MK4 Golf GT TDI 130 Opinions? Owners?
Discussion
Have you driven one? OP when they were new I drove one it was awful, I assume your after a sporty drive, this car will not give you that, it felt heavy and handled like a Comer van, I dont know about reliability or ecomomy but the drive was enough to finish it in my eyes, find one and test drive it, have a look at alternetives would be my advice.
This is of course just my opinion
This is of course just my opinion
Edited by rumple on Tuesday 12th February 19:14
They dont drive that badly, the handling is stodgy but the engine pulls well and the interior is nice, most are pretty well worn by now as they have not been amade for a long time and were bought to do big mileages, pretty economical as long as you dont get any engine bother, generally reliable abut a lot are clocked and have done 200k.
Old and almost certainly poor value, as people seem to go mad for the the VW badge which really inflates the price of anything remotely tidy. For the Golf, the Mk4 was as bad as it got in terms of driving dynamics, if you want anything remotely sporty then this absolutely is not the car for you.
The engine is mostly fine, it has the older PD engine so as long as it's had the correct oil, changed when it should be, then you are down to the normal diesel issues of DMF and turbo as the miles rack up.
General built quality is not great, things like window regulators breaking are very common (actually almost inevitable...it will happen at some stage), and central locking motors seem to pack up quite often.
Wishbone bushes don't seem to last long, though worn ones tend to add a bit of excitement to the extreme dullness.
The engine is mostly fine, it has the older PD engine so as long as it's had the correct oil, changed when it should be, then you are down to the normal diesel issues of DMF and turbo as the miles rack up.
General built quality is not great, things like window regulators breaking are very common (actually almost inevitable...it will happen at some stage), and central locking motors seem to pack up quite often.
Wishbone bushes don't seem to last long, though worn ones tend to add a bit of excitement to the extreme dullness.
J4CKO said:
They dont drive that badly, the handling is stodgy but the engine pulls well and the interior is nice, most are pretty well worn by now as they have not been amade for a long time and were bought to do big mileages, pretty economical as long as you dont get any engine bother, generally reliable abut a lot are clocked and have done 200k.
That seems to cover it. I had a 150 when they were new and quite liked it. I have had many mk4 Golfs from an R32 to a lowly 1.4 and everything in between.
My current daily is a 150 GT TDI.
Members on PH constantly slate the stodgy chassis, and dull drive, its no 1 series BMW but its certainly isn't the worst I have driven, entertaining its not, but as a safe family car to cover miles, it takes a lot of beating.
As for poor build quality, that's just utter bulls
t, the mk4 is built better than most rivals of a similar age, window regulators failed but the plastic clips were replaced with metal ones, air flow meters, door modules can pack in but all in all they are a very robust car, and certainly hide their age well.
Here's mine, I paid peanuts for this car, all things considered, and IMO the quality of the cabin is second to none for its age 107k with not a squeak, clunk or rattle
My current daily is a 150 GT TDI.
Members on PH constantly slate the stodgy chassis, and dull drive, its no 1 series BMW but its certainly isn't the worst I have driven, entertaining its not, but as a safe family car to cover miles, it takes a lot of beating.
As for poor build quality, that's just utter bulls
t, the mk4 is built better than most rivals of a similar age, window regulators failed but the plastic clips were replaced with metal ones, air flow meters, door modules can pack in but all in all they are a very robust car, and certainly hide their age well. Here's mine, I paid peanuts for this car, all things considered, and IMO the quality of the cabin is second to none for its age 107k with not a squeak, clunk or rattle
Excellent fast road mile munchers (motorways/duals) and cruise very nicely due to the fairly long gearing, but they're not towny cars at all. They feel VERY front end heavy and you get understeer ALL the time. They just do not like corners or bends at all so you can completely forget any back road hooning unless you like looking at the road from an upside down position in a ditch. They earned their name of being a boat on wheels because when you come to a stop at a junction or some lights there is a short boat-like rocking motion after the car has already come to a stop. 
The eat front wishbones for breakfast, dinner and tea and unless you like (more) vague(r) steering (than normal) they need replacing on a regular basis, but they're pretty cheap to do.
Reliability wise, my 2002 vintage 140k PD130 GT has had absolutely nothing go wrong with it except a slightly split CV boot. Actually I tell a lie as my rear washer pipe has stopped working although I can hear the washer fluid being squirted somewhere in the tailgate
.
There's a lot of high milers for sale and I say don't be put off by them. The PD110s and 130s are generally pretty bulletproof and if they sound alright and go alright they are usually alright! Oh and they seem to be very well rust-proofed vs a lot of other makes too. Mine is completely rust-free.
The eat front wishbones for breakfast, dinner and tea and unless you like (more) vague(r) steering (than normal) they need replacing on a regular basis, but they're pretty cheap to do.
Reliability wise, my 2002 vintage 140k PD130 GT has had absolutely nothing go wrong with it except a slightly split CV boot. Actually I tell a lie as my rear washer pipe has stopped working although I can hear the washer fluid being squirted somewhere in the tailgate
.There's a lot of high milers for sale and I say don't be put off by them. The PD110s and 130s are generally pretty bulletproof and if they sound alright and go alright they are usually alright! Oh and they seem to be very well rust-proofed vs a lot of other makes too. Mine is completely rust-free.
