GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: mowgli on 27 May 2005, 11:40
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Hiya,
I've had 4 Mk 3 GTi 8v's over the past 9 years and they are great cars and I have defended them and their performance. Thing is, my last one has been sold and I am now flogging my Passat V5 to get back into a GTi.
Has anyone else gone 8v to 16v, 8v to VR6 or 16v to VR6? Is the VR6 really the dogs compared to the others or not? Is the 16v really that big a jump over the 8v in everyday use?
Thanks for the replies, the money is burning a huge whole in my skyrocket :undecided:
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I had a mk3 16v for six months before selling it for a vr6. I'm very glad i did as in my opinion the vr6 is much better. I lost about 4-5mpg and paid about £150 more insurance but it's well worth it. I liked the 16v but the VR6 is much smoother, torquier and faster, as you would expect really. And it sounds good too.
I drove my friends 8v a couple of times when i had the 16v and didn't notice an awful lot of difference, but i probably drove it a total of 10 miles so not really a basis for comparison.
I say get a VR6! :evil:
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Vr's are nice, but thirsty, I am perfectly happy with my 16v
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I've owned two V6 Mondeo's and a V6 Corsa, and I love these engines. Miles better 'driveabilty' than 16v's
I've got a 16v Golf, but only because it was a part-ex bargain (£1800), wish I'd paid more for a VR6.
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I've owned two V6 Mondeo's and a V6 Corsa, and I love these engines. Miles better 'driveabilty' than 16v's
Ahh, driveability. Thats how i've always thought of it. My Passat V5 is very torquey, as were my 5 BMW's (6 cylinder) and V6 Mondeo before it. I found that my 8v was a torquey engine too, for a 4 cylinder.
V6 corsa :shocked: FFS !!! I bet that went, everything probably feels slow compared.
I drove my friends 8v a couple of times when i had the 16v and didn't notice an awful lot of difference, but i probably drove it a total of 10 miles so not really a basis for comparison
This is how I'd always imagined it to be, very similar in everyday driving (< 3500 rpm) the difference showing up at the top end of the rev range.
Thanks for the answers fellas. :smiley:
My other plan is outlined in this thread:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=22470.0
Some decent 8v's going for less than £3K on the trader.
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I have owned 2 8valves and a VR6.
There is no contest really, the Vr6 feels like a real 'grown up' car, with a wonderful, stacks of performance, but perhaps most importantly an amazing noise. However, the downside is that the V6 noise makes you want to boot it, which in turn leads to dismal MPG's. VR6's also seem significantly more expensive than 4 cylinder models.
Out of the 8v and 16v, I'd go for the 16v everyday - they don't seem to have much premium over 8 valves and cost only a little more to run. As with all cars this age, there are stacks of trashy cars in Autotrader, its a case of sifting through for the good ones. The 16v isn't exactly refined, but it does have stacks of grunt, whereas the 8v is simply the same as a Mondeo / Vectra / Escort 1.8 etc. That said, there is a satisfying 'unburstable' feeling about the 8v unit.
The reason I ended up buying 8 valves both times is because there are many more of them, and also (as they were actually cheap cars in 96-98) there are plenty that have been a housewife's car / retired person hence mint and easy life (the Gti was only a few £100 more than a 1.8 GL - so people bought them that weren't wanting a GTi style car) . Fewer 16 valves to choose from. I've found the local paper to be a great place to pick up both of my 8 valves from middle aged owners who have maintained the cars well.
To sum up, I'd probs go for a late 16v if i was spending up to 3k. If I was spending £4k for a decent VR6, I'd rather chip in an extra grand and get a mk4 gti T. Its also worth noting that tidy early mk 4 125bhps are around £3.5k now
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Thanks for that, I've just sold a Seat Leon 1.8SE which is basically the Golf 1.8 GTi, but with much cheaper insurance. I found it to be slow to be honest, slower than my Mk3's. You're right about the unburstable feel to the 8v engine, they just seem to go on forever.
I'm now looking at a 1.8T Golf or Leon Cupra, or even a V5 Golf if I can get one at the right price. That V5 unit is something else.