What drew you to buy a Golf ?

[flappa]

I'm curious as to what made you decide a Golf was the vehicle for you ?

Is it because its the world's greatest car ?
Build quality that only the Lord himself could improve on?
Cause its "fully sik" ?

Well . . . here's my story.

I have never owned a Golf. Previously owned a 1974 VW Superbug, sweet ride too, especially for a first vehicle. Few friends with Family VW buses and I was lucky to drive a Golf while I was in Germany. Pretty much always liked the VW's, but never really thought about buying. GTI was always a pipedream.

We decided a few months back to upgrade our aging Nissan Patrol 4wd. Started looking at options, other 4wds, Pajero, Prado, SUV's Suby Forester, VW Tiguan, larger cars, Falcon XR6 Turbo, Dunnydore SIDI. Eventually decided on a new XT Forester.

Started to get quotes etc and was offered a crappy $6k for my Patrol (still selling the things for $16 - $20k), who is shafting who.

So we decided to look at a smaller car for my wife.

Really like the Focus XR5 but only comes in a manual, but the really cool Orange
Checked out the bigger XR5 Mondeo
Mazda MPS (another Manual only)
Mazda 3 PS25 seemed a really good compromise at a decent price.
WRX and Lancer Ralliart.

And then, sitting across the road at the VW Dealer . . . GTI.

My Wife INSTANTLY feel in love with a Black one. I knew of the GTI reputation, and this was an "auto". As soon as the Salesmen explained the DSG gearbox we were sold. I didn't want an auto, my wife didn't want a manual. This seemed the Ultimate compromise but . . . $$$$$

Although the $$$ were available the GTI seemed excessive, so the decision was made to purchase a Mazda SP25. Decent pricing $35k onroad, decent equipment levels, decent reviews, decent vehicle.

and then . . . it happened.

After visiting a Mazda Dealer I was walking back to work, when I could hear this vehicle approaching, rather rapidly. Green arrow at the lights it was . . . . bang bang bang as it went back through the gears , bang bang bang as it went back up through the gears . . . A red Golf GTI

I was sold . . . it was the noise . . . how sweet it sounded.

Then of course , Wheels Car of the Year, I think Top Gear awarded it Car of the Year, European Safest Car of the Year, typically ranked highly (if not always the best) Hot Hatch of the Year.

Made paying more for a Golf GTI over a Mazda really really simple.

So there it is . . . I bought a $50k Golf GTI because it sounds so bloody good . . . oh yeah and the fact its a quality and awarded car was a bonus.

[noowve]

Hi there, that was really an amazing story..

how i got on the VW brand was through a friend of mine as well as a colleague. he was driving a R32 back 2 years ago, told me how good the VW brand is.. my reply to him was, " Isn't VW more on the trucks and buses? he looked at me and i looked at him.. his reply to that was, are you serious? and i said i am dead serious. cut the story short, he suggested me to seat in his car, took me around for a spin, and told me how good the DSG gearbox is on VW.. immediately i was sold at that point.

So there you go, i will be placing a deposit for the new MK6 GTI end of Feb, and will update you shortly as to what option i will go for.

At this point in time, here are the options that i think i will be going for.

5 door DSG
Candy White
Xenon
Adaptive Chassis Control
18" Detroit Wheels
Leather Trim

Will

[neil]

Very simple decision for me.

When comparing medium size cars the TDI was the most fuel efficient auto due to the DSG
and a bonus was the safety rating.

[prise]

I have a Mazda 6 MPS coming off lease that I enjoy, but my driving mix is changing to more traffic and less k's so I wasn't going to novate the next car. I also wanted something a bit more modest for the next vehicle to save up funds for a kit car in the future but I didn't want to compromise on safety and comfort and still wanted a vehicle that had enough power for overtaking with 4 people on board. I also wanted the convenience of an automatic but couldn't stand the 'not connected' feel, loss of engine braking and loss of performance associated with a conventional slushbox.

