Volkswagen Golf GTI 1.8T

I have always wanted a Golf 4 GTI since I first saw them in the late 90's. It was the most beautiful Golf I have ever seen, wide and low with great lines looking very sporty. When I was able to buy a new car, I chose to buy a used 10 year old Golf 4 GTI, such is the first impression it made on me so many years ago. I searched the internet for hours and eventually narrowed down a few advertisements I was interested in. Eventually I bought a 1.8 Turbo 132KW AUQ 6 speed 2003 model. The car wasn't in the greatest condition mechanically but the engine was still in excellent condition and the paintwork was fair. I spent a considerable amount of money and time replacing the turbo (seals was gone), cambelt kit, fanbelt kit, water pump, radiator fan, oxygen sensors, control arm bushes, N72 valve, dump valve, breather pipe, 90° silicone pipe, glove compartment door, new front grille, new front tyres, small parts here and there, fixing some minor things myself and giving it a full service with genuine VW parts as well as changed the gearbox oil. The service was a breeze, very well designed to make maintenance easy. I was fortunate that the previous owner installed a stainless 76mm pipe from the turbo to the rear and 17" Santa Monica alloy wheels adding to the great looks and sportyness. I took a 4500km round trip from Johannesburg south west, then east along the coast and back north again. I never had a single problem during my journey nor in the 6 months since. In the city the car is very comfortable to drive and it is a wonderful tourer, it just glides smoothly over the road, eating up the kilometres. Fuel consumption is very reasonable at 120km/h when touring as well as in town. Its very roomy inside the cabin, looks great, is comfortable with good attention to detail from VW and the luggage compartment is one of the best in its class. Its true its not the fastest hatch out there but its definitely adequate as far as power and speed is concerned and very stylish, its one of those designs that age very slowly, the engine is well balanced, revs freely and is quite robust. Handling is also very good. If you want a stylish spacious affordable enjoyable allrounder then this is it. To me this is the last design that resembles the Golf look and also the most beautiful. This is my everyday car and I would not change it for any other car, not even a Golf 7

Expensive to run lol

does everything well. good performance, good handling, great cruiser. actually this car is better suited to fast cruising than anything else. it would be taken apart by less powerful, lighter, more purposeful cars on a track. the suspension is soft for a 'sports' car, though it rides well and damping is very good. good economy at 35mpg. heard guys saying they get mid 40's on a trip. I find this hard to believe. around town expect 18-22 mpg.

if you can get the 180, take it. the extra 30bhp and six speed box would improve this car. negatives are: car is too heavy; throttle response could be better; is fast but does not feel fast or exciting; brakes are not great at stopping but do have good feel and progression; expect lots of niggly problems (the car has sensors for everything, and therefore lots of sensors to fail).

I used to have a dc2 integra type r. in comparison, you cant compare. the integra was exciting, brakes were perfect, handling perfect, suspension perfect, engine perfect for performance but a real screamer with no mid range like a 1.8t golf. and gearing too low for motorway driving and no soundproofing. so to live with every day, GOLF WINS

The car is very well built, solid and reliable. Pulls very well in each gear, had 50 in 2nd without any strain at all!

If driven sensible you can easily get 33-35 mpg on urban roads, motorways an easy 40mpg. The dashboard looks fantastic at night all lit up in purple/blue, the boot is huge, spent 120pound on food and easily fitted it all in. The recaro seats really set itll off inside, very sporty and hold the driver in very securely around tight corners, mines fitted with climate control, which during winter or summer is an absolute god send!!

The cars really turn heads when about town, overall a very good solid car, as would be expected by Volkswagen.

only had the car a week but first impressions are the ones that last-- i love it, mine has the jabba sports upgrade 225 bhp (which basically ups the power to audi tt standards ) why vw did not do this originally i dont know (maybe didnt want people buying the cheaper vw sooner than over expensive audis??) its in dragon green metalic and has r32 alloys which just seem to bring a 10 year old car up to todays standards which i suppose are what golfs are all about, there pretty much timeless.the seats are supportive the interior functional and good quality (another vw strong point)the engine is strong and flexible ..no turbo lag just loads of torque from around 1500 rpm i think its abit deceptive because you dont feel a big power surge just a nice linear spread of power -that is until you look at the speedo, i know the are faster cars out there and ones that handle better but who really cares ( i know i dont) i enjoy the feeling that everytime i have to drive the golf i look forward to it and thats good enough for me ...

I have an 05 GTI 1.8T I love this car fast reliable pretty much stock right now I did order new Magnaflow Cat Back exhaust, changing out suspension for better ride and Cold air intake computer chip next! I'm sure this baby will fly after these changes..All I have to say is buy one!

amazing car , got a black 3dr golf gti 1.8 t all standard just been lowered so looks really slick , the car is 11 years old and still turns heads in the street recommend getting one for those looking to buy , the car is 150bhp but a simple engine remap can bring it to 210bhp which will increase the cars performance dramatically i will be purchasing tht soon lol

As standard i wouldn't recomend a golf to anyone. A proper driver would notice the huge amount of body roll when cornering. Yes, Golf's are well known for there good road handling but this only apply's to its strong grip and not the ability to power through a corner under control. When tear assing them you may get a hell of alot of torque but this doesn't show up in 0-60 times due to its poor power to weight ratio. Even my old standard fiesta 1.3 could just about keep up to the GTI.Im not having a go at VW here, As a normal road car its great (one of the best)! However, a friend of mine owns a 1.8t. Its had a full suspension uprgrade, a stage 3 turbo, gigantic intercooler,R32 exhausts and the usual cheap mods. It hits 60 in about 6 seconds and holds the road very nicely. If your looking to go for a similar car, try looking at the Focus 1.8 zetec. Its non turbo and less powered so insurance is pretty cheap. Its slighly quicker than its rival in terms 0-100 times but most of all the handling is amazing and will take a corner quicker and safer than any golf, including the R32. Its also very very reliable. This is my own opinion after driving them both pretty hard on track so try them out and you might have a different opinion. If you end up getting a golf, fit a strut brace. They are pretty cheap and are an easy mod. Pop the bonnet and notice the suspension pillars at either side of the engone towards the top. the brace just attaches on with a few bolts. This should increase its stability and body roll. :)

i have a 53 golf gti 180 (auq) engine code which was only made for 1 year only. i have got to say it's the best car i have ever owned.comfort,power,and so smooth and built to last.it's now running 210 bhp with a simple remap from r-tech(the vw gods). all my friends can't belive how quick it is because it looks quite plain looking. keep it well serviced and it will last 250k or more.

My VW Golf 1.8T (GTi Turbo - 150bhp) and me have had some serious fun over the past four years.

It is a great car, with loads of power, handles well, and once I replaced the Pirelli 6000 tyres with Michelin premacy's it actually stuck like glue cornering.

All golfs have a water pump issue (you must be driving it well) and also the MK4's have a gearbox issue/fault, even that aside it is stilla 10/10 car,.

It can be a family car or a wee race machine, depending on how quick you want to drive it and how much fuel you want to spend.

It ranges from 250 miles per tank around town to almost 400 miles per tank on an open road (without heavy peddeling it).

Its quick, comfortable and safe.

Enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine :)