Hey all you VW haters...

I recently got a lead on a mkiv golf group 1.8t and was wondering what the hive thinks of these. Would be a daily driver and weekend auto x car. Would not be hellaflush bro. Car has 160k on it 5 speed.

In reply to tjbell:

Don't these have a 50/50 chance of smelling like crayons on a warm day?

100% chance. Never sat in a vw of the era that didnt smell like crayons

I've been told MK4s by GTI fanboys are the worst chassis of all the GTIs. Basically unfixable terrible suspension.

Will smell like crayons. After mk2/3s smelling like coolant its an upgrade.

Hopefully you are handy and get parts at or near cost. Also, the enthusiasts, they are mostly shiny happy people.

I happen to enjoy my 03 Golf quite a bit. The haters overstate the E36 M3 by quite a bit.

A 1.8T with that kind of mileage will have baked everything under the hood pretty well. Budget for a kit to replace the hoses. You can get aftermarket silicone kits. The PCV system on the 1.8T's is very complicated. Check it. Get a VW specific code reader or Vag-com.

Maintenance records - if they PO's have not maintained the car well, they can be a money pit.

I prefer the TDi or 2.0L gasser in that body to the 1.8T.

I don't get the crayon smell stuff, but carry on.

I currently drive a saab so burnt crayon smell is nothing new to me and I will have to check out some of the stuff about the suspension it's almost too good of a deal to pass up but I really don't want to get stuck with a money pit

Neither of my 2 MKIV's smelled of crayons and the guy standing next to me who was a VW dealer tech for 4 years in the mid 2000's says he did notice a small handful of the hundreds he has worked on smelling a bit like wax.

They are a fun street car but a bad autoX car.

If it means anything, I just picked up a 2002 Passat 1.8t 5 speed with 159k and I have loved it for the 3 days that I've had it I got mine from the original owner and with every maintenance record since he bought it. Just make sure its taken care of (like any car). Do some research. If you like what you see, then I say go for it.

Yup, I agree, all VW's of that era stink of Crayons. Some Mercedes do too...must be that German "New Car Smell".

Probably needs a timing belt and suspension bushings too. I probably wouldn't buy it, but I don't think it will be that scary if it has been maintained somewhat well and you keep up with it while you own it.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:

Being in the auto repair biz that's not just a internet joke. The only brand that receives more derision from most of my peers is Land Rover/Range Rover.

ddavidv wrote:

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:

Being in the auto repair biz that's not just a internet joke. The only brand that receives more derision from most of my peers is Land Rover/Range Rover.

Agreed. Spent 13 years in that biz on the parts side. Nothing made me cringe as much as a VAG product. If I had a dollar for everyone that ended up being a moneypit, I'd be on www.howcanIblowmymillionsoncarstuff.com, not GRM.

Haters going to hate. Yes, you are taking a chance on a high mileage turbocharged car. And yes, you might regret it. But at least a year from now you will not be saying "I should have bought that Golf." Buy it as cheap as you can. But you already know that because you are here.

I owned an 05 1.8t GTi for 8 years. Loved it, but you have to maintain it. You HAVE to maintain it. YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT!

Seriously, if it hasn't had regular oil changes, they will sludge up badly. Lots of fiddly plastic bits that like to break. Things like coolant flanges, PCV systems, the hood latch, the center console latch, etc.

They used to eat coilpacks for breakfast and lunch, but a recall has that fixed now.

Loved my time in one, I'd probably do it again, but only from new. In 230K miles I went through these:

1 hood latch

2 console latches

1 complete PCV hose set(about 6-8 hoses)

1 coolant expansion tank

1 set of coolant flanges(about 3 of them I think)

1 radiator

12-16 coilpacks

1 complete set of front end bushings, balljoints, tie rod ends

1 clutch

4 sets of tires

1 bearing/hub/spindle assembly(probably my fault, see below)

1 front hub (mechanic broke off and rewelded the ABS sensor mount, never worked right after that)

1 set of brakes

1 set of engine and transmission seals

1 set of shocks

3-4 interior light bulbs

3 sets of headlight bulbs.

1 main fuseblock(the one that sits on top of the battery)

4 timing belt/tensioner/water pump sets.

In reply to tpwalsh: ^^^^ouch.

I'm a recovering VW fanboy. But never owned anything newer than Mk3. Our Mazda has about half of your mileage posted above. It's already been through---rear swaybar bushings (warranty/recall), front pads, and... a key fob battery.

As much as I really like the looks/feel of a VW, I can't in good conscience recommend them to anybody. The stories are too common to all be interweb hype.