To be honest I never paid the Golf much attention in the past thinking that they were overpriced for a small hatchback (never having driven one mind you) until I was on a business trip to the UK last year and drove a base model UK spec vehicle with the DSG gearbox. That was a revelation to me because normally the base models you get as rental cars are rubbish, but at the end of two weeks the car and in particular the gearbox and refinement (not the performance mind you as UK base models are gutless) had grown on me.

I then drove the 118TSI DSG model when I got back to Australia and was hooked. I also drove it back to back with the Mazda SP25 auto to get a calibration check and the VW's drove like a next class up. It comfortably accommodated my wife and two teenage sons so that was it.

The tastefully understated styling didn't sit well with my wife though - her first words on seeing the car were "that's a bit of a box isn't it" she then indicated a preference for a bright yellow beetle parked next door!

[flappa]

Thats very interesting because as I said, our choice was really between the SP25 and the Golf. I never actually got around to driving the Mazda.

Also funny about the Beetle. Although my wife clearly likes the Golf, when we went to the dealers on the weekend, the Salesmens desk was right beside a convertable black beetle with a Tan leather interior. I think she was a little disappointed we didn't buy that instead.

[obiwan]

Well I was on my way to buy a Mazda SP25, or maybe an MPS. Read all the reviews, yes Golf was the car to get, but at 10 to 20,000 more, maybe not. I had walked into the VW dealership the previous 2 weekends and got no attention from anyone. But that was the same at all the dealers before xmas, probably due to everyone wanting to claim the 50percent tax deduction.

But on this day my friend and I walked into VW on the way to Mazda. He being more assertive than me, grabbed a salesman and told him we're buyingyou a car today. The salesman took the 2 of us out for a test drive, it was so much fun, even got me to do launch control, had no idea that existed. When I drove the Mazda MPS a few weeks earlier it didn't give me the ear to ear grin the GTI did. I was sold, that was the car I had to have. So I signed the deal, and my friend that went along with me was offered a job there, and he started working there a week or two ago.

I never knew I liked cars. I have a whole new hobby now.

[roy]

it's quite simple for me and my missus...
we considered mazda3, subaru impreza, mitsubishi lancer and vw golf...
we were not loving golf at the first glance...but times went by and we found compared to others the new golf has quality interior, brilliant engine, quite good fuel consumption... and then it's COTY...both my wife and i are loving it...
decision is obvious and it only take 2 days to shop around and sign the contract.

[iBoost]

I previously had a Mazda 3 MPS with a few mods and really enjoyed it. Before buying it I was looking at the Mark V GTIs and really wanted one, but the price was a bit much at that stage and the dealers didn't seem interested in negotiating. I ended up getting a great deal on a 18 month old MPS instead and went with that.

Fast forward 3 years later and I didn't need my own car as I travel on the train to work, so I sold it to use towards our house deposit. My wife only drives auto and has a little Yaris, which is a great car but doesn't have quite the performance I'm used to.

That's where my idea of the GTI came back, if we got a DSG we could have one really nice car and share it. The DSG is great in auto for my wife and good for me on the weekends. I'd been waiting for the Mark VI ever since seeing the first photos. We ended up going to look at a DSG one and had a test drive. I never intended to buy one that day, I just wanted to gauge how it drove and buy one in a few months. After the drive though, and knowing how long the waiting list was I decided to put a deposit down there and then. Now the long wait until June...

[MIRSAD]

Ok,

I am little bit older than most of You... so my story is little bit longer.

In 1976 first VW Golf was made in my first country (Bosnia) .... I was in high school at that time.

As student, I was living only few kms from VW factory when GTI and Scirocco where launched ... and my dream become more specific (not any Golf but GTI)

Just to clarify something - Bosnian are in love with everything that is coming (directly or indirectly) from Germany - especially cars ... and I was Bosnian - at least at that time.

Later when living in Europe (Bosnia & Germany) I was driving Golf 2 & 3.

In Australia my first new car was Toyota Corolla (something was wrong with wheel alignment they have to sent it to Eastern states for repair)...
So I traded it in for GolfV 1.6L (it was only $1500 more than Corolla Ascent (basic model plus second airbag & power windows), than GolfV 2L FSI. than 118TSI and finally my first GTI
It took me more than 30 years (and problems with supercharger on my 118TSI) to get my dream car.

