Potential Polo GTI Buyer need advice

[fatjoez]

Hey there

I need a get around car to go to work / see friends etc
I've budgeted around 10-15grand and so far I'm considering the Polo GTI because it's reasonably quick / turbo / manual / hatchback / 2doors

Just want to get some feedback on the car though because I haven't test driven it before
I test drove the 2011 Polo GTI 1.4L Automatic last weekend and it was the most boring thing I've ever done in my life, and it was slow.

FYI: My previous car was a 2009 BMW 135i Coupe 3L TwinTurbo

Few things really I wanna know is, how quick/speedy is the 1.8L Polo GTI
Is it decent off the mark
With the APR/Oettinger/Superchip tunes what is the new 0-100km/hour time
And any other advice you guys think I should know beforehand
what aftermarket bumpers etc are available, where can i check them out
oh yea btw the lack of ESP somewhat concerns me since I'm no michael schumacer in terms of driving skills

Cheers

[flat6]

I was in the same boat coming from a 2005 BMW 320i, I just wanted something cheap to get me around that was quick and nice to drive, the polo won hands down

Honestly its a great little car to get around in and for the price you really cant go wrong if you buy the right car, am yet to chip mine but i have 2.5 years of warranty left on it, i kind of want to get a few more kms up my sleeve before taking the dive but from other owners i have spoken to, best $1400 you could spend on the car.. I picked up my 2010 9n for 23k with just under 3 years warranty left

But honestly, for day to day use, the standard tune is more than enough, its power to weight ratio is excellent, it really is an easy car to drive once you get use to the short shifter. Try and find a later model 9n (2007 onwards) with the leather pack, definitely has the feel of quality, not quite as nice as the BMW interior but still up there for the price.

BWT it has esp, you'll find it getting in your way when you launch it tho, happy hunting

[fatjoez]

Hey mateee
Cheers for the detailed feedback

I've found one for sale on carsales
2005 model, 70,000km, sunroof/leather/tuned ecu for $16000

are there any issues with the early models that I should be aware of?

I must have done a typo, I didn't mean esp, I meant that one that stops you from losing control if you make a sharp turn on the road, forgot the abbreviation

[pologti18t]

The gearbox can be touchy if trying to change quickly from 1-2 (or is it 2-3). Some people had gearbox rebuilds because of this.
I think the front suspension rear bushes can fall apart. The are quite soft initially and all the power and hard lauches people do can make them fail. Easy enough to rectify by using stiffer Seat Ibiza bushes.

The car is fitted with ESP that can be turned off (not sure why you would bother in most cases). It also has a rudimentary tyre pressure monitor that works off the ABS sensors.

What tune has it got? APR or GIAC? Once you taste the power with the tune you will NEVER be able to drive a Polo GTI without it.
If it is APR you can switch it back to standard when you need to car to be serviced or you lend it to a sister/gf/friend etc

Redbook says for a 2005 gti with 90+Km
Private Price Guide$13,500 - $15,600
Trade In Price Guide$10,500 - $12,600
I think $16000 is at the top end of the price range. Is it at a dealer?

[fatjoez]

Hey buddy

Cheers
Here's a link to the car, tell me what you think
Personally I'm inclined to go with redbook & I was thinking to offer around 12k cash to take it unseen

2005 VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI 9N MY2006 Private Cars For Sale in QLD - carsales.com.au

[Ben_GTI]

I must have done a typo, I didn't mean esp, I meant that one that stops you from losing control if you make a sharp turn on the road, forgot the abbreviation

Mate, esp = electronic stability control. Thats the thing that will *help* you stay in control. It has limits as to what it can do though. I believe it was standard on GTI's.

Also if you are coming from a 135i (god only knows why you'd change) remember the 1.8T is roughly 2/3rds of a 135i engine so it won't go as fast. That said, if you know how to drive you would beat a less skilled driver in a 135i. Eg. YouTube - Polo GTi @ Ciney - 150m sprint

I wouldn't say there are any issues with current Polo GTI's, there is a recall out on a certain batch of coilpacks, but dealers will replace free of charge.

