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Our new car (new to us) was hit and written off.
The insurance company have given us 7k to which we have an extra 1k to add.
We are after a 1.4 tsi Golf and I've found one with 45k on the clock. Is this high? It's a 10 plate. Should I be looking for something with lower mileage?
Not much of a car bloke you see, usually I go newer and lower mileage but the Golf is a far better car than the competition.
My MX-5 has 120k on the clock. Engine is strong like bull.
5 years old so about average milage really.
I don't know much about the engine though. I would be asking if it's powerful enough for a car of that size.
(I'm going to look now)
10 to 12k miles is average miles for a car, allegedly, so the mileage seems about right.
That's pretty average mileage.
Bought a 54 plate Audi last year with 77000 miles on the clock. It now has 103000 and it's still lovely - and I expect it to be lovely for quite a few more miles yet. Looking for 150000 plus from this one with regular servicing!
Go for it!
Theres nothing inherently problematic about petrol engines and that sort of mileage.
That golf has done pretty much average mileage for its age.
Is the Tsi the small turbo/supercharged engine?
45k Ex company that spent life on motorway and serviced regularly, with premium tyres fitted as per contract etc etc, and it's nowt.
45k spent on short journeys over the last 5 years and run on a budget, bit more of a risk.
It's a minefield with oodles of variables to take into account when buying SH and even after due diligence, it could just be a 'Friday afternoon' job...or a car with no SH, that's a belter that goes on for years without fault!
Cars are a PITA 🙂
123bhp 😯 I didn't expect that!
At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.
What makes you think the vws are so much better than the competition?
When I had a fair bit of trouble with my first alfa 156 the sales guy at that garage said that the most troublesome car in their set of franchises was the vw passat.
45K is sod all on a car that age.bit of a daft question really
mitsumonkey - Member
123bhp I didn't expect that!
I'm sure there's an even 'pokier' version too.
The 1.4tsi is a very good engine. Better Bhp and torque than what it replaces.
Ok, well hopefully I'll go for a test drive this weekend if it's not gone
My a4 hit the 200k club. So that's bugger all
Only daft if you know the answer.
At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.
I'm sure his 'mate' does. LOL
According to autotrader
Fuel consumption (urban)34.4 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban)55.4 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined)45.6 mpg
0 - 60 mph9.5 seconds
Top speed124 mph
Cylinders4
Valves16
Engine power123 bhp
Engine torque147.52 lbs/ft
Link to honest John
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/golf-vi-2009/
We'd considered the 1.2 tsi Seat Leon but I do a fair bit of motorway driving.
The VW 1.4 twin charger (turbo and supercharger) engines have a pretty poor reputation. The 1.4 single turbo engines on the other hand have a very good reputation and buying these with 45K on the clock should be not problem. I'd be just as concerned about the rest of the car - does it look well looked after.
This is the single turbo engine, the 122bhp.
I've not looked it fully over yet, that's Wednesday's job.
Anything else I should be considering?
as tonyg says. the twin charger engines are the ones in the polo gti and fabia vrs. they are tuned to the limit...or a bit beyond. they have terrible problems with burning and munching spark plugs and using oil almost as much as petrol. the single charged units as in the golf are not the same beast, reliable and nice to drive, wide torque band.
Anything else I should be considering?
Civics. Massively impressed with the one I bought at the weekend. 57 plate, 31,000 on clocks and £5200. comfy, fast, quiet and smooth. I park next to a Golf at home and it's bigger and more spacious than the golf. 1.8 petrol I-shift auto, in the 200 miles I've had it up to now, 46.5mpg.
Civic seconded. The only issue I'm aware of is pre 2010 cars have a weak clutch which normally only affects the more powerful CDTi.
We've got a 2009 CDTi, 5 door (which has the clever rear seats), and most important, in Red. Its just had the new clutch a year after we bought it, however Honda were very good with a gentle nudge and we only contributed £200ish towards it...amazing considering we are the second owner, its way out of warranty and is on 80,000.
2010 cars and petrol engines don't seem to have the problem so you can sleep easy.
Mileage is over-rated now, I'd probably choose (for diesel) 100k with full service history in preference to 50k with gaps in the history, and pocket the saving/put it to one side for any unforeseen repairs.
We've run most of our cars from around 60k to over 100k and they generally go because we want something newer/safer rather than repair bills, only one car went due to a repair bill and that was a Citroen ZX on 140,000 and in hindsight, I think the garage massively overquoted as they didn't want the work.
