MK4 Golf GTI, opinions?

mloc123

Anyone have thoughs or opinions on the 1.8T GTI, The 150BHP model?

I presume they are reliable etc. being a VW, any problems to look out for when buying them?

Insurance wise has anyone any experience? They are a group 10 car which isn't that high.

FX Meister

Get the 180 bhp model, it's much better than the 150. They are harder to find here though. What year were you after?

mloc123

I'm looking to get a 2000 or 20001 1.8 Turbo model(150bhp not the 180bhp). Found quite a few turbo ones on carzone, quite cheap too (about 8-9k) when compared to 1.4s going for the same money. They are also cheaper to insure than the 2 litre non tubo

endplate

I have a 2002 150hp GTI. It's not a bad little workhorse. When you drive carefully you can get 33-36 mpg. When you open it up it responds very well apart from the turbo lag at low revs which is normal. 2nd and 3rd gears are best. I have had a few problems Altenator wiring had to be replaced cos a fuse above my battery kept melting due to a faulty connector. Replaced a ignition coil a few months ago (very easy to change out and get) I keep a spare coil in the car now along with a diagnostic device just in case.

Get the occasional little fault too when I adjust the left door mirror the right one moves too but luckily the right one moves on it's own so it's not a problem. The passenger window needs assistance closing now. And in cold weather the dash lights blink sometimes when the engine is cold

colm_mcm

endplate wrote:

Get the occasional little fault too when I adjust the left door mirror the right one moves too but luckily the right one moves on it's own so it's not a problem.

All Golfs do this, it's not a fault.

Big Balls

Jesus I've heard it all now.

"Get the turbo model, it's much better. They are harder to find here though. What year were you after?"

MKIV GTIs are ten a penny these days. The MKIV GTI ONLY came with a turbo!! :rolleyes:

"Get the occasional little fault too when I adjust the left door mirror the right one moves too but luckily the right one moves on it's own so it's not a problem."

They're meant to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

OP - they're not a bad old car, 150 bhp is underpowered but a remap can sort that. Brakes are pretty good on them, wooden trim is gank but you can always put the 25th Anniversary GTI trim in it.

The main downside on them is handling. It's awful.

bazz26

mloc123 wrote:

I'm looking to get a 2000 or 20001 1.8 Turbo model(150bhp not the 180bhp). Found quite a few turbo ones on carzone, quite cheap too (about 8-9k) when compared to 1.4s going for the same money. They are also cheaper to insure than the 2 litre non tubo

I thought the MkIV Golf GTi only came in 1.8 litre and both 150bhp and 180bhp versions had a turbo?

Also have a look in the UK for one, probably pick a higher spec one up over for the same as a basic spec one here. Also generally UK cars tend to be better looked after than Irish ones.

I know you didn't ask about a diesel but did you consider a Golf GT TDi? They made a 150bhp version of the 1.9 TDi, very quick car and they are more common in the UK than here but it has a similar spec as the 1.8 GTi. Might be worth considering as an alternative if you like diesels.

endplate

Big Balls wrote:

"Get the occasional little fault too when I adjust the left door mirror the right one moves too but luckily the right one moves on it's own so it's not a problem."

They're meant to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:

No need to be an ars@ about it jeesus :rolleyes:. If so why don't you enlighten us as to why?

I couldn't see a reason why this would be deliberatly designed in so assumed it was a fault with the switch but wasn't bothered about it as the right mirror moved on it own when right on the switch was selected

Big Balls

Ah come on, if you're going to buy a car, at least read about the equipment on it!!

The reason for it is generally, if you are adjusting one mirror you want the other side to line up. There's no point in having one mirror aiming one way and the other somewhere else.

My MKIV GTI did it, my MKV GTI does it.. all Golfs do it.. is that enough to convince you?!

endplate

Ok fair enough but why the smart attitude? This is my first Golf and it's not something you check when ever you sit into another Golf. And plus I didn't notice it had this 'feature' until recently. I was adjusting the mirrors one day and I was getting confused cos both were moving. In fairness it seems a bit pointless.

