GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: FlashBastd on 16 June 2007, 01:11
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Hi, looking at a couple of cars, currently after an R26, though that was before I read about Renault's appauling reliability. It looks like even a 55 plate GTi will cost me more than a new Renault, but I guess that is what you pay for quality!
Anyhow, I have a couple of questions;
1. can the steering wheel conttrol buttons be retrofitted? If so, is this a huge / expensive job, or is it not so bad?
2. does the GTi come with climate as standard - I am looking around an '05 car.
3. what about the spare wheel, space saver?
Thank you in advance for your help.
PS, having a go in a DSG car on Tues, concerned that between the added practicality of 5 doors, the bonus of DSG, and better build / reliability than Focus ST / Megane R26, I am going to have to find an extra couple of k.
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Im 18 and i have gone from a Clio Sport to a GTI...i wanted to get an R26 but my dealer didnt want to sell me one as he thought i was gonna smash it(hes a poof)....i am so happy i went for the GTI, its so much more mature, i love it, the space is excellent and the girls also like it! I think its so much better looking than alot of the other models in its range such as the S3, R26, Astra VXR, and so on...It depends what ur after thou, if you looking for an an all rounder, i would think the GTI would be the car to buy!...The S3 is only a 3 Door option, the GTI you can get in 5 Door, the same happens with the R26 and the Astra VXR. I beleive the steering buttons can be retro fitted as some one did mention it before but im sure ud be fine without it! Aslong as there is some one beside you to change songs n stuff your fine. I Beleive the GTI does come with Climate control as standard and yes...there is a spare wheel in the boot along with the tools and stuff. Your most welcome to take it out and take the risk of driving without a spare wheel....Its 5:30 am and i normally wouldnt write so much but im pissed, got nothing better do and felt like helping! Hope this helps mate, and all i have to say is....go for it :smiley:
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3. what about the spare wheel, space saver?
Yeah, I think cost-saver spare wheels are standard on Gti's in the UK... fantastic idea, you get limited to 50Mph and get to ruin the look of a fantastic car just so the manufacturer can save a few quid.
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Yeah, I think cost-saver spare wheels are standard on Gti's in the UK... fantastic idea, you get limited to 50Mph and get to ruin the look of a fantastic car just so the manufacturer can save a few quid.
Better than getting a can of air / gunk - which a lot of manufacturers are doing now!
At least if its a small puncture you can get it repaired... once you use those cans your tyre must be replaced.
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Thanks guys. Just a couple of other Qs,
is there room for a full size spare?
do 18's have a detrimental ride? Is there anything other than aesthetic benefit to them?
are DSG boxes pretty reliable?
are there any options that I really shouldn't be without?
thanks!
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Hi,
Not a full size, but I think the space saver is better than a can of goo
18s ride very nicely. Never tried the 17. The 18s use a 40 profile trye, the 17s use a 45. So in theory, the 18 should have less sidewall flex (good for handling, not so good for comfort). BUT, i seriously doubt that you would be able to tell a car on 17 or 18s from the drivers seat. But as i said, the 18 are not uncomfortable.
Mines an april 06, the DSG hasnt missed a beat yet. Its my first auto, so not being able to slip the clutch during parking manouvers took a little getting used to.
Even a "poverty spec" GTI is a good car. DSG is a personal preferance (you want it or you dont). 18s are nice (unless you are a kerb magnet, then have the 17 as they are much easier to get refurbed, or refurb yourself). Xenons are woth it if you can afford it, second hand Satnavs are £350 - £60 on ebay if you want to add one later...and I REALLY wish mine had the highline computer.
Basically, If it has GTI on the boot your gonna be happy with it. All the rest is just sugar on your cornflakes.
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Highline can't be retrofitted then? - shame, I would like a proper computer, but I guess it all depends what is available at the right price. DSG and 5drs are both pretty important, anything else is a bonus. I love those Recaro's, and would also like a sunroof, but I guess the chances of finding a car with;
Recaro's
DSG
5drs
Cruise
Steering wheel controls
Xenons
18's
low miles
new as poss
For around £16k, are going to be pretty slim, meaning compromises somewhere, and that is before colour choices. I am expecting the DSG will make the car just so much easier to live with, without compromising performance or control. Cruise and 18's can be retrofitted, so I guess they aren't issues, but I will prob have to do without a sunroof.