Our civic hasn't been without its problems.
2006 1.8 petrol. Rubber seal at the top of the windscreen pre 2011 is made of too hard a rubber. Rubs away at the roof edge. Eventually rusts. Covered under warranty for 6 years. So it was well out when discovered. "well known" issue apparantly. Lots on civinfo about it.
Roof gutters can leak and channel water in to the deepest depths of the boot, without soaking the interior or boot lining. Discovered by accident when 3 inches had accumulated.
Until we bought our most recent car at IIRC 25k, last three cars (Golf, couple of Saabs) have been around the 45k - 55k mileage. The golf was bombproof despite the owner (my mate) reckoning it could fail any moment. I sold it at 115k I think and it ran for a while after that. The first Saab was a bit of a trouble but still ran on and on, the second again was good for 115k or so until it was beyond economic service..
Curent car as it happens is 1.4TSI (petrol) Octavia estate so similar engine I suspect, 60 plate. Bit less top end power than the old 900 (at least on paper) but shifts quick enough - in fact with the TSI rather than relying on 2l it is more able to take up quickly.
At my recent alfa service the mechanic said that his mate who worked at the vw garage was rebuilding 2 or 3 vw engines a week that were about 50k miles.
That sounds like twaddle. One person in one garage rebuilding 100-150 50k VAG engines a year. Multiply that by the amount of mechanics and garages across the UK and I am sure VAG reliability would be bigger news than 'a mate I know down the road has...'
That sounds like twaddle
his 'mate' worked at the local VAG garage - why would he make that up ? He had no 'agenda' to play by telling me that - I have had 3 alfas on a trot now and his father used to service my fathers alfa.
where are VWs on the JD power type surveys now, they always used to be languishing further down than you might think because people bought them thinking they would be well built, and then find out they weren't particularly.
biggest problem with VW, and Audi, for me is the staff at the franchised garages.
He had no 'agenda' to play by telling me that
Because he wasn't telling you a fact, he was telling you a story and juiced it up a bit to make it sound a bit more interesting. Seriously - have you considered the maths if just one person rebuilds 150 engines every year! It would probably make the engine the most unreliable engine of all time. And I don't doubt that VAG aren't necessarily the most reliable, they may even be a bit unreliable, but certainly won't have that amount of failures at such a low mileage.
[i]Rubber seal at the top of the windscreen pre 2011 is made of too hard a rubber. Rubs away at the roof edge. Eventually rusts. Covered under warranty for 6 years.[/i]
£%%$&&&!!!!
Never thought it was covered, now I find out I'm 35 days out of warranty! Bugger! Ah well, they did well with the clutch... Its just at the 'slightly mottled' stage.
45k? I've done that in a year before now...
IME you'll have less trouble with high mileage petrols than high mileage diesels - my highest was a 405Mi16 that went past 145k before been sold on.
worth asking the question Spooky.
To be fair to the honda garage, they took pictures and submitted the request to Honda.
I think the new seal was Sub £30quid. Edit - it was £22 from Honda. The respray (the roof, bonnet, 2 doors - fixing stone chips) was £600 mates rates.
The resealing of the roof gutter lap joint he did himself.
Just in passing, I'm trying to sell a 22k 10plate Twingo 🙂
Check my post history for more...
Because he wasn't telling you a fact, he was telling you a story and juiced it up a bit to make it sound a bit more interesting. Seriously - have you considered the maths if just one person rebuilds 150 engines every year
maybe he is a rebuild specialist and they are all being shipped to him - who knows?
Maybe there was a batch of faulty engines pushed out that all leak oil and the owners didn't think to check it - that surprised a lot of 156 owners who trashed their engines as well - or maybe they didn't and that was just a story as well...
45k is nowt.
I'd be more concerned about service history and condition plus proof that any recalls have been done.
We bought our 330 with 67k on it (now 90k) and it's been pretty good aside from one issue with the VANOS and things like tyres and brakes.
With regards to the German manufacturers reliability, I don't think they're as good as they used to be as they chase profits and down spec components / have them built to a price.
OP
45k on a 5 year old car is nothing. As long as it's been serviced and looked after. I know it's not the same engine but my Golf is 15 years old with 126k on a 2ltr petrol engine. All tickity boo.