[MurphyTheElf]

I was never a fan of FWD cars, so I'd always discounted the GTI. Then I hooked up with my girlfriend, who had a FWD car. Despite it being a 1.4l NA engine, I actually had quite a bit of fun zipping around the city - and I found I could drive it faster than my RWD roadster in the wet. So FWD was back on the menu.

A couple of years ago, on a whim, I test drove a few cars:
First, the Mazda 3 MPS - the power was amazing, but it torque steered to hell and the build quality wasn't great. Next, I hopped into a WRX. Power and handling was great, but I felt like I was sitting in a $15,000 car. Then I drove the MK5 GTI DSG. Loved the transmission, the power, the sound, everything. I put down an ambitious offer, even though I couldn't really afford it. The salesman knocked me back, so I ended up buying a cab chassis ute to help with my house renovation.

Fast forward to mid last year. We were in the market for a new car, but we wanted something with space for a dog, luggage and maybe a kid down the track. So we focused on small 4WD's and wagons.

First the Forester XS manual: what a gutless, tinny piece of crap. Next.

This was followed by the manual Mazda 6 diesel wagon. I really liked it. The torque was fantastic, the claimed fuel economy excellent and the build quality, while not great, was good enough. The main problem was that there were NO options available. Nothing. No stereo upgrade, no factory sunroof, no sat nav. You could on other Mazda 6 models, but not on the diesel wagon. Ridiculous policy considering the dash is identical. Still, not a deal breaker.

Then we drove an auto Tiguan 125TSI. We didn't particularly like the auto, so I arranged a test drive in a manual. In the meantime, I test drove a 118TSI. Considering the engine size, it goes like stink and the build quality is absolutely brilliant. I opened the boot and sized it up. I questioned the dealer about bringing my dog (a boxer) down to see if he fit. Long story short, he did - comfortably - and I decided there and then that the Golf was on.

Based on the MK5 GTI, and the overseas reviews of the MK6, I decided I didn't need to wait until Aus release before ordering one. When a fully spec'ed model became available, I put my name down and paid almost full price.

[bigmouthmedia]

I'm not that old, not that young - but i have been through a few cars.

In order (so you know the history) - 1978 Corolla Sedan, 1984 Corolla Sedan, 1991 Hyundai Excel, 1994 Nissan Pulsar Hatch, 2001 Suzuki Ignis (POS), 2003 Holden Barina (one of the best cars), 2006 Mazda3 SP23.

So I've run the gamut with sizes and brands, but ever since 2001 or so, I ALWAYS wanted a Golf, but just couldn't justify or afford it at the time - mebbe because my jobs were ordinary and low paying !

Well things have changed slightly, and I've finally indulged. It's also a business purchase so it wasn't totally on a whim.

I was really drawn to the comfort features, and the fact that it's a solidly built car - albiet at a premium price. But resale values are high for VW's generally, and I'm always drawn to something with gadgets (ie MFD screen, comfort indicators, auto lights, etc). The DSG takes a bit of getting used to in it's approach from a standstill - but hell - for a 1.4 Turbo, it speeds along once it gets it's legs

I did a s**tload of research and wavered between the Lancer RS (stands for Rat**** maybe ?) and the Holden Cruze. I was that close to the Cruze because it incorporates a lot of the Golf's features as standard. But the things that wrecked it's chances were :

(a) It hunts for gears when you're either going up a hill or in the high gears
(b) The seat angle adjuster is near impossible to get to past the seatbelt anchor
(c) No footrest - that's a big no no
(d) It's Holden

So I'm happy with Golfy and can't see giving it away anytime soon.

[gtimal]

Hi
I've had FWD cars ,RWD cars ,turbo charge & super charge car ,2 toyota's ,1mazda ,1mitsubishi ,1 honda ,3 fiats ,1 holden ,1 ford ,1 BMW , 2 nissans ,1 Seat and 4 Vdubs even a 56 oval .I have found the euro front wheel drive cars drive better than most .The wife and I don't have to worry about booster seats anymore so we decided to down size from the maxima to the Golf GTi time to have fun .

