New car...... 1.8 GTI ???

[dudz]

Hi everyone im new to the forum and new to completely new to VW's, well basically im in the process of lookin for my 2nd car, my first being a pug 306 1.4, i just gotten bored of it too slow etc... so im lookin for opinions on the mark 3 1.8 GTI? someone told me it has 125bhp and is only insurance group 10? so there must be a catch? sounds too good to be true haha. So are they reliable etc what sort of price am i lookin to pay? and what should things should i keep an eye out for?

The 2.0 GTI mark 3 is also only insurance group 10 but only has 115bhp does anyone kno why the larger engine produces less power? seems a bit silly...

thanks

[GuvGTI]

hi just a bit of correction,

The mk3 gti from 1992-1998 has either a 2.0 8v engine which is insurance group 14 or the 2.0 16v engine has insurance group 16.

The mk4 from 1998-2004 had either a 1.8 non turbo or 2.0 8v non turbo 115bhp which is insurance group 10 the 1.8 turbo had 150 bhp and insurance group 14. the 1.8 turbo 180 bhp has insurance group 16.

hope that helps mate.

[dudz]

hi m8, yer it helps a little bit but im still confused haha, i just checked out parkers.co.uk and it sez the 1997 to 1999 1.8 GTi's are 125bhp is this correct? do you know what phase it would be? as im looking to get one cheers

[Uruk Hai]

That would be a MK4 non turbo, as far as I know every MK3 GTI was a 2 litre 

[monkeyalan]

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Data.aspx?model=1031

[dudz]

ahhh i see now thanks yer its the mark 4 non turbo 1.8 im after is there anything to watch out for on these models? and what sort of tweaks to the engine can i make to get the most out of it? cheers for your help guys 

[Britman]

get the turbo instead

[Rhyso]

get the turbo instead

indeed. 

spend the extra few hundered quid on the turbo model otherwise about an hour after buying one you'll be wishing it was faster.

[dudz]

yer tht was my first choice but im only 19 so i will get raped on the insurance i think the turbo is insurance group 16 and the non turbo only 10, i dont mind as long as its quiker than my pug haha, any one know what sort of price i wil pay for the non turbo 1.8 Gti? thanks

[AlanD]

You are in the same boat I was in when I got mine. Couldnt afford to insure the turbo version. I got the 2.0L version isntead.

Good luck finding a 1.8 non turbo as they are fooking rare!

If I could have done I would rather have got the 1.8 non turbo but as I said they where rare and had a complete nightmare finding one, so just went for the 2.0l. Another word of warning depending where you live and your occupation (the 2 main factors on the price of the insurance, asumming you have no points or crashes) the insurance will be lots. I was quoted £3500 as the cheapest to be the main driver on a 2.0l being 19 at the time and living in south london with a fully clean license. I got it down to £1000 being a "second" driver . The 2.0l 8v Mk4 is insurance group 14 btw.

Happy hunting !