It is a bit gutting, as an R26 has most of that as standard, is great to drive, and available for around £15k plus metallic and Xenons, but even with 3 yrs warranty, I just don't want to be messing around taking it back to the dealers all the time, or worse getting stranded because it won't start, or let me in.
The Renault horror stories are really awful - I ran my '01 Mondeo 2.5 from year 3 to year 5, 30k to 65k and called the AA once when a spring broke. I am currently running a '93 BMW E30 318i Touring, we have had it from year 10, to date, 55k to 85k and only called the AA once, because of an aftermarket immobiliser fault, so the prospect of having to routinely get them out to a 0-3year old car really puts me off, hence considering spending more on an old GTi.
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I Have heard all the Renault Horror stories and have also experienced them! The amount of problems my clio hsa given me is countless. You just cant compare Renault to VW. The moment i went from the Clio to the GTI i knew i was in a good, safe and friendly car. Have you tried test driving a GTI? Not sure how test drives work in the UK as i am from abroad but im sure it will be worth it. If you want to have a look at forums to do with the R26, www.renaultsport.co.uk i guess. If i were in your shoes i think id put my money on the GTI. Much better investment!
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I would say make a car with 18's your priority. You will regret it big time if you don't get them and it will cost you £1k + to get a pukka set with tyres if you want to upgrade to them later. Other than that, as has been said the GTI is pretty much sorted . Not as quick point to point as the Renault R26 but the GTI a far classier , better built car . I had a Clio 172 Cup years ago and the buld quality was shocking.
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Thanks guys. Just a couple of other Qs,
is there room for a full size spare?
....Not hidden away but I sometimes carry a full set of 17's with back seats down - No problem.
do 18's have a detrimental ride? Is there anything other than aesthetic benefit to them?
....I did my first 15,000 miles on the 17's and now up to 32,000 on 18's. 18's feeler firmer but not harsher and I have firmer modded suspension. UK road salt is shyte and can corrode the clear lacquer on the 18's.
are DSG boxes pretty reliable?
....Just as reliable as any other component on the car. DSG offers so many driving style options and takes a while to get natural and fluid with it but it's awesome when you do.
are there any options that I really shouldn't be without?
....Highline computer, Armrest - Not essential but very useful.
thanks!
....You're welcome - We're here to help each other :cool:
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Im 18 and i have gone from a Clio Sport to a GTI
!!! :shocked:
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Makes my first car (Citroen AX GT) look a bit pants... why did I have poor parents?? :smiley:
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Im 18 and i have gone from a Clio Sport to a GTI
!!! :shocked:
:smiley:
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Ok, so I have been thinking about finding a replacement for the '01 2.5 Mondeo Zetec-S that I sold late last year, since then I have been smoking around in a '93 BMW E30 318i Lux auto touring - great car, but now a bit tired.
I am married, with a small child, but my wife has an '05 CR-V which is the main family car, so practicality is not the biggest issue, that said I still wanted four seats, and ideally at least four doors. I was initially hoping to get an E46 Sport, either a 330i man / 330d auto, and ideally a Touring as I appreciate having a hatch, and my driveway is pretty awkward, so a rear wiper is also handy.
I had decided that I was comfortable with a budget of around £15k, and could afford to go a little higher for the right car. Some early investigating showed that I was going to struggle to get into a 330 with the right spec, sensible mileage and any of it's original warranty remaining. This troubled me as £15k seems like a lot of cash to me, and I wanted to minimise any gamble. I know a BM is unlikely to go wrong, but if it did, it was likely to be expensive. So, with the BMW's knocked off the list, the search was on for something newer, but still at least quick, and ideally fast.
As an avid Autocar reader, and a longtime Ford fan, the Focus ST seemed like a good bet - I should be able to get an '06 plate 5dr ST-3 with some extras, for around £16k, so I arranged a test drive. Being as I was looking at hot hatches, and the Megane R26 is reckoned to be superb, I arranged a test drive in one of those too. Part of the added attraction of the R26 was the possibility of buying a brand new one for under £16k (www.nationwide-cars.co.uk), better economy than the ST, better turning circle and the lack of a heavy 5cyl over the front axle. I discounted the Civic type-R immediately as I wanted something at least a little torquey, and it has no rear wiper. I also decided I should really try a Golf GTi - I had previously been very impressed by the DSG transmission, but was concerned that due to the high new pricing and lack of discounts, I would have the same problems as buying a 330, i.e. nothing new enough within my budget.
