Mark 3 TT - How big!

[kambites]

J4CKO said:

I think ESP has blurred it a bit for the average punter, along with massive grip, I mean, who really is going to unstick a modern car regularly in normal driving in the dry, even when pressing on,

This is why I personally think modern cars are mostly rubbish to drive.

Any car can be fun to drive but it's certainly more likely in some than others, at least for me. The mk4 Golf definitely comes into the "less likely" category.

[Lorne]

I never knew the Mk4 Golf was really a 'fat labrador saddled up for the grand national'. Great phrase, but it's stuck in my mind and now I can't get it out of my head that what I thought was a nice and nippy machine is really a fat old dog.

[Bubbledragon]

Own Mk1 & 3 ~my views

180 quattro manual as daily for the past 15 years, now as weekend car.

Had the mk 3 for 12 months. Irrespective of the measurements, it is a lot bigger in every respect. When driving I can't reach the dials on the left, the headlight dials on the right, the phone hung on the front glass in front (Hence the virtual corkpit is so important here). The front glass panel is a lot bigger, never had the need for sunglasses in my Mk1, cant drive without them in a sunny day. Parked in the driveway clearly it takes a lot more space then my Mk I. So is it a good thing? Personally I don't like it. I do not want more space for my sports car.

I am just going to talk about size & space here. Dynamic /handling etc another time. Inside the car, it feels more like a fast saloon, like a S3/4. Might as well get a S3/4 with usable rear seats if thats what I wanted.

[MorganP104]

Lorne said:

I never knew the Mk4 Golf was really a 'fat labrador saddled up for the grand national'. Great phrase, but it's stuck in my mind and now I can't get it out of my head that what I thought was a nice and nippy machine is really a fat old dog.

My fellow PHers are right, of course, but don't let that bother you. If YOU like the car, that's good enough.

Also, look at the benefits... When you come to change your "fat labrador saddled up for the grand national in a dress" (I added the "in a dress" bit, because your car is a Mk1 TT), pretty much anything you go for as a replacement is going to drive fabulously by comparison.

In the meantime, just enjoy the car.

[CanoeSniffer]

xjay1337 said:

The Mk4 Golf was an absolute abomination of a car.

This is WAY too strong. I became the owner of a Mk4 Golf completely by accident due to being offered one for £50, and I think I've got a pretty neutral and unbiased opinion as they'd never caught my attention before, they just existed and I wouldn't have taken any interest in owning one.

It's not a bad car at all- let me be clear, it is NOT a drivers car. The suspension is soft, the steering vague and the thing generally feels as though it's made of jelly. It's without a shadow of a doubt the worst handling car I've owned.

BUT, ergonomically it is fantastically designed and put together. Everything makes sense and feels solid. As you can imagine for £50 mine is seriously tired and yet all the electronic goodies (of which there are loads!) still work, it's a pleasant environment to be in and is extremely comfortable. The engine is strong yet economical, there's a good amount of space for 5 inside and you can run over kittens and children all day long without anyone feeling a thing- it's hilariously oblivious to bumps on account of the soft suspension.

Just because it's not a hard, raw, driver-focussed machine does NOT make it a bad car.