Looking at a 2005 Golf

eoineen

Tonight I went to look and drive a privately selling 2005 Golf (Mk5) that i saw on carzone. I was attracted to the car because of its low mileage (60k km) and its decent asking price. It is clean inside and out and has a full service history that I have examined.

Would anyone like to offer a good or bad opinion on Mk5 Golfs? I am driving a late 1990s Polo right now but a mechanic told me that VW's quality has diminished since that time.

Jimbob 83

Prices on the 2005 are abit lower as they had the teething problems, still some good bargains to be had though im on the lookout for a diesel one for a friend early MK5

Nonoperational

What engine is it?

Ded_Zebra

Stay away from the 1.4 and you'll be happy

eoineen

gpf101 wrote: »

What engine is it?

It's 1,4

Pottler

eoineen wrote: »

It's 1,4

........watches tumbleweed roll by.........:D 1.4=yuck.:)

L-M

Omg don't buy the 1.4 it's the worst engine in the world, the millions of people that drive them are all wrong! Buy the 3.2 it's the best.

delly

This being a motors forum, you often get folks saying to stay away from x,y or z engine as they are underpowered. Sometimes they are right, but a lot of other times they just aren't powerful enough to satisfy dedicated motorheads.

That been said, the 1.4 engine in the golf is soooooooo slow, it wouldn't pull you out of bed. My old VW Caddy van, my '98 1.3 Corolla and my '02 1.2 Punto would all be faster and this is all from personal experience.

Hoggy1000

Whats wrong with the 1.4? I mean does it have problems?
I know its probably not the quickest thing off a set of lights or anything else but I have a friend who has one (1.4) and I must say mk5 golfs are genuinely lovely cars to be in. I'd much perfer a golf to a focus or similar

L-M

Hoggy1000 wrote: »

Whats wrong with the 1.4? I mean does it have problems?
I know its probably not the quickest thing off a set of lights or anything else but I have a friend who has one (1.4) and I must say mk5 golfs are genuinely lovely cars to be in. I'd much perfer a golf to a focus or similar

i had one for three years, done 30,000 miles and didn't die passing out a tractor.

My mother had one 5 years and did 110,000 kms.

And i'm sure there at least 100,000 people in ireland that have owned/driven one at some point.

But it's the cool thing on boards to say the 1.4 is crap slow and don't buy it.

Alanstrainor

OP, if you've driven it, and you like it, then happy days.

Hoggy1000

Yeah I mean id love to get a 1.4 TSI model but being realistic for the extra 1000 approx its going to cost me on insurance (Im 19) i dont think its worth it. ... oh and I dont have 8k to splash out on a GT Golf :L

evanSpiddal

Well from what I've heard, the 1.4 FSI is better in every way compared to the normal 1.4, from power to reliability, and it shouldn't be too much more to insure. I don't think you can get a 1.4 TSI model in 2005.

fasttalkerchat

I'm keeping an eye on 1.9 tdis myself. Good luck with your search!

eoineen

OK, that's good to know. I heave read elsewhere that it is underpowered but tbh, I don't want to step up a notch. Just don't need that extra expense and power.

ki

Stay away, My wife has a 1.4 golf and it is very fuel inefficient.
It must have a poor power to weight ratio. [Someone else may confirm this]

L-M

ki wrote: »

Stay away, My wife has a 1.4 golf and it is very fuel inefficient.
It must have a poor power to weight ratio. [Someone else may confirm this]

How fuel inefficient is it?

ki

this is just off the top of my head so excuse me if the calculation is a little out.

Her commute to work was 30km each way, [very little of this is town driving]

so, 300km per week + 50 km for other things. [We always take my car when doing stuff as a family]

And she was using 50 -55pw euro p.w. in fuel. When she was doing it fuel was about 1.40-1.43.

That is approx 10 litres per 100km.

A modern fuel (or petrol efficient) efficient car would run at under 8 litres per 100 km, according to url]http://www.calculatenow.biz/conversions/consumption.php[/url

L-M

28 mpg?

That's shocking! When was the car last serviced.

My brother in Law has a 1.4 Bora, with 130,000 miles and over a 140km trip daily he averages 43 mpg.

My mother gets 28 mpg out of her TT around town, and it's breaking her compared to the Golf.

Sounds like something wrong with your Golf/driving style.

ki

It is serviced every 6 months it never reaches the mileage.

I asked the Mechanic to look at it and he says everything is normal.

I think it could be some thing with the Golf rather than the driving, as if I drive it is the same result, and I purposely drive it easy.

What should I do about it then?
Put it on a diagnostics machine.

FrontDoor

Perhaps you could do a more accurate calculation to see what sort of mpg it is getting.

I know I was getting 6.7L/100km consistently in one, which is around 42 mpg.

C4Kid

Limerick man wrote: »

28 mpg?

My brother in Law has a 1.4 Bora, with 130,000 miles and over a 140km trip daily he averages 43 mpg.

Sounds like something wrong with your Golf/driving style.

In the mk4 1.4 (70% N Roads - 30% Town) I often get:

Usual scenario 41-45 MPG,

On a good run 47-50 MPG,


Method: Fill up and record Miles method,no on board MPG rubbish)

eoineen

eoineen wrote: »

Tonight I went to look and drive a privately selling 2005 Golf ...Would anyone like to offer a good or bad opinion on Mk5 Golfs? I am driving a late 1990s Polo right now but a mechanic told me that VW's quality has diminished since that time.

Since ditched the Golf offer, as the price was too high and he was not willing to agree a price near my offer. Bought a low mileage 05 Focus instead. Thanks for all of the advice.