buying our first Golf mk4

[nagem]

My son is after a car update ... the ol' 1990 Pulsar (Roger) is nearly dead and we need a replacement.
I found a Golf GLE, black with cream leather interior, 2000 model, auto. comes with log books/full service history (was serviced at vw dealer) .. 111400 km on the clock .... really nice looking vehicle ...
any advice or things to look out for ??? looks like belts were done on time and I know to check out the windows.
was hoping to take it for a test drive tomorrow .... have been told by the young bloke that it's a bit girly ?? I think it looks mighty fine - and he should be grateful it's not a Barina
he's driving up to 450km a week mainly on the motorway so we need something that will not cost a fortune in fuel and is safe,
thanks for any suggestions

[Manaz]

Nothing terribly girly about a Golf. A Polo on the other hand...

Cream interior can show dirt/wear and tear, check for that. Check the bolsters and side cushions on the seats for wear on the material/stitching and/or collapse of the cushion/foam. Windows you already know about, with that many kms on the clock a check of the suspension may be in order - struts/springs will probably have seen better days, bushings would almost certainly warrant investigation (you can get a refresh kit for the bushings for ~$250 to your door from ECS Tuning, so they're not hideously expensive).

114,000km shouldn't be an issue with a full service history. The Mk4 is a safe design, so no issues there. The GLE has the 2.0L NA engine, so it's no powerhouse (but it's not as slow as the 1.6L either!), and if your son thinks he'll be able to cheaply tune it for power, he may need to think again. Unfortunately the GTI's probably out for younger drivers due to it being turbocharged, otherwise it'd be the pick of the Mk4 Golfs I'd say unless you want to step into R32 territory (at about 3x the price of a GLE)...

[dylan8]

Golf is a great car to cover the requirements you have listed.
SOME around those KM may need things like MAF sensor, temp sensor etc replaced. but really, if you get a clean car and they are your biggest problem its not much to fix (cost isnt bad either if you have a search around)
VWs always seemed to get called girly. But they are very nice and a smart looking car in my opinion. They use no fuel, are very reliable and at one stage they were the safest second hand car on the road (06-07 i think?)

[mikinoz]

Check the log books, and hope the major services have been done.

[dubbed]

Be prepared for some costly and annoying repairs

[JustCruisn]

They are not as reliable as the Jap cars, but they so much nicer and safer to be in.

[nagem]

thanks for all the replies !!! the jury is out until the test drive and forensic scrutiny of the log books for those belts, sensors etc
here's hoping it all is ok.
cheers

[Speed]

Get it scanned with VAG-COM if you can