Thinking about buying - going for my first test drive on Saturday!

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Kerbed alloys I think are a good indication of how well a car has been treated.

Hmmmm.  My alloys are kerbed, but I would vhermently dispute that my car as a whole has been mistreated! 

Moisture in the third brake light in the rear spoiler, this is very very common and you should have it fixed before picking it up, I have had mine done and it was fine.

But the crucial thing with this issue - is to actually check the alignment of the rear washer.  Most are factory set at the '12 o'clock' position, ie, straight up directly at the brake light, but the official technical literature states they should be aimed at the '2 o'clock' position, away from the light.

I would avoid a DSG as a second hand purchase in case anything goes wrong or make sure you have a good warranty in place, think it needs an oil change at around 40k.

Sorry, but the DSG is a superb bit of kit, and is just as reliable as any other gearbox - manual or auto.  Like any component on a car, if the DSG has been abused, ie regular launch control, or regular drag strip useage - then be prepared for an early DSG bath.

And the DSG must have an oil and filter change every 4 years or 40k miles, whichever comes soonest.  If the car is driven hard, or has had a remap, it is wise advice to half, or even quater in extreme useage, this interval.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

JP  2 things, I have to disagree on avoiding the DSG as a secondhand purchase, as long as the car is correctly serviced, it should be as agood as a manual, and without the potential of lead footed clutch work!

Yup, agreed.   

Second, WTF is that price...thats nearly 19K worth of the Queens pound notes for an 06 in poverty spec.

Get yourself on a ferry to Blighty man, you'd buy a new one for that now  

I was gonna disagree with you on that point  :embarassed: - because it is in Euros, rather than pounds sterling - but then I realised that the Euro is virtually at parity with the quid - so yes, extortionate price.     A basic early 06 car should be around £13-14k - maybe even less with some hard haggling. 

Don't they have the credit crunch in Ireland? 

[jphealy]

I'm not looking for DSG anyway.  Not that I doubt its brilliance - but this would only be my second car, and I'm just not ready to give up a fully manual gearshift.  I'd miss that clutch pedal!

Irish cars are always a lower spec than UK.  You Brits don't know how good you have it!  The dual zone climate is only an option.

Buying in the UK wouldn't save me much after the taxes payable in Ireland. The way it works for buying a new car is you pay the ex VAT price in UK, then you pay VAT (at the Irish rate, 21.5%) on the Euro equivalent of whatever you paid the UK dealer. Then you have to pay VRT (vehicle registration tax - an extra tax on all cars sold or brought into Ireland). The VRT rate depends on the emissions level of a car. For the standard GTI mkV it's 28%. So you pay 20% of the Irish retail price of the car (it's also payable on any extras).

If you buy used in UK (used defined as more than 6 months old AND more than 6,000 km on the clock), you don't have to pay the VAT in Ireland, but you still have to pay the 28% VRT on whatever Revenue decide the car is worth - which could be anything.  They are a law onto themselves.

So when you consider the expenses involved in buying in the UK, and the hassle of having to sell my car privately here, rather than trading in - it's just not worth it.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation!  I just need to vent every now and then.  We get shafted buying cars in Ireland.

[ifti]

Im gonna bookmark this thread for when I fnd my GTI DSG - TT surely does give tons of usual info!!

[jphealy]

I would certainly like the highline computer, but almost no used cars I've seen have them. As I've explained, cars are expensive in Ireland, and that VRT is payable on extras - so most people nearly ignore the options list and just buy a very standard car.

Couple of questions on comments you've made:
That clutch pedal - should it be level with the brake pedal? 'Cause it does look higher alright. What might that be a sign of? Is it a problem?

How exactly do I check the pads and discs for wear? Is it easily done by hand and eye?

Should the exhaust be shiny chrome, or what finish should I be seeing?

It would be great if you (Teutonic_Tamer) could look up the factory spec with the VIN. Can you tell me where I'll find it when I go to look at the car?

About the price - I've spoken to the dealer on the phone and I think I'll be able to get him to accept €15k along with my trade-in (10 yr old 1.4 3dr Astra).  I think I'd just about be happy with that, as long as I'm happy with the car when I see/drive it.

Thanks a million for all the great help by the way!

[ifti]

The exhaust should be a shiny chrome - when its new anyways

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Im gonna bookmark this thread for when I fnd my GTI DSG - TT surely does give tons of usual info!!

Thanks mate.   

[Teutonic_Tamer]

I'm not looking for DSG anyway.  Not that I doubt its brilliance - but this would only be my second car, and I'm just not ready to give up a fully manual gearshift.  I'd miss that clutch pedal!

Irish cars are always a lower spec than UK.  You Brits don't know how good you have it!  The dual zone climate is only an option.

Buying in the UK wouldn't save me much after the taxes payable in Ireland. The way it works for buying a new car is you pay the ex VAT price in UK, then you pay VAT (at the Irish rate, 21.5%) on the Euro equivalent of whatever you paid the UK dealer. Then you have to pay VRT (vehicle registration tax - an extra tax on all cars sold or brought into Ireland). The VRT rate depends on the emissions level of a car. For the standard GTI mkV it's 28%. So you pay 20% of the Irish retail price of the car (it's also payable on any extras).

If you buy used in UK (used defined as more than 6 months old AND more than 6,000 km on the clock), you don't have to pay the VAT in Ireland, but you still have to pay the 28% VRT on whatever Revenue decide the car is worth - which could be anything.  They are a law onto themselves.

So when you consider the expenses involved in buying in the UK, and the hassle of having to sell my car privately here, rather than trading in - it's just not worth it.

Sorry for the long-winded explanation!  I just need to vent every now and then.  We get shafted buying cars in Ireland.

Yikes, you do get shafted.  What about if you bought north of the boarder - do you still have to go through all that tax rigmarole? 

Anyway, the car in question does seem overpriced, so if you do like it, I'd strongly recommend sitting down to some hard bargaining with them.   

[clive]

You should be able to pick up a 2006 GTI for ~11k in NI

[jphealy]

Doesn't matter whether it's NI, England, Scotland or Wales - or anywhere else in the EU for that matter!  We still have to go through the same tax rigmarole.  If I found one in NI for £11k, that would be about €12,500, plus about €5,500 VRT.  That comes to €18k.  I'm hoping to haggle this dealer down to that much at least.

I've had a look at pictures of other manual GTIs for sale, and they all seem to have the same pedal alignment (clutch set a little higher than brake) - so I'm not to worried about that.

Any answers to my other queries on how to check the brakes for wear, and where to fin the VIN?

Thanks again!!