| VW Golf - £2,500 budget 14:03 - Jan 3 with 3499 views | uefacup81 |
So... as I alluded to in another thread, I'm in the market for a second-hand car.
I'm looking to get myself a second-hand Golf, and have a budget of about £2,500 to spend.
Ideally I'll be looking at a later Mk5, or possibly an early Mk6 if I can find one in budget. What should I be looking for?
It looks like the vast majority around my budget are diesels with about 150,000 on the clock - I assume there's a lot more mileage left in them?
Any particular variants I should be homing in on or avoiding like the plague?
Any other tips or recommendations? I'm keen on the Golf mainly because of the reliability etc., and the good trim levels, but I could have my head turned by something that'll be similarly reliable/comfy. |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:08 - Jan 3 with 3484 views | chicoazul |
Talking my lingo here OP. I drive a 57 Golf FSI 1.6 petrol.
Things it is not;
Fast
Sexy
I dont like the rear view visibility
Things it is;
Cheap
Practical
Bullet proof
Decent interior
Great to drive
Hums along at 80 or whatever
I get about 40mpg combination
Service costs about 150 bones
Prone to rust around the wheel arches, check them
I have kids and a dog and things like bikes and paddle boards and couple of UK holidays a year and the car eats everything I throw at it. I am actually a bit annoyed as I would like to upgrade but I just cant justify it in my mind as the car is so good.
#Golf4LifeCrew
ETA; I have had it 2.5 years, it cost me 4.5k, and has never gone wrong ever, started every time and purrs along. Obviously it will break down now I have typed this. [Post edited 3 Jan 2019 14:12]
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:11 - Jan 3 with 3463 views | Ely_Blue |
Don’t get a recent VW Diesel, it’s all a scam! |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:14 - Jan 3 with 3441 views | Herbivore |
What sort of mileage are you doing and will you regularly do longish journeys? Don't get the diesel if not. I was looking at Golfs around that budget and struggled to find anything decent, I ended up getting an Astra that was newer, lower mileage, cheaper and imo was nicer to drive. |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:16 - Jan 3 with 3434 views | uefacup81 |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:08 - Jan 3 by chicoazul |
Talking my lingo here OP. I drive a 57 Golf FSI 1.6 petrol.
Things it is not;
Fast
Sexy
I dont like the rear view visibility
Things it is;
Cheap
Practical
Bullet proof
Decent interior
Great to drive
Hums along at 80 or whatever
I get about 40mpg combination
Service costs about 150 bones
Prone to rust around the wheel arches, check them
I have kids and a dog and things like bikes and paddle boards and couple of UK holidays a year and the car eats everything I throw at it. I am actually a bit annoyed as I would like to upgrade but I just cant justify it in my mind as the car is so good.
#Golf4LifeCrew
ETA; I have had it 2.5 years, it cost me 4.5k, and has never gone wrong ever, started every time and purrs along. Obviously it will break down now I have typed this. [Post edited 3 Jan 2019 14:12]
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Given that I'm currently driving an S-reg Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec, anything will be faster and sexier than the current motor!
As long as I can actually risk breaking the speed limit on a motorway, I'll be happy. And if I can average over 40mpg (£10 currently gets me about 70mi) then I'll be a happy man.
My wish list is currently:
Cup holders
Air conditioning
Tax below £140 p/a
Anything else is a bonus! | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:17 - Jan 3 with 3425 views | uefacup81 |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:14 - Jan 3 by Herbivore |
What sort of mileage are you doing and will you regularly do longish journeys? Don't get the diesel if not. I was looking at Golfs around that budget and struggled to find anything decent, I ended up getting an Astra that was newer, lower mileage, cheaper and imo was nicer to drive. |
Nothing huge in all honesty - probably won't be breaking the 10k a year barrier just yet (although once I qualify in my current role I'll probably be doing 100mi a day...).
What's the issue with diesels and low mileage? Are they uneconomical for short journeys, or do reliability issues start to creep in? | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:18 - Jan 3 with 3421 views | geg1992 |
If you want something VAG group, economical but a bit of poke, I'd look no further than a car equipped with the PD130 engine.
I recently sold a Fabia VRS to make way for my new car. That was bullet proof and was running 160bhp after a remap on 168,000 miles.
Modern diesels have loads of thing like EGR valves, DPF filters etc which are expensive when they go wrong. If you're doing 20k miles a year that's fine of course!
Golfs tend to be over priced as they're very much a popular car, but you can get much better value in the Seats and Skodas which are essentially the same car.
at 150k miles, I'd want the turbo, clutch and DMF to have been changed, as that's over £2000 potentially there alone. [Post edited 3 Jan 2019 14:19]
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:19 - Jan 3 with 3416 views | chicoazul |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:16 - Jan 3 by uefacup81 |
Given that I'm currently driving an S-reg Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec, anything will be faster and sexier than the current motor!
As long as I can actually risk breaking the speed limit on a motorway, I'll be happy. And if I can average over 40mpg (£10 currently gets me about 70mi) then I'll be a happy man.
My wish list is currently:
Cup holders
Air conditioning
Tax below £140 p/a
Anything else is a bonus! |
Mine has AC and a draw in the centre console which you can use as a cup holder, along with loads of other nooks and crannies for stuff. I dunno about tax as I just pay it when it comes in but 140 sounds about right.
It's a 50l tank like most others and that does me about 410 miles. Normal fuel not that fancy stuff. | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:19 - Jan 3 with 3407 views | King_of_Portman_Rd |
You might be better off getting something like a Hyundai i30 as you'll get a better spec & newer car.. Or even a Honda Civic if you're more particular about a more illustrious manufacturer.
