When would you consider a Mk5 GTI past it's prime???

[mcblfc88]

Looking for a Mk5 GTI for my mrs, and i'm a bit torn.

I look after my cars and as such would spend some money on any car we buy in terms of servicing (routine/non-routine), part upgrades, suspension overhaul maybe a stage 1 remap.

My problem is that to get a low mileage GTI your looking at more money than i'd like to spend for what is always going to be a 10+ year old car now, but also I wouldn't be comfortable buying a real high miler because i'd feel like any money spent on it would be wasted.

Seems at the circa. £4k i'm looking at cars that are well spec'd around the 100k mark, would people say at that stage of life the cars are past their prime and not worth putting any money into.

The car we buy will be kept for probably 3 years...

[shoaybmakda]

@mcblfc88

In short no.

It's an incredibly fun car to drive and if looked after they will keep going and a few tasty mods will always make you smile and still does get plenty of admiring looks.

I sold my mk5 gti after it hit 138k. It had full VW service history DSG oil changes at the right time and drove on the money. It was white with xenons and sunroof and had all the right things for me (i also fitted an ED30 kit on it) i regret selling it to this day and at the moment have a MK6 GTD.

[Dogma]

High mileage it’s not an issue it’s all about condition and how well it was maintained.

Yes low mileage is great, but that alone don’t mean it’s been looked after.




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[rich83]

They are getting to that age where if they have not been looked after they will show their age.

Seems at the circa. £4k i'm looking at cars that are well spec'd around the 100k mark, would people say at that stage of life the cars are past their prime and not worth putting any money into.

I would agree to a point. It wouldnt be worth spending 4k on a mk5 and then another 2-3k on it to either keep it on the road or modify it. If the car cost you 4k and it in good mechanical condition, then it shouldnt cost you too much to keep it for 3 years.

[stealthwolf]

If you’re buying a MK5 GTI and want to spend money on it, it’s going to be becauzs of love or passion. Common sense tells you it’s not worth it. Doesn’t matter. It’s what your heart tells you.

[Stefanwalker14]

@mcblfc88

I was in the same position as you last November, I ended up buying a 56 plate that had covered 113,000 miles. Ideally I wanted something slightly newer with less miles on but with a limited budget and many mkv’s that were tatty I ended up paying 4.5k for it and I do not regret it what so ever, but then again I’m only 19 and with it being my second car coming from a old corsa I might be slightly biased! 

[OllieL]

I have done similar and am now daily in a mk5 GTI.

I would say buy on condition rather than mileage.

Mine for instance is an 06 124k but shell and choice mods (Mk6 rear badge, auto pop rear hatch, miktek cat-back etc) along with the service history showed it had been looked after.

I don’t regret mine


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[mcblfc88]

Cheers for input guys, kind of what I was thinking.

To add to the story this car is not for me it's for my mrs as her daily. We got her a mk4 1.8t gti for while she was on maternity but the mk4 really is a dated car and now with her going back to work and mileage going back up she would need to spend on it to guarantee reliability.

So I thought Mk5 is a far better, far more modern car.. and if I can find a well looked after example it would still be worth spending some money on.

I've got an E82 135i Coupe that is my pride and joy but i'm struggling to find things to do to that in terms of mods because it's already a well sorted example, so am kind of looking for a little project car without actually having a "2nd car" which i cant really justify

Hopefully picking up an 07 plate tornado red manual 5 door tomorrow with 110k, full VW service history and same owner since 2012.

Spec is what attracted me mainly, xenons, full heated leather, factory nav with MFSW, rear parking sensors and 18" diamond cut monzas. No rust so assume front wings have been replaced.

Any other common rust issues on mk5 to look out for?

Plan is to get the car, I've got a local VW specialist run by an ex VW master tech and mk5 enthuisiast so the car will go straight to him for full service (oil/filter, air filter, fuel filter, plugs, cabin filter) including gearbox oil change and coolant flush plus thorough inspection to see if DV, cam follower, PCV etc need changing aswell as suspension.

I don't count servicing and preventative maintenance as pumping money into a car, based on the feedback from the inspection i'll decide what I want to do, thinking mid range suspension kit (fixed damper/springs), something like bilstein b12 or racingline for example, maybe the superpro ALK and a forge short shifter. Probably leave it at that then, R-tech remap in a couple of months to finish it off

[Stefanwalker14]

Cheers for input guys, kind of what I was thinking.