Big Balls

Endplate.. you're blaming VWs electronics on something you just didn't understand.

Then there's a fella telling people that GTIs are hard to find in Ireland and he should go and get a turbo one!!

The original poster was trying to get info on one with a view to buying, both yourself and FX man have given him nothing but bullsh*t as advice!!! THAT's the reason for my "attitude".

NiSmO

This post has been deleted.

Cyrus

actually vw badged the 2.0 gti aswell its a non turbo 115bhp engine and wouldnt pull the skin from an orange

anyway i have a 01 1.8t in silver (bought late dec with 35000 miles for 14k), fitted koni shocks and eibach springs to improve the stance and the handling and fitted 18" BBS CH rims

this is the result



A pretty tasty car if i say so myself (skirts fitted when i bought it, ill be taking them off as soon as poss)

I have also had an engine remap and she is now making 200bhp roughly and is properly quick not just kinda quick, my friend has a mkv and in a straight line there is nothing in it, in the twisties give me his any day but then it cost him 37.5k

Anyway my advice would be to get one with a decent service history that looks well looked after, id also recommend the recaro leathers if you can get em, they look great and will help at selling on time



Some more BBS pimpage



Finally beware any ones that are cheaper, they are cheaper for a reason and you'll pay it out in the long run, also if buying from a dealer insist they change the MAF which will most likely not have been changed previously and itll b shagged leading to lower performance

Any questions ask and also have a look at the seat leon 1.8t and the skoda octavia vrs, same platform and engine

mloc123

Thanks Cyrus for the advice, having read all the posts yours is the only one with decent info

The average price for a 99 with about 60k miles is about 9k, cheaper ones for 8k so I guess they should be in decent condition. Is the MAF sensor problem a common one and is it easily reconised when driving? Poor acceleration, hesitation etc..?

Did a simple remap get it to 200bhp, was it an aftermarket chip fitted?

Looked for SEAT leons aswell but they aren't as common.

Cyrus

ah theres advice scattered above but not what ur looking for, to be fair big balls is a former 1.8t owner

the remap is a simple process, takes about 20mins if u arent getting a rolling road type one done (not much point really unless u are going for serious gains)

The engine type in the 99 is slightly different than the 01+ cars and as such a remap wont yield as much but u should still hit 190 bhp

MAF sensor is a funny one, you only realise how different it feels when theres a new one fitted, i fitted a new one last week and its a big difference, the main thing is no hesitancy in the turbo. the remap magnified the problem as it was putting out more power and you felt the hesitancy more.

on the leons they only really look nice with the cupra kit which wasnt fitted til 02/03 on

Neilw

I brought a 2003 leon cupra in from the Uk a while ago, nice car, quick ish (180 bhp). Handles ok.
Basically the same as a 180bhp golf gti or vrs octavia.
Will be upgrading suspension and possibly a remap at some stage.

Neil.

Big Balls

There was no 115 bhp GTI in Ireland. It was badged as a 2.0, only in the UK was it called a GTI, stupidly.

Big Balls

NiSmO wrote:

This post has been deleted.

FX Meister

Big Balls wrote:

Endplate.. you're blaming VWs electronics on something you just didn't understand.

Then there's a fella telling people that GTIs are hard to find in Ireland and he should go and get a turbo one!!

The original poster was trying to get info on one with a view to buying, both yourself and FX man have given him nothing but bullsh*t as advice!!! THAT's the reason for my "attitude".

I was under the impression that the 150bhp Gti was non turbo and the 180 was turbo. Going by what a dealer told me and figures on the gti and the gt red i from the VW site. Maybe you should learn to read though. I never said Gti's were hard to find as you thought. There is a lot more of the 150bhp ones on the market than the 180bhp. FACT

mloc123

Might be pointless now as it seems quinn will not quote me on one.

Looking at something powered my the 1.8 20v VAG engine now, Passat/Toledo/Leon

They put out 125Bhp, with no turbo lag I'd say they should be well enough matched with the Gti(Not as fast but not too far off).

