2005 GTI's...yes or no?

"Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras" (jegoingout)
02/21/2016 at 13:00 • Filed to: None

Tell me why I should or should not play with the idea of buying a 2005 GTI with 93,xxx miles on the clock? I just saw it on the web, checking it out later this week hopefully.

And unless my eyes do deceive me, this car looks lower than stock *raises one red flag*

DISCUSSION (46)

Sneaky Pete > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:05

Not if you like having money.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:06

VR6 or 1.8T?

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:08

Diverter valves! Turbo failures! MAF Sensors! Door drop! Incredibly easy to steal!

Seriously though, the MkIV was a fairly solid car. Have a look here for a bit more info.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
02/21/2016 at 13:09

1.8

whoarder is tellurium > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:10

Its definitely been lowered.

You’ve gotta make sure it’s had a complete timing belt job, smoke tested for vacuum leaks and hope the turbo is in good condition. The cam chain tensioner is also another concern. Lastly, any sort of coolant or oil leak is possible in various places.

It better have pink or purple VW coolant in there too cot damnit.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:13

Kinja'd!!!

Lower, yes.

Also the headlights are suspiciously clear. Most ‘05s (out here in NJ at least) are foggy.

Leon711 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:13

Yeah, a 2006 manual would be better, it’s a better GTI, much more power and a better chassis but I’m biased.

Mine is a 2005 though, because we got them before the US.

PS the DSG is really good, it makes you feel like a BTCC driver. Since I’ve has mine I’ve had a couple of phantom warnings about the DSG, first was a warning about the mechatronic unit but was a loose connection, second my paddles stopped working once and was fine after. I won’t recommend the DSG because you’ll worry about that.

Kinja'd!!!

Your boy, BJR > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:14

Why you shouldn’t:

It’s an aughties VW.

why you should:

jkm7680 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:17

Modified, don’t do it.

Spaceball-Two > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:19

I drive a 10 year old VAG product and they can be money eaters at that mileage.

The Ghost of Oppo > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
02/21/2016 at 13:19

All it takes is a $15 headlight resto kit and an hour and they look brand new.

Übel > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:22

Reliability is the big killer. Be ready to spend lots of money frequently. Source: I’m on number 2, and have probably spent enough money on fixing them to buy a MkV. Still not going to sell it, though.

Edit: Off the top of my head, my current one has left me stranded twice this year, one time was a catastrophic baffle failure and once was a blown CV joint. I think I’ve got about 6k in repairs this year. Totally worth it when it works though

The Ghost of Oppo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:27

What trim is it? Price? Has it had the timing belt replaced? 80-100k on Mk4s is a very dangerous time.

Problems I had with my Mk4s were, coil packs, wastegate actuator, window regs, hood latches, sunroof drains, various exhaust problems, and vacuum lines. Both of mine were lower milage, unmolested, and only one previous adult owner when I bought them and still had problems.

This has definitely been lowered, I would check for other mods as well.

Chasaboo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:31

How fat is your wallet kid? And, do you cry easily?

DrJohannVegas > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 13:32

This doesn’t have DSG. It’ll have the old VW 4-speed slusher, if it is automatic.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 13:35

Damn your GTI looks lovely. If only the insurance would be reasonable for those for a 19 year old driver..

Leon711 > DrJohannVegas
02/21/2016 at 13:36

Torque converters in small cars are a real sad trombone.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 13:38

If i found a 06 at a good price, id be asking that question

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > The Ghost of Oppo
02/21/2016 at 13:39

1.8 gti

4.5k price

Leon711 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
02/21/2016 at 13:39

I got it 9 months ago when I was 23, I’m 24 now and it was £450 for the year. When I was 19 I had a Polo 16v, then an MX-5. The Mazda was vastly cheaper to insure than the Polo.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Chasaboo
02/21/2016 at 13:39

It’s as thin as I am

Leon711 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:42

I do like the mk4 but the GTI just isn’t that sporty.

bob and john > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:46

I cant think of anyone who liked the mk4s.

wiffleballtony > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 13:54

Well, it is a VW.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 13:57

Hm.. the first year would cost me over 1,200 Euros a year. Maybe even more because GTI. Another thing is finding a halfway decent GTI.

