Golf GTI buying advice

EPM

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice about a potential purchase. It's just a maybe at this stage but if the sums work out it might be a goer.

The car I'm looking at is a low mile 2008 GTI DSG. It's got a very decent spec, missing MFSW and leather but I'm not bothered as it has all the other bits I want. About 4k in extras from new.

So the questions:

What should I pay particular attention to?
Is DSG ticking time bomb or are the later ones better?
How do they handle mileage?
Don't laugh but how many km's to a tank should I expect in normal driving (not expecting it to be a lot different to the Leon tbh)?

I'd appreciate any feedback. It's a car I never really considered but I was impressed by the drive, refinement and exhaust note:D

.Longshanks.

Cruising in 6th on a motorway I've read it will easily give you 32-35mpg or so. However the below site says the fuel consumption would be about 10-12 L/100km. Which is about 25-28 mpg.

http://www.spritmonitor.de/de/uebersicht/50-Volkswagen/452-Golf.html?fueltype=2&constyear_s=2007&constyear_e=2009&power_s=190&power_e=210&exactmodel=GTI&sort=1&powerunit=3

Atomic Pineapple

kev_Longshanks100 wrote: »

Cruising in 6th on a motorway I've read it will easily give you 32-35mpg or so. However the below site says the fuel consumption would be about 10-12 L/100km. Which is about 25-28 mpg.

http://www.spritmonitor.de/de/uebersicht/50-Volkswagen/452-Golf.html?fueltype=2&constyear_s=2007&constyear_e=2009&power_s=190&power_e=210&exactmodel=GTI&sort=1&powerunit=3

My remapped ST does that easily EPM..............just saying!

Owen

EPM wrote: »

What should I pay particular attention to?
Is DSG ticking time bomb or are the later ones better?
How do they handle mileage?

Friend of mine has a DSG 05, no flappy paddles (Which'd be a deal killer for me TBH) and it's an incredbile drive, no letup in acceleration and gear changes are pretty quick. He recently changed the gearbox oil which was a bit of a pain to do, because beforehand he'd nicknamed it the bangtronic everytime it slapped in and out of gear.

No idea of fuel economy he's getting TBH, but he seems very very happy with it. I wouldn't mind a commercial version for work, but then I'd never fit an awning to the roof

.Longshanks.

draffodx wrote: »

My remapped ST does that easily EPM..............just saying!

My (standard) corsa opc easily beats both fuel wise......just saying as well

EPM

draffodx wrote: »

My remapped ST does that easily EPM..............just saying!

kev_Longshanks100 wrote: »

My (standard) corsa opc easily beats both fuel wise......just saying as well

And both are probably better than the funking Leon too:pac:

Oh if only it was a 6 speed...

EPM

Hate bumping...bit in a severe dilemma here...

Nonoperational

EPM wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice about a potential purchase. It's just a maybe at this stage but if the sums work out it might be a goer.

The car I'm looking at is a low mile 2008 GTI DSG. It's got a very decent spec, missing MFSW and leather but I'm not bothered as it has all the other bits I want. About 4k in extras from new.

So the questions:

What should I pay particular attention to? DSG oil change at 40k miles. Serviced properely with the correct oil.

Is DSG ticking time bomb or are the later ones better? They are more problematic than the manuals for sure but they are not a ticking time bomb.


How do they handle mileage? Pretty well from what I see/read.

Don't laugh but how many km's to a tank should I expect in normal driving (not expecting it to be a lot different to the Leon tbh)?

Normal driving just under 500km from a tank. About 25-30 mpg.

I'd appreciate any feedback. It's a car I never really considered but I was impressed by the drive, refinement and exhaust note:D

I have a 2006 manual, I really like it. Handling is amazing and it's quite fast. There were a few issues on the earlier (05/06s) but I'd imagine they were ironed out by 2008.

VinnyTGM

As gpf said make sure the DSG oil was changed when it was due with the correct oil.