FX Meister

Have you tried other insurance companies? What age are you? How much NCB?

mloc123

22, no ncb, very few companies want me

Have 3 years named driving and have been with quinn 3 months now so I wanted to stay with them to build up my ncb.

FX Meister

I can understand them not quoting you I guess. Just get something a little tamer for a couple of years then move up.

mloc123

Yeah, I think the Toledo is a good stepping stone.

mrbungle

mloc123 wrote:

Might be pointless now as it seems quinn will not quote me on one.

Looking at something powered my the 1.8 20v VAG engine now, Passat/Toledo/Leon

They put out 125Bhp, with no turbo lag I'd say they should be well enough matched with the Gti(Not as fast but not too far off).

1.8 20v VAG engine:

Audi A3 ? Just trade my 97 A3 1.8 SE 20v, 125bhp, nice and nippy ride !!

mloc123

mrbungle wrote:

1.8 20v VAG engine:

Audi A3 ? Just trade my 97 A3 1.8 SE 20v, 125bhp, nice and nippy ride !!

You'd recommend something with the 1.8 20v then?

Cyrus

FX Meister wrote:

I was under the impression that the 150bhp Gti was non turbo and the 180 was turbo. Going by what a dealer told me and figures on the gti and the gt red i from the VW site. Maybe you should learn to read though. I never said Gti's were hard to find as you thought. There is a lot more of the 150bhp ones on the market than the 180bhp. FACT

you should know by know most dealers dont know diddly squat, the 150 and 180 engine is the same engine in a different state of tune, thats the reason a 400 euro remap gets my 150bhp engine to 200bhp+

Cyrus

mloc123 wrote:

Might be pointless now as it seems quinn will not quote me on one.

Looking at something powered my the 1.8 20v VAG engine now, Passat/Toledo/Leon

They put out 125Bhp, with no turbo lag I'd say they should be well enough matched with the Gti(Not as fast but not too far off).

my mate has an older mkiv with this engine, its not bad but nowhere near the 150 turbo, while there is a little turbo lag the torque makes up for it

if i was you id try a tdi golf, pref the 110/130 pd version

Henry Ford III

Cyrus wrote:

you should know by know most dealers dont know diddly squat, the 150 and 180 engine is the same engine in a different state of tune, thats the reason a 400 euro remap gets my 150bhp engine to 200bhp+

I hope you informed your insurer of this significant mod.

The brakes, transmmission and suspension were not designed for a 33% increase in power, and it may become "marginal" safety wise.

Cyrus

thats my business

suspension has been uprated, brakes on the 150 and 180 bhp are the same so they are fine for 200bhp as is the transmission

i wouldnt have done this without researching it first but thanks for the concern

Henry Ford III

It's not a problem.

How much did your premium go up by? I'd imagine it was significant.

Cyrus

nothing actually

strangely enough hibernian charge the same ins on the 125bhp/150bhp T and 180bhp t 1.820v engines

they asked me to send a bhp print out at renewal time

Eoin

Are you sure the GTi didn't come in a 2.0 litre normally aspirated version?

Anyhow:

mloc123 wrote:

I presume they are reliable etc. being a VW, any problems to look out for when buying them?

VW reliability is a bit of a myth (certainly in the Golf anyway) - they are by no means as reliable as people seem to think. You probably won't have any major problems, but there will be a few annoying little issues that may crop up - like changing rear bulbs every month or so, dirty throttle cable etc.

Henry Ford III

It also seems (from various posts here) that servicing is rather pricey on them too.

I like Golfs btw. Particularly the newest GTI's.

Cyrus

i normally try and find a good independent thats well recommended by a number of people, for the golf im using a garage called JOMO in westmeath, when i had my alfa i used ti autos in dublin

but then i dont buy new cars?

mloc123

eoin_s wrote:

Are you sure the GTi didn't come in a 2.0 litre normally aspirated version?

