[Closed] Type R, GTI or ST

Octavia vrs

Don't like them at all, think they're ugly.

By the way this is a car for having fun for a couple of years before I buy a family car.

I also know that the common sense car here is a Mondeo Titanium which is the 4th option. I've just driven barges for a long time and don't really do many miles so when I do I want someting fun and nippy for once.

Focus or Fiesta ST?

Golf or Type R (which one for £5k? A minter of an EP3 or a bit of a grotty FN2?). ST I just don't like, especially the first shape. And if it had the build quality of my Mondeo of the mid/late 00s then it'll feel really tin-ey vs the other two.

Octavia vrs

I had a mk2 petrol Octy vRS and now have the Golf GTi with the same engine and apart from boot space, the Golf is better in every single way.

Wouldn't touch an st as said before they are not secure, highly nickable and ford refuse to acknowledge the issue.

I'd go for the Golf because it can do Fast or Effecient,

Type R seems only able to do Fast and Thirsty or slightly less thirsty. I knew someone with one and never seemed to get better than 25mpg even driving like a saint.

I've never been a fan of Fords.

It would be the gti for me.
Im 48.
You can interpret this info any way you like.
If i was 28 id probably want the type r.

Ive got an fn2 type r. rear seats fold flat and, with twisting the handlebars, i can get a 29 in the back with both wheels still on (medium frame). mines done 137,000 and i get around 34mpg doing a 60 mile commute.

Swift sport? A bit milder but I'm very happy with mine

It would be the gti for me.
Im 48.
You can interpret this info any way you like.
If i was 28 id probably want the type r.

I'm 30, and GTI for me, indeed I've been driving one since I was 28!

Presume it's a mk5 you're looking at to get top spec for £5k? You won't go wrong, great cars. Love my mk6.

Wouldn't touch an st as said before they are not secure, highly nickable and ford refuse to acknowledge the issue.

Much like most modern cars with keyless/push button start? The issue is less the car and more the accessibility of the obd port and the fact they have I assume the only way to put it is hacked so that people can start them without the key. Certainly not isolated to ST/RS's and Ford. Iirc BMW hit first.

Anyway I have a MK2.5 (facelift) fits a 29er in boot with seats down obviously.
Build quality is fine imo. It's very thirsty though around town and not much better out of it. Sounds great however!

I also know that the common sense car here is a Mondeo Titanium which is the 4th option

What about a [url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201707197516239?fuel-type=Petrol&price-to=6500&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&body-type=Estate&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=200&year-from=2008&sort=datedesc&model=MONDEO&postcode=b111ab&make=FORD&page=1 ]Mondeo[/url] with the ST's 2.5t engine?

I'd be going Golf for that money and age. Preferably a standard one that has specialist service history.

Pretty much seals it then, I was about 80% sure I wanted sa GTI only question now is, 29er in boot? With a wheel off?

Can you get a 130i for that sort of money yet? If so, that.

Otherwise it's a toss up between the GTI and Civic for me. Golf is definitely more sensible / respectable image-wise, but the FN2 is a fine car - I had one and I do miss it sometimes.

Plus points: great for moving bikes - huge boot compared with the other two. As above, the fuel economy is not too bad. Great interior IMO - cheap plastics in places but great seats, dead comfy and ergonomic. Actually really nice as a long distance cruiser but a bit gutless at low revs so it's not at its best performance on the motorway.

Negatives: image, stupid rock-hard suspension.

I'd probably reluctantly buy a golf these days. Boring but you know it makes sense.

If it were me, I'd consider spending a bit more and getting a DC5.

I'll freely admit the interior is a bit dated and basic, but fun-wise knock spots off anything you've listed, and they're pretty bombproof to boot. Very spacious as well. Would be an appreciating asset if looked after properly.

If this is a last fling before getting a sensible family car please get something more exciting than a Golf. You can get the Golf as the sensible family car after whatever you buy this time round.

Out of the list above it'd be Type R, do you need 5 seats? Does the bike need to go in the back? What about something like a 350z and a roof rack?

I'd probably get which ever one you like the ergonomics / dynamics of the base car. Go for a nice long test drive in one of each. Of course this will make you a test pilot / dreamer / tyre kicker in Gumtree speak but eff them. £5k is still £5k.

For the 95% of the time you spend in the car not accessing the "performance" you're going to be in a Golf, Focus or Civic so you better like it.

GTI assuming you mean the Golf.

Don't like them at all, think they're ugly.

Then recommends a Mondeo. 😆

Got a 2008 GTI with DSG. Drives like it did when it was new. No rattles or creaks whatsoever. I wouldn't even be looking at the other cars on your list. Golfs just age much better than most other cars, they're built to last.

Literally copy n pasted from your other thread. 😉

I found the Golf pretty numb and didn't like the interior. I would never have a Focus ST and friends have a Type R. I ended up with a 130i as I wanted more than 4 cylinders and no Turbo. Its very nimble and the soundtrack is quite addictive! It is a small car though, slightly bigger than a Fiesta, I can just get my 29er LT FS in the rear with seats down and wheels out. They can be had for £5k.