Fizman

I also have a '06 manual since Feb of last year and love it. Handling is great and I have to say I was a bit surprised at how economical it 'can' be, for a hot hatch that is. I recently got 700km out of a tank, but that was due to long journeys in the cold weather where I was limited to about 80 kmph. I have however managed to get just 500km out of another tank.

However since purchase, I reckon I average about 600km per tank, and I have a (bad) habit of brimming it and leaving it run down low to see what I am getting. That would take into account the mixed driving I do. A few long journeys with work and a lot of spinning around the city. I can from time to time have a heavy foot too.

Great car though. I reckon you should go for it. One thing I have noticed though is that it does like its oil. I'm getting mine service in the next week or so and I intend on monitoring how much it is consuming as I have been topping up a little more than I expected.

STForSale

I've been running an '07 Manual since the summer.
Don't find it hard on the pocket at all.
Averaging 30MPG in mixed driving, I don't hang about.
Full service with an indi specalist cost me €200 including plugs / castrol edge.
Haven't noticed the oil burning someone else mentioned.
If it has 18's check tyre wear, a decent set will cost you circa €700

The DSG is expensive if it goes wrong but if you lived by that philosophy.....

Any link?

Gary ITR

draffodx wrote: »

My remapped ST does that easily EPM..............just saying!

With you driving it I'm not surprised....

thirtythirty

EPM wrote: »

Hate bumping...bit in a severe dilemma here...

You'll get much more detailed replies on vagdrivers.net

CountingCrows

I have a '05 DSG and I love it. As others have said, cruising in 6th is surprising frugal for a 200bhp car.

EPM

spottyelephant wrote: »

You'll get much more detailed replies on vagdrivers.net

I have a thread there too:D

Thanks for the advice lads. Was told a MFSW is a sub-€100 job on a DSG and this was the only real stumbling block for me. The car has just hit 32k km so it seems ok for the gearbox oil for now, although I'll see if I can get it into the bargain.

Great to hear from a few owners, economy seems to be about the same as my current car. I would be happy with that for something a little swifter.

What do you think of the ride on 18's? I may swap them for 17's possibly as I found that it rode well on them, much, much better than the Leon.

Nonoperational

From what I've heard it's not too bad on 18s but not as good as it is on 17s. I find it quite comfortable on 17s and as I said I really like the handling. It's firm but very sure footed.

Leonard Hofstadter

kev_Longshanks100 wrote: »

Cruising in 6th on a motorway I've read it will easily give you 32-35mpg or so. However the below site says the fuel consumption would be about 10-12 L/100km. Which is about 25-28 mpg.

http://www.spritmonitor.de/de/uebersicht/50-Volkswagen/452-Golf.html?fueltype=2&constyear_s=2007&constyear_e=2009&power_s=190&power_e=210&exactmodel=GTI&sort=1&powerunit=3

One of the advantages of it having direct injection is that it, like all DI petrols, is particularly efficient in part-throttle constant speed driving.

Of course, if they're treated too gently they will suffer from carbon build up, though I must confess that I've never heard of GTIs suffering from this, maybe because they're all ragged by their drivers:D!

I know I'm far from the biggest VW fan, but I can see lots of reasons to like that GTI - it's supposed to be best GTI since the Mk2. It's supposed to handle really well too - which only shows that VW couldn't be arsed most of the time in making their cars as good as possible.

I'd still have a Focus for that five cylinder engine and its extra power, but a Golf GTI is still a very good car!

BArra

draffodx wrote: »

My remapped ST does that easily EPM..............just saying!

which remap have you got, have had my ST for over a year now and i always wonder what a remap would do... i only get around 230 miles / 380 kms at moment

Atomic Pineapple

BArra wrote: »

which remap have you got, have had my ST for over a year now and i always wonder what a remap would do... i only get around 230 miles / 380 kms at moment

I dunno was on it when I got it, dyno'd at 263 bhp so I reckon its the 260bhp upgrade that doesn't break the Ford warranty, I've also put in the Eibach pro kit to improve the handling and looks.

With 260 bhp I get a constant 25mpg between motorway runs and back road blasts.

Out of a full tank I get 300 miles.