Time to change the GTI

TFP

Ive had a MkV GTi from new for two years now and unfortunatly feel I have to make a change.

As much as I love the car, it's not practical for my lifestyle, 6month old, dog and a good few more miles to be driven.

I have decided that I need an estate car, just seems to be the option with all the crap that comes with carting a baby and dog around.

It must be diesel for consumption reasons and it needs a bit of poke, couldn't go back to something too much slower.

My Golf is a 07, 5 door, DSG with Leather, I don't envisage a problem selling it privatey, not sure of what I would get for it .... but over all I would have the Golf plus about 10K to put towards a different car.

I would really like going for a new car or at least no older than 12 months for warranty and the wife's reasons.

So ... what I am asking is to throw some options at me! I have driven an older shaped Mondeo ST TCDi and loved it, but looking at a new estate version is about €40K and there does not seem to be too many nearly new ones around!

smash

07 5dr golf gti.... there's 1 with a dealer for €18,950 and one with a private seller for €23,500 - I'd match the dealer price or even go better than it.

logie101

GO for a Skoda Octavia RS estate with a DSG earbox. Great car with plenty of go.

TFP

logie101 wrote: »

GO for a Skoda Octavia RS estate with a DSG earbox. Great car with plenty of go.

have another read of the first post, I said I needed something diesel, i've been driving the 2.0t getting about 21-26mpg for the last two years and need to be getting better than that.

Also, having 33,000miles on the clock and going for the third set of front tyres, I don't need things to be that quick, just a nice bit of poke!!

david

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Subaru/Impreza/Diesel-b/200902191423186/advert?channel=CARS

I'd get this with a LOT of change for a remap.

Best value in new diesel estates at the moment by a fair bit

TFP

david wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Subaru/Impreza/Diesel-b/200902191423186/advert?channel=CARS

I'd get this with a LOT of change for a remap.

Best value in new diesel estates at the moment by a fair bit

Ugly as sin .. mind you the legacy is probably an option, but I'm not sure about 4x4, pointless for what I would want the car for and just a waste of diesel!

caze

If I was you this is what I'd be looking at

Legacy diesel estate
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200841190321089

Octavia VRS diesel estate
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200926194429035

Anan1

TFP wrote: »

have another read of the first post, I said I needed something diesel

The Octavia RS is available in both petrol and diesel. Always be sure before being smart.;)

.Longshanks.

david wrote: »

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Subaru/Impreza/Diesel-b/200902191423186/advert?channel=CARS

I'd get this with a LOT of change for a remap.

Best value in new diesel estates at the moment by a fair bit

Theres probably more room in the golf than that Impreza

TFP

actually .. I have mentally blocked the Octavia out of my head, since getting the GTi all I hear from people is 'should have gotten a VRS, same car, bigger boot and better price' ..... and it's got manky looking green brakes!!!

To be honest, the wife wouldn't drive a Skoda, say all you like a Scoda just won't be pulling up our driveway !!!

TFP

Longshanks100 wrote: »

Theres probably more room in the golf than that Impreza

Room is an issue alright, that is why I was looking at the like of the Mondeo.

Just to be clear, I'm not looking for a rocketship, just something that will pull me out of bed in the morning comfortably !!!

.Longshanks.

Maybe totally off the pace here but what about this
€24,500

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Alfa-Romeo/159/(150-Bhp/200929194642332/advert?channel=CARS


or this for €26,500

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Saab/9-3/ESTATE-1/200848191023995/advert?channel=CARS

TestTransmission

TFP wrote: »

actually .. I have mentally blocked the Octavia out of my head, since getting the GTi all I hear from people is 'should have gotten a VRS, same car, bigger boot and better price' ..... and it's got manky looking green brakes!!!

To be honest, the wife wouldn't drive a Skoda, say all you like a Scoda just won't be pulling up our driveway !!!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and yah,u should of got a VRS :pac:

TFP

that's a saloon

I have thought about the Alfa, but they seem to be pretty small, what tax band does their 2.4jtd fall in to?

I did consider the Alfa GT before the GTi, but it just didn't seem as solid as the Golf and I didn't think it would age well at the time

TFP

jackncoke wrote: »

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and yah,u should of got a VRS :pac:

and uglyness can be seen by everyone !

Biro

Passat 170 estate?

