Best Golf for £5-6k?

[The Stiglet]

Looking for a family run around that my wife can learn to drive and gain some experience in. I'd also use the car so it would be nice to have a little bit of poke and some character. We'd have the car for a year or two and I wouldn't scrimp on servicing, consumables etc. Our annual mileage is negligible at around 3,000 miles but reliability is very important.

I've been been looking at:

Golf Mk V GTI
Golf Mk VI 1.4 TSI SE (turbo)
Golf Mk VI 1.4 TSI GT (supercharged/turbo)

I really like the TSI GT but have read the engine horror stories. Is it a total no go based on my criteria? Which leaves me with the 120bhp 1.4 TSI turbo - thoughts?

Then there is the Mk V GTI...

Your recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

[The Stiglet]

va1o said:

I wouldn't bother with the Mk6 1.4 TSI, they're just too problematic so it would be a high risk buy. The timing chain design is fundamentally flawed. The Mk5 GTI is great fun and more reliable but getting old now.

Might be worth looking at some alternatives, e.g. the current shape Leon can be had for £5-6k now and is based on the Golf Mk7. The latest EA211 incarnation of the 1.4 TSI is a fantastic engine and seems much more durable than it's predecessors.

This FR has a few miles on the clock for it's age but looks great value for money

Or an extra £1k would get you into the latest Audi A3


Oddly the Mk7 GT is quite a bit more expensive than both of those, maybe because they didn't sell many of them

Thanks for the suggestions but I've discounted these already for a few reasons. I just can't stand the look of the Leon, no matter how good it might actually be (perhaps madness on my part) and I've just sold an S4 so I'm happy to move on from Audi for a while. Those examples you linked to above also have a significant amount of mileage on them as well as being above budget.

I think £5-6k is the sweet spot considering the use case. Sorry to hear that you think the MkVI 1.4 TSI is a total no go.

[The Stiglet]

g7jhp, bigvanfan

Been looking at the MkV GTI on autotrader for a couple of weeks and I noticed that even good examples seem to have rust on the sill behind the front wheel arch - is that a common thing? I've read about rust on the wheel arch. Bolsters really seem to get a kicking on the cloth seats but I do love the tartan! Reminds me of the MKI GTI we had as a kid.

What should I budget for maintenance per annum on one of these?

[The Stiglet]

va1o said:

The Stiglet said:

I think £5-6k is the sweet spot considering the use case.

I'm not sure I agree, as for just a little extra you're into a MK7 which is a significantly better car and really moved the game forward. If you want a Mk5/ MK6 then I would say £3k is sufficient as they're old cars now.

I ran a Mk5 GTI for a few months in 2014. It was an amazing car but felt a little tired and cost me about £1k in maintenance over 6 months. Some of that was normal stuff you'd expect like tyres/ brakes, but also lots of little GTI specific things like the Diverter Valve, DSG oil, CV joints and AC Compressor.

If I was spending £5-6k on a VW I'd probably buy a Scirocco as it at least looks a bit more fresh and modern than the others. But then you're back to the problematic 1.4 TSI!

Each to there own though

I hear what you’re saying but given that the last time she drove a car 15 years ago, she drove it through her garage door because she confused the accelerator and the brake pedal - I have concerns about my investment!
If everything works out fine then after a year we can look to flip it for something else or keep it if she likes it.
We have a two year old and are planning on more so I’m seeing this as a short window to get the licence out of the way and a bit of fun motoring for me. I did look at the Scirocco too (2.0 TSI) and was hoping that engine would be safe but the car is too small as we need the 5 seats now and again.

Dr G, I told you when I sold you my S4 at the weekend that this would be tough to make a decision!

Edited by The Stiglet on Tuesday 13th November 21:22

[The Stiglet]

va1o has messed with my plan...

So let's say the budget crept a bit to circa £9.5k - what would you pick between a MkVI GTI or MkVII Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI (122 Match)? I've only seen one MkVII GT in that price range and I'd prefer that but not sure it's a ready option up to £9.5k.

[The Stiglet]

If the chain tensioner had been replaced with the updated part and included guides etc on a Mk6 1.4 twincharger, would you still avoid? Or would it be reasonable to assume it would be good for a few years? Before you ask, the tensioner was replaced due to chain rattle by the selling tradesman. I guess the next logical question might be whether damage had already occurred to the engine already...

What a minefield.

So I tried a low mileage Alfa Giulietta at the weekend being sold privately by a fellow PH'er. Was nice, surprisingly pretty - I thought the engine had decent torque but it wasn't as quick as the reviews had led me to believe. Handled pretty well but rattled like a pirate's fillings Perhaps too Italian for me but you're getting a much newer car with more toys and an engine that doesn't nuke itself. Which made me question why MK6 residuals are still so good.

Potentially seeing a Mk5 GTI tomorrow and then will make a call on whether to save more for the Mk7 or not.

[The Stiglet]

Bought the Mk5 GTI

What a laugh!

[The Stiglet]

sunnygym said:

Congrats, Any pics or plans ?

Enjoy

New cambelt and general check up booked with The Phirm who had previously looked after the car until 70,000 miles. I've ordered some new boot struts as they aren't up to the job and also bought some wiper blades!

It's quite an interesting story actually, I bought from a small car dealer near Oxford who bought it at auction from a Mini dealer. It's a one owner, 3 door GTI in Shadow Blue from 2005 with 94,000 miles on it. Totally full service booklet as the car was serviced annually and meticulously by the previous owner. There were no invoices or receipts but only two specialists in the book so I started calling around.

I quickly built up the history as both garages remember the car well and the previous owner due to it's good condition. I then tracked the owner down through a Google search and we had a long chat. He had traded it in for a new Cooper S and the GTI had a massive history file with all receipts and work invoices but clearly, the dealer just binned it before sending to auction. I'm assuming this was down to GDPR but it's a real shame. Anyway, I'm hoping to get some printed copies from the two garages and build it back myself.

I'll try and get some photos this weekend up but I'm very happy so far and really impressed with the ride quality, steering feel and performance. It's making my previous 2013 Audi S4 seem like a very blunt instrument in comparison and the GTI's seats are way more comfortable!