Golf mk5 gti

[arj7]

Hi my lease is up on my Cupra in November and due to financial commitments such an a house extension I want to get a similar size car that's still fun.

I want to spend £4-£7k

I am interested in a golf GTi but open to other suggestions.
My preference is DSG and 5 doors and that's about it.

I appreciate they will need some work doing potentially but would like it to be a solid runner for 2 years.

Is there anything I should look out for?
I had my eye on edition 30 but they seem to be quite highly priced and I'm not sure if a Mk6 would fall into this price bracket.
Any advice on what to look for in terms of issues would be appreciated

[sunnygym]

Great car and I really regret selling mine about 6 months ago to be honest!

Look out for rust on the wheel arches

Make sure air con works

Look for fogging on headlights and condensation


To be honest it’s a solid motor so as long as it’s been well looked after and and maintained shouldn’t be a issue.


I know you said you want DSG but manual will be more reliable.

Good luck !

[Belle427]

Usual suspects of cam follower, diverter valve and timing belt change. Still plenty of well looked after examples around on the owners clubs.

[arj7]

sunnygym said:

Great car and I really regret selling mine about 6 months ago to be honest!

Look out for rust on the wheel arches

Make sure air con works

Look for fogging on headlights and condensation


To be honest it’s a solid motor so as long as it’s been well looked after and and maintained shouldn’t be a issue.


I know you said you want DSG but manual will be more reliable.

Good luck !

I agree manual would be safer but I've had manual in every car so far and just fancy a change especially on the commute to work (although it is short)

Is the Air conditioning unit a pain to sort?

[Belle427]

Pumps can get noisy and are quite expensive to replace so cycle the air con on and listen for any unusual noises.

[randomeddy]

My son has owned a Mk5 gti for the last couple of years and I have a Passat with the same engine.

The Golf has been very good, used every day and has needed very little other than an occasional service and some suspension bushes. Failed its last MOT test on one snapped coil spring which I thought was good for an 05 plate car.

The Passat has been excellent reliability wise, I have spent a lot on it but want to keep it for as long as possible so any issues have been fixed as time went on.

The one big issue the engines suffer from is cam timing chains, they start to sound like a diesel on tickover. The Golf and the Passat have both had them done.

[pinin_prestatyn]

As above, check the arches, Cam follower and chain. The bolsters can go on the tartan check cloth seats. The alloys can kerb easily. I’d change the diverter valve straight away. Look for rust in the door sills.

[arj7]

Realistically how long could the engine last?
Tbf I want to get a 100k mileage or something and then Il get it fully checked out and replace bits that need doing I want it to run well.

[pinin_prestatyn]

An engine will last forever (almost) with the correct preventative maintenance. It’s a good solid engine provided you keep on top of it.

[jsims1]

arj7 said:

Realistically how long could the engine last?
Tbf I want to get a 100k mileage or something and then Il get it fully checked out and replace bits that need doing I want it to run well.

There's a Youtuber I watch who bought one several months ago on a little less than 190k miles. It's now done somewhere close to 195k miles and he's just upgraded the turbo to ko4 and it's mapped to ~350BHP
I don't think you should be worried about 100k miles!

[moxy89]

i own an S3 8P, also dsg. as above the cam follower needs replacing, timing chain can rattle, good solid engine and with a ko4 turbo can hit some strong numbers, the early deg boxes were pants though

[JM]

arj7 said:

I am interested in a golf GTi but open to other suggestions.
My preference is DSG and 5 doors and that's about it.

Where about in the country are you?

I have a Mk5 GTi, 5 door, DSG. That I'm thinking of selling.

[pinin_prestatyn]

jsims1 said:

There's a Youtuber I watch who bought one several months ago on a little less than 190k miles. It's now done somewhere close to 195k miles and he's just upgraded the turbo to ko4 and it's mapped to ~350BHP
I don't think you should be worried about 100k miles!

Another TR Hamza fan here! Check out Jack Scarlett’s channel for good Mk5 content too.