Decision time...which GTI to buy!

[Bondy-MKV]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and i've not yet got my GTI but have been saving the past couple of years to get one! now the time has finally come to do so but i'm having a few issues finding the right one. I just wanted your opinion on a few things and also what the general price ranges are for this car?

I've got around £13,000 to play with and have come across two cars i like, one being a Black (the fastest of course!) 2006 reg, with 22,000 miles, 18" Monza's, leather upholstery, i-pod connection etc for £12,995. The other i have seen is the same apart from being a 2007 reg, 28,000 miles with plaid seats etc for the same price. Both have 1 previous owner and full service history.

What i really want to know is firstly, do those prices seem about right? If not, how much room do you think there is for negotiation with the dealer?

Also, what are your opinions on the leather v cloth fabric seats? I'm generally a fan of the leather seats but want to know if there are any disadvantages or things to look out for when going down that route?

A few other random questions are, is the ipod connection via USB or an AUX port? Does it display the song information on the stereo display? Is there anything to look out for when buying a car thats 4 years old, or any general wear and tear issues that may crop up with the golf?

If you can get back to me on any of this it would be really appreciated!

[musicman87]

Hello,

Welcome to the forum - i'm relatively new and the information on here is invaluable, you're in the right place!

The seats are really a matter of opinion - mine has cloth, i love the pattern, but if i had the budget i would have had the leather. (however, after reading some of the threads on here, the general consensus is that VW leather isn't the best quality). The ED30 has the best of both worlds, tartan cloth down the middle with leather side bolsters. My opinion, cloth or leather would be to look for heated seats. Wish i had done with mine.

4 years old, make sure you get the cambelt and waterpump changed as part of any deal. (The VW service schedule states every 4 years or 60,000 miles, whichever is sooner). Even on a low mileage car i'd definitely get it done.

Prices i can't really help with, i paid £8,600 for 55 plate car with 60k on the clock - really clean and tidy with the cambelt service thrown in.

You will be very happy either way - the car is brilliant and your hard saving will be rewarded!

[Egbutt Wash]

Drive them both and buy the one you like best.

[entropy]

One thing I found is that prices seem to be all over the place on auto trader. £8,600 for a 55 plate seems extremely cheap..

Also the one with 28k and on a 07 play seems very cheap if its £12,995.

The other thing i found when looking was that if it's very cheap it was usually in a smash or recorded stolen or an import.

Good Luck

[Phil1980]

Welcome to the site, the 06 car sounds like a good deal,  I had the same dilemna when I was looking to get my golf leather or cloth,  I went for the cloth seats and am really happy with them, was more interested in the car having 18's & xenons.  Take them both for a drive and buy the one you like best.  Either way you are going to end up with a great car.

[stealthwolf]

Also, what are your opinions on the leather v cloth fabric seats? I'm generally a fan of the leather seats but want to know if there are any disadvantages or things to look out for when going down that route?

As others have said, VW isn't the best - they've reserved that for Audi. Hence the leather doesn't wear well and will look more worn and older than it does in future. I'd honestly drive both and see which feels more comfortable.

A few other random questions are, is the ipod connection via USB or an AUX port? Does it display the song information on the stereo display?

The iPod connection is a bit crap TBH. I imagine neither cars have satnav so you'd have either the RCD300 or 500. The connection is into the Auxillary connection at the back so I don't think you can have a CD changer (might be wrong though). Also, you don't get much info. Plus you can only play the first six playlists.

[Hurdy]

£14k or under should get you into an '07 reg Edition 30. Mine went for just under £14k with 28.5k miles on, FSH, REVO ECU and DSG software, Satnav, Quaife diff, Team Dynamics 18" alloys and TOYO R1R tyres with little wear. The brake discs had just been changed and the OEM suspension only had 4k miles on it from new. So, the deals are out there if you know where to look.

[Steve30]

£14k or under should get you into an '07 reg Edition 30. Mine went for just under £14k with 28.5k miles on, FSH, REVO ECU and DSG software, Satnav, Quaife diff, Team Dynamics 18" alloys and TOYO R1R tyres with little wear. The brake discs had just been changed and the OEM suspension only had 4k miles on it from new. So, the deals are out there if you know where to look.

+1 what Hurdy says spot on , get an Ed30 brilliant motor

[iwilkins]

+1 for and Ed30 I paid a little more than 14k that Hurdy mentioned but he car has toys and warranty remaining.  I've only had it 2 weeks so have been looking a lot recently.

As mentioned deals are out there keep looking

[jeynesey]

Edition 30