VW Golf Mk4 - Hard to believe it's 25 (Full Review)
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2022
- The 1997-2004 Volkswagen Golf is now 25 years old! The fourth generation, Mk4 (MkIV) Golf was Europes best seller in 2001, and a car that holds up well by modern standards.
Backseat JJs book of the day:
A Medium-sized Book of Boring Car Trivia: amzn.to/39bWtfi
Also known as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the US.
#golfmk4 #vwgolfmk4 #vwgolf
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I have a 2004 R32, and it is one of the best cars i’ve ever owned. Amazing analog feel, modern feeling inside, enough room for 4 adults, good in inclement weather. Wonderful.
Awesome car Mike.
Don't ever get rid of it those things are rocketing in value now.
我的Golf2.0豪華版自動波，2000年用左5年非常好车。
Yeah I to have a mk4 R32 bloody awesome car ❤️
Literally one of the greatest consumer cars ever built. You still see them driving in traffic here in Western Canada. Amazing when you consider the extreme winters and the use of salt to clear the roads. My friend owns two Mk4 TDI's, each with close to 600K kilometers on them both. The R32 variant is legendary as well. They certainly don't build them like this anymore. My Mk1 Jetta GLi coupe is testament to that as well! Cheers mate!
Cheers Mike! Ever since I've done the video, I've seen them every day. I knew there were lots around but it's really amazing for such an age of car, especially due to the throwaway culture. We get rusty cars here too, but Canada is more extreme. So it's really impressive :)
Those older german cars were the best ever built
I agree, seems like there are lots of MK4’s on the roads on the West Coast (including mine 😊). On my daily highway commute I sometimes see a dozens of them. Other once ubiquitous models like the early 2000’s Honda Civic seem to be fading fast.
I have a Mk4 Golf 1.9 TDI PD - just hit 204,000 miles. It’s just stayed in the family and never given us any major issues, I honestly love the car and can’t fault it in anyway! By the way great video 👌
Thanks Mursalin. That's decent miles, and I'm sure there are loads left in it!
I have one too, 2003 estate also TDI PD had it from new, now 365000 miles, no issues to speak of
Proud owner of a 1999 Mk4 :) Engine still going strong! Beast Model.
I currently own 2 of them. A 2.3 V5 for the weekends and a 1.9tdi PD150 for the daily workhorse. Between them they have nearly every modern luxury you could ever want, heated seats, climate control, cruise control, xenon lights, auto dimming rear view mirror, auto wipers, headlamp washers, heated windscreen washer nozzles, rear parking sensors and electric sunroof. I've also added double din touchscreen's, reverse camera and auto light switch. Upgrade the suspension to Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks with 17x7 wheels and they handle pretty well. Oh, and the VR5 sound is incredible!
They're basically like new/modern cars then! A great combination. And even your daily workhorse has got some good go in it :)
Chip remmap arl to 180+ hp
Very nice sounding pair
One of the best VW's ever built! My daily driver for the past TWENTY years has been my 6-speed manual 2003 Mk4 GTI VR6, and it is built like a Panzer tank! No major repairs, only minor, including a failed cooling fan, MAF sensor, and a rusted exhaust part. More reliable than our Japanese cars too. Never even have had to change the manual transmission oil at all. A joy to drive, and still puts a smile on my face after all these years! The dealership employees get a kick out of this car each year I drive it in for a full synthetic oil change.
I have a 2001 12V GLX and I love it. If you've never changed your timing chain, you should do it ASAP. Mine failed at 126k. Fortunately it let go right as I disengaged the clutch so the damage was minimal.
I cant believe this brilliant car is 25 years old!
I’ve got a 2003 golf with 152k miles that’s exactly the same as the one in the video but mine is black, I only paid £350 for it so as you’d expect it’s pretty rough but the engine, gearbox and clutch are still perfect and it still drives really nicely, like you said it’s pretty quick too considering it’s only got 100hp, I absolutely love the car and I’m going to fix it up and keep it going for as long as possible, great video always nice to see other mk4s still on the road! 👍
I got a 1.8 20v for £200 3years ago and it’s only needed the odd bushing here and there, a starter motor, pads, discs and tyres! Passed every mot with flying colours, I’m just going to keep it until it’s dead
It’s a 1998 one with 126000 on clock
Our household is still daily driving a 2003 V6 4 motion, just passed its mot with no advisories! The mk 4 is such an epic and Iconic wagon! And for me the V6 is one of the sweetest sounding engines ever produced.
