1.8T v V5 v V6 4mo : Advice appreciated!

[future_owner]

Hi there,

Newbie here - please be gentle!

I want to get back into VW ownership having previously had an 8v Mk3 GTI - I want a Mk4 this time around, but can't decide which engine to go for - any advice / opinions welcome!

I'm going to choose between:
-a 150bhp 1.8T GTI (cheaper insurance, more choice)
-a 170bhp V5 (cheaper to buy than GTI for some reason, but do they have the sports susp as standard? - I know the 150bhp versions didn't)
-a v6 4motion (rare, more expensive but Mk3 VR6 experience suggests likely to hold value better?).

I don't do many miles so I'd be happy to buy a newer car with higher mileage (2000/01 with 60k-80k) and bring it back into line with the average over time - are any of these cars more fragile as far as miles are concerned?

Does the 4motion require special attention, given the complexities of the 4wd system etc.?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

[Bazzer]

V5s are for cruising, not accellerating and I believe they all came with Bifocal windscreens as standard. 

[ronnie'C']

4motion is a winner every time if you have the pennies and the time to get the one that you are happy with.

[Overseer]

yeah they're pretty quick cars.. and yes of course the 4motion has a funny clutch etc etc..


personally i'm not a fan of the mk4 shape, but they've had some good engines in the range 1.8T / V6

they never did a 6 Pot 2wd mk4 did they? (just like over here at least they never did the mk3 4wd vr6.. but had it on the continent)

[golfpro]

the 1.8t is the most tunable one as far as im aware and is a superb engine! like you said comes with sporty susps too and with a quick re-map can put out a lot more horses.

The 4 mo is fast buts its a smoother speed that the rough sort of agressive accelleration of its smaller turbo'd brother. S'up to you but as above if you have the pennies go for the 4mo, will probably keep value better coz of the lack of them.

[Sugar79]

one of my old mates had a 4motion, took me out in it one night and jezzz it was quick! dunno if he had anything done it but i loved it and i recon if you can afford one buy one!! 

[Hobnob]

I have the 1.8T and I really wanted a v6 instead, but they are just so more expensive than the turbo. However as above I do believe they are a smoother drive and a little faster.

If you can find one though buy it as it will be easier to seel should you ever want to

[D Owen]

Have you considered the PD150 ?

[future_owner]

I've not really thought about the PD150 as it's out of my price range - I think I'd go for the 115 or the 130 if I fancied going the diesel route, but I don't do enough miles to justify it.

The 4mo's are coming down in price pretty quickly at the moment as the combination of the R32 and the new Mk5 GTI seems to have stolen a bit of its thunder (and encouraged a lot of P/EX!), and the earliest ones are beginning to come out of their 3/4 year company car lease agreements, so I reckon I'll bite the bullet and go the V6 route.  If I can't find a decent one, though, I reckon I'll plump for the 1.8T.

Thanks for your help!

[Hobnob]

If you look on the forum here you will find an awful lot of people have the 1.8T and it is very popular especially with people who wish to have them tuned, had the revo free trial (207bhp) on mine and it was just scary,

Although I would deffinately go the V6 route if you can, I personally would have prefered it had I had the money to buy one.