I drove a colleague's fleet Mk4 1.8 non-T GTI once. Wallowy rubbish. When he was due for an upgrade, thinking I'd buy anything VW, he said he it was up for grabs. I quickly pointed out unless it had over 200bhp - which I'd then got in my Jetta - I wasn't interested!
Was that one of those 1.8 20v non-turbo's (AGN Engine code iirc) Why why why... What were VW thinking at the time
at least the 1.8 20v NA had a willingness to rev!!!! I personally think the 1.6 mk4 golf gti is the worst of the lot
I think in europe the 1.8 20v NA MK4 was badged as a GT rather than GTi. I was also working at a main dealer when they were new and the people that bought them in saying there was something wrong with the engine..... They were utter, utter rubbish, why people bought them after a test drive is beyond me, I think it was just to have the GTi badge on the driveway.
I'm going to try to choose my words carefully as I've already been crucified for appearing to be anti mk5 on another thread, I'm not so sure it will be that fantastic for this forum, the Mk5 will neither be as moddable (on a sensible budget) or as DIYable as earlier models. It is open to debate as to why there are so few Mk4 owners on this forum, it may be due to their apparent general unpopularity, it may be due to the Mk4 specific forum (UKMKIVs) or it may be down to them not being as DIY moddable as Mk1s, Mk2s & Mk3s, I can see the same being true of Mk5s. I would also suggest it is unlikely that the mk5 will inherit the longevity of the earlier GTIs due to the higher cost and complexity of replacement parts making repairing 15 year old models not economically viable. I'm not saying that the Mk5 isn't a great car or that it has no place on this forum but I do wonder if it will replace the Mk1s & 2s as the staple diet of fast VW enthusiasts. I will now crawl into a corner and await a barrage of abuse[:^(]
The forum will invariably move into that territory as metal becomes cheaper. Whether the work will be as in-depth as the Mk1/2/3s is probably the issue, but there will be an increasing prevalance of Mk5s on KWs, chipped, wheels, with S3 upgrades and some pads. It is entirely ballpark. And of course the forum will help immensely with that.
Very true mate. There isn't many MK4 owners on here. I wouldn't know where to start with DIY-modding my MK4 20v T. Where as i dont mind fidling about with my Mk2. Lets hope the newer cars dont replace our much loved MK1's and Mk2's. Ive never liked the Mk5 at all tbh. The MK6 on the other hand (GTi) looks great.
My friend bought a Mk5 Gti and i was really excited about having a drive in it, and was then very disappointed. Didn't feel that responsive and i hated the interior, especially the dash, and the driving position. Was much more comfortable when i got back in my MK4 1.8T tbh, but thats only my opinion. I haven't drove a MK6, but as i said above, i love the look of it How do you find the MK5 Chris?
Having driven both i would have the mk5 any day of the week! So much more of a car compared to the mk4!
Yea i have to agree, you do get more of a car in a MK5... Its probably because i own a MK4, which is why i prefere them Ive only ever owned Mk2s previous...
^^ Gaz Looks like we're straying topic-wise, but I feel the Mk5 GTI is a sharp tool. Driving position, interior - that's all personal taste, neither here nor there - all I was interested in was how it went. I wasn't disappointed with the grunt, the steering, the feedback, the body roll. It's all good. The Mk6 we all know is a Mk5.5 anyway. Ianb had his Ed30 at Combe back in Oct and we had a sesh out together, nip and tuck, him on his KWs & map & myself in my Mk1. IMO, it's the future. Prices just need to ease and people will be in.
Havin owned mk 2 3 and 4 i would say mk 4 just as diy, well mine is. but maybe becasue its an early one. you can do anything to a mk4 that can be done to earlier ones, or am i missing something. And now they are cheaper than some mk2's. maybe its because mk4s arent regarded as well as the earlier models there arent many on this site. out of the box, even the proper gti turbo models were/are pretty poo. would love a mk5 but currently finance doesnt allow. Maybe next year,...........................................its always next year!
^^ i think its more that even now mk4's are still finance money for most people - and who wants to start f****** up a car, by attempting some diy mod that you still owe 3 grand on!!! if its a 500 mk2 you bought off your mate cus he was skint one week then who cares? everyone's willing to have a go
fair point, my car is one of the few things the bank doesnt own, cant wait til the mortgage is paid, only 19 years to go!