Mine is 1.4 Petrol engine, the smallest one you can get but I love the car. I repainted her a few months ago and now it looks like back in the time when I bought it. It was some 15 years ago. I love it to bits:) and it's just a piece of metal:) but I enjoy it every minute. My has a history, she travelled all over Europe:) I'm sorry I can't add photos here:) Maybe we should communicate in VW Club or something:)
For us car people, the "it's just a piece of metal", just isn't quite true is it :) Please do send those photos through to hello@jjoncars.com
would love to see them
I have a Mk4 GT TDi PD130, black with all of the extras - Cruise control, panoramic sunroof, only had 2 owners since new, I bought it from my Dad last year and can honestly say it’s an amazing car! Just hit 120k recently and it’s only just getting started, I’d be happy to never own another car in my life, my goal is to keep it on the road forever!
Almost a completely modern car with that spec James! And yep, only just run-in at 120k, you'll be able to keep it for years and years :)
I remenber my dad bought a MK4 in 2006.It is my whole childhood memory.
700.000 km, golf mk 4 1.9 90 hp, driving school car, still works fine as hell
I have to say the MK4 golf out of all Volkswagens has probably aged the best, and is still an everyday usable runabout.
My first car, a 1999 MK4 110 1.9TDI, with 247.000KM. 17K of those are mine, in less than a year. It's a great car, handles very good with aftermarket suspension and 17'' rims with 225 tires. It recently broke down but it's just a issue with the coolant circuit. I'm really in love with it, I hope it stays with me for a long time.
If you're only driving 17 thousand kilometers a year maybe you shouldnt be driving a diesel.
Why, is he polluting your environment ?
Thanks. I just bought this afternoon my first ever VW a 2003 Golf 2.0 19 years old and solid. Haven’t found a thing that doesn’t work. Very impressed!
I’ve got a mk4 gt-tdi 150. Currently on 187k miles. It’s got aftermarket suspension which fixes the boat like handling. I absolutely love it.
I’ve had 4 golfs, 2 MK4, 1 MK5 & now a MK7! My 2nd MK4 was a GT TDI with 189K miles, absolutely bulletproof - bought for £600 & put 30K miles on it within 18 months, loved every mile
mk4 was anything but reliable. Plagued with loads of problems.
Thanks for the video, I have a MK4 R32 and I just love driving it. It's the 2nd Mk4 I have owned the previous being a 130bhp 1.9GTD which I had mapped and lowered suspension (not my best move) .
Both great to drive and reliable performers and do not feel out of place in today's world aside from the stereo which can be updated
Thank you for your extensive and detailed report, which I can agree with on all points. I myself own a Golf Mk4 1.4, built in 2001, which I saved from being scrapped. This also proves to be a reliable everyday car due to its robustness, which can be repaired with manageable means. I would be happy to receive further comments on the subject of Golf Mk4.
Regards
Hanno
Thanks Hanno! Maybe will do another Mk4 video at some point.
I’ve got a 2003 1.4 Match with 120k miles on it. I’ve had it for 5 years now and it has never missed a beat. Bought it off a family friend who had owned it from new and really looked after it. It has no rust anywhere (which apparently is rare for mk4s). It did cause me a few issues in 2019 but since then I’ve only had to service it and mot and get the odd rattle fixed. A family friend has a 1999 1.4 which she had owned from brand new and it’s still going strong aswell. Also know someone with a 2002 1.9 TDI 100bhp (same engine as the one your reviewing) it has 130ish k miles on it and again it’s still going and just passed it’s mot last week. My mechanic has a 2002 GT tdi 150hp one and he’s had it for years and had very few issues. Hopefully see these on the road for many more years to come
Nice one James. Since I drove that Golf, I really have been seeing them all over the place. Clearly they have their issues like all cars, but VW must have been doing something right for there to be so many still about all this time later. That's great about the 150 GT TDI, as I've heard they can be more problematic. Cheers!
