written by photoman on 08/10/2010
I have Volkswagen Golf MK4 V5 with a 150 horse power engine and automatic transmission.
The car runs excellent, the engine is very responsive, especially on high speeds.
Sound insulation is good, even on high speen and high revolutions it is cooperatively quiet inside the car.
The steering wheel has short ratio and a fast response, it is also quite informative.
Automatic transmission is good, gear ratios and working algorithm is okay, but it is much less reliable than the manual transmission which I strongly recommend for this car.
My car has climate control and four airbags. I live in a worm country and effectiveness of the air condition is very important, I'm satisfied of it's performance.
I have wider than standard tires and low profile rims, so road handling is very good and much better than the standard model. The drawback of this solution, is much harder suspension.
Basically the road stability is good, the car goes on the road like train on rails, wind doesn't disturb. It goes on the quad smooth and quietly almost on any speed.
Fuel consumption is comparatively high for the engine displacement, especially in urban cycle.
Engine is a mixed displacement one, it is something between straight and V engine. It has one cylinder head with a problematic heat spreading, which may cause cracks in the head on a worm climate zone.
By practical means I would recommend more 1.9 TDI model, which is very econnomic and has a great torque.
I would recommend V5 for people who want a responsive engine with good power on high revs.
written by sirduncs on 18/05/2010
this is the third golf i've had, and the best to date. my requirements were simple - i needed a car which would enable me to fit children and dogs in, but wouldn't be drudgery for my daily commute. my previous mk 3 golf vr6 ticked those boxes, and when it was time to trade that in, i eyed up the volkswagen mk 4 golf VR5 as the logical upgrade.
the golf V5 i bought was by chance, really. it was in a local dealer and a good price (i ended up bargaining down to £2950), with low-ish miles (67k) and an automatic, which i wanted as it suits me better in traffic than grinding the clutch. mine is metallic beige - not my first choice of colour, but it's grown on me. anyway enough waffle, you want some nitty-gritty!
the good points:
- 170bhp 2.3 engine - growls deliciously through the changes, accelerates well enough to leave most of the middle classes still changing into first behind you, the automatic tiptronic works fine but use it wisely (or recklessly if you're oblivious to petrol prices) as hasty changes = thirsty journey! it's a smooth engine and when pressed, sounds superb. i'm well pleased with the drive.
- cabin interior, much better than the mk 3 golf. quality touches like the dash lighting at night, climatronic climate control as standard,
- i'll mention the dash lighting at night again, because it is well cool :-) you get a cool blue/purple colour on the main dials and reds around the other visuals.
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the bad points:
- under-stated styling. i'd have liked to have seen a rear spoiler as standard, heated side mirrors, fuller side skirts, driving lights at the front, arm-rest in the rear, etc.. without much to make it stand apart, besides discrete V5 badging, the car looks like any other mk 4 golf.
- a bit tight in the back. despite having ueber-sufficient headroom (alas my top hat days are over), the legroom in the back seems a bit lacking. i'd also describe the front cabin as 'cosy' with the armrest and sports seats all taking up a bit of cabin space - but hey, makes it feel more like a comfy cruiser so it ain't all bad.
- boot sill too high for dogs. well, almost. it makes an olympic sport out of my labradors jumping in and out of the boot, whereas the sill was lower (ergo more practical) in my mark 3 golf. that said, the boot is plenty roomy enough for 2 large dogs, it's just getting them in and out which is a tad, uh, logistical, trying to avoid them scratching the paintwork and negotiating over the high sill.
- economy. shoe this car and you will get about 23 mpg tops. i am a bit disappointed by that, i'd have expected it to be better. best i have had yet is 30mpg on a run from chester to leeds when i was taking it easy. ouch. but hey, the point of this car isn't fuel economy - if it was, i'd have gone for a tdi. and hey, you only live once :-)
you'll see there seem more bad points than good - but if you weight them, overall the good points are far more significant. for my needs this is a great car. i'd recommend it - and superb value for money. i am still admiring it on my drive and looking forward to the next time i can get behind the wheel.
