Which to buy, golf or focus?

DiarmaidGNR

Hi all,
I'm in the market for a new car around €2k.
I have narrowed my search to the mk1 focus and the mk4 golf, around 1999, probably 1.6 litre for either, or maybe a TDI golf in good condition.
It it worth getting a diesel?
Which car should I go for? Any other car suggestions for a 21 year old fella?

EPM

I'd go for a 1.6 Focus to be honest. More relaible than the Golf. Any TDi at that age wont be the best I'd imagine

Hal1

+1 for the 1.6 Focus. Check done deal it won't be long before you find one.

JHMEG

If you're looking at a 10 year old car you're probably better off going Japanese. Esp it's your first car.

bazz26

As the others have said, the Focus will be more trouble free. Also you will get alot more Focus for €2k than you will Golf. Golfs are seriously expensive for what you get. 1.4 litre is sluggish in both cars I would aim for 1.6 litre minimum.

Stevie Dakota

A 1.4 Golf in this price bracket would be nothing but trouble, if the engine is not shagged already it will drink oil like there is no tomorrow.

Focus a much safer bet.

yop

1.6 Focus, don't get the 1.4

Corolla will be cheaper long term
Early Focus was quite troublesome.

DiarmaidGNR

Here's a few I was thinking of -

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/980893

or

http://tinyurl.com/ykj5q6b

Personally, I'm leaning towards the golf.
Tell me what you think

Vain

Don't go for the petrol 1.4 or 1.6 golf. The engine and gearbox arent the best in them. Altho I have a 1.4 golf now with 126k on the engine and no hassle from it the bar the emissions from the nct, which only cost about 40euro to fix.

Go for the 130 Tdi golf. Great car, plenty of power, good mpg will sell easy again, good strong engine.

HiCloy

Same question, but 2006 Focus vs Golf, any opinions? I'd mostly be using it around Dublin if that makes any difference. Does the 1.6l being a lot better than the 1.4l still hold?

Gary ITR

I had a 1.4 Focus and I hated it, although it was nippy around town. I think the Golf is a far nicer place to sit. I have no personal experience of the 1.4 or 1.6 engines in the mk4 Golf though. I loved my TDI Golf though. The highline interior is really comfy too

mondeo

Onkle wrote: »

I had a 1.4 Focus and I hated it, although it was nippy around town. I think the Golf is a far nicer place to sit. I have no personal experience of the 1.4 or 1.6 engines in the mk4 Golf though. I loved my TDI Golf though. The highline interior is really comfy too

I'm pretty sure the mk4 golf 1.4 and 1.6 are not twincam engines where as the focus are throughout the range.. Surely the focus would have better motorway acceleration in that respect. A 1.4 golf would be an absolute dog getting up to motorway speeds, too heavy for the engine. A focus would be my choice even if the golf is more plush to be in.

Plug

MK1 focus, im trying to think of problems it has and the only one I can think of is the thermostat housing leaks. Thats a rare enough problem. The focus is a bullet proof car.
And timing belts are to be replaced every 100k or 10 years which is a lot better than VW's 60k or 5 years.
The zetec engine is a very good engine. The focus is bigger inside aswel, well for the front passengers anyway, not sure about the back.

bazz26

The only problem I had with my 05 MkII Focus in 2 years was the boot lock which was a known problem on them as water from the drain leaks into the controller.

junkyard

Forget the petrol Golfs as others have said and go for the 1.6 Focus, the 1.4 is nothing but trouble.

mumblin deaf ro

I've had an '06 1.6 diesel focus for over a year and it's been very reliable and great to drive.

2 Espressi

you will get alot more Focus for €2k than you will Golf.

This. Avoid the "premium" on Golfs, it's not worth it. Unless you're willing to invest in a GTI, but at 21 your insurance would be too cheap. MK1 Focus handles better than the Mk4 Golf as well.

beachlife

mondeo wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the mk4 golf 1.4 and 1.6 are not twincam engines where as the focus are throughout the range.. Surely the focus would have better motorway acceleration in that respect. A 1.4 golf would be an absolute dog getting up to motorway speeds, too heavy for the engine. A focus would be my choice even if the golf is more plush to be in.

they are twin cam,with two timming belts (ahw engine)