Very tidy Golf GTI or high mileage GTI Edition 30?

[zed4]

If you had a budget of £8,500, which you could possibly stretch to £9,000 would you go for a nice low mileage Golf GTI from a dealer with a warranty etc, or a higher mileage Golf GTI Edition 30 through a private sale?

We're looking to buy next week and can't really decide. My girlfriend and I both really want the Edition 30, but you definitely pay a premium for them.

Here's the shortlist:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

or the standard GTI:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

What would you do? Obviously we'd like to spend as little as possible, but we do plan on keeping the car for a long time and want to make the right decision.

We're not too bothered about 3 or 5 door, although I would prefer 5 door, my girlfriend prefers 3 door, she wants the DSG gearbox and parking sensors would be a nice bonus.

Cheers,

Dan

[TurboHatchback]

I was looking at options recently with a budget of up to £10k and went for a standard Golf GTI (red 3dr like those listed). I think it is all the road car one could need and it seemed daft spending a big chunk more money for a small performance gain that I would hardly ever have the space to use. I also much prefer the looks of the standard car over the edition 30 for some reason. If you're really not sure then try both and see whether you think the edition 30 is worth the extra outlay.

I paid £8k for mine from a dealer with 57k miles, winter pack, bi-xenons, 18" wheels etc and I am very happy with it.

[zed4]

TurboHatchback said:

I was looking at options recently with a budget of up to £10k and went for a standard Golf GTI (red 3dr like those listed). I think it is all the road car one could need and it seemed daft spending a big chunk more money for a small performance gain that I would hardly ever have the space to use. I also much prefer the looks of the standard car over the edition 30 for some reason. If you're really not sure then try both and see whether you think the edition 30 is worth the extra outlay.

I paid £8k for mine from a dealer with 57k miles, winter pack, bi-xenons, 18" wheels etc and I am very happy with it.

Thanks for that. Sounds like a very nice car, nice spec. I see you're local too, I'm from New Milton

[Tommy Kaira]

I would honestly not touch either. I've only seen 4 engines needing a total rebuild...one from a 1980s mini and three from mk5 golf GTIs. However, of the two I would think the Edition 30 with always be worth a little more (or at least be much easier to sell than the standard model)

[zed4]

Tommy Kaira said:

I would honestly not touch either. I've only seen 4 engines needing a total rebuild...one from a 1980s mini and three from mk5 golf GTIs. However, of the two I would think the Edition 30 with always be worth a little more (or at least be much easier to sell than the standard model)

Care to provide any further info? Why did they need rebuilding? What fails and what should I look out for?

[TurboHatchback]

They do use oil so if you didn't ever check the level and top it up then eventually the engine would self destruct. Other than that they have a fairly good reputation for reliability so I can't see why one should avoid them.

[Tommy Kaira]

2 from oil starvation due to a poorly designed sump pick up. And one managed to break a cam in half.
.
.
.
The mini was just a mini!

[DNB DJ]

zed4 said:

If you had a budget of £8,500, which you could possibly stretch to £9,000 would you go for a nice low mileage Golf GTI from a dealer with a warranty etc, or a higher mileage Golf GTI Edition 30 through a private sale?

We're looking to buy next week and can't really decide. My girlfriend and I both really want the Edition 30, but you definitely pay a premium for them.

Here's the shortlist:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

or the standard GTI:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

What would you do? Obviously we'd like to spend as little as possible, but we do plan on keeping the car for a long time and want to make the right decision.

We're not too bothered about 3 or 5 door, although I would prefer 5 door, my girlfriend prefers 3 door, she wants the DSG gearbox and parking sensors would be a nice bonus.

Cheers,

Dan

you need to spend 10k at least to get a clean edition 30.. I would go for the standard gti in dsg and get a remap if you want a bit more power

[zed4]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

[SBN]

What about a cupra?

[va1o]

Wouldn't be too afraid of high miles. My GTI DSG is about to hit 97k and the car is still in top order. They seem to wear pretty well, its actually in better condition than the 57k miles SEAT it replaced.

Risk you've got is if you over the odds for a low mileage 'very tidy' car you might take quite a hit when you sell it on.

