GTI Mk5, Ed30, R32 or GTI Mk6? for driving in central london

[pisquano]

hi everyone
I've decided my next car will be a golf, problem is I can't seem to decide which of the ones mentioned in the title.
my last car was an audi RS4 which I loved but was overkill as I mainly drive in london, so I need a car very responsive on the low-mid range

I tried the mk5 and thought it was really good, I tried the ed30 and got a bit disappointed as it seemed a bit less responsive than the gti std...although quicker on the motorway (that is not important for me)/.
still haven't tried the R32 or the Mk6.... but the latter costs so much more...
my budget was going to be around £10-12K which would allow me a good mk5 or ed30.... but I am not really finding good ones with low mileage around here...

can someone help me out decide?
prior to the RS4 I had a mini cooper S that I loved but it was too small for me really and I had to let it go

thanks!
Federico

[kahunajb]

Toyota Prius as no congestion charge? Seriously tho  all them are going to be expensive to run if you are doing short slow journeys especially the r32.

Personally I prefer the ed30.

[pisquano]

thanks but I was looking for something a bit more fun to drive

[VW BUSH]

MK6 GTD and a good remap, perfect for London

[Mr GTD]

R32 low miles and awesome sound track...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volkswagen-Golf-R32-V6-3-2l-DSG-4MOTION-5dr-Deep-Blue-Pearlescent-/251082812158?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a75b3aafe#ht_500wt_922

[pisquano]

interesting for the GTD

but how does that compare with the GTI? also I am adamant on manual, cannot really stand automatic

[gti210ps]

interesting for the GTD

but how does that compare with the GTI? also I am adamant on manual, cannot really stand automatic

you can't beat the GTI MKVI mate.  I am driving mine in Nicosia - obviously not London - but still A LOT of congested traffic.  Not the best in terms of fuel economy but for the sheer fun of it, i don't mind the extra shilling or two - or ten, or twenty..   I haven't driven the GTD but from a couple of friends that they have, the two don't really compare

[Jimble]

Swings and roundabouts really, the mk6 would offer the best fuel economy out of what you've listed but will cost the the most initially, i think you need to whey up your inital outlay against the running costs over a year, the mk5 GTI will cost a lot less but will cost only marginally more to run but will be an "older" car...


This is one of those decisions only you can make as you know how much money you have, HTH but probably not, sorry.

[pisquano]

Putting aside the r32 and the mark vi for a second, in case I had to chose between the mk5 and the ed30, considering they behave quite differently at low revs, would you rather go for a tuned gti or tuned ed30?
(still, I've only driven one ed30 and it could have been a dog)
I guess I'm trying to understand if an ed30 mapped can gain back that "kick" at low revs that I noticed on the "standard" mk5. I don't really care about top speed though.

Insurance wise, gti mk5 and ed30 are the same, and even tuned they are the same.

[PenguinGTI]

You've managed to hit a fair number of the "eternal debates"  .

I'll be as brief as possible.

Edition 30:
Standard: Faster and better spec'd than a standard GTI. Slower than an R32. Marginally more expensive to run than a GTI.
Tuned: Fastest car of the bunch. More BHP per £££ than the R32.

R32:
Standard: 4WD (Haldex), NA 3.2l engine so good power delivery, fantastic noise but expensive to run.
Tuned: More £££ per BHP than a turbocharged car.

Mk5 GTI:
Standard: Probably the sweetest of the bunch. Decent performance, subtle, cheaper.
Tuned: Map should see 240hp. Map, exhaust and intake should see 260bhp.

Mk6 GTI:
Standard: "10%" better in most aspects than a Mk5 (interior, power, economy
Tuned: Maps pretty close to an Edition 30.

I had a Mk6 GTI. I mapped mine. I've gone back to a MINI only because I wanted something smaller again.