should i keep my mkIV gti?

[daniel7y]

hi all

just wanted to get some opinions/advice from others... i have a 2002 gti, with 154,000 km on the clock. i'm about to fork out up to $1000 to get the door locks fixed (motor has failed in one of them), and it crossed my mind that maybe the car is getting old and i might start to encounter more issues in the near future. maybe i should sell it and get something more current.

i'd love a mkV gti, but i'm not really prepared to spend more than $20k for one at the moment. so the other option is the polo gti, which i can get reasonably cheap with low k's. it doesn't quite cut it like a mkV gti, and it does look a bit girly, but they are cheap and quick. i wouldn't need to spend too much more to get one after selling my mkIV.

so what are your thoughts? do you think i'm going to run into more issues with the mkIV, or should i just keep it. i'm going to have a look at a polo gti this week, and see what i think. it would be nice to have a new car, just to change things up, but i'm not so sure if a polo gti is an upgrade or downgrade!

[RolfGolf]

re. your GTI - have you had it from new? Do you know the full service history and has it been serviced regularly? I guess things wear out over time, so you'll have to replace all manner of things on an older car that you wouldn't have to worry about on a newer car. If the rest of the car is fine it seems a bit extreme to sell the whole thing because of the door locks, but it's your call of course. If you buy yourself the previous generation Polo GTI, you're essentially buying the same engine that you have now in a different body shape.

[noone]

I wouldn't bother if you are trying to save a few $$$, the Polo is a good car, but its not a Golf.

Also, with your car you can do it all yourself pretty cheap, the Polo has very limited support and wrecked donor cars...

If you sold yours for 10, spent 15 on a say, 07 Polo would you be happy?

[daniel7y]

yeah i think i might keep the golf. i feel very indecisive, but i think basically as you said noone a polo is not a golf... i would be settling for something less than what i really want (mkV gti), and since i'm not 100% convinced selling the golf for a polo is the right thing to do (for me), than it probably isn't.

was seriously considering selling for the polo, but i think when i sell it i'll get a mkV some time in the future. it probably does seem extreme to sell the car because of the locks, but i just thought a car with over 150,000 on it is going to run into problems soon, but i may be wrong.

i haven't had the car since new, i got it at about 128,000 on it from memory. i don't have the service records from the previous owner (was a repo at the auctions), but since i have owned it i have looked after it and had it serviced regularly.

noone: that was going to be my plan, add about 5k to get a newer polo gti. instead of spending that i might get my gti chipped since i'm going to keep it. add something to the car to keep me entertained, instead of replacing the car. i might also get the bonnet resprayed, since it has a lot of stone chips!

anyone have any advice/tips on getting mkIV chipped? are there any reasons why i shouldn't do it? i'd get volkspower in burwood to do it...

i'm also thinking i might spend a little to change the appearance a little bit. just some nice (subtle) mods for the body, that don't look cheap. i really like how it looks stock, but any suggestions to enhance the appearance appreciated ! feel free to add some pics.

thanks for your help guys!

(edit: i just found the mkIV photography thread... some nice cars there. i'm thinking a body kit, new rims and tint windows)

[dubbed]

Drop it like it's hot. You're only going to get more and more problems as time goes on and I think most of us know they have their fair share of issues. It's just not worth it unless you have plenty of disposable coin to keep it on the road.

Plus it's even more risky to keep it considering the lack of service history (yikes, hope you got it for a steal!). These cars need high maintenance so that would be my first concern.

[ml16]

Drop it like it's hot. You're only going to get more and more problems as time goes on and I think most of us know they have their fair share of issues. It's just not worth it unless you have plenty of disposable coin to keep it on the road.

Plus it's even more risky to keep it considering the lack of service history (yikes, hope you got it for a steal!). These cars need high maintenance so that would be my first concern.

Would you say buying a 2002 GTi with say 160,000km on the clock and FSH would be slightly risky? Are the mk4 GTi's really that bad when it comes to reliablilty?