I'm likely to be in a similar position soon and have already been looking at Kia with it's 7 year warranty as you can pick up a 3 year old car for that sort of price, so still have 4 year manufacturers warranty left. |  | | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:21 - Jan 3 with 3396 views | Herbivore |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:17 - Jan 3 by uefacup81 |
Nothing huge in all honesty - probably won't be breaking the 10k a year barrier just yet (although once I qualify in my current role I'll probably be doing 100mi a day...).
What's the issue with diesels and low mileage? Are they uneconomical for short journeys, or do reliability issues start to creep in? |
They are better for longer journeys both in terms of maximising their efficiency and also in keeping them running well. They need a decent longish work out at least once a week to keep them working well and aren't a great option if you're mainly doing short journeys. I was told this by a garage looking to sell me a diesel Golf similar to the ones you'll be looking at and have had it confirmed by others too. | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:24 - Jan 3 with 3398 views | Jonnosdreadlocks |
if you get a diesel (mk5 or mk 6) they had a diesel particulate issue. Mine did anyway. Basically they filter got clogged quickly if just driving short distances if using a lower grade of diesel. To be fair, VW did replace my filter free and it runs best of BP ultima diesel once every 3/4 fill-ups. Still would recommend as a good, reliable, solid motor. |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:24 - Jan 3 with 3398 views | Smithy |
Civic 2.2i-ctdi
very very nippy
excellent economy
bullet proof, simply can't beat a Honda for reliability
MK 8 shape does not have a dpf to worry about
very different to anything else on the road
magic seats |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:24 - Jan 3 with 3394 views | geg1992 |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:21 - Jan 3 by Herbivore |
They are better for longer journeys both in terms of maximising their efficiency and also in keeping them running well. They need a decent longish work out at least once a week to keep them working well and aren't a great option if you're mainly doing short journeys. I was told this by a garage looking to sell me a diesel Golf similar to the ones you'll be looking at and have had it confirmed by others too. |
Also worth noting that with short journeys, you'd probably get better MPG in a petrol as they take so long to get up to temperature. Diesels hate cold and short journeys. | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:27 - Jan 3 with 3373 views | ElephantintheRoom |
The car you're buying will almost certainly be being sold for a very good reason. It's a bit like getting a dog from a rescue centre. E, so you are prepared for the worst and delighted when everything turns out for the best. Except you usually get excellent advice on why the dog is there in the first place. At your budget price it's a complete lottery and your best port of call might be to get a vw in disguise - a seat or skoda, both of which are essentially the same car but offer better value for money. Tip two would be to base your purchase on a genuine seller with some paperwork or long term ownership/love for the car. Avoid diesel if you don't drive long distances or you intend to sell in the near future - no vegans or guardian readers will touch diesels with a barge pole, despite all the evidence proving they are much better for the planet than petrol engines. |  |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:30 - Jan 3 with 3356 views | Durovigutum |
Buying a modern diesel with 150,000 on the clock at the jalopy end of the market is like appointing Paul Hurst to manage your football team.
At that price the simplest petrol engines car you can find is best, probably Japanese or Korean for few breakdowns but high cost to fix or Ford/Vauxhall for less reliable but cheaper to fix. Also, buy on condition and nothing else. Look for as much service history as you can and check silly things like are the tyres decent brands (looked after) or Chinese ditch finders?
Also, it might not work for you but you can find surprisingly cheap leases from time to time. A new Astra for £149 a month for 24 months. No MOT, no tax, not service but limited miles and no car at end of period. |  | | |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:33 - Jan 3 with 3341 views | Ely_Blue |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:24 - Jan 3 by geg1992 |
Also worth noting that with short journeys, you'd probably get better MPG in a petrol as they take so long to get up to temperature. Diesels hate cold and short journeys. |
And the VW group diesels hold their value more too, even as a new car you get more bang for your buck in a petrol than a diesel these days.
Worth also noting that the gap between the cost of petrol and diesel is growing meaning the old adage that they are more economical goes out of the window, combine that with the fact that the govt are going to start coming down even harder in the next couple of years on older diesels then I’d steer clear.
FWIW I just got a new company car and I steered well clear of a diesel, managed to get myself a 2.0l BMW X2 auto which is comfortably doing 40-45mpg in its first 1000 miles, as opposed to the 45mpg (and that’s generous) that I was getting from the 1.6 diesel Volvo v60 it replaced.
Tax on the BMW even with that engine and 134gm CO2 is only £140 a year | |
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| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:42 - Jan 3 with 3317 views | geminimustang |
I had the Mark VI as a Company car and did 106k miles in it with no issues.1.6TDi.I then got the Mark VII and though it was nicer inside and out,I hated it.Now got a Skoda Octavia,66k miles in 3 years and hasn’t missed a beat.Lot more kit than a VW but basically a Golf with a different badge. | | | |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 15:15 - Jan 3 with 3267 views | Basuco |
Whatever you get check if it has a cam belt or chain driven camshaft, cam belts can be expensive to get changed and often need replacing at around 70k intervals, also google what to look for on a second hand golf or whatever to see what to check for. |  | | |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 15:18 - Jan 3 with 3259 views | bobbyramsey |
Mk 4 Deisel TDi will go on forever............ |  | | |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 15:29 - Jan 3 with 3237 views | Basuco |
| VW Golf - £2,500 budget on 14:42 - Jan 3 by geminimustang |
I had the Mark VI as a Company car and did 106k miles in it with no issues.1.6TDi.I then got the Mark VII and though it was nicer inside and out,I hated it.Now got a Skoda Octavia,66k miles in 3 years and hasn’t missed a beat.Lot more kit than a VW but basically a Golf with a different badge. |
A friend of mine had a Skoda Fabia and loved it, did 180k - 200k miles in it and didn't miss a beat, as you say VW with Skoda badge and lower price.
Something like this
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810041179892?fuel-type=Diesel& | | | |
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