QuestionHello My name is Alberto as mentioned above. I am resently looking into buying a car. I seem to be very atractive to the Volkswagen golf. I am looking at the models from 2000- 2003. Could you please let me know what king of car quality are they? Should I go for it, or should I stay away from them? If so wich year do you think is the best one between those mentioned before? How reliable are they? How expensive are they in repear, and how often do they break down? how often do they need to be served, to keep it in a mint condition? What are their most common problems?
What kind of diesel engine would I get the most amount of milege? 1.8lt, 1.9lt,or 2.0lt engines?
I had searched everywhere asked so many people, went to the dealership,e-mailed people asking for their help, but so far none of them have actually answer my questions.
Could you please give me a hand?
I am really scared of buying one and discocer later that they are not good. and so far the reviews I have read for the states are awfull, and honestly it has been my biggest turn off in my life so far.
Please help me?
Thanks a lot Alberto.
Have a great day.
AnswerAlberto,
No worries, Volkswagen wouldn't have made so many Golf's if they were all Lemons.
I would recommend the 2003 Golf GTI 20th Anniversary Edition. My suggestion would be to buy a Golf if you like them.
Your preference falls in the category of the Golf IV series (1998-2003), which is a heavier car, and a bit slower than it's previous models.
Engines can range from 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 1.8 Turbocharged, 2.0, 2.3 and 2.8 L VR6 for gasoline. As a rule of thumb, the larger the number (which represents displacement or cc's), the more gas it will consume.
The Diesels are 1.9L turbocharged.
To my knowledge, the largest problem with those era golfs were that they were recalled due to faulty ignition coils, which kind of gave them a bad wrap. This applied mostly to the 1.8 liter engines. What did this cause? Well, simply put, the plastic that insulates the coils becomes brittle with heat. Because of that, they were getting insufficient spark to the plugs, making them difficult to start and almost impossible to start in cold weather.
The German company who makes those coils is named: Bremi Auto-Elektrik. I would check to make sure that they have been fixed with the proper coils.
All of the dealers are going to tell you they are wonderful, because they want to sell you one, be careful there.
None of those engines have any inherent defects, the diesels are a bit tempermental, not expensive though. The diesel benefit is that you can expect about 50K more miles out of the engine, should you keep the car forever. (rough estimate).
As for transmission, I would always suggest a manual shift, if it doesn't bother you. It is cheaper, less maintainence, and you have more control of the vehicle.
Overall, you cannot go wrong with a Golf that is properly maintained. The KEY is to buying from the right seller!
Here are some tips:
1) If the car is being sold by a younger kid and has a beefy engine; I'd be cautious as they are a great temptation to race around. Not a good buy.
2) If the vehicle has no maintainence records, just word of mouth, I'd walk away.
3) If the vehicle was in any accidents, I'd also walk away; the same applies with floods, leaks, shorts, water.
4) Let the seller DRIVE YOU in the vehicle, observe his or her driving habits. Do they drive at 30MPH in 5th gear? Do they race the engine? A lot of knowledge of the cars history can be obtained by watching the actual driver ..well, drive it.
5) Find out how many times the car has been sold, and why the person is selling it.
Wrapping this all up:
I would suggest a definate go with a 2003 Golf.
I would suggest, a gas engine, about a 1.8, 2.0 range (I just don't like diesels personally, but there is really nothing wrong with them)
I would suggest a manual transmission, not automatic
FINALLY:
When you found the "Golf" of your dreams, have the car brought to a dealership for an inspection. It is about $125.00, and well worth losing if they find a major problem. Go to the dealership with the owner, pay for the inspection, and if there are any problems found...use it in negotiating the price down.
If it's beat to heck, than you know to move on. You may have lost $125.00, but saved yourself thousands over the years.
Don't be worried, you will make out fine. I hope the tips above help you. Follow the simple rules.
As far as your question about maintainence...it depends which car you choose. When you have your potential car picked out, and bring it for the $125.00 inspection, simply ask the service manager what is the best maint. procedure for the model engine and tranny you choose. They will be honest and fair.
It's a great world out there, and I'm sure you will find the car of your dreams in no time.
Let me know how you make out.
Ron