To add to the story this car is not for me it's for my mrs as her daily. We got her a mk4 1.8t gti for while she was on maternity but the mk4 really is a dated car and now with her going back to work and mileage going back up she would need to spend on it to guarantee reliability.

So I thought Mk5 is a far better, far more modern car.. and if I can find a well looked after example it would still be worth spending some money on.

I've got an E82 135i Coupe that is my pride and joy but i'm struggling to find things to do to that in terms of mods because it's already a well sorted example, so am kind of looking for a little project car without actually having a "2nd car" which i cant really justify

Hopefully picking up an 07 plate tornado red manual 5 door tomorrow with 110k, full VW service history and same owner since 2012.

Spec is what attracted me mainly, xenons, full heated leather, factory nav with MFSW, rear parking sensors and 18" diamond cut monzas. No rust so assume front wings have been replaced.

Any other common rust issues on mk5 to look out for?

Plan is to get the car, I've got a local VW specialist run by an ex VW master tech and mk5 enthuisiast so the car will go straight to him for full service (oil/filter, air filter, fuel filter, plugs, cabin filter) including gearbox oil change and coolant flush plus thorough inspection to see if DV, cam follower, PCV etc need changing aswell as suspension.

I don't count servicing and preventative maintenance as pumping money into a car, based on the feedback from the inspection i'll decide what I want to do, thinking mid range suspension kit (fixed damper/springs), something like bilstein b12 or racingline for example, maybe the superpro ALK and a forge short shifter. Probably leave it at that then, R-tech remap in a couple of months to finish it off

Mine has just started to rust around the boot latch which I’ve heard is common, unsure on whether there is any other common rust problems though!

[pudding]

MK4 1.8T is "really dated"     Hardly!   Really dated would be: points, chokes, carburettors, mono radios, manual windows and brown velour seats.

Yes the MK5 is newer, but the MK4 is better built.  What the MK5 lacks in build quality is more than made up for with it's handling, which is why people love them so much.

You cannot guarantee reliability on any car, regardless of the time or financial investment.  Stuff just breaks.  That's life.  You can't go wrong with a good MK5, take a brave pill, stop over thinking things and just buy one 

[Steveonee]

MK4 1.8T is "really dated"     Hardly!   Really dated would be: points, chokes, carburettors, mono radios, manual windows and brown velour seats.

Yes the MK5 is newer, but the MK4 is better built.  What the MK5 lacks in build quality is more than made up for with it's handling, which is why people love them so much.

You cannot guarantee reliability on any car, regardless of the time or financial investment.  Stuff just breaks.  That's life.  You can't go wrong with a good MK5, take a brave pill, stop over thinking things and just buy one 

Agree with this 100% Had both have a mk5 ED30 now and it is streets ahead in handling terms but not quality or reliability imo.

The Mk 4 was a great car I thought, just hated the handling that I tried to improve with the usual mods but never felt as composed as the mk5 when pushed .

Mk5 is a more practical car and drives better handling wise, As said too buy off maintenance proof and body quality rust etc. not mileage one great indicator for me is always tyres , good tyres is always a sure sign the car has been minded , ditch finders are a red flag for me 

[mcblfc88]

Mk4 is very dated in terms of appearance I meant. 1.8T 20v engine is a cracker. If any mk4 fans are looking for a cheap runaround PM me, £1200 going on eBay etc later today once I’ve cleaned it.

Bought the Mk5, well happy with it. Gonna spend a few quid on TLC and general tarting up.

Totally agree on the tyres thing, this one has got 2 Goodyear on the back and 2 Pirelli p-zero on the front

[pudding]

That is subjective I guess.  I still look at a MK4 R32 now and think it's a fantastic looking car.  It's the only MK4 that handles well too.  It feels like an utter tank, like a mini E46 3 series.

[mcblfc88]

R32 is a different prospect altogether and the exception to the rule. Back in the good old days when the Hot models actually looked significantly different to the bog basic diesels

[pudding]

The MK4 Anniversary looks great also.   Besides which, the 1 series is hardly the paragon of modernity is it, at 15 years old now.