Teach me about 4th and 5th gen VW GTI's

I know all about how a lot of people here hate VW, but the thought of a GTI or TDI VW is something I just can't get out of my head.

What experiences have people had with them here?

Why do they not seem to be that competitive as autocross cars?

Chris

I've got a MkIV TDI Estate/station wagon as a pseudo-DD[1]. It's good on fuel and reasonably spacious for a small station wagon. I've had one person getting carsick in the back of it (although it might have been a slightly duff burger) and I have to drive something this size to Switzerland in about 6 weeks.

I'm currently on ebay and various classified ads sites here looking for another car.

Any more questions?

On a more serious note, parts (at least over here) are cheap, the handling is, well, barge-like (needs at least stiffer anti-rollbars) and a little too soft for my liking. Interior quality is so/so. It's pretty quiet, though. Oh, and they seem to eat MAF sensors for breakfast. [1] I've got a bike as a DD.

I raced a MkIV New Beetle Turbo-S. It was waaaay heavy. there is no left foot breaking as when yo apply the break it cuts the fuel. I guess they are safer that way?

Looked good though, in my opinion. The Monsson sound system sucks ass too.

some people like 'em, some don't.

resale is good. tdi's are long lived and thrifty.

none of that is particularly compelling to me though. I had a '84 GTI once that I paid $500 for. THAT was a good vw!

You can buy my fully prepped MK1 Improved Touring car if you want to go that route. I went to a VW track event last year and was really surprised how fast the TDI's were when they're modded. The newer cars don't do too well at the autocrosses around me. That's just my personal observation.

Something about a chipped TDI on stiff suspension and R-comps makes my insidey parts tingle.

I've got a MKV GTI DSG. I love it.

Something about a TDIed and chipped Mk1 GTI makes ME all excited. It'd also be more money than I'd want to spend on one right now.

Nathan

If you are going TDI then maybe it will be different, but my friend has had nothing but a strenuous love/hate relationship with his. He likes the VR6 for its decent power output but boy is it a bitch to maintain. MKIV VW owners don't make consistent jokes about CEL's for no reason. He has had a water pump fail, his window drop off the track. A gas leak under the rear seat, and now his hubs are kind of shot. Some of this is just maintenance, but it tends to be a bit more pricey then fixing a honda or some other import. I have also read about electrical gremlins and such from which they suffer.

The A4 chassis Volkswagens have some pretty messed up suspension geometry. The front roll center is already below ground level from the factory and lowering the vehicle just makes it worse. Stock they are too top heavy sitting up so high and to lower the CG you push the roll center further into the bad zone.

I own a Mk4 GTI. It is the wifes daily driver and it is good at that job. The 1.8T gets great mileage on her 20 mile commute. I actually traded in a A5/MK5 rabbit on the GTI.

the A4 is more fun to drive than the A5, granted I have never driven the A5 GTI.

If I want to have fun in a VW I do it in an A1

I have both an '83 GTI (2nd one) & an '09 Jetta S (which replaced a '92 GTI that somebody totaled last year). I've been lucky to win 3 regional (Detroit & West Michigan) SCCA champoinships with the 2 different '83 GTI's in STS class & am on the way to winning the street tire H-stock champoinship in Detroit with the '09 Jetta. I also owned & started racing in a '90 Jetta. I agree the some of the 4th gen cars where not as fun as they could be (exceptions being the GTI 337, 20th anniversary GTI & the '04-'05 Jetta GLI's). But I have been real surprised with the '09 Jetta. It's much larger than the 2nd gen cars, but has similar driving dynamics & feel. Reliability is great for the 2.5 liter 5 cylinder & at around $17-$18,000 it's loaded, solid, fun & hard to beat. Plus the 170 hp & 177 lb.ft. of torque move the car very well. Now if I where looking again, the new 2010 Golf & TDI Golf would be on my list. The TDI is supposed to be lowered slightly & set-up as a sportier car. It could be a lot of fun, just note that the TDI prices are reported to start around $22,000. I still don't know if I'll ever sell my mk1 GTI, but I'd definitely buy a new '10 Golf or Jetta as a daily driver & occasional race vehicle.