TomMc

TFP wrote: »

Ugly as sin .. mind you the legacy is probably an option, but I'm not sure about 4x4, pointless for what I would want the car for and just a waste of diesel!

AWD isn't pointless nor is it just for people driving in fields / snow / pulling caravans or horseboxes. Compared to most FWD or RWD cars it is more surefooted on our twisty / wet roads. So very much a safety feature for the sake of a few mpg. It also offers a more refined driving experience than most (generic) FWD cars in its segment.

paddydriver

TFP wrote: »

Ive had a MkV GTi from new for two years now and unfortunatly feel I have to make a change.

As much as I love the car, it's not practical for my lifestyle, 6month old, dog and a good few more miles to be driven.

I have decided that I need an estate car, just seems to be the option with all the crap that comes with carting a baby and dog around.

It must be diesel for consumption reasons and it needs a bit of poke, couldn't go back to something too much slower.

My Golf is a 07, 5 door, DSG with Leather, I don't envisage a problem selling it privatey, not sure of what I would get for it .... but over all I would have the Golf plus about 10K to put towards a different car.

I would really like going for a new car or at least no older than 12 months for warranty and the wife's reasons.

So ... what I am asking is to throw some options at me! I have driven an older shaped Mondeo ST TCDi and loved it, but looking at a new estate version is about €40K and there does not seem to be too many nearly new ones around!

You could always just shoot the dog, but the baby in kennels for 2 weeks and go spend your 10k on a good holiday. Then come back and continue to enjoy the GTI:p

Really though... we have a GTI, 2 kids and 2 dogs... Have had all in GTI on a few occasions. Smell was strong but dogs were OK with it.

We just added a Ford S-Max to the convoy and love it. Loads of space, goes forever on a tank of diesel - thrown in is that I have the GTI full time now:D

Lex Luthor

caze wrote: »

If I was you this is what I'd be looking at

Legacy diesel estate
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200841190321089

That legacy is sold...C&R have just not updated their website

I picked up a new legacy diesel estate from C&R today...only have it a few hours and its a superb car. Got it for €27500 cash new with the newer style tunsten alloys and upgraded grill. I think for that money you will not get a better new estate car out there. I don't need 4wd and it doesn't affect the fuel consumption on the legacy with quoted figures of about 50mpg combined

I looked at all the estates out there, apart from the Octavia and this was by far the best choice I could see....

ps Highly recommend the lads in C&R. Gentlemen...!!!

AÆ

Looking outside of what you have talked about....but compromising on year.....( only sample belows..have not had time to look into price/engine/year etc )

Have you looked at a volvo v70.....diesel engines and also the flexi-fuel option



or a BMW 5 series touring diesel




You will need to compromise on year for the above but you will get all the space you want.....and sweet machines aswell

or...if u really need ur space and will compromise on year and fuel economy...volvo xc90



or...lexus rx400 hybrid....

Gumbo

TFP wrote: »

have another read of the first post, I said I needed something diesel, i've been driving the 2.0t getting about 21-26mpg for the last two years and need to be getting better than that.

Also, having 33,000miles on the clock and going for the third set of front tyres, I don't need things to be that quick, just a nice bit of poke!!

TFP wrote: »

actually .. I have mentally blocked the Octavia out of my head, since getting the GTi all I hear from people is 'should have gotten a VRS, same car, bigger boot and better price' ..... and it's got manky looking green brakes!!!

To be honest, the wife wouldn't drive a Skoda, say all you like a Scoda just won't be pulling up our driveway !!!

Octavia VRS is available in a cracking diesel with 170bhp!
and i dont think the VRS Octavia has green brake calipers, the older VRS 1.8T petrol version did though.

OP, whats your total budget? i presume its your golf plus the 10k?
how much to you invisage selling the GTi for?

spartacus93

kceire wrote: »

Octavia VRS is available in a cracking diesel with 170bhp!
and i dont think the VRS Octavia has green brake calipers, the older VRS 1.8T petrol version did though.

OP, whats your total budget? i presume its your golf plus the 10k?
how much to you invisage selling the GTi for?

The calipers on the Diesel RS are Red, and they are green on the petrol.

Personally OP, the Skoda would get my vote every time, but if it's not for you, it's not for you. I wouldn't rule it out tho, fantastic car.

I'm not a big estate car fan, how about an A4 avant?