My only reservation will by on the long term (100 to 150k) durability of the smaller turboed engines. Where the bigger engines are working less hard, and therefore less strain, the smaller engines are working harder and fizzing to get the same performance. We won't know until that generation of smaller engines have passed, or not, the test of time.
Im 65k up on my Civic 1.8 , its as quiet as a mouses fart ,pulls like its new and ive seen 54mpg on a motorway run at 70 mph, There is a reason the last 4 cars weve had have all been Hondas
As for the 1.4TSI golf , make sure the chain and tensioners have been replaced as they are a known problem
maybe he is a rebuild specialist and they are all being shipped to him
Maybe. Then it isn't a surprise that he is rebuilding engines then.
SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM.
Again, not the same engine but my focus 1.6 has just ticked over 82k and the Miss' Fiesta 1.4 is about to go over 100k. Only fault so far has been a lambda sensor in the fiesta. I'd not worry about mileages unless there are know problems with that engine at that mileage, unless it's diesel, I'd avoid any oil burner at 100k+, too many expensive ancillaries to go wrong.
We are after a 1.4 tsi Golf
I wouldn't touch it.
My petrol car is on 85,000miles. It goes on another European roadtrip in a months time.
This.45k is nowt.
45k is nowt but I'd want a warranty on that TSI engine. Whats the oil consumption like after the warranty period?
Theres not been a car with high milage in this thread yet.... Id consider them all for the right price so far.
If the price is right and the cars not falling apart ill live.
My 1800 diesel fiesta went to 250k with my dad using it to commute to aberdeen daily. And me to uni in dundee . Good milage though. Not stop start town driving.
So I've upped my mileage and budget expectations.
Can't seem to find a 1.2 tsi seat Leon to test drive.
A3's are out of the question due to budget
Just had the clutch done on my 1.0 petrol Yaris at 117600 miles. Jap is where it's at.
103000 on our car when we bought it. Passing 111111 was very exciting, and we recently hit 118118 but no funny men in vests appeared. I'm looking forward to 123456.
When I used to run my corolla GT's Front wheel drives and Coupes it was considered on those 1.6 16v engines that they were only just loosening up by 100k. Jap is where it's at for stellar mileages.
🙂
Sold our Omega at 280,000.
Original clutch.
Mind you,the rest of it was scrap.
Second German car I've owned, I'd possibly have another.
But not a Passat - I've heard so many horror stories.
So, I'm still really interested in the golf. What worries me is that it's a 60 plate with 45k on the clock. If in right that means it's due a cam belt change?
Thats another 2-400 straight away
What engines it got that needs a cam belt at 45k or 5 years ?
That's what it says on the VW site
Your Volkswagen's cambelt must be renewed no later than the maximum change interval (this depends on model but typically ranges from 40,000 to 120,000 miles) or after the recommended four years, whichever is the sooner.
I thought the VW group 1.4Tsi engines up to 2013 were cam chains, not belts.
And what does that mean in terms of the change?
It still means 5 years or 60k right?
Another reason not to buy a vw box of crap then.
Blimey, and I thought golfs were reliable and well thought of.
Maybe it's back to finding a Focus.
It aint 1980 anymore im afraid.
Golfs are just over priced and expensive to fix when they go wrong - and they do go wrong - quite often.
Our golf - fsh from dealer lasted just 2 years on original engine before i swapped it in for Frontera of all things. It consumed more parts than i deamed normal - never needed a steering rack in my life on any of my bangers - the golf did and it wasnt even bangernomics .... It was a forae into decent cars at a fair bit of cash. - leaked everywhere , sunroof due to blocked drains , rear boot lid leaked and killed the high level brake light and some trailer module ... In the frost front the doors would freeze shut against the seals And the options pack headlights didnt meet the newly introduced at the time standards so wouldnt go through mot - was fine for the 6 years previous mind.... It loved oil almost as much as it loved petrol due to terrible engine design (piston and ring clearances were huge at cold by design which let it burn oil) .
Oh and it handled not bad but i later found out this was due to the negative camber they put on the front wheels as it wore through the inside edge of the tires in no time ... Got the tracking and camber set to neutral with the new tires and it handled almost dangerously , was like bambi on ice - had the camber put back and it was great again....
Bag of bolts.
