Considering a GTI 8v as a daily - am I mad?

[dTEA]

NO WAY
ur a sensible person as this is what i have as a daily
its had a new engine in as the original one had done 194k and still workd but abit worse for wear
im running it in and through everyday traffic and 70 is a peace of cake
i got 36mpg other day on motorway so it isnt too far off the arosa
if you buy one give it a good service and you should be fine
hope u buy one and enjoy

36mpg...my 16v is returning 45mpg after a motorway run and sometimes more if frugal with the right foot!  And yes me MFA is reading correct cos i did a full journey and did the maths at the end to check

I'd consider it for usre and just be patient and view a few before delving in...thats where you can then judge for yourself if you look at the varying price ranges and then go for what you are happy with

[sidecarphil]

i got a golf GTi 8v digifant and i drive it every day and i love it

fairly good fuel economy and quick enough for the high speeds

mine cost 650 euro , have spent a few euros making it better but i think it owes me about 1000 euro now

cheep reliable and good to look at , what more could you want

[Rodriguez]

Regularly get over 40mpg outta mine.  Well chuffed.

[kittie]

No I have a digi 8v and we drive it to and from work - about 20, 22 miles a day of country roads/duals and heavy city traffic.

I was getting about 35 to 40mpg, but I have since had the timing and CO2 set up (it was out) so need to work out new figures.

On the motorway the economy can be tremendous if you drive nicely as well.

They are a comfy car, not too big but still plenty of boot space, and a bit of fun too!

Don't spend megabucks on a low mileage car or one advertised on a 'sceney' forum, have a look in the locals/AT and you might find something that's every bit as good (or better as it won't have been stood or have alsorts of crappy tat stuck to it).

Mine's on 162K and going strong 

[edit] forgot to say how NICE a drive a mk2 8v is, you can be totally lazy with it round town as it's got just enough balls. The PAS isn't too light and wooley but is nice to have, especially if you've got twig arms like mine hahaha. It handles very nicely too, and the brakes are decent (if they aren't shot lol but that's not too expensive to sort out)

[Sc00bysnack]

Nope. I've got an 8v digi on a H-plate which I used to commute from Chester to Skelmersdale for a good year and a half, and now over to Salford. Mixed conditions and roads but surpasses expectations as it's fun, cheap and different to the £10-15k cars doing the same journey. Also seems to get a lot of attention, often getting 'thumbs up' from other drivers.

Just remember to service regularly, expect the odd 'issue' and don't thrash the life out of it and you'll be rewarded with a fun, cheap and reliable journey to work

[benga]

Hi - I just realised (4 months later!) that I didn't reply to this thread - How rude of me.  Sorry!

Thanks again for all the feedback. The GTI is still real possibility but I've had so much on I've not even had the chance to find one locally to test drive.  Yup, I've been rubbish!  I'll report back when I find one near (or in) Birmingham I can test drive.

[Khare]

ive got a digi and drive 15 miles each way through twistys and 2 villages, i normally manage about 28mpg, however if i take it easy i can get 42mpg on the same journey.  motorways, again looking at low 40s.

EXACTLY the same milage, road, and fuel consumption. bout 28mpg if i go normla and bout 40mpg if i keep it under 2k rpm.

[Egbutt Wash]

If you don't even have enough time to look for an old car then there is no way you have enough time to keep it on the road for the daily grind.

I suggest a few year old Japanese car with FSH.  This should be nice and reliable for you.

HTH

[Skywalker80]

My 1989 8v is the 9th car i've owned and by far the best.

Be prepared to search high and low if you want a good one though, mine has only just cleared 78k and is incredible fun to drive. It still brings a smile to my face when I drive it.

I live in Portsmouth and my parents live in Norfolk, when I occasionally do the 200+ mile drive I can average 45mpg on the MFA (have worked it out on paper as well and is correct).
MK2's can return shocking mpg, i got that mpg from gradual acceleration and going no faster than 80mph.   
Around town with stop starts and constant gear changes I get high 20s, they do perform better on the open road.

I'd definitely say it's a worthy everyday car, still gets a lot of attention and is different to the bubble shaped cars that are on the road.
It doesn't even bother me that I have no PAS, e/w or c/l, I own one of the best cars ever made!

[Rodriguez]

My Golfs have all been reliable enough.  I have had as many problems with them as with any other newish cars I've owned (including japanese).

But with mk2's you've got a fighting chance of putting it right simply and cheaply.  You just gotta remember that its over 15 years old.