duncs (cheshire)
written by on 25/11/2009
This is the 10 valve 150bhp model. Having driven both the 1.8T and V5 these are the differences/benefits of each. The V5 benefits from improved smoothness on the road and pulls without complaint from virtually no revs. When pushed the revs climb effortlessly and progress is pleasantly rapid. Big plus of the V5 is how relaxing it is to drive, makes the drive home more pleasant. Performance wise the 1.8T is more urgent and fun to drive, however in a flat out race I doubt there would be a great deal of difference! Economy wise however there is a difference - V5 does about 28mpg average, 1.8T about 33 so less thirsty. Both have their strengths and weaknesses - V5 is cheaper to buy and smoother, 1.8T far more pricey and more sporty.
written by on 21/04/2009
I recently bought my Volkswagen Golf 2.3 V5 170bhp almost by accident - I was looking for a nice Saab 9-3 but read a lot about the cracking bulkheads which put me off! At around the same time I came upon a black 2002 3 door V5 in pretty decent condition - after a test drive, I was smitten.
The car feels immediately comfortable, everything falling easily to hand - ergononics at its best. The materials chosen by VW are excellent - the plastics feel satisfying, and even after 85k miles, there are no rattles.
The engine makes a car, and the 2.3 V5 is a gem. Its not outrageously powerful at 170bhp, but its enough for the car to really kick up its heels. 0-60mph is typically quoted at around the 8 second mark, however some magasines have measured it at considerably less than that - and I can believe the 7.2 second time that one recorded.
One thing to remember, is that the UK car tax is linked to CO2 emissions - and sadly this puts the V5 in almost the higest group, so you need to really enjoy your driving to justify the additional expense!
written by maskari gti on 18/12/2008
Car is great. Since owned I just had to change clutch kit twice from the hard drivng. Modifying? never ends in this car.
Awesome car.
written by on 30/11/2008
This is a well built car, good easy drive, with the v5 engine 170 bhp she can pop along if you wish, I realy enjoy my v5 and I hope to keep it for a long time, my wife finds it very easy to drive and park, with the power steering, a very realiable car for the family or the single person.
written by on 03/08/2008
I bought my VW Golf V5 with an after market stainless steel exhaust (Scorpion) and it sounds fantastic. It doesn't sound rediculous, like some boy racer, but mellow and purposeful, like a proper rally car - and that's because Scorpion know what they're doing when it comes to exhaust design. Get yourself a V5 - put a good exhaust on it - have some fun!
written by on 26/04/2008
The 2.3 V5 Golf Mark IV is a very good car that could be rare to find. It has a 150bhp 2.3 engine which has an interesting sound when revving up. it's easy to get to 190 km/h without being aware... very good acceleration. people think you have a normal golf, and you get out of their sight.
written by on 08/02/2008
No long bought my VW Golf V5, 2001 model with 30000 miles on the clock..lovely sound from engine when you go up the revs...love my car...
written by Roomzey on 23/09/2005
I bought my Volkswagen Golf 2.3 V5 from a car supermarket for a very respectable £8K. The car is well balanced and handles well. Its 170bhp makes it very responsive throughout the engine range and when you reach 6000rpm a personified throaty howl comes from the engine as it crys out for the next gear. Its 0-60 is around 8 secs with a top speed of of 140mph. The mid range of the engine from 3000rpm upwards responsed quite dramatically even in 5th gear. It out performs the Golf 2.0 GTI phenominally - a much better car. Taking into account all these factors the only begruding factor is the fuel consumption. On motorways I usually average around 32mpg, however in town it is more like 22mpg - not too clever with the petrol prices at the moment!!
Overall a class car.
written by hpancholi on 11/03/2005
I brought my Volkswagen Golf 2.3 V5 in september 2004. I paid around 13k for it and its worth every penny. It's only a 2.3 petrol but its got 170BHP which is more than enough on british roads. It can get to 60 in about 7 secounds and I have done about 140 on the moterway.
I can get a full tank for about £45 and get 30mpg urban and about 250 motorway miles. You have got to get leathers in your golf as the seats warm up (great in winter). But the leather is appearing to have a few creases.
It's got a decent sound system with 6 cd changer and 8 speaker set up.
The car takes quite long to warm up and the windows keep getting steamed up (this occurs throughout the whole mk4 range).
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