Conversely ive had 2 french cars bought for buttons with no service history - one for 7 years the other for 2 and neither have cost anything like as much as the golf to buy , run ,repair - and neither needed a new engine despite surpassing the golfs low milage by a long way. Infact none of my cars ever have had as many design flaws as the golf , certainly not ones that i cant live with where as it seemed the golf just had poor design feature after poor design feature.
Oh and mrs t-rs uncles tails of woe with his owned since new and fully dealer serviced t5 have not filled me with joy either. Latest issue is 4 years in ....new brake pipes needed where it goes over the fuel tank at the back for mot .... - and he is not handless having rebuilt several olde world alfas so it probably does need the pipe as oppose to poor dealer trying to fleece....
I think it should be on a chain, my 1.4tfsi in a Fabia VRS (15,000 miles though) is on one. If it is on a belt try and find out if it is a Continental belt on a model that new, they seem to be standard fit on VW now (I have one in our Fabia 1.6 diesel) and their change interval is something like 130,000 miles. VW UK are known for being the only VW office in the world to recommend the short four year/45,000 mile belt change.
If you're buying from a dealer get them to change the cambelt as part of the deal.
That's what I did last car I bought.
EDIT: buying any used car is a bit of a lottery tbh, don't get too stressed.
Another thumbs up for the civic 1.8 only sold mine as due to a back injury found it increasingly difficult to get in and out, now have a CRV with 2.2 diesel lump fantastic piece of kit. I used to run vw's and audis and they werent that problematic but in all honesty I now prefer Hondas 😯
Civic petrol would be a good choice and the magic seats are great for us bikers
So, I'm still really interested in the golf. What worries me is that it's a 60 plate with 45k on the clock. If in right that means it's due a cam belt change?
Thats another 2-400 straight away
Either get them to do a belt change as part of the purchase price, or haggle a little off.
Personally, I'd rather do the latter... I fell victim buying a Passat TDi (old 1.9 110bhp engine, bulletproof in everyone's words) that had just had a cambelt change at a main dealer. It was an 11 year old car with 120k miles on so I quietly questioned the logic of going to a main dealer, but anyway... Bought the car happily thinking I'd got probably the best condition 11 year old Passat on the road...
FFWD 3 months and 3k miles and the engine seized at 70mph on the motorway on me! Yes really...
So I get the car recovered at great hassle (100 odd miles from home when it happened), and begin to follow up the "12 month guarantee" given with the cambelt service at the main dealer...
Long and the short of it was that although the car had only had the belt replaced 6 months previously, and it had a 12 month guarantee, the small print said it was only valid for the owner of the car at the time of the service. I tried every angle, but they squirmed and squirmed...
My independent mechanic who's a good friend (and a VERY good mechanic) did a report on what had happened. Turns out (and this is common practice apparently at main dealers), that though they'd replaced the cambelt, they'd not replaced the water pump or the tensioners at the same time (all needs replacing together otherwise is pointless)! I was horrified, but still no leg to stand on as it wasn't me that had paid for the work... In the end I had to cut my losses, break the car for parts, and learn a harsh lesson...
That lesson being... Cambelt services are VERY important, only get someone you trust wholly to do the work for you.
With that in mind, I'd rather pick up a car that's due a cambelt service soon, haggle a little off the price, and get the work done by my trusted mechanic. As an ex main dealer head mechanic himself, he knows all the shortcuts main dealers often take, as he used to get told to do them himself! He quit cos he was fed up of effectively ripping customers off, and setup his own business and is incredibly successful as a result.
If you want the Golf, get 2 or 3 quotes from reputable garages to get the work done, then haggle a bit off the purchase price and it should probably be fine...
Yeah, the cam chain work would definitely be a negotiation point.
As you say, I'd rather get the discount and then get my mechanic to do it.
I'll have a look at the Civics too, I hate the old model but I'd not looked at the new shape.
[img] 
[/img]
Audi A6 2.5TDI
Mboy.... Two guesses why my golf needed a new engine.
Sounds like its a precursor to becoming a vw dealer to be a ****.
I was much more nieve with cars back then...
Has anyone driven the 1.2 se Seat Leon TSI as a power comparison?
Surely 45k miles on an engine hasn't been considered high mileage at that age for decades, has it? My first car was a mk3 Fiesta, 6yrs old with 55k miles on that I got rid of at 155k miles only because the bodywork and chassis was rusting to bits....engine was fine.
isitafox - Member
Just had the clutch done on my 1.0 petrol Yaris at 117600 miles. Jap is where it's at.