I own a Leon FR 150 tdi… owned it for 9 years, drives so well, never had a problem with it. Great video! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Nice one - would love to get one of those on at some point! Cheers!
I have a 2001 GTi Mk IV 180T 150BHP. In bright Green metallic. Got 151,000 on the clock. Never had a problem in the 21 years I've had it. Recently replaced the radio/cd player with a more modern one and replaced the rear light assemblies. Radio fitted in perfectly and has a retro look that blends right in. It's my third GTi and I'm not looking to change it while it still goes:-))
Hi there! I have a Mk4 2.0 that I live so much... It has almost 300.000 KM on its lifespan and it was the last car in my family, wich was bought by my mom. Sie did die shortly after it due to cancer. This car has protected me ever since and never let me down.
Sorry for your loss Daniel. Cars can mean a hell of a lot to us.
My favourite Golf, thanks for the video.
Hiya, bought my 1.9tdi 130 estate five years ago for £520...96000 mile..seller stated had engine fault...moved it off his drive...done 1 mile test drive, got Aa to tow it home...fault was blocked in tank fuel pump...one new pump later was running like a dream:) used it for weekly drive to Dover and back as worked on ferries...round trip of 480 miles ...never missed a beat...have done 3 Western Europe tours in it...Belgium, France, Germany, Andorra, Spain, Switzerland etc...all approx 3,000 miles each .Still returns high 50's fuel economy ...currently on 207,000 mls...previous Mk4's include 2.0 Bora auto, 1.6s 8v auto, v5 150bhp version...v5 averaged 32mpg !!...no intention of getting rid of current golf, brilliant workhorse...only change I made was leather heated seats as it has the beige interior...so seats got grubby quick...use it for transporting tools/fuel in Jerry tanks to my aeroplane(profile photo) so it's well used!! Thinking about getting Darkside developments to do some engine/clutch work...only want it upped to 200bhp so it will remain driveable normally and not crazy power..
Pity they stopped making them...mk5 was a let down..and can't see the new one with digital dash etc lasting as long....new version is throw away item now :(
Hi William. Well, that was a bargain - can't get cars for that any more haha. Sounds like the perfect car for what you need. 200bhp would certainly plenty - do you think it would stay reliable?
I've had 4 Golfs. 3 of them were a MK4 and the 4th a MK7. That's how much I love these cars. 1st one was a 1.4 with 75hp, 2nd was a 1.6 with 105hp, 3rd was a 2.3 VR5 with 170hp (great engine note!!), 4th was a MK7 GTI Performance with a DSG (insane car). Now I drive a Polo 1.2 TDI, great mileage on that one. Love VW's, might get back into a Golf in the future..
I have a 99 Golf 5 speed with the 2.0 and I am falling more in love with it as time goes on. These were a sweet spot if you ask me. I need to install cruise control and it will be nice. Nice video.
My father bought our first mk 4 Golf in 2007 with 270.000KM and we sold it this winter when the car had 500.000 KM and everything was working perfectly fine, it was just the rust that made us sell it. Engine and suspension were in perfect shape.
Amazing :)
I owned an mk4 VR5 good acceleration ,fuel economy and the sound was beautiful...currently running a VR6 24V its just too beautiful... no issue on the engine yet...cheers mate.
My mk4 1.8T currently has 223k, I bought it in 2004 original turbo, engine has never been apart! I love it and still use it daily.
Great video of a future classic. Also nice work with the editing 😁
Thank you Joao! 😊
I got a 1.4 16v mk4 and i love it. It's my first car by the way. Mine also got the optional panoramic sunroof. Plus it's a 3 door and for some reason i think it makes it look a bit more sporty. I also got the optional back spoiler. Almost 20 years later and it only has 91k km on the dash since my dad was taking good care of it till i get my license
Brilliant first car :) They were too new and fancy for me to afford when I was starting out driving! I agree, the 3 door does look more sporty - which is why it's a shame manufacturers have pretty much done away with the 3 door design.