Tommy Kaira said:

I would honestly not touch either. I've only seen 4 engines needing a total rebuild...one from a 1980s mini and three from mk5 golf GTIs. However, of the two I would think the Edition 30 with always be worth a little more (or at least be much easier to sell than the standard model)

When I researched buying everywhere I looked said the engines are solid, so I'm a bit confused by your statement. There a few cheap items which tend to let go and need renewing like the DV and PCV (plus obviously the cambelt) but other than that no real problems. The Mk6 engine is worse for reliability as on the early cars the chains are failing and causing catastrophic damage.

Edited by va1o on Thursday 1st May 19:18

[Leemcd]

ED30 every time go for it

[Gandahar]

The ED30 has a detuned engine from the S3, so although the power difference is small from the factory if you want to map it then you can get a lot more out of it than the standard engine in the Mk5. That's probably why they have a premium

From a VW forum

The 230ps spec engine (BYD) shares the same block and head as the 256ps (BZC) and 265ps S3 unit (BHZ). I am not too sure on the integrated turbo/manilfold if the base turbo is a K04 but with different wheel trims.
The 200 and 185ps variants (AXX, BWA BPY), have from my small reaserch, different head castings, inlet and outlet cams, fuel injectors, and turbocharger (K04 as well but different trim specs).

Looking at Superchips remap which is run of the mill, for standard GTI Mk5

http://www.superchips.co.uk/search?make=38&fue...

And Pirelli edition which is same as SE30 engine wise

http://www.superchips.co.uk/search?make=38&fue...

So you can stretch the ED30 further and probably with more reliability.

That's why the premium. I would go for it, and you get the nice wheels

PS I bet the ED30 owners are more petrol heads and have looked after it better too

Edited by Gandahar on Thursday 1st May 19:36

[zed4]

Found this, which is within 10 miles of my house (not my postcode in the link). Not an ED30 but a very nice spec, just what we were after. Miles are a little higher than we wanted, but not over the top. Comes in under budget too.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[zed4]

And what do you think of this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

It doesn't say it's an edition 30, but it has the badges and bumpers. Strange wheels though!

Edit: nope, registration says standard GTI on the vehicle check.

Edited by zed4 on Thursday 1st May 19:44

[johnoz]

In my book, its ok making a short list, BUT you need to go look at them, they all look bloody wonderful in the pictures and when you see it its a different matter! walk away...

[si_xsi]

They really are very good cars, out of the ones you have selected, I would choose these two

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

As for dealer or private, i'd go for dealer and warranty or private and get independent warranty, esp if you go DSG. As others have said, they use oil, split diverter valves, had a recall for coil pack, also specialists advise to replace the camshaft followers around 40-60k miles as they can wear - signs are very tappety at idle. Difficult to diagnose though as the engines are a bit rough at idle anyway. Cambelt every 60k miles or 4 years, although for audi on the same engine they say the intervals are longer 75k and 5 years IIRC.

The Leon Cupra has the ed 30 engine and will b cheaper, but trade off is lower rate interior.

[Maracus]

va1o said:

When I researched buying everywhere I looked said the engines are solid, so I'm a bit confused by your statement. There a few cheap items which tend to let go and need renewing like the DV and PCV (plus obviously the cambelt) but other than that no real problems. The Mk6 engine is worse for reliability as on the early cars the chains are failing and causing catastrophic damage.

Edited by va1o on Thursday 1st May 19:18

This is my opinion as well. There was an oil pick up problem with poorly serviced mk4 1.8T GTI, oil would sludge and block it.

[anonymous-user]

Maracus said:

va1o said:

When I researched buying everywhere I looked said the engines are solid, so I'm a bit confused by your statement. There a few cheap items which tend to let go and need renewing like the DV and PCV (plus obviously the cambelt) but other than that no real problems. The Mk6 engine is worse for reliability as on the early cars the chains are failing and causing catastrophic damage.

Edited by va1o on Thursday 1st May 19:18

This is my opinion as well. There was an oil pick up problem with poorly serviced mk4 1.8T GTI, oil would sludge and block it.

I think it's just a case of the normal Golf bashing you get on here.

[rich83]

zed4 said:

And what do you think of this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

It doesn't say it's an edition 30, but it has the badges and bumpers. Strange wheels though!

Edit: nope, registration says standard GTI on the vehicle check.

Edited by zed4 on Thursday 1st May 19:44

Yeah... ED30 came out on a 56 plate onwards.

If going down the GTI route, definitely get the ED30. 300-310bhp and same lbfts with a stage 1 map. :-)