EDIT: I can't find a single thing on the net to backup my calipers theory! I wasn't making it up was I?!

Zonda999

kceire wrote: »

and i dont think the VRS Octavia has green brake calipers

It did for about a year of the MkII, from 06 to 07, then it got red callipers, until the facelft i assume

Not so sure about the facelift

Cracking car alright though OP.

spartacus93 wrote: »

The calipers on the Diesel RS are Red, and they are green on the petrol.

Oh, maybe thats the case, nearly sure i have seen petrols with red callipers though!

galwaytt

...a couple of things:

1 - most estates aren't actually spacious at all. In most cases, the carrying capacity is the close to the the matching saloon, etc, but getting into the luggage space is easier. I have a stonking 150bhp Saab 9-3 Tid, but if I wanted real space, I'd go back to a Scenic. Actually, that's what I want to do - need to carry a kid's quad and motocross bike - don't want a trailer.

2 - can't understand the knocking of a Skoda, when you're driving the same thing already. Actually, it's well established the Skoda is better....

3 - if you truly want space, the likes of a Scenic or S Max is the answer.

AÆ

galwaytt wrote: »

...a couple of things:

1 - most estates aren't actually spacious at all. In most cases, the carrying capacity is the close to the the matching saloon, etc, but getting into the luggage space is easier. I have a stonking 150bhp Saab 9-3 Tid, but if I wanted real space, I'd go back to a Scenic. Actually, that's what I want to do - need to carry a kid's quad and motocross bike - don't want a trailer.

2 - can't understand the knocking of a Skoda, when you're driving the same thing already. Actually, it's well established the Skoda is better....

3 - if you truly want space, the likes of a Scenic or S Max is the answer.

Some estates do carry more......some don't..........those volvo v60 ( the one based on the focus) dont carry much but an A6 estate can surely handle alot. I used to own a old mercedes estate and that was actually too big.

The A6 Estate is a true load carrier but you would have to look up to see what prices they are going for....

galwaytt

AÆ wrote: »

Some estates do carry more......some don't..........those volvo v60 ( the one based on the focus) dont carry much but an A6 estate can surely handle alot. I used to own a old mercedes estate and that was actually too big.

The A6 Estate is a true load carrier but you would have to look up to see what prices they are going for....

Even that's not that big - the issue is the floor height in the boot - in a lot of them it's too high. Fine if you're carrying long things, but anything with a bit of height is a real pain - e.g. in my case the handlebars, etc. Dogs, OTH, can duck their heads, I grant you.......:p

AÆ

galwaytt wrote: »

Even that's not that big - the issue is the floor height in the boot - in a lot of them it's too high. Fine if you're carrying long things, but anything with a bit of height is a real pain - e.g. in my case the handlebars, etc. Dogs, OTH, can duck their heads, I grant you.......:p

Yep..i am hearing ya ...i am heading to nz and am picking up a mistusubi rvr (gdi engine) as i will be carrying bicycles and a moped...



But this guy needs something for his kid and a dog so the height is not an issue for him

groupb

TFP wrote: »

Ive had a MkV GTi from new for two years now and unfortunatly feel I have to make a change.

As much as I love the car, it's not practical for my lifestyle, 6month old, dog and a good few more miles to be driven.

I have decided that I need an estate car, just seems to be the option with all the crap that comes with carting a baby and dog around.

It must be diesel for consumption reasons and it needs a bit of poke, couldn't go back to something too much slower.

My Golf is a 07, 5 door, DSG with Leather, I don't envisage a problem selling it privatey, not sure of what I would get for it .... but over all I would have the Golf plus about 10K to put towards a different car.

I would really like going for a new car or at least no older than 12 months for warranty and the wife's reasons.

So ... what I am asking is to throw some options at me! I have driven an older shaped Mondeo ST TCDi and loved it, but looking at a new estate version is about €40K and there does not seem to be too many nearly new ones around!