I own a Mk 4 TDI auto estate, 2003 reg, 152k on the clock. I love this car and aim to keep it for as long as possible. It’s a pleasure to drive in every way and like you I love the indicator tick tock.
I got a 2000 Golf IV 1.4L 16V as my first Car, you really dont think about it being 22 years old even tho it has 230000km .... its a lovely car and i dont have any problems with it, also this "basic" feeling is good... nothing fancy just some big buttons for a few things. Lovely.
Great first car!
got a mk4 coupe from 2000 with 1.4i engine and i can tell you it feels pretty sporty to me..really planted around the corners and you’ll be pleasantly surprised once you push it . 262.000 km
I enjoyed very much your review! Subscribed! Keep up your reviewing style, i love it! I own a mk4 golf 1.6 SR 8v colour anthracite blue with LPG installed currently at 493.000 km. The car is being taken care of religiously, i am still on stock engine and it burns zero amount of oil. No real issues except for the gearbox being not so smooth as in the past but still running strong. I think i will be the one to die first and then the car hahaha.
Thank you! And I think you are winning on the most kms! This is it - look after these cars, and they will keep going! So good work Tolees, on your maintenance. Maybe update me when you get to 5 or 600,000 km :)
Holy hell that is impressive for a gasoline engine with LPG fitted! Wow!
My mother drove one of these when I was a kid. What a nostalgic review! Thank you!
Awesome, no worries!
@@JJonCars 😊😊😊
I have petrol 1.4 engine mk 4 golf from 2001 with close to 300.000km and it's probably the best car I could have got as a beginner. It is very surprising that a 22 years old car is still so common on the streets, and I did not have too many issues with it. Usually when something breaks, the parts are so easy to find and so inexpensive I couldn't believe it. Shocking really
well paced and informative ... my Black VW 2005 TDI PD Jetta Wagon, now at 458K maintained since new and now looking at a Black MK4 Golf, new addition to the Family
Thank you. That's mega miles!
Nice one I have a Mk4 black 1.9 PD 150 with only 64k immaculate also have company car but love the golf. Pulls so well and left unmodified and serviced to the best standard. She is a keeper
Sweet, sounds a minter!
Great video! I agree with your assessments of the Golf and that these cars are robust and long lived. Where I live in Canada there are many mK4 Golfs (and other mk4 platform cars) still on the road. This includes a 2000 Golf GTI VR6 GLX in my ownership. I love it for its fun, point and shoot driving characteristics and the wonderful noises the VR6 makes.
Great video! I've got a 1.9 Golf S from 2002 and am thrilled and amazed to discover that it is ULEZ compliant! NOx emissions of 0.047 (= Euro 6). What a blessing because I live in the centre of Edinburgh and had been dreading having to part with my lovely car after 17 years of happy driving. I am so happy I happened to come across the website where you can check a car's compliance. Just imagine how upset and sad I would have been if I had bought a "modern" replacement only to discover, too late, that the Golf Mk4 was compliant! L
Wow, that is surprising. You are lucky there, I'd have been certain it wouldn't be ULEZ compliant. Your car can live with you for years more now. Cheers :)
I’ve got the 2003 vw bora 1.9 tdi sport …pd130….it’s a 6 owner car and when I bought it it was a stinking rotten coastal car that wasn’t maintained or ever cleaned and was used for taking dogs to beach ….I bought this car for £500 with 214000 miles on it …I bought it just when Covid came along in lockdown…and my mission was to deep clean it …..service it …engine flush the oil…coolant flush the coolant change all filters included cabin filter…it never had a radio so I got an original one off eBay £25…all the shocks and springs were rusty…leaking …so I replaced them with brand new bilstien b4 absorbers…eibach pro 30mm springs…the wings were rotted out so replaced with brand new ones …the list goes on and on…anyone who doesn’t know or understand just how much of a gem these cars are would think I’m stupid…the car now has over 260000 …doesn’t burn oil…pulls like a train …it’s comfortable…warm…and returns 53mpg…I know this car will support my life for another 10yrs
