Mk V Golft GTI or Mk VI Golf GT? buying advice?
Discussion
evening,
looking round for a cheaper motor for the family, and i think i quite fancy a golf. budget of 8k. and no older than an 07 plate and 5 door model.
can't decide on a model to explore more into...bear in my mind the wife will be using it for school runs, me on run abouts outside of work
Mk V GTI... it's a GTI...love the check seats. practicality. fun to drive? available within budget of 8k. 197bhp.
Mk VI GT 2.0 TDI ... I can use it a daily driver. interior looks much improved over the MK V (multifunction whee etc). 140 bhp? what's the match model like? worth a look spec wise? seems to have more than the the GT?
how are the engines in real world? how easy would a GTI be for my wife to drive.
thanks for the help.
looking round for a cheaper motor for the family, and i think i quite fancy a golf. budget of 8k. and no older than an 07 plate and 5 door model.
can't decide on a model to explore more into...bear in my mind the wife will be using it for school runs, me on run abouts outside of work
Mk V GTI... it's a GTI...love the check seats. practicality. fun to drive? available within budget of 8k. 197bhp.
Mk VI GT 2.0 TDI ... I can use it a daily driver. interior looks much improved over the MK V (multifunction whee etc). 140 bhp? what's the match model like? worth a look spec wise? seems to have more than the the GT?
how are the engines in real world? how easy would a GTI be for my wife to drive.
thanks for the help.
Edited by LGriffiths88 on Monday 30th March 02:14
The Mk5 and Mk6 are closely related, with the later car really being a comprehensive facelift. This means that the underlying tech and basic feel are essentially the same.
You can get steering wheel controls on Mk5 cars from the factory, or add a lot of Mk6 upgrades like head units etc quite easily.
I'd say that the GTI and 140PS TDI are quite different propositions to drive. However, you did mention a "cheaper" car and so the main thing I'd consider is that any car of 5-6 years or older is going to require a little more maintenance (brake discs, sensors, fluids, some rubbers, possibly radiator etc). I wouldn't let this worry you unduly, but it would be enough to sway me towards a nice GTI, in order to justify the slightly higher hassle factor.
You can get steering wheel controls on Mk5 cars from the factory, or add a lot of Mk6 upgrades like head units etc quite easily.
I'd say that the GTI and 140PS TDI are quite different propositions to drive. However, you did mention a "cheaper" car and so the main thing I'd consider is that any car of 5-6 years or older is going to require a little more maintenance (brake discs, sensors, fluids, some rubbers, possibly radiator etc). I wouldn't let this worry you unduly, but it would be enough to sway me towards a nice GTI, in order to justify the slightly higher hassle factor.
I'm in one of these head vs heart moments.
Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
Another question do either of the above come with reversing sensors as standard?
Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
Another question do either of the above come with reversing sensors as standard?
Edited by LGriffiths88 on Monday 30th March 10:34
Match spec will have sensors, but they're a very easy retrofit to any other model (or a factory option if you're lucky).
Mrs_Hume is a timid driver who has been driving poweful cars for her entire car-driving career, courtesy of sharing them with me! No problems to report...related to the power at least.
Mrs_Hume is a timid driver who has been driving poweful cars for her entire car-driving career, courtesy of sharing them with me! No problems to report...related to the power at least.
LGriffiths88 said:
how easy would a GTI be for my wife to drive.
Er... no harder than any other Golf.25mpg round town, 35mpg A Road or relaxed/sensible motorway cruise. Prefers super unleaded.
I have had one over three years now, no major issues except air con breaking (common). Uses quite a bit of oil.
£8k will get you a nice one. Do it!
I'm in one of these head vs heart moments.
Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
LGriffiths88 said:
I'm in one of these head vs heart moments.
Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
Having just got rid of a MKV DSG GTi, I say go for it! I loved mine and was very sad to see it go. The DSG can be driven just like a regular auto. The only real difference is that you can't quite move off as quickly if you're going from P or N to D as a torque convertor auto. If the clutch isn't fully disengaged before you try and move off, you can get a bit of a jerky start. Other than that it's far superior to every torque convertor auto that I've driven (and I've only ever driven autos Head says go for the newer gt tdi 140bhp. As its newer, nicer interior and slightly better looking. I can use it for work more due my 80mile a day commute.
Heart says go for a gti. Even though the Mrs will be using it while I'm in work. It's petrol, so cheaper fuel. Looks great in red. Those monza wheels. It's cheaper to buy now.
My wife's worry is that is a gti going to be easy for her to drive? Being a sub 200bhp car. She's used to a 130bhp mondeo diesel.
Could it be worth looking at the dsg? Is it possible to drive that like a normal auto (would make it easier for the wife I'd imagine)
). Gear changes are lightning quick and the gearbox in Sport mode really gets the car moving.As for the sat nav, I'd echo the other comments about getting a MKVI head unit. Mine had the factory nav and while it was ok, it is getting a bit long in the tooth now. The MKVI nav does look like a significant upgrade.
The only other thing to consider is what wheels to get. I had the 18" Monza IIs on mine. The ride was a bit crashy at low speeds and I was always terrified of damaging the lovely diamond cut face on potholes... If I had my time again, I'd probably opt for the 17" wheels instead
.I've owned both in DSG gearbox form, 2006 Mk5 GTI and now a 2011 MK6 2.0 TDI 140!
The GTI is absolutely the more fun car of the two. Never fails to put a smile on your face and full of character. Awesome all round package.
The 2.0 TDI is the more sensible and easy to live with option. It suits my current needs better since I've got a long motorway commute and this offers significantly better MPG. The GTI would do 40mpg if you really tried hard, whereas the 2.0 TDI can do 60mpg upwards.
The Mk6 also brings other benefits such as the newer more modern interior and extra equipment. Lots of little things like Bluetooth, Armrest, MDI connection for iPhone and Park Assist so it even parallel parks itself. Much of this can be retro-fitted to the Mk5 though and I added RNS Sat Nav to both of them within a week of buying.
In terms of performance the GTI is obviously a lot quicker in every situation. The 2.0 TDI has a little more torque (320nm vs 280nm) but this is only noticeable on the motorway accelerating from say 60 - 80 mph. It also means it can hang onto 5th and 6th gears at lower speeds but since both are DSG that doesn't really benefit me.
In summary I like them both very much but for different reasons. Ultimately I found the GTI too expensive to run and the 2.0 TDI is too boring. So I think I'll be going with the Mk7 GTD next time round...
The GTI is absolutely the more fun car of the two. Never fails to put a smile on your face and full of character. Awesome all round package.
The 2.0 TDI is the more sensible and easy to live with option. It suits my current needs better since I've got a long motorway commute and this offers significantly better MPG. The GTI would do 40mpg if you really tried hard, whereas the 2.0 TDI can do 60mpg upwards.
The Mk6 also brings other benefits such as the newer more modern interior and extra equipment. Lots of little things like Bluetooth, Armrest, MDI connection for iPhone and Park Assist so it even parallel parks itself. Much of this can be retro-fitted to the Mk5 though and I added RNS Sat Nav to both of them within a week of buying.
In terms of performance the GTI is obviously a lot quicker in every situation. The 2.0 TDI has a little more torque (320nm vs 280nm) but this is only noticeable on the motorway accelerating from say 60 - 80 mph. It also means it can hang onto 5th and 6th gears at lower speeds but since both are DSG that doesn't really benefit me.
In summary I like them both very much but for different reasons. Ultimately I found the GTI too expensive to run and the 2.0 TDI is too boring. So I think I'll be going with the Mk7 GTD next time round...
). Oh and forgot to mention I've found 17" alloys to be the sweet spot for handling and comfort on both models.
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