Look at an s-max. Shares the same chassis as the current mondeo , so its bound to be a super drive and you wo'nt be lacking for space.

super106

I CHANGED MY GTI DSG FOR THE VERY SAME OCTAVIA COMBI RS AS THE ONE THAT WAS MENTIONED ABOVE, AND THEY DONT HAVE "MANKY GREEN CALIPERS!!! They are they very same as your golf, and same space with bigger boot and 60mpg along with 302 per year tax. how can you go wrong.


octavia combi rs .

omega man

Op if you think that the Octavia vRS estate looks bad i hope you have a big budget! I drove a vRS saloon in-between BMWs so i cant see where you are coming from with the snobish view, different strokes and all that i suppose. If you rule out the octavia on even just looks then the only estates you will fancy are more than likely BMWs or Audis imo and for a decent performance variant it will cost you alot unless a couple of years old with high miles.

lightening

Octavia Scout, rugged, powerful, strong, 4 wheel drive.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Skoda/Octavia/Scout/200910192044609/advert?channel=CARS

TFP

I've had a couple of test drives and to behonest ... I don't really want to change. The last one to test tomorrow is a A4 Avant, 2009, 2L TDI. It will need to knock my socks off for me to consider stumping up the cash.

What I am leaning to now is, holding on the the GTI (i've just forked out for a service and four new tyres!) ... it's practical, hatchback, five doors, ISOFIX .. and early in the new year buy an older estate, max €10K and have the best of both worlds.

Mind you it is horrific even listening to what the dealers are willing to offer as a trade in on the GTI !!

Biro

TFP wrote: »

I've had a couple of test drives and to behonest ... I don't really want to change. The last one to test tomorrow is a A4 Avant, 2009, 2L TDI. It will need to knock my socks off for me to consider stumping up the cash.

What I am leaning to now is, holding on the the GTI (i've just forked out for a service and four new tyres!) ... it's practical, hatchback, five doors, ISOFIX .. and early in the new year buy an older estate, max €10K and have the best of both worlds.

Mind you it is horrific even listening to what the dealers are willing to offer as a trade in on the GTI !!

We told ya you should keep it! And you're definitely not going to be bowled over by the A4.

leeroybrown

As you've found out the price of a MkV GTi is through the floor at the moment. If you change you'll end up with a slightly more practical car that you dislike by comparison and any saving you could make on fuel or insurance will be eaten up by the trade-up cost.

sk8board

I'm surprised by all the shirt-thumping for the Skoda

I think what it is is that when you're spending your own money, its nice to get a model or a spec that isn't traditionally used as a fleet car.

People who buy Skoda's always spend their time justifying why they didn't buy the passat, A4, Gti or whatever of the same size.

I'd pick a nice A6 sline avant or similar 5-series touring 2-3 years older, rather than the newer skoda, mondeo etc and many others.
You'd import a nice new model 2.2DTec Accord Tourer GT cheaply, but space again is an issue with them.

sk8board

TFP wrote: »

Mind you it is horrific even listening to what the dealers are willing to offer as a trade in on the GTI !!

pray tell?

TFP

one dealer snaffed with a €16k offer, but not a chance of getting a penny off the cost of the new car.

Personally I can understand the dealers situation, but i'd imagine a two year old GTI (with DSG and a few other extras) would shift a bit quicker than a 12month old estate. Good job I don't have any finance outstanding

Put it this way, the GTI is worth more to me than what I am being offered, therefore I have no real reason to change. After two years I still look forward to having to go on a long drive, sometimes have taken the long way home just to be in the car. And this year a driving holiday down the southwest is beckoning .. and I am really looking forward to it ....

... I suppose what I am saying is .. at the moment it's the car for me ..

iwanagofast

What about the volvo v50 2.5ltr T5 about 215bhp, I would think its the same engine from the ST I wouldn't bother with any of the other engines in the range, well maybe the diesel 177 bhp one.

TFP

iwanagofast wrote: »

What about the volvo v50 2.5ltr T5 about 215bhp, I would think its the same engine from the ST I wouldn't bother with any of the other engines in the range, well maybe the diesel 177 bhp one.

I had a S40 T5 for a month before I bought the GTI and I didn't like it one bit, it was a nice place to sit, but it was a terrible drive. It had power somewhere, but trying to get it on to the road was near impossible, it handled like a shopping cart ... just wasn't nice.

Sqaull20

sk8board wrote: »

People who buy Skoda's always spend their time justifying why they didn't buy the passat, A4, Gti or whatever of the same size.

Thats because you cant really get a sport version ( VRS ) of a Passat, A4 etc in diesel.Thats why people like VRS Skoda.Passats come in at 140bhp in the top models and dont have the improved brakes and lowered sports-tuned suspension of the VRS Octavia and all that traction control stuff.A4 is the same.