While I wouldn't deny that buying a Japanese car is probably a good idea, I am not sure that is a particularly great indicator.
The Fiesta I mention above was still on its original clutch when I got rid at 155k miles..
And my current Ibiza (with 130bhp and 310Nm of torque) is still on its original clutch at 12 yrs old and 263k miles...
It's not a mileage vs age thing, I think I've been brainwashed to believe lower mileage is always better.
I can get the golf with 45k miles compared to a newer useless Astra with lower miles and no guts
Just buy an astra with the right engine then ..... An astra doesnt have to be gutless...
I wouldnt pay a premium for the golf or any vw , infact i will go as far as to say unless they have a major policy shift ill never have another vw.
My fiesta was on 250k miles on original clutch stumpy doing motorway miles , how ever i changed my vans clutch at 93k as it had a hard life moving. Heavy loads - engines and gear boxes often together and many town miles when the mrs used it for commutin and towing my mates lwb hi top transit while it was loaded probably shortened its life span.
Clutch age is not a good indicator of car quality anyway, use and driving style are bigger factors than quality of car.
Lower milage isnt always better , buy on condition and price , not age and milage , both are irelevent if the price and condition are right. A 10 year old car with 20000miles is not necessarilly a better buy than a 2 year old car with 60000 miles car.... Its highely likely the 60k car has been a motorway muncher which is less hard on a car than doing the school run or tootling to church on sunday.
That's the problem. There isn't a better engine.
Diesel is out of the question due to mileage, the 1.6 is basically a dust buster and the GTC is only 3 door.
The focus petrol worth having, the 1.0l ecoboost, is out of budget for now.
The Leon and the Golf are the only real option.
The 1.4 civic won't cut it and the 1.8 is overkill
The 1.0 focus is the only one worth having .....really...
1.8 focus is 123 bhp nice car , cheap for service and parts. Plenty power. Been using the pool 1.8 focus at work this week , far better than the 1.0 ecoboost we also have as a pool for the drive i had to do .... Used the 1.0 before . Mpg was dire and it was pretty gutless to drive. Certainly had to play the gear box for overtaking.
What makes the 1.8 civic overkill ?
If you want more than 85 bhp of a 1.6 - which if the astras gutless it seems you do ..... Then a 1.8n/a is the least complex least problematic technology solution. Add in turbos and superchargers and you add an extra level of things to **** up. Turbos and supechargers are not known for being cheap to fix either ....
Again, I guess I'm basing it on my old 2.0l which was overkill for my journeys.
I didn't even realise there was a 1.8l new shape focus. I know there is a rare 1.6 titanium ecoboost.
The Civic 1.8 gets 46-47mpg for me on average.
There isnt .... They stopped in 11... But given you were loking at a 10plate car in the op i figured that would be suitable.
Is that old or new shape?
Is the face lift model a new engine?
Yeah of course, I see now.
I'd not considered the old focus. I'll check it out.
I'll look again at civics too. As daft as it sounds I have to like how the car looks and I really don't like the old civic.
The new one is much nicer but I can only find 1.4 v-Tecs in budget.
2.2 CDTi Civic here - 196K miles. 08 plate and had a new clutch and DMF 18m ago.
Still drives mint and can get the Spitfire in without taking a wheel off.
I'd have no problems having the 1.8 petrol. Or a Type R...
Yeah, I'm going to look at a civic today.
Has to be the 1.8 though as the 1.4 looks underwhelming power wise. It's not turbo charged.
I think the previous Focus is a pretty unpleasant car compared to the golf. Not nice to drive, the only advantage I can think of is that it is bigger.
I would agree with you about the astra, the current one is a horrendous car.
Bit of a curveball but I had a current megane for a bit on hire. No comments on reliability but I expected it to be worse than The Astra but it was a really great car. Really good. I am also a bit of a Honda fanboy. If Trailrat's anti VW stuff gets to you then maybe try one of them.
I'll be looking at the Golf and the Civic moving forward.
I really thought the Golf was the car to have, I didn't expect as many pobble bashing them as there has been.
Turns out (and this is common practice apparently at main dealers), that though they'd replaced the cambelt, they'd not replaced the water pump or the tensioners at the same time
My main vw dealer offer two prices, one with the water pump and one without. Sinclair VW are excellent, very open and transparent, and do a good job.