Leon711 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
02/21/2016 at 14:15

I couldn’t find a decent manual GTI nearby, so had to get my first automatic, I don’t regret it though because when you have your foot to the floor and pull the paddle and hear those pops and bags it’s all worth it.

Steve in Manhattan > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 14:24

Someone can correct me here (and should) but I believe a big problem with some VWs and Audis of this era is that the front end has something like 16 ball joints in it - other cars make due with 4 or 8. The Car Guys often warned that the kit alone to do the front end was a couple grand. So someone please fill me in.

PardonMyFlemish16 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 14:53

MKIV give you all the heartburn of a pre-F355 Ferrari with the driving experience of a turbocharged Corolla. If that sounds like a valuable combination, go for it.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Leon711
02/21/2016 at 15:00

Mk5 GTI and DSG always reminds me of this commercial.

Übel > bob and john
02/21/2016 at 15:01

You must not know many VW owners

bob and john > Übel
02/21/2016 at 15:01

*other then the stancenation crowd.

The Ghost of Oppo > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 15:10

Well if it has the cloth seats those hold up really well, but the leather seats in Mk4s cracked after a while. The heating element for heated seats are also known to break. Other interior parts that break easily are the glove box latch and the armrest console latch.

It really comes down to if the timing belt has been replaced, by who and with what parts. ECS tuning sells cheap kits with cheap parts that don't last that long. Paying someone to do the job can be anywhere between $1-2k

EmbraceTheRasp > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 16:13

It’s the 1.8T right? Great motor. I had that motor in a 4dr Golf with a 5spd. Metallic Green. Loved that car. We called it Yoshi after Mario Cart. Hit a $1K clutch job at 90K plus needed new front rotors. I had to let him go because things were too tight then.

It’s a motor that everyone should experience, and the hatch is super practical. But weird things break on these cars. The electric windows occasionally drop into the frame due to cheap plastic clips holding them up. The rear wiper has a mind of it’s own. The radio wouldn’t find stations that are in the same town. But the engine. What a great engine.

The VR6 is much ballyhooed but not as good a motor. (Ducks)

yitznewton > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 16:16

I had a Mk4 1.8T Jetta. Unless you’re really into the model, don’t do it. They’re not durable enough.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 16:31

1.8t in a VW + no. find a VR6.

Leon711 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
02/21/2016 at 17:25

I’d hate for it to actually be like that, the boy was making classic CVT sound, revving to a point and staying there. Another nice feature of DSG is actual engine braking.

Lurch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 23:07

I had a 2004 1.8T 5 speed myself. I LOVED that car, never a problem. I bought it with 17K on the odo and sold it with about 70K. Perfect car IMO. Now friends that had those did include a bit of very fixable issues. Broken window clips cause the glass to fall in the door, coil packs are sometimes a problem, AIR pump can fail, but whatever. Not worse than most cars of the vintage and a damn fun ride with build quality to the nines. Good price if clean.

Lurch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/21/2016 at 23:14

Also yes, it is lowered. And the front bumper has been off the car at some point.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Lurch
02/21/2016 at 23:18

How can you tell thatv

Übel > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
02/22/2016 at 00:19

Unless you can find a 24v (not common), VR6 isn’t worth bothering with. 180hp 1.8T >>>> 12v VR6

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Leon711
02/22/2016 at 00:21

I also figuered that DSG actually kinda shifts unlike a cvt

Lurch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/22/2016 at 22:44

LOL, I owned one. You could fit a pair of boots between the tire and well.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Lurch
02/22/2016 at 22:45

i meant the bumper part lol

Lurch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/22/2016 at 22:55

Oh, silly me. It looks like the retaining clip is broken from removal, there is a slight misalignment at the rear corner in the picture.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Lurch
02/22/2016 at 23:14

I shall take that into note; i may be looking at it for shits and giggles this weekend. Appreciate the input

Lurch > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
02/23/2016 at 00:07

Yeah, I do think it’s worth a look.