02 Golf 1.4 - what to look for?

120_Minutes

So, circumstances with my trusty corolla has forced my hand and i may replace it sooner rather than later. but i dont have much of a budget. with that in mind my dad has been on the lookout and i remarked i'd like to try a golf.

he's found one at a local VAG (not local to me) and in his own words "i've never seen a cleaner 10 yr old car"

the stats are:

Make: Volkswagen Model: Golf 1.4 75BHP COMFORT 5DR Low mileage Leather, VW Dealer Engine: 1.4 Petrol Price: €3,750 Year: 2002 Colour: Gold Mileage: 98,900 miles / 159,164 kilometers Owners: 2 Doors: 5 Comments: Alloy wheels, CD, Driver airbag, Leather upholstery, Mirrors electric, Passenger airbag.

so golf experts, if i decide to take a punt, what should i be asking? or should i bother? we may be able to get it for 3500...oh and i believe one of the owners was a lady.

CardinalJ

120_Minutes wrote: »

So, circumstances with my trusty corolla has forced my hand and i may replace it sooner rather than later. but i dont have much of a budget. with that in mind my dad has been on the lookout and i remarked i'd like to try a golf.

he's found one at a local VAG (not local to me) and in his own words "i've never seen a cleaner 10 yr old car"

the stats are:

Make: Volkswagen Model: Golf 1.4 75BHP COMFORT 5DR Low mileage Leather, VW Dealer Engine: 1.4 Petrol Price: €3,750 Year: 2002 Colour: Gold Mileage: 98,900 miles / 159,164 kilometers Owners: 2 Doors: 5 Comments: Alloy wheels, CD, Driver airbag, Leather upholstery, Mirrors electric, Passenger airbag.

so golf experts, if i decide to take a punt, what should i be asking? or should i bother? we may be able to get it for 3500...

Ive an 03. Make sure all the doors lock and unlock properly. Mine act up based on different weather!!

lifer_sean

120_Minutes wrote: »

So, circumstances with my trusty corolla has forced my hand and i may replace it sooner rather than later. but i dont have much of a budget. with that in mind my dad has been on the lookout and i remarked i'd like to try a golf.

he's found one at a local VAG (not local to me) and in his own words "i've never seen a cleaner 10 yr old car"

the stats are:

Make: Volkswagen Model: Golf 1.4 75BHP COMFORT 5DR Low mileage Leather, VW Dealer Engine: 1.4 Petrol Price: €3,750 Year: 2002 Colour: Gold Mileage: 98,900 miles / 159,164 kilometers Owners: 2 Doors: 5 Comments: Alloy wheels, CD, Driver airbag, Leather upholstery, Mirrors electric, Passenger airbag.

so golf experts, if i decide to take a punt, what should i be asking? or should i bother? we may be able to get it for 3500...oh and i believe one of the owners was a lady.

I wouldn't call 99k miles "low" ! And 3750 for a 10 year old golf, I know they hold their value but I'd put it at 1000 too much.

What goes wrong with them ? Engines (secondhand golf engines sell like hot cakes), gearboxes, door locks, etc. I'm sure others will add to the list. They might be better looking and a nicer drive than a corolla but don't expect anything like the same reliability.

120_Minutes

120_Minutes wrote: »

............. but i dont have much of a budget. with that in mind my dad has been on the lookout and i remarked i'd like to try a golf..................
Make: Volkswagen Model: Golf 1.4 75BHP COMFORT 5DR Low mileage Leather, VW Dealer Engine: 1.4 Petrol Price: €3,750 Year: 2002 Colour: Gold Mileage: 98,900 miles / 159,164 kilometers................we may be able to get it for 3500...oh and i believe one of the owners was a lady.

Looney spending that much on a 10 year old Golf imo.

If you didn't mind your Corolla you might see the good points of the likes of this..

