cars with sunroofs), and that green was always a cool colour.
ok, sod it i'm in.
My mum had a Mk3 16v 150BHP (after a Mk3 8v 115BHP) and it was also a great car felt much lighter and was pretty chuckable but not so much as my Mk2 GTI 8v, but then it was miles better built and much nicer to sit in and drive. This thread will no doubt full up with people who have probably never even sat in a MK3 of any flavour, who will quote adnauseam that the 3 was a rubbish car and it was slow and it didn't handle and so on and so on......
Cracking SOTW, I'm going to watch this thread to see how many of the vag bashers crawl out from under their rocks and claim how the mk1 and 2 are better cars, when the fact is they are far from it.
I love mk3 Golfs, I've had more than 20 of te things, and still own one
I like the Mk3, and think it is maturing well with age.
there's a few on Auto Trader, not checked eBay or our own classifieds.They're at that uncomfortable 'between' stage of being an old used car and a classic- regular Joes don't want them because they've got a 2.8 engine that'll cripple them (so much more than the £300/month HP agreement for their Focus TDCi
) and the connoisseurs don't want them because a) it's a Mk3 and b) it's not cool enough. Yet. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff