Im thinking about a mk4

[Ant1981]

Don't worry about the speed. My Mk4 isn't much slower or faster than my Mk2 16V.

[Mr Blue]

VW's make the most unreliable cars mate. MK4's being at the top of the list.

Take it from me. Im sick of mk4's due to their silly faults. Comfy cars though.

if you do still want a mk4 then get a Turbo. Petrol or deisel. The torque should keep you happy

[dubmaster77]

I have the same problem mate! My valver is allways breaking down!! But a move to a newer car??? Nah! You MK4 Will depreciate all the money you sink into a remap will be lost! plus you will have to fund buying it in the first place. Old cars are a chore... But when they are on song!!!! They are ace. My mate at work has a 300 bhp Mk 4, Sure its quick but show it some corners and you have to be doing silly speeds to enjoy it!! My mk2 feels like a go kart all the time!! I love it!!

[drivebycar]

Yeah I spose everyones right  Just its a fking pain in the arse!! Everytime I think all of the problems are sorted it does something else totally random that is really hard to track down...

Just wish I had someone in the know that lived near me!

[Conker]

I sold my Mk4 1.8T to buy my 16v Mk2. Here was my first ever thread on the matter (ahh):  http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=64094.0


After three years of 1.8T and one year of Mk2, here are my observations:

1) The 16v Mk2 is more or less exactly the same performance-wise as the standard 1.8T, up until about 70mph, then the turbo's torque and better aerodynamics of the Mk4 start to win the day.

2) Overall, far fewer things went wrong with the Mk4, but when they did it was much more money to fix,  and as the average Mk4 is now getting a fair few miles under its belt, more and more things will start to go wrong. Also, as a DIY mechanic, there was much more on the Mk4 that I felt was out of my league.

3) The Mk4 was much more comfortable and quiet. Plus safety on the Mk2 is non-existent.

4) On standard suspension the Mk4 cornered badly IMO and was a bit of a pain around town - My wifes Focus is a lot "nippier" for example. On the other hand, the Mk4 felt 100% solid, and inspired confidence e.g. in torrential rain on the motorway, I didn't feel the need to slow down as it was so planted.

5) With the Mk2, because of its age, I often get "The Fear", e.g. if I have to do a very important trip, I'll get nervous about it letting me down. Interestingly, it has NEVER ONCE let me down, so this must just be a paranoia, but it means I often drive along with the MFA on "Oil Temp" etc, which is less relaxing than the Mk4.

6) No one (hardly) even looked at the Mk4, but I get flashes, waves, comments, conversations with strangers etc. since I've had the Mk2. I've even had someone come up and try and buy it off me!

7) Money! The Mk2 has saved me a fortune in just one year: between £1000 and £2000. Almost zero depreciation, no interest on a car loan, much cheaper parts, self maintenance and a hoard of second hand stuff on ebay has saved me a lot of money. Fuel is only slightly worse on the Mk2 too.


In hindsight I am very pleased with my decision to go with the Mk2 16v, mainly because I prefer the Mk2's style, but also because of the money side of things. Ignoring these two aspects, the two Mk's are on a par.


Hope that helped!

Dave

[drivebycar]

Well thats that decided.

Mk2 it is.. Wahey !!