[dubbed]

There's always an element of risk buying second hand cars particularly with that sort of mileage. From my personal experience (and maybe bad luck) these cars have about a dozen of "common" issues. Just search around and you'll see a lot of owners have (or will) go through them too. Problem is, they're usually expensive ones to fix: $1,000-1,500 for door locks... Unless you do it yourself - just be prepared to put aside half your weekends

They're great to look at, excellent ergonomics, nice interior materials (some of the best around in my opinion) and can be unsuspectingly quick. But if you want a reliable car that's cheap to run, best look elsewhere.

I don't know about the others on here but I don't have any inclination to spend my time or hard earned cash keeping a car on the road. Hell it's meant to be a daily driver! At least the next owner will benefit from all my money and time spent on it.

Again, this is all my opinion based on my experience owning one with full service history from 100,000 km to 140,000+ km plus the stuff I read. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any more q's.

[daniel7y]

so i take it back, i actually DO have the service history. i just assumed i didn't. it has been serviced regularly all it's life, by myself and the previous owner. i got it with 108,000 km's on the clock. i did actually get it for a steal, i got it in 2007 for about 14k in total. now it has 153,000 on the clock. i used to live far from uni and work. (now i'm just around the corner)

yeah so i'm starting to think about selling it again. i'm gonna get the locks fixed and just leave it at that, i wont worry about anything else for now.

i did go and look at a polo gti, and i gotta say i wasn't impressed. the car was relatively new with only 58,000 km on the clock, and was priced very well. everything was looking great, but the car just feels so cheap! the interior is like a hyundai, and there were creaks and rattles coming from everywhere in the dash. made my car feel like a mercedes. so now, if i sell my gti, i'll probably be looking at a mk5 gti. only problem is they are still relatively expensive... the only cheap ones have a fair few km's on them - i actually started a thread in the mk5 forum about the amount of km's on second hand mk5's (before i read the replies here).

i keep tossing up wether or not to sell it, i seem to change my opinion everyday. one part of me says to get it fixed, maybe chipped and just keep it - it seems excessive to sell and spend a chunk of my savings on a new car, since i'm still at uni and not working full time. other part of me says to sell it in case i run into more problems, while i can still get at least 10k for it, and just because a new car would be awesome lol. if i do keep my car, i plan on getting the bonnet resprayed, detailed, chipped and basically getting it looking new again. - not that it's in bad shape now, but if i plan on keeping it i want it looking fresh again. although, maybe thats a waste of money on a car with 153k on it.

[noone]

Fair call. I would not write off all Polo's because you found 1 bad one, but if you don't like the look of it, then there is not much to say...

Looking at one with leather interior and no rattles may change your mind, or not... If you are undecided, jump into the Polo section and see if one of the Vic boys will come take you for a spin in a well maintained Polo, may change your opioion...

If you keep your car, a chip is a great option. Something fairly cheap like Bluefin, Giac, etc will be much the same as some of the more expensive ones.

[RolfGolf]

I think you summed it up really when you said that "it doesn't quite cut it like a mkV gti, and it does look a bit girly". If that's how you feel as an outside observer of a Polo GTI, I don't think you'd enjoy owning one. Best to save up for what you really want.

[daniel7y]

just wanted to add to this thread: i finally bought a mkv gti. manual, black, five door, leather and sunroof.
i didn't really want a black car, but it was too good to pass up at the price i got it for (auction). might sell it later privately and then get myself a red one, ideally a three door.
i'll see how i go, might love it when i get it and just keep it. now have two gti's, gotta decide which to sell first! lol

[Golf4]

seems I'm a bit let to chuck in my 2 cents but I would sell anything older than 5 years from VW. Key thing - get a full history on the car or walk away.

My MK4 Golf cost me just about as much to own it in the just over 2 years I had it as I paid for it (granted I got it pretty cheap without history). I did redo the suspension, fix some interior bits which lets say cost 2k. As 'dubbed' pointed out, there are so many known issues with the MK4's. Off the top of my head I had to replace 2 window lifts, brake sensor, temp sensor, fuel pump sender unit, front suspension was shot, abs control module went off, wheel speed sensor....all up it was over 7k in repairs + regular maintenance in the just over 2 years I had the car. Most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned albeit the most fun to drive... not worth the cost and I regret holding onto it for as long as I did. Be warned.