Motoring Golf GT TDi

[Punishment]

Anyone owned a 170bhp DSG 2006-2007 Mk5 one of these ?

Been doing some research on the engine management system and turbo to see if it gives problems as i don't fancy spending 4 years paying off a car that will cost tons to fix if it goes wrong ?

Will be prolly brining one back from the UK on a ferry in Febuary as they are rare as hens teeth in Ireland and UK ones are always gonna be higher spec(there actually is no Irish spec) and in better condition from being on better roads.

 

[Calaen]

Not the same at all, but I had to replace the ECU on my 2TDI It just decided to die one day, the down side was VW wanted 1400 quid to replace and supply the part. I found a guy on Ebay who sold replacement ECU's and got it for £300 quid, I then got it reprogrammed by VW for £60.

 

[Punishment]

ECU's are always a worry with modern diesels

 

[Tom]

What is your annual mileage, and what type of journeys would you typically make?

 

[Punishment]

Annually i would only do like 10,000-12,000 miles

 

[old.user4556]

I hate motoring threads here because they always end up with the same people recommending the same things.

I've driven a Mk5 GT TDI 140 extensively and I really liked it - I can only imagine a 170 will be even better. Roomy in the back, decent boot, well made, quiet on motorways and plenty of torque.

I cannot advise on long term ownership though.

 

[Tom]

Annually i would only do like 10,000-12,000 miles

You don't do enough miles to justify buying a diesel, not unless you'll be keeping the car for at least ten years. Get a petrol instead.

 

[Punishment]

Petrol GTI would be a nightmare to insure even at 28, they are cheaper to buy however and milage on them seems to be like half

 

[Garaen]

I've had a Petrol GTI, amazing car, very comfortable inside, drives well and goes like shit off a shovel (it would easily go at 260km/h but a good cruising speed was 200-220km/h). Only downside is that it drinks petrol - it's not economical at all. If you get a GTI go for a black one with the red strip along the front, looks epic.

 

[Punishment]

Yea id like a Petrol GTI but i don't think i could afford the running costs especially when i plan on keeping it 4-5 years even though servicing and the initial buying might be abit cheaper

 

[Tom]

Do the sums, I think you'll be very surprised just how long it takes a diesel to pay itself back, especially at your mileage:

http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/driver-tools/petrol-vs-diesel/petrol-and-diesel-fuel-costs/

 

[Punishment]

In Ireland tho we have a thing called VRT which is basically VAT twice on a car brought over from england, i will link you the calculator, it's based on emissions so a 2 litre petrol GTI would be alot more to change over

A car that costs me say 6000 sterling could cost as much as 4000 euros to change over ><

 

[Rubber Bullets]

The Which link that Tom gave is specifically for new cars, if you are buying second hand then it is a bit different, it also says specifically that it doesn't take different depreciation or tax costs into account. There will be savings on both these as well. I have a Mk 4 150bhp TDi, and although it isn't the most dynamic car I've driven, it is an ideal combination of power, economy and running costs for me. I do very few miles in a year, but those tend to be long runs where i can get 55mpg, even not being too careful. It is also only £125 or so to tax per year.

One thing to think about though, my car is old enough not to have a particulate filter, these can cause problems, especially if your car rarely gets up to full operating temperature. When we bought a new car for Sharon recently we specifically avoided diesel for this reason.

RB

 

[Bodhi]

Good all round cars, not satisfying to drive in the slightest though. The engine has plenty of grunt but sounds awfu and is rough as a bastard, and you get all the go in one big lump. Amusing for about 5 seconds then you begin to want something a bit more refined. They don't use much of that dirty black stuff if you're that way inclined, and seemed fairly reliable when we had them as company cars. I wouldn't have the DSG box though, they cost big money if they go wrong. In fact I wouldn't have one at all, as I hated the engine in them that much. If you must have a dismal, the 120d is tolerable to drive if you must. I'd still have a petrol instead though. In fact I do. And it's lovely.

 

[Punishment]

Ya im pretty much after what you said Rubber mate Economy and abit of flash/poke as its a car im gonna enter my 30's driving lol the horror but im abit scared of the running costs of a petrol one and the possibility of expensive electronic fixed on modern diesel engines

 

[Tom]

The calculator in the link I provided works no matter what age the vehicle is.

Look, it's really simple. People buy diesels because they presume they're cheaper to run, and they are, but only if you drive them a lot. If you're doing less than 15,000 a year then in most cases, it makes no sense to buy one.

Oh and Bodhi is right - diesels are not exciting to drive, they're quiet at speed and use less fuel, but that's about it. The power delivery is in a tiny little band, at idle and hard acceleration they sound awful (unless you get one with more than 5 cylinders), and the modern diesels can be outrageously expensive to repair. Just think, you buy a diesel to save money, but two injectors fail prematurely, out of warranty. Instantly, three years of fuel savings have just been wiped out.

Think carefully. Oh and don't forget LPG - I'm driving a 4.0 V8 Lexus and paying only £0.65 a litre. It's costing me about £40 to do 230 miles or so, which is about on par with most big diesels. In a 4.0 V8 petrol.

 

[Rubber Bullets]

The thing is Tom I only paid £6k for mine, and it is almost impossible to compare the price I paid with an exact equivalent for a petrol version. A diesel car is cheaper to run from day one, all that the calculator can do is tell you how many miles you need to drive before the extra that you pay for a diesel will be paid off. I save money on every tank of fuel I use, and I save money every time I tax the car and again every time I insure it, and when I sell it it will still be worth a bit more than that 'equivalent' petrol one might possibly be, but really there are too many variables in the lower end of the 2nd hand car market to make that comparison possible.

I can't really argue with anything that Bodhi says, and in an ideal world, with fewer speed cameras, cheaper fuel and way less traffic I would have a petrol car every time. I thoroughly enjoyed my Nissan 200SX, my Impreza, my Clio Sport (piece of shite that it was) and my Golf VR6. Sadly the world isn't what it was when I owned them, and I am a lot older and more boring, and so my Golf does me fine.

RB

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Bodhi in recommending BMW SHOCKER!