NEW TO POLO GTI's! any advice on buying?

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:03 pm

hi ppl im looking into getting myself a polo gti for the summer coming up, i have got bored with clios now (iv had 3 lol), so can any1 give me some good advice when looking for a polo gti? i want to spend 4k absolute maximum. i have read a few things about problems with the boxes on these cars and also the cambelt tensioners, are these a big thing to worry about or is it rare for them to go, or are there any age cars i should stear clear of? thanks people.

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:05 pm

http://www.tigerstyle.co.uk/poloforum/v ... hp?t=27725

Have a look in the above thread - theres some important points mentioned that should help you out!

Good luck finding your GTI!!

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:14 pm

cheers mate was quite helpful, so what spec should i be looking for and what should i not be to bothered about? also what is the performance of these cars like? i see they are 125bhp, im coming from a 1.4rt mk1 clio which i think was around 80bhp, should i expect these things 2 b fairly nippy or will i be dissapointed when i drive 1? also hows the handling? my last clio stuck to the road like superglue after i lowered it, so what should i expect from 1 of these gti's?

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:20 pm

Unfortunately I have very little to compare it to as my last car was an ancient mk2 golf! However whenever I take people out for a drive they say it is pretty nippy. The jump for 80bhp to 125 is a fair bit so you should definitely notice the difference. Mine isn't lowered (yet) but as standard the handling is pretty good, although I guess that would depend partly on what tyres you have. There is a bit of bodyroll sometimes but I'm hoping that once I've got her lowered and got around to fitting strutbraces - this will be much less.

Coming from a Clio I imagine the Polo will feel better built (my friend has a 2003 clio and my car actually feels newer that hers despite being 3 years older). There are some fantastic extras as standard such as the xenon headlights and BBS split rim wheels. Extras to look out for include climate control, heated leather seats and a 6 cd changer in the boot.

My best advice would be to test drive a couple and see what you think!

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:23 pm

yes i like that it has xenons and bbs rims, is leather seats standard and heated an option? do all cars have air con/climate control? also i have seen a few for sale with higher then average milage, should this be a problem or are these as reliable as your usual VW?

edit: what is a pedal box?

DanDiesel · Post by **DanDiesel** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:30 pm

yeah i'm with bryony on this one!! don't just buy the first one u see because there could always be a better one just round the corner!

if you check out one with the standard bbs splits on, they are likely to be corroded unless they have been previouly refurbed. this is a common trait with bbs wheels unfortunately but don't be put off as they are a fantastic wheel and can be refurbed for decent prices!

make sure the ones u check out have had the pedal box recall done, there should be a sticker in the boot i think from the dealer to say it has been carried out.

theres a few members with gearbox problems at the moment so make sure u test all the gears whilst on a test drive and listen out for strange noises and grinding sounds.

dependant on mileage also check that the cambelt and tensioners have been changed, i think its at 40 or 60k??

hope this helps, if i've missed anything, i'm sure someone on here can fill it in!!
u may struggle to find a good one for 4k (most go for between 4.5 and 5.5k) but u never know!

Good Luck!! and keep us posted!!

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:42 pm

The pedal box is exactly what it sounds like - its what the foot pedals are attached to, the replacement should have been done under a free recall by VW but if it hasn't they will do it for free anyway so its not a big problem.

Leather seats are unfortunately not standard and are very desirable so you are unlikely to get them for the kind of money you want to spend. All the cars have either air con or climate control and some also have sunroofs.

As dan mentioned, watch out for any noises from the gearbox - especially on high milage cars if they haven't had the gearbox refurbished. My car has just gone over 60k and no problems with it yet. Cambelt change is now recommended at 40k by VW so check if that has been done and whether the tensioners were also changed. If not, and the mileage is over 40k, budget for changing both parts as soon as possible after buying the car!

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:45 pm

do u think i wont get a good car for Â£4k? here is a link to the gti's near me between Â£3-5k:

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/ca ... h_full.y=4

lets say if i stretched to Â£4.5k would that get me a nice 1?

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:52 pm

I paid Â£4450 for mine and its in great condition, no scratches/marks etc and no odd noises. It just depends who you buy it from as much as anything. I went to see one with an asking price of Â£5200 and there were a number of fairly minor but annoying things wrong with it: broken fog light, taillight not working, funny noises when driving, small dent on one door. Its these kinds of things that put me off. I actually told the guy that he would be extremely lucky to sell it for the asking price!

In the end I bought one from someone who advertised on here and he obviously loved the car and had looked after it well. I drove 2 hours to pick her up and it was well worth it!

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:54 pm

what was the age/milage on it when you got it and how long ago was that?

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:59 pm

Its a 2000 W reg, had 53000 miles on it and this was in at the beginning of october last year.

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:01 pm

so mayb i could pick 1 up like that now for closer to 4k?

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:50 pm

Yeh, possibly - might take you a while to find a good one thought, took me a couple of months and I had to travel for it. Bear in mind that mine doesn't have leather seats or the cd changer (wanted the single cd player in the console rather than change in the boot) but it does have climate control.

Look out for things like BBS wheels in need of a refurb and you can probably knock the price down a bit.

Patrick_g46 · Post by **Patrick_g46** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:56 pm

i would prefer a single cd player up front tbh, what are the cloth seats like then? is climate control better then a/c?

Bryony84 · Post by **Bryony84** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:59 pm

if you have a look in the members gallery there should be some pics of the seats on there. They are still sports seats so they are pretty comfy. The upholstery has 1's on each seat (you'll understand when you see a pic), no-one is really sure why they are there but I think they are quite individual.

I don't really have anything to compare the climate control to because the extent of air con in my last car was opening/closing the windows, but I like my climate control!