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3406359



No leather but has air con and all the other stuff the Golf has, much better engine but it's not a Golf, which if you actually want one is a big plus.

In two years time both the Golf and Lancer will be worth sfa but the Lancer is two years younger and at least €500 cheaper.

colm_mcm

A civic would be a good choice too

Nissan doctor

I'd be looking for another corolla or similar. Golfs of that age/mileage can be serious money pits. They can be ok if minded like a baby for its whole life but very few have been.

The price is also daft although leather in otherwise fairly boggo spec 1.4 is unusual.

They are quite widely known as the worst generation of Golf.

Pottler

What to look for? Somthing else? Maybee?

crosshair1

Pottler wrote: »

What to look for? Somthing else? Maybee?

5l oil container in the boot

The Orb

Avoid, dog of an engine, piston rings a problem, had a '99 model, rings went on 62k, quite common apparently.

colm_mcm

120 minutes is the 0-60 time too

Nissan doctor

The Orb wrote: »

Avoid, dog of an engine, piston rings a problem, had a '99 model, rings went on 62k, quite common apparently.

Valves/valve guides and stem seals are where the problems normally lie with these engines. Piston ring problems only occur with letting the engine run low on oil.

Leonard Hofstadter

They're just a $h!t car to be honest.

A Corolla is miles better, I take one over a 1.4 Golf each and every time, and I hate Toyotas!

If you want reliability but don't want a Corolla (very understandable to be honest - they're not a good car, reliable yes, but good certainly not) look at the Focus, or as many have mentioned, the Honda Civic, but obviously not one that has big spoilers and wheels etc because they'll have had the living crap driven out of them.

A 1.4 Focus is almost as sh1t as a 1.4 Golf to be fair.

colm_mcm

Only cos it's also very slow. It would have thought its a lot better mechanically.

Nissan doctor

RoverJames wrote: »

A 1.4 Focus is almost as sh1t as a 1.4 Golf to be fair.

The only comparables are size and engine power(1.4). In every other way, the Mk1 Focus is better then a MK4 Golf IMO.

No doubt better than a Golf of the same era but not near the Japs for mechanical integrity. With the less than rare coil issues which can lead to Cat problems I'd sooner spend €3000 or so somewhere else. I'd take a 1.6 Focus though.

Almost as bad is better too ND, chuckle chuckle.

120_Minutes

Hmmm lots to think about so.

that lancer looks ok, but the max i can afford to tax is a 1.4.

nothing wrong with a civic, but isnt that a dirty word with insurance companies?

so i supposed the question is should be asking is:

what 1.4 for under 4k would you go for?

colm_mcm

120_Minutes wrote: »

Hmmm lots to think about so.

that lancer looks ok, but the max i can afford to tax is a 1.4.

nothing wrong with a civic, but isnt that a dirty word with insurance companies?

so i supposed the question is should be asking is:

what 1.4 for under 4k would you go for?

But you'd save €500 by buying the lancer over a golf, the difference in tax is small enough

120_Minutes

120_Minutes wrote: »

.............

that lancer looks ok, but the max i can afford to tax is a 1.4..............

So spending €3500 on a 1.4 is an option but spending €3000 on a 1.6 isn't?

120_Minutes

and mpg on the 1.6 compared to the 1.4? in a perfect world i'd love a more powerful car but not if im filling it up more....

colm_mcm

A 1.4 that as to be hooned just to keep up with traffic wont be too efficient anyway

Nissan doctor

RoverJames wrote: »

No doubt better than a Golf of the same era but not near the Japs for mechanical integrity. With the less than rare coil issues which can lead to Cat problems I'd sooner spend €3000 or so somewhere else. I'd take a 1.6 Focus though.

Almost as bad is better too ND, chuckle chuckle.

To be fair they only lead to cat problems when driven by the 'ah it'll be grand' brigade. If its driven by someone with more then quavers between their ears the coil problem can be very easily and cheaply fixed when it fails.

