GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: lamboman on 29 November 2006, 13:22
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OK guys - honest opinions please...
I have been waiting months to get a test drive in a DSG GTI from my local dealer (Bedford) who claims they are sparse. So I want to know:
1. Is it fun to drive?
2. Does it have good build quality?
3. Is it reliable?
4. Is it worth the price tag (given it costs almost 20 times more than my Mk3!)?
5. Would you buy one over a used E46 M3 coupe at the same price?
Thanks
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answer to all those questions is........................ YES to 1 to 5
and would i over a bmw thingi,........................ VW all the way
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If you have the money, there is no better new car you can buy at that price imho. I have heard that from several quarters including J Clarkson and car enthusiasts. Having owned one, I can safely say it is the best car I have ever driven...
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Wow... I'm surprised - I expected Mk5 owners to be a bit more enthusiastic about their cars than this... just 2 responses! If this was an ad for an M3 on the M3 forum the posts would have gone through the roof, thats how passionate they are about their cars...
I guess like my VW dealer said this may well be true: "The Mk5 GTI is not a big enough improvement over the Mk3 to justify the price tag"
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1. Is it fun to drive?
Oh yes
2. Does it have good build quality?
Yes - there are some very minor issues but all in all A1
3. Is it reliable?
100% - never had a breakdown!
4. Is it worth the price tag (given it costs almost 20 times more than my Mk3!)?
YES - see residuals
5. Would you buy one over a used E46 M3 coupe at the same price?
YES - compair running costs!
GTI = W'tee + New = FUN @ 25mpg and not DEAR to run
M3 = No W'tee + Old = Fun @ 15mpg but EXPENSIVE to run & fix!
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1. Is it fun to drive?
Yes. Fast enough for most situations.
2. Does it have good build quality?
Very good based on my experience.
3. Is it reliable?
Very good based on my experience.
4. Is it worth the price tag (given it costs almost 20 times more than my Mk3!)?
Before I took delivery in April, I thought I was buying an overpriced vehicle, but having spent 8 entertaining months, I now think its very good value. I paid £15000 for a brand new MK3 in 1996-now that was expensive for a slow, tail happy vehicle!!!!
5. Would you buy one over a used E46 M3 coupe at the same price?
No, the MK5 Golf is brilliant car, you will not be disappointed, and the money is sensible too.
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Wow... I'm surprised - I expected Mk5 owners to be a bit more enthusiastic about their cars than this... just 2 responses! If this was an ad for an M3 on the M3 forum the posts would have gone through the roof, thats how passionate they are about their cars...
I guess like my VW dealer said this may well be true: "The Mk5 GTI is not a big enough improvement over the Mk3 to justify the price tag"
Welcome to the forum... most Mk5 owners are too busy driving our cars than posting on internet forums like weedy nerds holed up in a dark, damp (for reasons I wouldn't want to know about) bedrooms.
As for your your VW dealer, most of them don't know what the hell they are talking about... the ONLY reason I go to a dealer is for a new car and the service which maintains the value... but apart from that they can't troubleshoot faults unless a bloody computer tells them whats wrong, they don't know what they are selling half the time and don't even know whats standard and whats an option on their vehicles - rang VW Newport a few weeks ago and they told me that climate control was no longer standard on the Mk5 GTI - prize idiot. :angry:
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Hows that for passion? :grin: :grin: :evil:
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1. Is it fun to drive?
Yes it is ... didnt think so at first as i came out of an integra type r, but as the engine has worn in its improved immensely.
2. Does it have good build quality?
Extremely impressed with it! I love to criticise where i can, but no probs with mine (though early ones did have a steering rack problem)
3. Is it reliable?
Never even considered that - its such a new car i expect it to start, stop and go without issue.
4. Is it worth the price tag (given it costs almost 20 times more than my Mk3!)?
£15k for a MK3 in 1996 translates to £20,764 @ 3% inflation nowadays - so in fact its about the same as a new MK3. (Time value of money and all that!)
5. Would you buy one over a used E46 M3 coupe at the same price?
Yep ... i had a look at the M3 when i was changing - yrs warranty was over £1k, insurance was about £1k (Gti is £350!) and if the VANOS goes wrong your looking at selling kidneys to repair it!
HTH!
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Thanks for the reviews guys - I forgot you're all busy outside enjoying these cars!
I'm going to push my local dealer (Vindis Bedford) for a test drive asap - then I will know for sure how good this car really is... :laugh:
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Phone round a few dealers. There's loads of GTis and R32s about now.
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You will love it - Mk3 is nothing like a new GTI you will be blown away :cool:
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Yup, I have had a Mk3 GTI in very good condition and compared to the Mk5 it was a pile of :sick: :sick: :sick:
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Wow, the MK5 is not a bigger enough improvement on the MK3. That guy should be sacked cz he obviously don't know what he's talking about.
If you have money to maintain a M3, then thats the one I would go for.
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Please explain the hot attributes of the M3? They never catch me on the back roads... :laugh:
I'd love one(really..honest..guv!), but I don't have that amount time to waste :grin: (at: petrol stations, BMW service counter, following up insurance claims due to scratching by keys, waiting at junctions, looking in the mirror admiring myself)
The M3 is an awesome ride, but it's a bit STRAIGHT LINE.
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BMW M3, are gorgeous and drive brilliantly. However living in London I used to always worry about it getting keyed etc. But they are not as much fun to drive as the Gti. I love my Gti, I am gutted about having to sell it. But so was I gutted when I sold my M3. Cost of the M3 is silly, still I loved looking at my self in the mirror.
I now have a mini cooper S on order and a range rover sport on order. As soon as they come, its bye bye to my Gti. Go gor the DSG, 18" wheels,xenons as they make the car look the business and it is so much more fun to drive. Wife is currently driving our Gti, she is having second thoughts on selling it.
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Having sold my 4 yr old M3 to buy a new GTI, I can honestly say the GTI is
- more fun to drive on public roads
- so far, much more reliable (although ages were different)
- significantly cheaper to own.
On a warm sunny day when the M3 was not in the local dealership being fixed, the car was simply awesome. The same was true on track with the DSC switched off - the combination of M-diff, smg and 8k red-lining straight 6 was just amazing - the noise the engine makes is truely magical and it's the one thing I really miss with the GTI.
Having said that, the GTI is more fun to drive on public roads. The steering is so much better than my M3 and the spread of torque still gives the impression of rapid (if not ballistic) acceleration.
The only downside to my GTI is build quality - it's not the same as a bmw and it's been back to the dealer 3 times to have rattles fixed.
I bought my GTI because the M3, whilst amazing, was too much for normal driving conditions and far too expensive. With the new model just around the corner, depreciation was frightening and this will only get worse. Warranty costs shot up in Feb-06 to £1100 - 1800 depending on mileage (60k) and there's also a £250 xs on every claim. You also have to make sure the 1st service is done on time too, otherwise you'll end up buying a car you can't sell and one that BMW won't honour if something goes wrong with the engine.
To sum up, I had an M3 for 1 year and it was a mixed affair. I've now had my GTI for 6 months and putting rattles to one side, it's great.