Anyhow:


VW reliability is a bit of a myth (certainly in the Golf anyway) - they are by no means as reliable as people seem to think. You probably won't have any major problems, but there will be a few annoying little issues that may crop up - like changing rear bulbs every month or so, dirty throttle cable etc.

The Golf did come in a 2.0 na too, I think its mentioned above. 115Bhp, which is lower than the 1.8 20v non turbos VW really need to start tuning their engines a bit better.

mloc123

Britton Insurance just sent me this:

"We thank you for your submission for a Car Insurance Quotation and after reviewing your details manually we are now able to offer you the following quotation:2552.31 Euro based on this months rates. Terms and Conditions Apply"

Not too bad, the Gti might still be an option

chrismon

mloc123 wrote:

Might be pointless now as it seems quinn will not quote me on one.

Looking at something powered my the 1.8 20v VAG engine now, Passat/Toledo/Leon

They put out 125Bhp, with no turbo lag I'd say they should be well enough matched with the Gti(Not as fast but not too far off).

Im driving a 1.8 20v Toledo and its very quick and handles well too :cool:

mloc123

Standard non turbo toledo? They seem nice, can get insured on it for €1200 too....still I'd like the turbo too

VeVeX

Cyrus wrote:

you should know by know most dealers dont know diddly squat, the 150 and 180 engine is the same engine in a different state of tune, thats the reason a 400 euro remap gets my 150bhp engine to 200bhp+

The 180bhp 20v actually has a K03s turbocharger. The 150bhp have the low preasure K03 turbo. So there is in fact mechanical differances between the two engines. Diddly what? .

An observation would be to read up a bit on the mechanics before getting a remap done. At least that way you will have an idea whats going on under the bonnet to achive these performace increases.

One bit of advice after getting the job done on the K03 based engine (or any engine) is to leave the car running for at least two minutes after driving to allow the oil to continue circulating while the turbo cools.

The performace improvment between the n/a 20v and even the 150bhp turbo has to be experianced. Its the torque that makes the differance.

Cyrus

you would be right mr vevex if i didnt have the aum engine (fitted to all 1.8t from late 2000 on)

therefore i have the KO3s turbo so it was diddly squat i referred to

and of course i read up on the mechanics

Thanks for the input tho, thats why the gains on the aum engines after a remap are about 10-15bhp better than the older ko3 engines

Big Balls

FX Meister wrote:

Going by what a dealer told me and figures on the gti and the gt red i from the VW site.

I doubt it.

FX Meister wrote:

Maybe you should learn to read though.

Maybe you should learn about your cars before quoting rubbish as gospel! And you did - before you edited it.

FX Meister wrote:

There is a lot more of the 150bhp ones on the market than the 180bhp. FACT

Woooooooo... you got something right.. are ya chuffed?!!

mloc123

Anyway, to drag this a bit back on topic...

I'm looking at 99/00 GTIs with 60-80k on them, what problems should I look out for on them? The engines are goo for 150k I presume but how do the turbos hold up? I presume they run on quite low boost so the strain shouldn't be too hard on them.

Whas the re-sell value like on them? In 2 years will I get to trade it/sell it will I get 5k with 80-100k on it? (Impossible to say for sure but does anyone know the trade in on a 98 golf now with 100k?)

mrbungle

mloc123 wrote:

Anyway, to drag this a bit back on topic...

I'm looking at 99/00 GTIs with 60-80k on them, what problems should I look out for on them? The engines are goo for 150k I presume but how do the turbos hold up? I presume they run on quite low boost so the strain shouldn't be too hard on them.

Whas the re-sell value like on them? In 2 years will I get to trade it/sell it will I get 5k with 80-100k on it? (Impossible to say for sure but does anyone know the trade in on a 98 golf now with 100k?)

1 of the 1st things I'd check for is service history and then timing belt to see if has been changed.

Next thing would be the ass grove, whethere there is any malleabilty in the drivers seat.

Big Balls

I reckon you might be lucky to get 5k for it in 2 years yeh.

Turbos lasting into 150k plus is something which is not guaranteed though.

Coil packs and window regulators have all been mentioned earlier in the thread.