New Civic Type R - £30k??

[Booth11]

I find the R - in the metal - a far more handsome vehicle, there is a sense of class about it, which I find on the GTI's and GTD's - they have a confidence because they are not shouty, and that appeals.   But I don't want every warm/hot hyper hatch to look the same and I think it's great each car maker can inject some personality and difference into these cars, what's right for one, won't be right for another and that's how it should be.

James

I agree, the Golf performance models do have an air of class about them but at the same time somehow they defy social class.  I mean in the sense that all models of Golf share the same evolutionary design, with the performance models having the subtle design cues as to their intent and all important nods to past heritage, which subtly mark them out from the standard Golf family.  You only have to look at the well known VW photo which shows all marks from 1 through to 7 lined up.  That demonstrates the design ethos perfectly.  I doubt many of the generations of shouty hot hatches would fare so well in a similar phtoshoot.  It would be interesting to see their versions of such a photo though. 

And because of the sublety of design it, the Golf, be it GTI/GTD/R really is an 'everyman' car.  Equally at home across the class spectrum.

But if that's not your thing, there's the Civic Type R's of this world!

[dubber36]

Said photo.

[monkeyhanger]

The MK3 is definitely the mutt of the bunch, and a bit of a rust bucket - I see far more tidier MK2s still on the road than MK3s. My mate had a MK3 and the bodywork was rotten at 7 years old.

My order of preference is :-

MK2 > MK7 > MK5 > MK1 > MK4 > MK6 > MK3

Cars have come a long way - I doubt i'd want to live with a MK2 every day, even though it is my favourite Golf relative to the time I had one.

[James75]

The MK3 is definitely the mutt of the bunch, and a bit of a rust bucket - I see far more tidier MK2s still on the road than MK3s. My mate had a MK3 and the bodywork was rotten at 7 years old.

My order of preference is :-

MK2 > MK7 > MK5 > MK1 > MK4 > MK6 > MK3

Cars have come a long way - I doubt i'd want to live with a MK2 every day, even though it is my favourite Golf relative to the time I had one.

That would be my list - particularly fond of MK5's - never owned one but always like them.

James

[RobS23GTI]

Mk4 surely last, it was awful and the GTI was a trim level. Plus it's one of the chav cars of choice.
I have owned the mk5, 6 and 7 and have a soft spot for the mk2.
Loved the mk5 as it was VW's return to form with the GTI, plus the first 200bhp car I owned.

[monkeyhanger]

Mk4 surely last, it was awful and the GTI was a trim level. Plus it's one of the chav cars of choice.
I have owned the mk5, 6 and 7 and have a soft spot for the mk2.
Loved the mk5 as it was VW's return to form with the GTI, plus the first 200bhp car I owned.

The MK4 was a well built car, but the GTI trim level was a bit of a joke.

[wigit]

I had a mk3 and was not a classic, does make me smile the amount of these pimped up at Inters

Mk4 Anniversary and later 180bhp cars were the only saving grace, thats when they sold more diesel GTIs than petrol

[Booth11]

I'd probably put Mk3 last, with Mk2 and Mk5 vying for top spot.  Loved the Mk5 so much I had two of them.  Not favourite with many but I do like the Mk6 too. I used to hate Mk4s but have come to really like them in the last few years!  I'll reserve judgement on the mk7 till I have got my own and have become intimately familiar with it's lines (through the medium of waxing) 

[JoeGTI]

I'm a huge fan of the MK5 too. I had a mk5 GTI, I loved that car. There was a raw-ness and sense of occasion about driving it that is definitely toned down in the MK7. The Mk7 is undoubtedly a far better more modern car but all the extra refinement and comfort has inevitably dulled the "raw" feeling somewhat - hence the need for the controversial sound actuator!

The MK4's build quality was literally skin deep only! Some awful build quality issues plagued the mk4's! All the soft touch interior plastics masked a fairly poor car under the covers. The MK1 Ford Focus beat it hands down (interior touchy-feely plastics apart).

[monkeyhanger]

I'm a huge fan of the MK5 too. I had a mk5 GTI, I loved that car. There was a raw-ness and sense of occasion about driving it that is definitely toned down in the MK7. The Mk7 is undoubtedly a far better more modern car but all the extra refinement and comfort has inevitably dulled the "raw" feeling somewhat - hence the need for the controversial sound actuator!

The MK4's build quality was literally skin deep only! Some awful build quality issues plagued the mk4's! All the soft touch interior plastics masked a fairly poor car under the covers. The MK1 Ford Focus beat it hands down (interior touchy-feely plastics apart).

My Dad drove a MK4 130PS TDI DSG (it was a Maltese import via a broker - you couldn't get that engine on the Golf in the UK with DSG officially unless you went for an Estate) for 140k miles and it never missed a beat. It still looked quite tidy when he gave it to my sister and she ran it for 2 years. It had a catastrophic engine failure when one of my schoolmates working at a local independent garage changed the timing belt (not on my recommendation - he is an idiot) and the new one snapped shortly after.