BY ANDY ENRIGHT
When most enthusiasts consider the Golf GTi, they make a mental division. The MK1 and Mk2 cars were the ones that established the GTi legend, and the Mk3 and Mk4 versions represented the GTi sinking into comfy middle age. For the most part, this is pretty accurate, but Volkswagen seem to have realised that neglecting the family jewels in this manner hasnt done them too many favours and is busy rebuilding the GTi legacy. As used propositions, its difficult to fault the Mk 3 and 4 cars.
Bigger, better built and with less of a tyre smoking image, they make a good deal of sense both to those who still have a glint in their eye and the large proportion who simply want a well specified Volkswagen Golf.
The Mk3 GTi is a car that is built to last, good to drive and offers safe and solid motoring for not too much money. They offer a civilised alternative to many other hot hatches and are usually worth more second-hand than most rivals. You're paying for the Volkswagen name and reputation to some extent, but don't forget that though a Golf costs a bit more than some rivals, it will equally be worth more and probably be in better condition when the time comes for you to sell it on. Just dont expect a sports car in the mould of a Peugeot 306GTi. The Mk4 GTi may be styled in an evolutionary fashion, but its largely different from the ground up. Where the opposition have had to develop their cars from scratch within tight budgets, the men from Volkswagen were able to throw millions of Deutschmarks at creating the finest floorpan in the compact car world.
Money was no object, declared the Wolfsburg board, safe in the knowledge that their investment could be justified by the use of the same componentry in each of their other three group brands. That said, none of the Golf GTi engines could accurately be described as state of the art. The 1.8T is the best of the bunch.
On the move, French rivals can sometimes be more fun round the corners but none feels as safe or as reassuring to drive. Whichever model you choose, it will come complete with twin front airbags, side airbags, ABS, a height and reach-adjustable steering column and rear seats incorporating the clever Isofix system for attaching a child seat. Its the little touches that impress you most though. Cup holders in the front and the rear, the self-dimming interior lights, the chrome tie-down hooks in the luggage area, the gas struts to hold up the bonnet, the special cover on the boot locking pin so you dont get things caught in it save to say that this is a car that makes its competitors feel cheap.
Its a car that will please those with an eye for thoroughness and attention to detail, if not those who remember what the original Golf GTi stood for.
Prices for an 8-valve Mk3 GTi start at around £1,000 on a 1994 L plate, with five-door versions commanding around £100 more. Opt instead for the more desirable 16-valve version and youll need to stump up around £2,000 for a tidy 1996 N plated three door or £2,100 for a five door model. Mk4 versions start at £3,800 for a 1998 R registered normally aspirated 1.8-litre three-door car, whilst a five-door is around £100 more.
The turbocharged 1.8T is well worth the additional outlay, a 1998R three-door fetching around £4,600. A late 2003 plated example with five-doors will retail for around £10,000. The unremarkable 2.0-litre versions start at £4,600 on a 1999 T plate. The desirable 180bhp Anniversary models are still very rare, but low mileage examples are changing hands for around £2,000 in addition to equivalent 1.8T prices.
The Golf has a strong reputation for reliability, but it still has a few areas that need to be checked carefully. One is the manual gearbox in high-mileage cars. These can have worn bearings which need expensive repairs if there's a lot of noise from the gearbox, get it checked. Corrosion is rare on a Golf, which speaks volumes for Volkswagen's rustproofing methods and the quality of the steel it uses. A GTi with rust should scream "badly repaired accident damage" at you. Steer well clear, as a bent chassis will probably have caused misaligned panels and subsequent corrosion. With Mk IV cars, consider the premium you are paying and ask yourself whether a used SEAT or Skoda, which share similar Volkswagen Group underpinnings, may be better value.
(approx based on a 1994 Golf GTI 2.0 8v Ex Vat) An exhaust system is about £85. A clutch assembly will be around £75 and a new catalyst will be around £60. An alternator should be close to £50.
Brake pads front and rear are about £45 and £33, respectively. A replacement headlamp is close to £65. A windscreen should be in the region of £90. Major and minor services are around £75 and £35 respectively.
The Golf GTi has been piling on the pounds over the last few decades. The Mk4 Golf is a whopping 48 percent heavier than the original Mk1. All this means that the later cars need much more power just to stay in the same league as the originals. Despite its 20 valves, turbo and modern electronic engine management, the Mk4 GTi 1.8 Turbo can't match even the earliest humble 1.6 GTi in terms of power to weight ratio. To have the same power to weight ratio as that early car, the modern Mk4 would need 162 bhp, to catch the Mk2 16v, a whopping 180bhp! The Golfs reputation as the car that would corner on three wheels with steering that danced in your hands and a chassis that made the keen drivers eyes light up is a bit of ancient history now. The Mk 4 Golf GTi is a far more urbane creature, looking disdainfully at such juvenile antics.
Even the 1.8T GTi models are smooth, refined and syrupy, with none of the verve of old models. Many drivers will lament this metamorphosis, and turn to French or Japanese rivals instead, but for many others it will be a significant benefit. A Mk3 or Mk4 Golf GTi really does feel like an equivalent year Passat inside its only when you glance over your shoulder that you realise that youre in a family hatchback.
If youre after the definitive hot hatch, buying a Mk3 or Mk4 Golf GTi may well leave you with the impression that Volkswagen has traded rather cynically on the cachet of the GTi badge. Others do ten-tenths cornering a good deal more convincingly than the slightly tubby Golf. If, on the other hand, youre looking for an impeccably built and classically presentable hatch, the Golf GTi has few rivals. It may have matured, but weve still got a soft spot for the Golf GTi.
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