Octavia VRS walks all over them.

TFP

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Thats because you cant really get a sport version ( VRS ) of a Passat, A4 etc in diesel.Thats why people like VRS Skoda.Passats come in at 140bhp in the top models and dont have the improved brakes and lowered sports-tuned suspension of the VRS Octavia and all that traction control stuff.A4 is the same.

Octavia VRS walks all over them.

but hands down I would prefer a GTI to the VRS. hence why I bought it in the first place.

And if I was going for an estate performace wouldn't be the key selling point, and from just about every other aspect an A4 Avant would be a far superior car to the octavia.

Sqaull20

True, different styles alright.I would keep the gti as well, I think your crazy to even think of selling it:P

galwaytt

So, keep your Gti AND buy an estate - gosh, even an old Skoda Octavia ! - then everyone on this thread will be happy !!


no, really, keeping it is the right thing to do.

whippet

keeping the GTI is the right thing to do.

sk8board

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Thats because you cant really get a sport version ( VRS ) of a Passat, A4 etc in diesel.Thats why people like VRS Skoda.Passats come in at 140bhp in the top models and dont have the improved brakes and lowered sports-tuned suspension of the VRS Octavia and all that traction control stuff.A4 is the same.

Octavia VRS walks all over them.

The A4 sline was a factory 170bhp, 0-60 is listed as 8.6sec on Parkers, and doesn't the GT Tdi golf have an option of 170 too?

I was actually referring more to the performance Skoda's when I made the point above to be honest. Even when unprompted, you say 'sure its a Gti for 20% off' - i.e. impossible to escape the GTi's shadow.

I'm in the same boat as the OP, looking to swap my 10yo clumker for something nice for a 26ml commute. I'm beginning to think for the past 2 weeks that the gTI would be perfect for dropping the kids to the creche/school, and then drive to work like my hairs on fire, or happy in the knowledge that I could if I wanted to. You'd certainly always have a smile on your face, and the Gti is a very classy car; fits in everywhere.

thats the glory of the gti. OP, you're right to keep it. We also have a bigger family car, so no need to have 2 or the same type. I'm seeing a few '05's with DSG listing for €12-14 at dealers, so its becoming a bargin buy

eman66

I'm almost in the same boat as the OP. Really don't want to change the GTI but think that I should.

Two reasons. First, I'm putting €100+ pw petrol into it. Do I really need to spend this much? I suppose I do, if I want the great drive and the great engine of the GTI. But I keep thinking, in my old age, that my money is better spent elsewhere.

Second, space. I need to carry one of these 2 or 3 times a week.

The golf is a 07, DSG. Rather than straight swap in years, my sensible hat again is saying to me that if I go back a year or two I can get a perfectly good car and maybe pocket a couple of thousand.

Thinking turbo diesel with 4wd, maybe a remap would lessen the performance drop. I put the following into carzone: 10-15k, auto, -70k miles, SUV + estate, diesel and got these results. Is there anything there that looks good? Should I change the search?

Marlow

You could always try to replace your GTi with a R32 diesel That would have even more kick, the same space and well .. it might be bad for the budget though, but it would be cheaper on fuel and better mpg.

/M

Fizman

Marlow wrote: »

You could always try to replace your GTi with a R32 diesel
/M

The difficult part would be getting VW to create a R32 diesel. :pac:

Marlow

Fizman wrote: »

The difficult part would be getting VW to create a R32 diesel. :pac:

I've heard rumours .. haven't been able to cofirm it yet, that there's a R32 diesel available based on the Mk. 5.

I saw a R32 the other day, that was diesel, but when I questioned it, it was just a R32 makeup with a 2.0 TDi engine at 170 bhp.

/M

BArra

there is no R32 diesel, it does not exist. its as you say, fellas putting the r32 kit, alloys ect on their cars, have a look at the interior and it would be a quick giveaway

and they have now stopped making R32's in their entirity (ie. petrol r32's)

eman66

eman66 wrote: »

The golf is a 07, DSG. Rather than straight swap in years, my sensible hat again is saying to me that if I go back a year or two I can get a perfectly good car and maybe pocket a couple of thousand.

You'll find it hard to get rid of the Golf