The Mk1's are all getting old now so obviously you could get many with issues and like the golf, they also need to be serviced properly with the correct oil etc but IMO they are still miles ahead of the MK4 Golf. The only exiting thing the MK4 had was blue dials IMO.

120_Minutes

120_Minutes wrote: »

and mpg on the 1.6 compared to the 1.4? ..........

My sister used to get about 35mpg from a Ford Ka, she gets 30mpg from a 1.6 Carisma on the same commutes. She treats the accelerator like an on/off switch too. I reckon a Ka would be lighter on go go juice than a 1.4 Golf

bazz26

€3750 for a 10 year old 1.4 Golf made me giggle. Dreamer of the year thread is that way -->

colm_mcm

04 cvic 1.6 with only 50k for €2950

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3410131

03 1.7 diesel for €3400
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3349556

bazz26

2005 Mazda 3:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3380259

meoklmrk91

Corolla for €3200, Pay of the VRT with the rest and if you haggle you might even have 6 months - years tax
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3411963

PrettyBoy

The Orb wrote: »

Avoid, dog of an engine, piston rings a problem, had a '99 model, rings went on 62k, quite common apparently.

Golfs were revamped in 2002 so your 1999 model is irrelevant to this discussion. Major issues were sorted, mainly the oil.

I had an '02 1.4 for 5 years and it never gave me any trouble, done over 60k miles there were no issues with engine, oil, gearbox...anything tbh.

120_Minutes

I think I've fallen in love:

Link



theres a catch here? 3 grand?

Mister Jingles

No, thats a normal enough price tbh. It does have 130k miles on it.

120_Minutes

Is 130K a red flag for this model?

colm_mcm

No, but you'll get them with much less mileage, mileage isn't the most important thing, a well maintained high miler is better than a low mileage shed.

Better options out there, my brother got a mint 04 1.6 5dr Focus with better spec and less mileage 2 years ago for less than that.

Leonard Hofstadter

I'd always rather a high mileage car with history over a low mileage one with nothing.

Chances are that a high mileage car spent most of its life on motorways and main roads as well as opposed to being driven around town, so if anything a high mileage car will be in better mechanical condition because that type of driving is much kinder to a car than being stuck in traffic as well.

120_Minutes

right so, forgetting the golf.... i just spoke to a friend whos into his focuses (focus's? focii?) and i asked him if he had 3 grand in the morning what focus would he go for, and he answered "05 1.6 diesel, if you can get one for that money" and remarked that when testing, to floor it in third, at about 1500rpm to check if theres a plume of smoke, or once it gets to 2500 rpm to see if the power is erratic. if either of those happen, walk away.

what other tips do you have?

Won't get one for that and they can be a very trouble some engine turbo wise, that test isn't a crystal ball either.

bazz26

The only 05 Focus TDCi you will buy for €3k is one that needs a lot of work done on it. Diesels like these hold their value well unless they are not as described.

David09

Nothing at all bad about that black focus. The mileage might be a tad high but those engines are capable of high mileages and the cars are built well and are able to take it without showing signs of wear.

If you're going for a diesel the 1.8 is the one to go for. 1.6's have the potential to be troublesome.

Btw, why not consider a 1.25 fiesta? Or would it be too small?

Fishtits

The VW 1.4 petrol is a disaster.

Any vehicle with said engine is also a disaster.

VW are happy that you should pump copious amounts of oil into your car.

Its a Dog. Get rid of it and buy a car from a Manufacturer that is prepared to support their customers.

carbon nanotube

RoverJames wrote: »

A 1.4 Focus is almost as sh1t as a 1.4 Golf to be fair.

drove my brothers 2002 focus years back, slow as f**k.

couldnt see %hit through the back window also.

a 88 colt is almost as good as it.

eamon234

120_Minutes wrote: »

Link



theres a catch here? 3 grand?

Well it does have a Kerry reg!