Golf Mk5 ED30 or Mk6 GTi - Impartial advice please

[chris285]

Ok I currently drive a 05 plate mk1 SEAT Leon FR TDi, done about 75k and in decent condition however I'm doing about 6-7k a year so I don't have a need for a diesel anymore. The above mileage is at the top end of of use as well as I am starting to not use the car for work which is about a mile away, and other than this I use the car to go shopping once a week which is less than a 10mile round trip and visit parents for free Sunday lunch at about a 20mile round trip but that's it in terms of regular mileage.

Because of the above and the fact I will have had the Leon for 5yrs in November and it still should be worth something, I am looking to change cars to something with the 2.0T VAG engine during the middle of next year at this point in time. During conversations with various friends in my car circle I spoke to one who currently owns a red Edition 30 with black BBS wheels and he mentioned he was looking to sell his around the same time I was looking to change next year, now I am not sure the exact mileage or year of the car to hand and I know it has half leather interior so he said I could have first refusal.

At this stage no price has been mentioned so I decided to do my own research as to what sort of price they are going for right now so I have an idea what to expect, and I found that around £11k seems to be a reasonable figure to expect him to ask for which is around the ball park figure I was expecting. However what has thrown something into the hat which I didn't expect is I noticed a few Mk6 GTi's during my search as well which I was not expecting, granted this is the lower end of the scale but it did get me thinking as I prefer the look both inside and outside of the Mk6 myself.

Now I know the Mk6 has a revised engine with lower power but it has the benefits of slightly better book CO2 and MPG figures as well, and I personally think I wouldn't notice a huge difference power wise if I was to drive 2 of them.

What I would like to know is has anyone experience of driving or owning both versions of these cars, and as you may be able to tell I am leaning towards the Mk6 myself but expect the limited edition nature of the ED30 is there another reason to choose one over a Mk6 GTi at all?

[chris285]

Yeah it would be remapped at some point, granted my leon is no slouch with 202bhp/366lbft but its still a diesel at the end of the day. Thanks for your reply its helping to cement my view on this really, plus its easier to offload my current motor to a garage rather than having to sell as well

[chris285]

Thanks for the info, didn't know the Mk6 was a timing chain rather than a cambelt so good to know that information

In terms of value its not really a concern for me as my plan is to keep either car for the same length i've had the leon, as for MPG yes i am quoting book figures so real world will see little change as said but the lower tax is a bonus.

I've always found the Mk5 a little dull myself which is why i'm not a fan of the standard gti, the edition 30 does help rectify this to some degree but i still think the Mk6 is the better looking car overall even in standard guise compared to the edition 30

Thanks for the information guys

[chris285]

Leon cupra I'm ruling out for now, the interior is not as nice and build isn't as good which is a real shame as it's a great car

S3 I can't put my finger on why but just doesn't do it for me, despite the drivetrain and more powerful engine

I've not looked at the Rocco I have to say but will a gander at them

[chris285]

I don't know what it is with the sirocco but somthing has a niggling no factor in my head, i think its the fact the one i am looking at seems a little dated styling wise compared to the Mk6 which seems to have sharper styling and i do love the back end on the mk6 with the twin exit exhausts which only the R sirocco gets. Also the mk6 is gonna be a tad more practical as well which is something else I have in the back of my mind, right now I don't really need it but I do use the space in my Leon several times a year and I feel a sirocco may not quite have what I need in that department. Also I do slightly prefer the mk6 interior as well over the sirocco, not that it is dire by any means but just a more up to date design

[chris285]

On an extra note looking at the mk6, seems confusing as to the ACC adaptive chassis control as some places i've seen it listed as a standard option but other places state its an extra and not all have the button for this. So does anyone know how common this feature is on the mk6, and secondly is it actually worth trying to locate an example with one at all or not?

[chris285]

thanks guys for the replies, pretty much confirmed my thoughts and cleared up what to look at extra's wise on a mk6 so thanks