ive got a '91 8v, i was debating between a 8v or 16v when i first got mine, i read up on the fact that 16v are quicker etc, but i only had £1500 to spend and it was my first insurance,and all the 16v's i saw for sale were complete dogs, they had been thrashed. so when a mint 8v came up for sale it was too good to pass up, im a bit of a fanny driver cos i never take my car to the red line and apparently this is where 16v's come alive so im happy with my 8v, its a big jump from a crappy 1.4 honda civic
id say have a go of both and see which one suits your driving style, i use my gti everyday and i must admit i do drive it quite hard but not enough to get myself into trouble