Volkswagen Golf III GTI

The Mk3 Golf GTI has always been seen as the ‘worst’ Golf GTi, and in some respects it deserves this reputation as it’s not that fast. In 2002 I bought a mint 1998 Golf Gti 8v. I’d always thought they were classy cars and wanted something that was quick, reliable and comfortable. Oh yeah, and something with a bit of image.

You get all that as soon as you sit behind the wheel of a Golf GTI. People love them. And so do I. It’s the only ...
...so common place, yet friends (and the occasional man in the car park) can’t help but say “nice car!”. There’s something about these things!

Anyway, I would describe the Mk3 2.0 Gti 8v as a warm hatch rather than a hot hatch. It only has 120bhp which in all honesty is a bit paltry. It manages 0 - 60 in 10 secs which ain’t that quick, but in its defence it does feel quicker and it has fabulous torque at the full rev range. Certainly ... more

The Mk3 Golf GTI has always been seen as the ‘worst’ Golf GTi, and in some respects it deserves this reputation as it’s not that fast. In 2002 I bought a mint 1998 Golf Gti 8v. I’d always thought they were classy cars and wanted something that was quick, reliable and comfortable. Oh yeah, and something with a bit of image.

You get all that as soon as you sit behind the wheel of a Golf GTI. People love them. And so do I. It’s the only car I’ve had which on the face of it is so common place, yet friends (and the occasional man in the car park) can’t help but say “nice car!”. There’s something about these things!

Anyway, I would describe the Mk3 2.0 Gti 8v as a warm hatch rather than a hot hatch. It only has 120bhp which in all honesty is a bit paltry. It manages 0 - 60 in 10 secs which ain’t that quick, but in its defence it does feel quicker and it has fabulous torque at the full rev range. Certainly quick enough for me. Max speed is 125 and it gets there pretty quickly on the German Autobahns – believe me, I tried it out last summer!

So, what’s it like to drive. Solid, in a word. It doesn’t handle in the same way as a Pug 306, but it instills such a feeling of sure footedness and solidity, that more than compensates for the body roll. I love the car to bits. My wife has a 306XS and I hate driving that in comparison.

Build quality is Merc Standards and even after 5 years and 60k miles it is still rattle and squeak free, Find me a Peugeot that can claim that. Styling was never cutting edge, but that means it has aged well – far better than the horrid Escorts / Astras of the mid nineties. Stick a private plate on it and many people would swear it was only a couple of years old. Air con is a must in my opinion – the ventilation is not good. Standard equipment is reasonable – electric everything and a trip computer is standard on all but the very early examples. The factory fit VW thatcham Alarms will go wrong and the manufacturer (Conlog) has since gone bust. VW claim no responsibility, but they will fit you a new system….for £500. Not good PR in my book.

Running costs are average, but don’t for one minute believe all the marketing hype. These cars break down as often as any other car – the “if only everything in life was as reliable as a VW” slogan is somewhat misplaced. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an unreliable car, but they are not as good as VW make out! Better than the offerings from France and Italy though!

Bodywork is bullet proof – rust just isn’t an issue (as long as you look after it). The interiror is good for well over 100k miles without showing any sign of wear, Engines and gearboxes go forever. 150k miles is perfectly normal for a Golf Gti. Properly maintained, these cars will last to 200k+ with no major problems.

Now for the bad bits.

Try and find a good one. Very tricky – took me 3 months and 15 cars later I found my baby. Worth holding out for the car you want though. Loads of them have been modded and thrashed – AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Avoid ex fleet cars too as they are generally unloved and covered in scratches / dents with high miles. You want the one or two owner “second family car” that has been treated well and not modified by the baseball cap brigade. Find one like that, and you are sorted. But they are rare and they sell quickly. Insist on a good history record, check the V5 in detail and unless you are very sure of what you are doing, get it checked by a reputable organisation. HPI Check is also vital to ensure you are not buying a car that is still on finance.

Golf GTIs are a thief’s fave – so be careful. Also watch out for clocking, accident damage and bodged repairs. As a rule of thumb there should always be a white sticker under the boot carpet which displays the VIN number, paint code and other details. If that is missing, chances are the car has been rear ended. Barcode stickers should also be found inside the door frames on the front doors – these may well be very worn but you should be able to read the chassis number from the sticker – another good check. If these are missing, they may have simply worn off, or they may indicate the car has been resprayed at some time.

The VIN number is stamped into the bulk head and repeated on the factory plate / panel which is found in the engine bay. Check all this very carefully. Walk away if anything looks remotely dodgy.

Best colours are deep metallics – blues, blanks, greys and greens. I personally think the pillar box red is a bit cheap looking. White is not a fave either.

Leather is a nice extra, but aircon is the one to ensure you get if anything. Kerbed alloys are common and can be repaired for £60 each, so not too much of a worry as long as the steering geometry has not been affected.

Buy a good one and you will not be disappointed. Don’t expect it to be the fastest car on the road – a Ford RS Turbo is a lot quicker, and many big engined rep mobiles will keep up with it. That said, not that many cars will be a lot quicker than you. If you want speed, look at a VR6 Golf instead, but be prepared for higher running costs (and insurance). The 16v version is quicker too, but the engine is less robust. In my opinion the 8v offers the best mix of cost vs performance.

Few cars manage to offer such a great mix of quality, image, refinement and performance.

Your only problem will be finding a decent one.
 

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