I'm buying a new car...

jhuskey

There is a housing located on the rear of the engine block on the 1.8 that is a main intake for the cooling system.
They made it out of plastic,why I don't know, and after a time it can develop a hole in it and probably will.
Not a big deal but when it goes it take a lot of time to remove all the hoses and get to the $30 part and of course all the coolant leaks out at a rapid rate so it needs quick attention.
I have also been told to change the timing belt after 60-70 thousand miles to avoid breakage which leads to additional damage and cost.
Still, avoidable problems with a little attention

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Hookyrider

The timing belt wear/damage issue is true with most new/newer cars these days, and is practically unavoidable no matter what manufacturer you favor. Once wear sets in it goes downhill quickly for everything - this is starting to sound like my Land Rover discussion board... but at least the VW doesn't leak like a sieve.



As far as an overall recommendation goes, the GTI is a fun car to own and drive. Being a 3dr access to the rear seats can be a chore if you are over the age of say 12. Once you get into the seat, they are pretty comfortable, but for an Adult, not really suitable for extended trips.



Since we moved to the Netherlands, we sold the Jetta (to my mother), and have the Rover in Nebraska (with her mother), and the GTI has been made our primary car. All in all the GTI has been perfect, however there are times that we miss the extra space of a larger car, for reason that I would lean a little bit on the side of the Audi wagon. We are considering to order either an A4 wagon/avant or Passat wagon this coming spring depending. We don't have kids, but we do have dogs, and travel with dogs and bikes.

jhuskey

My wife has the Landrover which is the better vehicle for longer trips as opposed to my A4 and certainly because of the gas mileage.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Hookyrider

your Rover gets better MPG than the A4? What are you burning?

My disco with a few mods & improved cat-back system gets about 16.5 MPG with a tail wind, more if you keep it around 55 but who drives that slow? Around town it gets 12.5 MPG religiously.

HR

jhuskey

Sorry I was intending the word "not" before because. It is a better traveling car but not because of the mileage.
A4 gets 24 mpg in the mountains.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Hookyrider

Okay - just as I was meaning "smoking" instead of "burning"

Great vehicle - I've driven mine from Alaska to Flordia - and many points in between. Even better off-road. Now compaired to my FJ40 the Disco gets great MPG!!

HR

jhuskey

I warned her about the mileage before purchase, but then again she was warned about me before the marriage.
They are comfortable and have great windows for traveling. My dog like the low cut windows as he does not need to stand up to see out.
My wife would really like to have defender. She likes that rugged off-road raw look.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Hookyrider

so now that we've highjacked the thread... but who wants to spend 30k+ on a used car, someone has more than likely hammered on the trail? the really clean ones sell for crazy money - I'm just getting cheap. My wife and I are totally up in arms that we cannot import a Defender 110 from over here... I'm kicking myself because we nearly bought a D90 when they were still imported, I was the reason we got the Disco! oh well. It's been great though, and our dogs seem to have a genuine love for the Rover as well.

HR

jhuskey

Ask anyone! I have been called the official thread hijacker of CF. I got my eye on a 2007 A8. Not that I am going to pay out 85K but I got my eye on it.

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Whenever I can't get excited about riding I just fantasize about someone else's bike.

Hookyrider

85 - ouch - I don't want to spend more than 30 on a car ever again. The sad thing is it's hard to get something nice and well equipped for that kind of money these days. A late-model preowned is the way to go, let some other schleprock eat the healthiest bit of dep., but there is something about owning a new car... The wife wants a Toureg, the V6 is a dog in that beast, and the V8 - WOW - but keeping it fed, ouch, I’m not Warren Buffet! The US market doesn't get any of the good diesel engines they have over here that split the difference nicely. But really 40K just to get started, forget about it.

that A8 is a beauty, just think of the operating expenses when all that high tech garbage stops working and needs to be repaired that should help.


HR

helmutRoole2

What year is your GTI and how many miles?

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400

Hookyrider

it's a mid-2003 production, purchased in early 04' on a beautiful discount! The only option missing is the automatic rain sensing wipers. Mileage is still somewhat low, as its first year of life was just being a toy, but now serving full time primary car duty for two years since we moved to the Netherlands - I just had the 30K service done on Sept 11th of all days.



The common problem for the 3dr model is the power window will "fall off the track" actually there is a "safety" device that is supposed to "disconnect" or break before the window motor or other parts break. This has happened to me last winter once when after leaving the car out in freezing rain, the rain froze solid. The car hadn't warmed up by the time I needed to put the window down for my ID check - yes, damn inconvenient when it popped, but that is the only thing I have had go wrong on the car. The VW GTI is very popular here, and my American spec car actually gets attention – so for better or worse I get to here a lot of GTI stories.



If you go for the GTI, ask about electrical problems, if the coils have been replaced etc. The coils was a big deal on 2000-2002 1.8T motors, and VW had some electrical gremlins about the same time. Otherwise, if the person kept up with the maint’ you could have a fun car on your hands. Insurance can be more than you might expect, since most folks that buy GTI’s tend to have a hard time keeping them rubber side down, and on the road…

Hookyrider

So how is it on the Autobahn? I'm glad you asked.



Up to about 120 mph it is a delight, after that depending on conditions it can get a little light in the steering and a little faster it'll begin to jostle a bit on the limit – this is due to the less than stellar aerodynamics of the car. Bread boxes weren’t meant to go so fast, its physics, so they say. At speed 90-100 it’ll pull well enough to keep with a big fat 5 series BMW, until my much lower top speed is achieved, all I have to do is use 5th gear.

But this isn’t what the GTI is really made for, and sure there are some hot hatches that are faster, but I doubt they a much funner to toss into a corner just to hear the tires howl and watch the traction control light flicker madly while the program does all it can to keep you on the road. I know that the ESP (traction control) works unbelievably good, as I have watched other lesser equipped Golf’s not make turns in their efforts to stay with me and park in the ditch.


so I'm a car geek too -

HR

helmutRoole2

I bought a 2003 GTI 1.8t.

Roof leaks.

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400