Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi

I bought my Mk4 2.0 5dr 115bhp GTi and is the 8th Volkswagen I have owned. Each VW has similar traits which can leave you un-cool and in a gutter, but a bit of regular care and maintenance generally prevents the problems before they start. I have yet to have a major engine fault on a VW and this current GTi has done 157k. It has coilovers fitted (Nothing too fancy, just a Janspeed set)and a stainless steel back box. It sticks like a go-kart now, but is a very firm ride!! It is slow on initial pick-up but a very smooth torquey rasp of acceleration from 4000-5,500rpm. I'd highly recommended it for cheap street cred and insurance on this model is only group 10E. With a personal plate, no dinks, smart wheels and paint, no-one would believe it is in it's 12th year and cost under £2k total.

Great looking car but not worthy of the GTi badge. A terrible effort from VW and a car that I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

The Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi is a good quality build, economical, nice interior.

I find it can be sluggish, jerky on accelerator,

If looking to buy make sure you check seals around windscreen and ensure that they haven't perished. I had a major leak in mine for this reason.

I speak as a lifelong VW fan who has owned half a dozen Golf GTi ' s, and also reviewed and praised the MKIII Golf GTi in other sections of this website, when I say that Volkswagen must have well and truly squashed their laurels when they produced the non turbo 1.8 20v or 2.0 8v engine MKIV golf GTI.

The standard MKIV GTi is not a bad car by any means, it still has the iconic Golf silhouette, the interior quality is excellent, and it has that certain something that other manufacturers regularly attempt to copy but rarely succeed at. The Golf represent s a strong 2nd hand buy and will hold its value well.

The non turbo GTi Golf ' s are good cruisers if that is what you want, but for those of us who cut our teeth on the entertaining MKI, MKII and also to a certain degree MKIII GTi models, the MKIV GTi in standard trim doesn ' t deliver to the expectations the GTi badge sets. By all means some owners a few years down the line from new have spent money modifying their cars to get a decent level of performance and handling, but why should anybody have to do that just to get the car to where it should have been from the factory? Especially when rival cars from other manufacturers or from the VAG group, were better to begin with.

In my view the MKIV GTi is the way it is for a few reasons:

1. The MKIV golf for the first time was to share its platform (i.e. chassis, suspension, gearboxes etc...) with many other models within the VAG group (Seat Leon and Toledo, VW Bora/Jetta, SKODA Octavia, Audi A3) which in my view compromised not only the Golf but the other VAG models that shared the platform. A common complaint is numbness to the steering and a soft chassis.

2. The GTi shamefully unlike previous generations had no factory improvements to the suspension compared to the non GTi versions of the car. So couple a heavier car with an underpowered engine to the same setup as the 1.6 shopping car version and it doesn ' t take a genius to realise that this combo is not going give a sporting setup.

3. In Germany the 1.8 or 2.0 non turbo Golf ' s were not badged as a GTi because it was not thought these cars were good enough to be GTi, but the UK importer insisted as the GTi badge would help sales in the UK. A 2.0 GL just doesn ' t sound as good does it? As a result the special GTi name was placed upon a car that didn ' t live up to the badge, I don ' t blame VW themselves for this, I point the finger at the UK importer.

4. The final insult was that the smooth and modern 1.8 20v engines fitted to the early MKIV GTi from 1998-1999 was dropped in favour of a less powerful, less economical and older design 1984cc 2.0 8v unit which underneath all the engine plastics was essentially a reworked MKIII GTi engine dating back to 1994. That engine struggled a little in the older model so why VW slotted it in to a heavier car with no improvement to the 115bhp power figure, and thought this would work is a mystery. This same engine with the same power output was also shared with the Passat and Bora\Jetta family saloon models, hardly a sporting pedigree. It is a sad but true fact, that a bog standard 1.6 Corolla of the same age will out accelerate a 2.0GTi! Oh dear.