Edited by All that jazz on Tuesday 12th February 21:01
My other in law had an estate one, an auto and only 105 bhp but a solid enough thing, I borrowed it a few times and I remember punting it into a corner and it astounded me what a dollop it was, it was still fairly new but it felt baggy, it floped over and the tyres howled in complaint, the more powerful ones were a bit better but it was a shock how wallowy and bouncy it seemed for a moden european car, it felt more like some old American grandad mobile, but it did have a rather good ride as some consolation.
martin mrt said:
Members on PH constantly slate the stodgy chassis, and dull drive, its no 1 series BMW but its certainly isn't the worst I have driven, entertaining its not, but as a safe family car to cover miles, it takes a lot of beating.
Drive one back to back with e.g. a Focus, and the Ford will feel like a supercar in terms of the chassis. We have an old Octavia estate as a family workhorse which is pretty much Mk4 Golf throughout, but for some reason it feels somewhat nicer to drive than a Golf (hatch at least). Possibly the extra rear weight bias helps it. Obviously the window regulators have all failed at some stage, and a couple of door motors...tommyt01 said:
I'm currently looking at one that's done 88k or so it's says, what would be a good alternative to the golf?
If you're happy with this platform why not try the arguably more interesting Seat Leon (or Toledo for even more value).My parents had a petrol Toledo and although it was a dull car it was solid with a hard wearing interior, and yes the interiors are very similar.
Had a mate follow me in my 182 in his golf mk4down some B roads... He ended up in a field. That pretty much says it all about the chassis of the golf (And his driving )
That being said, they remap REALLY well, but I'd be weary of the condition of the turbo (regardless if intending to map or not) as a friend (different one, another 130 tdi) had his let go at ~90k.
)That being said, they remap REALLY well, but I'd be weary of the condition of the turbo (regardless if intending to map or not) as a friend (different one, another 130 tdi) had his let go at ~90k.
Mr2Mike said:
martin mrt said:
Members on PH constantly slate the stodgy chassis, and dull drive, its no 1 series BMW but its certainly isn't the worst I have driven, entertaining its not, but as a safe family car to cover miles, it takes a lot of beating.
Drive one back to back with e.g. a Focus, and the Ford will feel like a supercar in terms of the chassis. We have an old Octavia estate as a family workhorse which is pretty much Mk4 Golf throughout, but for some reason it feels somewhat nicer to drive than a Golf (hatch at least). Possibly the extra rear weight bias helps it. Obviously the window regulators have all failed at some stage, and a couple of door motors...Each and every mk4 I've went into it knowing that its chassis is its weak point, however I did not buy any of them to be a polished driving tool, I bought them to use as daily drivers that are comfortable to sit in, give a decent turn of speed and an ability to cover miles easily, without fuss and return decent mpg, they have all done that with ease.
If the handling bothers you that much, a koni adjustable suspension kit , with eibach front and rear anti roll bars, and some tweaked front suspension geometry transforms them.
Their appetite for suspension bushes can be alarming, however at £10 per bush it isn't exactly wallet breaking.
Gaz. said:
martin mrt said:
As for poor build quality, that's just utter bullst,
The search results from the ukmkiv golf forum would disagree with you. A substantial percentage of cars have dire build problems. Some cars are rock solid, others are not, a semi autonomous 24/7 production facility should have better quality control than '50/50'.t, For every 1 person on the Internet moaning about their car there is usually 10 others satisfied. The mk4 has niggly faults, every car does, however placed side by side with many of its direct rivals it beats them hands down in the build quality segment
This is possibly why we see more older golfs still in existence than its rivals, for every single golf in a scrap yard today, i can usually count 4-5 focus, Astra or civic, I can't remember when I last seen an early example of any of its rivals on the road, I see early golfs on an almost daily basis at home.
martin mrt said:
Mr2Mike said:
martin mrt said:
Members on PH constantly slate the stodgy chassis, and dull drive, its no 1 series BMW but its certainly isn't the worst I have driven, entertaining its not, but as a safe family car to cover miles, it takes a lot of beating.
Drive one back to back with e.g. a Focus, and the Ford will feel like a supercar in terms of the chassis. We have an old Octavia estate as a family workhorse which is pretty much Mk4 Golf throughout, but for esome reason it feels somewhat nicer to drive than a Golf (hatch at least). Possibly the extra rear weight bias helps it. Obviously the window regulators have all failed at some stage, and a couple of door motors...Each and every mk4 I've went into it knowing that its chassis is its weak point, however I did not buy any of them to be a polished driving tool, I bought them to use as daily drivers that are comfortable to sit in, give a decent turn of speed and an ability to cover miles easily, without fuss and return decent mpg, they have all done that with ease.
If the handling bothers you that much, a koni adjustable suspension kit , with eibach front and rear anti roll bars, and some tweaked front suspension geometry transforms them.
Their appetite for suspension bushes can be alarming, however at £10 per bush it isn't exactly wallet breaking.
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