[pologti18t]

Hey buddy

Cheers
Here's a link to the car, tell me what you think
Personally I'm inclined to go with redbook & I was thinking to offer around 12k cash to take it unseen

2005 VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI 9N MY2006 Private Cars For Sale in QLD - carsales.com.au

Looks well presented...and its in the colour of the moment. White.

[fatjoez]

my 135i is overseas and I can't bring it here
sweet so it does have ESP the one that helps if you make sharp turns etc thats okay then thats all I was worried about lol
don't wanna flip the car lol

can you guys tell me what aftermarket mods are available exterior wise
I've seen a lot of white polo GTI's with full black front center grilles audi style, is that just paint or what
can someone link me to a thread with the different exterior etc parts available or an online shop

whats the good common exterior mods to do?
white headlight bulbs? / aftermarket headlights? Found this: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VW-POLO-MK4F-...#ht_3614wt_893
grille?
any black mirror caps??

also what mods can I do to make it handle better around corners etc etc

[Julian Edgar]

Mine is for sale on carsales - do search on: Polo GTi Tarago

[noone]

Lots of questions.

There is minimal distribution for after market parts, so a kit would be a few k.

The car is good after a tune but does have trouble getting the power down as the stock suspension is soft. A sway bar helps, but it's really only fixed with new shocks / springs.

Coming from a demon to a 1.8t with small turbo, don't expect too much...

On saying all that, I love my Polo

[Tarq57]

sweet so it does have ESP the one that helps if you make sharp turns etc thats okay then thats all I was worried about lol
don't wanna flip the car lol

Having ESP won't prevent you from flipping the car if you are really determined, nor any other car with electronic doo-dahs. It will help a little with breakaway if using too much power, say, through a corner near the limits of adhesion.

Better to educate yourself about the limits than rely on gadgets.

My experience so far of the GTi is that it is a marvelous platform for providing feedback to the driver. That combined with a rapid and precise response to any control input makes it an excellent car for learning to drive in a reasonably accomplished manner. If you take the time to learn what it's telling you, it could make you a better driver as a result. (Any car can teach you stuff; the Polo seems to be a slightly better teacher than a lot of 'em. For those that are prepared to learn, of course.)

I'm not against techy bits. I am dead against the over-reliance of them as a substitute for poor driving. Something I see far too much of in my own country.

[edit] Not in any way suggesting that you are a poor driver, BTW.

[blackbetty]

hi fatjoes
first off you cant expect a stock standard gti to be as quick as the 135i twin turbo thing - they are dam fast cars for the money.

the gti is a good day to day car that will give you no troubles. some small money and you can get some extra go. having said that i still have a stock standard car and while its no rocket, i've grown to enjoy it by learning how to drive to its strengths.

virtually no turbo lag, reasonably good gearbox (if your lucky like me and get a model that has no issues), great mileage when driven normal (and even when you hammer it) and its doesn't standout much in traffic so you wont get cops looking at you funny.

for 15k you might be lucky to get a 06 model, but you'll prob have to pass up on the leather and a few other options. they're good value and have minimal issues service wise. turn off the traction control and they have a bit of old school fun too with a more realistic traditional gti feel.

[sssstew]

that white one on car sales does indeed look well presented, and got some nice wheels. Leather and sunroof options on it too.

External mods - get the mesh lower grilles from VAGLINK, and a stubby aerial from dub addiction to start.

[PeterHBne]

yeah look - if your focus is on what is the availability of ugly stuff you can stick on the car to make it heavier, i'd go for a nissan or a honda or something. if you are thinking rationally about your purchase then a polo gti is a good pick. cheap REAL mods transform it.

[fatjoez]

haha cheers
no not looking to stick anything ugly on it don't worry
i'd probably leave it standard exterior wise, possibly consider painting the red strip in the grille black but thats about it..

i'm more interested in some simple/cheap mods to improve performance/handling

btw heres a pic of my 135i. stock + ECU tune + black grille + tinted windows + blacked out wheels