I should really point out that at this point, I had already decided I would get a Focus, despite not having driven an ST. I went to try the Megane really just because I felt I ought to. I took it out in torrential rain, and I was blown away. What a car, the interior was great, the drive was wonderful, kit was good, auto lights, auto wipers, climate, 18" wheels, big brakes, Recaro seats, computer, I came away really impressed. I went straight to the local Ford dealership and tried an ST on the same route.
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While I initially felt more comfortable in the Focus, I was generally disappointed in the quality of the interior materials - perhaps almost as much the colouring as the materials - I was in an ST-3, with full black leather, black dash top, upper door cards, etc. but much of the lower dash, door panels, centre console, etc are a dark grey, and look really cheap. Probably fine with grey upholstery, but not with the leather. That combined with the lack of standard auto climate and some of the other things mentioned, were starting to put me off. After a good drive, and some slightly sporting driving around a large roundabout, I came to the conclusion that while the Focus was a good drive, it wasn't quite as good as the Megane, and that the added practicality of 5 doors wasn't enough to compensate for the car being 12m old, with a less pleasant interior, heavy 5cyl engine, poor turning circle and even worse fuel economy.
That was it, I was getting the Megane. I went through the process with the broker, spoke to a friend with a 3yr old Megane, albeit a DCi, and was planning on placing my order for a '57 plate car after running it past my wife. Except it wasn't that simple. Not only was she not keen on my getting a 3dr, she was much, much less keen on the idea of my getting a French car, and asked me to show her that they were as reliable as I claimed. I had up until this point based my plan upon the fact that it is a great drive, and comes with 3 yrs warranty so shouldn't be too bad. Then I looked at the Top Gear reliability survey 2006, and read the owner reviews. While no-one with a RenaultSport car had a problem, the level of problems encountered by people with standard Meganes was appauling. Even if I was willing to give it a go, I knew there was no way I was going to get this approved. Reading reviews on the Focus suggested it was better, but by no means great. Then, just out of interest, I read the reviews on the Golf, the car I already knew was going to be more than I wanted to spend. Of course, pretty much nothing significant had gone wrong. Everyone was delighted. Bugger. After the visual drama of the Megane R26, and the grunt of the Focus ST, I was feeling a bit disappointed.
Nonetheless, we all went to the local VW dealer who had a '55 plate 27k GTi 5dr, with DSG, for £16,650. Went out in their demo, and my memories of DSG in the TT were selling the transmission short. Wow! First thought was why would anyone want any other transmission? Second thought was that it seems just as quick as the other two, drives really well, and the standard car is actually pretty well specified, dual climate, auto lights, mirror, wipers, it might not have Recaro's, but the standard sports seats seemed pretty special, the interior is in another leave to the Renault and Focus, and the lack of 18's on this particular car didn't bother me too much, I doubt there is much different in the handling, tyres should be cheaper, and being as the 17's aren't polished they shouldn't corrode too badly.
I am not buying this particular car, as it had no extra's, other than DSG, and I don't really want to buy until the autumn, the lead time for a new Megane making it important to make my mind up now, however this car does illustrate that good late used cars are available within my budget, and I am just going to hold out for a better specc'd car, perhaps starting the search seriously in Autumn.
The Ford was a good car, but I just wasn't convinced with the interior colouring, and compared with the Golf is too expensive new, unless you are a Privilege buyer, but that is probably who Ford's pricing mainly targets...
The Renault was a great car, unfortunately not available as a 5dr, and blighted by the prospect of appauling reliability.
The Golf is a genuinly great car, as good to drive as the Focus, if not the Renault, but one that will be much, much easier to live with due to the DSG transmission, extra pair of doors, and promised sound reliability.
In the meantime, anyone planning on selling an '05 - '06 plate Golf GTi 5dr later this year, with DSG and a few choice options, please get in touch!
Thank you everyone for your time and comments.