Cheers

[xblode]

Great reading

I drove an 84 Supra for years as a daily driver and when it began slowly dying, I started looking for my next car.

I looked at XR6 Turbos, XR8's, SS Commys, WRX's and one day, I saw a MK4 GTI in traffic. I always liked the look and decided to look them up. Didn't know a thing about VW's.

After about 3 months of research, I bought one and loved it sooooo much! I've also got an 1982 911 SC (which made me want to have two german cars in the garage) which is a great weekend car but I found that the GOLF was great for a weekend sprint down the coast and best of all, it didn't leave me exhausted like the 911 did with no power steering and a cable operated clutch.

That was years ago and the lease on the MK4 was close to done at the end of 2009 and the choice for the next car was easy! No real research as I read all the awards it's won.......MK6 GTI.

VAG cars for me, from now on

[HereGoes]

I spend a lot of time on the road so i really wanted something nice and comfortable. I started looking at the smaller BMW's and Audi's. They where just a lot to pay for so little performance.

I moved onto the "Hot Hatches" because the hatch fits in well with my lifestyle and the stuff i cram into my car from time to time and they should be fun to drive. I drove the WRX, Rally art, MPS and Civic R they where all good cars with some having better bits that others. Then i met the GTI...

The only reason i actually thought of it was a friend of mine had a MK5 and gave me a quick test spin. Loved that and was about to march out and buy it (this was in july) but found out a new GTI was going to come out in a few months. I just managed to hold back and wait and when she finally arrived and i took her for a spin it was love at first ride!

The cabin had the comfort and feel of the BMW's and Audi's but she actually had an engine to go with it. She was subtle and classy and handled as well as the WRX (for the level of driving i do anyway) so i bought her the Friday before they were released!

[elisiX]

Some great stories here guys. Im 27, and this would be my 7th car since 16.

97 Mitsubishi Mirage
00 Mits Lancer VR-X
02 Alfa Romeo 147
04 Holden Monaro CV8
06 Audi TTQ Coupe
07 Mazda 3 SP23 (2nd car)

Sold the TT, kept the 2nd car (SP23) in 2008.

It's now 2010, and I gave up my toy, the TT to buy a second property. That meant keeping the more sensible vehicle. I was getting the train to work for a year at the time and the TT just didn't get driven enough (only some evenings / weekend really). It's now come to the point where I 'need', ie; want something quick, luxurious and fun again. The SP23 has been an incredible car, absolute awesome value for money, but its no Euro. I think my sister will be taking this off me which will hopefully save the stress of selling on the second hand market.

Why the Golf and more specifically the GTI? It's the best value for money car in its class by a mile. Hell IMO it even plays with the cars well outside its class for a fraction of the cost. Everything you read about this car is golden just about - cant fault it. I was considering so many cars before ultimately deciding on the GTI (or the R). Everything from a Nissan 370Z (only 2 seats), to a TT-S (can afford one, but silly $$). At the end of the day, I wanted something safe, reliable, quick and value for money and I feel that the GTI meets all of that criteria for me.

For the Mrs and I, we spent a good few weekends test driving over 10 different cars. We very nearly went with the Z simply cause its brutal and fun, but the lack of seats meant it wasn't really an option. If I was single on the other hand.. lol shhh. Chances are we will be married with kids in the next 1-3 so I needed to buy something sensible without compromising too much on my needs/wants from upgrading from the SP23. The GTI feels like a great place to be - it has a wonderful cabin and a significant improvement over the MKV (flame suit on). The exterior has some small but significant and great improvements over the MKV also. The MKV GTI was another vehicle I wanted when we bought the SP23. If it weren't for $$, I'd have bought the MKV instead.

I'm really looking forward to getting back into a euro - and i've never tried VW before so it will be a great move I think. As i've mentioned a million times on the site so far, I might be switching to the R but that will be determined by final pricing more so than anything else. If it means waiting a little longer - than so be it. Either way, if I stick with the GTI I will not be disappointed. I am very happy to soon be the owner of a new MKVI.