Volkswagen Golf Hatchback (1997 - 2004) 1.9 GTi TDI (115ps) 3d (2000/X) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Not sure it really says anything about the driver. There are millions of golfs on the road and everyone from boy racers to mothers with 2 kids in the back drive them. Mines a 3 door which looks sporty, and has a gti boot spoiler. The car does look kinda sporty and people have complimented me on how it looks. But, personally I dont see it as anything special.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Family love it, for the fuel economy and reliablity. My neighbour actually complimented me on how nice it looked yesterday when I washed it, which supprised me. But, it does clean up nice.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Definately. This is by far the best car ive owned so far for value for money, performance and economy. In the first 2 years i owned the car the value hardly dropped at all. Even now, the depreciation on the car is very low compared to other cars.

What are you likely to buy next?

Not sure yet. Might go for the mk5 golf TDI 170.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£6,000

When did you buy the car?

August 2006

Did you get a good deal and why?

Got a very good deal as there were a few scuffs on the car and the spec was by far the highest spec id seen on a golf - loads of extras.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Had a mk5 as a company car and really liked the build quality, the engine and the value for money.

What was the dealer like?

Bought it from a private seller.

What's it like to drive?

Ive owned quite a few cars, including various diesels and this is by far the best diesel ive owned. Its very quiet, even when idling, so you dont really know its a diesel. The performance is also very good, its very smooth car to drive and plenty of power / torque from the 115bhp this model has. It has the optional 6 speed gearbox which means 40mph is 1000rpm in 6th and 70 is 2000rpm. You can drop it in 6th at 40 no problem. I used to do a lot of flying and after landing back at the airport at 1am, with snow falling and freezing temperatures there was nothing better than climbing into my golf, it starts first time, switch the heated seats on, heater and rear window demister, and the car would defrost quicky.

What's it like to park?

Easy. Nice visabilty everywhere, steering is very light so ideal in tight spaces.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Ive driven this car every day for the last 4 1/2 years. Its the longest ive ever kept a car and that should tell you how much I like it. Ive done 100k miles in that time, so have thoroughly used this car. Nothing major has gone wrong with the car. The brake disc / pads need replacing every 85k, the front wishbones / bushes were done at 170k, tyres last me 40k miles a set. It had a few "common" golf problems like engine temp sensor fail, brake light switch, indicator relay and window clips. But they are minor bits which cost pennies to replace.

What's most practical about your car?

Servicing costs me £60 every 6 months, thats for a full service - i do it myself, takes 15mins. The best thing has to be the mpg. Its just amazing. I get well over 60mpg on my 42mile commute into work on average. If traffic is bad or im doing some town driving then that will go down to 53mpg on average. Best I had was 74mpg on a 30mile door-to-door trip incl stopping / starting / roundabouts and junctions. Simply amazing.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Has to be a toss up between the climate control or cruise control. I use both all the time. Cruise control is excellent when im on the motorway and they have SPECS speed cameras. I just put it in 6th gear, set the speed and sit back and relax.