Just buy this. Looks like it's had all the work done and current owner has recently put 4 proper tyres on it, that's a very good sign IME.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/volkswagen/golf-gti-mk5-mk6/volkswagen-golf-mk5-gti-2006/7395706

Just buy this. Looks like it's had all the work done and current owner has recently put 4 proper tyres on it, that's a very good sign IME.

Although the reg. plate is different in the first two pictures than the others - same car? Old pictures not representative of current condition?

It's almost as if you're suggesting that used car buyers should actually inspect a car carefully before buying.

If only someone offered a service where you could check a cars history based on some unique identifiers. Perhaps you could use the VIN, V5 & engine numbers without relying on an easily removed and transferred plastic plate. If someone could invent that system, I reckon they'd be on to a winner!

Alas, we only have these photos, so this car must be discounted 🙁

Of those I'd have the Golf.

Also look at Leon FRs and Cupras, you'll get more for your money

You wont get a 29er in the boot of a Golf with one wheel off hence why I mentioned the vrs as it has a big boot.

Of your choice though I would be all over a Golf GTI.

Really miss my Mk2 16v !

Mk2 Leon has the most half arsed design dash on the planet. Golf is a much nicer place to be. Its almost as if they tried to make it Saab-like and failed miserably.

Good mention of the 130i. Had the same engine in my old E91 and it was a belter.

Ah! so Bike wont go in boot of GTI?

That's an issue.

It will if you take both wheels off.

It will if you take both wheels off.

A bike (or three) with the front wheel off will go in the back of a Focus.

Yup. If you take the parcel shelf off, seats down you should be able to get one in with the wheel on but I never tried with my MKV Golf as the 29" wasn't mine so only went in once or twice.

Have a look on facebook for the UK Volkswagen Mk5 owners group. Lots of folk on there, there is a parallel sales group as well.

I bought a golf a while back - should have gone private rather than stealer - otherwise it is lovely.
look out for rust on front wings, around boot badge and on the front of the sills. Check PCV/DV/ Cam Follower etc.

There is no way in the world a modern bike will fit in the boot of a golf with both wheels off and still be able to shit the boot lid down.

My codeine only just fits in the back of an Octavia estate with the back wheel on and dropper dropped.

I used to get my 29er in the golf with the seats down by just taking the front wheel off.

No way of getting it in the boot with both wheels off and seats up from what i could see.

I guess I imagined it then.

I was in same boat as you with the same budget looking at the same cars but with slightly less interest in whether bikes fitted (I have the berlingo for that).

I ended up with a Clio 172 for £1300 and spent the rest on a holiday among other stuff. The newer Clio 197/200 are much bigger but still small, also due to the extra weight they are bit less angry than the 172/182.

This is my Codeine in the back of my VRS estate.

As you can see there is no way it's fitting ....

Doh how do I share a pic from imgur ?

For what it's worth, i test drove all of your options a while back (08' Reg ish) I found the type r uncomfortable and only good to drive when ragging it, and thirsty when not.

The st was actually much nicer, and a good lazy drivers fast car... but I wouldn't get an older/cheap one as I'd worry about it going wrong all the time.

So I'd get the GTI, although I got an Alfa in the end, and now in true STW style I now run a VRS

34, it consultant for what it's worth 😉

Mk2 Leon has the most half arsed design dash on the planet. Golf is a much nicer place to be. Its almost as if they tried to make it Saab-like and failed miserably.

'Tis true, but when I looked at them a 3 year old GTI was 17k, a 3 year old Leon FR was 11k. Underneath they are virtually identical. I'd rather have 6k than a nicer dash.

Still the price difference will be narrower on the older GTI's the OP is looking at

Type R will give you a headache after 30 minutes.

GTI won't.

Doh how do I share a pic from imgur ?

Press Img in the box above and paste in your link.

[img] [/img]

For me I'd be getting a type r civic out of the cars listed. Driven the mk5 golf and couldn't get very excited about it. Driven a standard and a tubed focus St (mk1) and it just felt like a heavy barge and the seats were set too high. Driven an EP3 civic type r and loved it.

If you want fun go with the type r - but it's probably the buzziest car out the 3.

I'd second having a look at a Seat Leon Cupra if you can get one in budget. I had a diesel 140bhp 1.9 and it was pretty good considering the heavy lump of an engine in the front. Setup more sporty with a lighter petrol turbo engine I'd imagine it would be pretty nice to drive. You should get more for your money / lower mileage than the gold gti equivalent.

I had one of the early 2005 mark 5 Gti's. It was a lovely drive compared to the TT at the time but god, the build quality was shocking. I recently had a second hand 2008 boggo golf estate. Build quality now seemed okish, was still a nice drive compared to modern cars.

Drac you seem to have said both seats up and seats down...?!

You'll never get a 29er (or any adult bike) in the boot of a Golf with the seats up unless you reduce it to a frame and it's parts! My 29er easily goes in the boot of my Golf with the seats down though with just the front wheel off.

Seats up and wheels off.

Maybe I have a false memory.

Testing.....

Doh. I can't get imgur or Flickr to work from my phone.

I've got a mk5 4 door and previously a mk4 3 door. I can get my 650b in the back of the mk5 with front wheel off and seats down. Plenty of space around the bike for gear.