So the negative stuff is over with, time for the good stuff. The MKIV GTi despite its dynamic shortcomings is still a pleasant car to own. It has an image and a heritage that other manufacturers would give their hind legs for. The Golf range as a whole has an eternal classless appeal equalled by nobody. The shape has gradually evolved over the years and is easy on the eye, and resale values remain high despite the MKV now into its 4th year of production and will remain so.

The interiors have a quality and ambience none of its hatchback rivals can match and the conservative design has aged very well. The interiors are hard wearing with only the interior door handles seeming to show wear and tear very easily.

The earliest of the MKIV GTi ' s will now be approaching 10 years old, so running costs can be kept under control by using independent specialists. However I would still recommend using genuine VAG parts for your servicing, as they are available for a reasonable cost over the counter from your local dealer, and based upon my personal experience often for less than pattern parts from Halfords and the like. A bonus if you like of the low power output of the standard GTi is low insurance groupings. Both the 1.8 20v and 2.0 8v versions only attract a group 10 rating and driven sensibly can achieve an MPG in the high 30 ' s.

So all in all a MKIV Golf GTi is a good sound purchase that should if looked after, not break the bank to run, and provide decent classy transport for not much outlay. Just don ' t expect in standard trim, the non turbo 1.8 20v or 2.0 8v GTi ' s to provide the speed or the handling, like the generations of old.

Very good car. Never had any trouble with mine I have had all the gti range mk1 all the way up to mk4 the performance is good when it is modified. Induction kit ecu remaped and performance cam.

Will hold value well compared to are many competitors, servicing costs reasonable especially if on long life servicing plan [ every two years ] average Volkswagen costs approx 210

The Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi Lambda sensor and air mass meter fail about 5 times in 1 year and the VW garage fail to rectify what causes the problem,

VW again fail to rectify a timing belt noise

Dont get me wrong I like VW's having owned a Mk2 golf GTI16v. It was a great car, but the MK4 Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GTi is not a great car. Setting aside its reliability issues, its just no fun to drive. 110 Bhp from a 2 litre 16v is poor. The motor is torquey but has no real overtaking power and cornering and general handling feel is sloppy at best.

This car does no justice to the legend of the early Golf GTIs.

Then there is the reliability issues in one year:

Flywheel Warped

Driveshaft oil seal failure

Numerous rattles from interior

Engine management problems with engine reving

Side window fell down inside door (broken clips)

Air Condioning bearing failure

Other Drive belt bearing failure

Exhaust Lambda sensor failure

Engine management issues with car hesitating

For every month we have owned this car it has spent two days in the work shop, we are thankful for our service warrany.

Think long and hard before parting with your cash for one of these as there not what they used to be.

If you must buy a MK4 Golf the PD Turbo Diesel Golfs represent better value and better performance partucularly the PD150's.

If you want to but VW running gear at a better price consider a Skoda or Seat, both have better reliability reviews with cheaper prices.

Or of course just go back to the Golf MK2

The VW Golf 2.0 GTi is the best car a young goodlooking guy can posses. Very stable in corners, and smooth driving on highways. I really like the acceleration of the car, especially when operating in lower shifts. Very durable parts.

The VW Golf 2.0 GTi is not really a bad car or a great car at that. Car is terrible in the snow even with snow tires. 2nd month I owned it the car was making noises in reverse, put it up on a lift and checked it out both outboard seals on the tranny were leaking, one was on the cvaxle. Not long after I bought it the vehicle started making noises in the engine, was messing around an discovered the timing belt was slapping into the the cover, but that was not the noise the noise was the proppler on the water pump mashing arount in the engine. Lately every time I shift at a high rpm the car backfires, im not doing anything about so i can finally get out of this lemon, Also on the ride home from the dealership the car started getting louder and louder and all of a sudden I heard metal grinding and the exhaust dragging on the street. this car was a big mistake at buying for $9995 for a car im now seeing for $4-5k yes with more then my 50k miles at purchase but still.. this car is a headache...