You sir are what the car world needs, you're like the RSPCA for old Boras :) Great work and it's nice to see a car kept on the road instead of being scrapped
you cant beat doing your own repairs, I've got a leon mk1 pd150 and caught the wing issue early i used hammarite underseal inside on edges behind inner arch covers, right at the bottom of the wing is the issue i don't no why at its dry there but can develop a rust hole even if you have a side skirt on and there's good drainage
I had one of these, a 1.9TDI-VP with 110hp, had 413.000km when I sold it. It was a mistake to buy that specific one, it was a total lemon, I even had to replace a head gasket, but I was 18 years old then, it was my first car and I was super hyped up about it, you learn on your mistakes. None the less, I loved how great the quality of it was, nothing rattled or squeaked in the interior despite it's age and mileage, barely had any rust, it was super comfortable, plenty fast for what I needed it to do, it sucked up potholes and inperfections of our rubbish rural roads in Poland like it was nothing, but still handled pretty nicely in corners. The only thing I missed in it was a 6th gear, at one point I traveled a lot on motorways and at 130-140km/h it started to get a bit loud, since it was nearing 3000rpm at those speeds. And while driving at 100km/h it used less than 4l/100km, loved that. If mine was in better shape and was more reliable, I totally would've kept it to this day. Replaced it with an Astra H, which I don't regret, also a great car in my opinion, but I sure miss my old Golf despite it's many issues mostly due to the previous owner's neglect :)
Amazing that it got to such kms when the previous owner mistreated it :) I've bought lemons before, all part of the car owning journey I think. Yes - a 6th gear would have been nice, I think that is one of the few things that shows the cars age.
I'm hoping to get an Astra H (and a G) at some point on the channel, would love to review one! Dziekuje Krecik
Still own my 2003 tdi 1.9 and it never failed me, reading around 210000 km. Now, remaining being flexible :), the backseats removed, its camparized with bed and kitchenunit. Can do everything from the inside. Fully revealing its potentials. Love this car.
I have a very late 2003 ( first registered january 2004) Mk 4 golf GT TDI 150. Truly excellent all round car, quick, comfy, practical and economic at average 53 mpg. Had it two years, bought a 2017 GTD 18 months ago, now for sale as prefer my old faithfull !!
I bought my Silver 2004 Mk4 2-door, 1,8T new. It is just as beautiful as ever And I love it. It has a little over 120,000 miles on it. I’ve always gotten a lot of compliments on it and still do.
Wow, long time to own a car! Cheers Robert.
I had a 1.6SE new in 2001. I loved it. Had some issues at 50 to 60k due to an oil leak. Damage caused by the dealer to the oil cooler. Once fixed it gave me no more issues all the way up to 130,000 miles after 4 years. The auto box in this generation was I believe a four or five speed box with the top engines. The DSG arrived in 2008 with the Mk 5. The Mk 5 was a disappointment in comparison. It wasn’t a bad car just not as good. The Mk 6 is the real successor to the Mk 4 in terms of quality. I’ve got a Mk 7 now. I’ve now had 7 Golfs. Great cars. The Mk 4 is still my favourite.
Impressive. Even though the dealer did their best to wreck it lol.
I think I'll try and cut that out about the gearbox haha, not sure where I heard that. Cheers Alan.
Ok, so you could get the DSG gearbox in the R32 Mk4, but only in Germany haha. I'll chop that bit out as it's not really relevant to 99% of the Mk4s sold.
I have a 2001 2.0 4 motion and I love it. Especially in winter the 4 motion is so much fun.
Ive got a 1.6 16v mk4, runs as good as ever, in the last 6 months Ive put 10000km on it, never an issue. Its closing in on 250000km. Gives me the best smile every time I floor it in 2nd gear :) Couldn't have wished for a better 1st car.
My first car is a Mk4 we've had for 20 years and passed down tk me and my brother. it has 250k miles roughly and requires taking care of more regularly now but it's genuinely such a nice car to have, it's very reliable and it's so, so much fun to drive. you can really feel the car as you're driving and that really does make it wonderful. my favorite part really is the steering, compared to a fully modern car it's like night and day but I love that it's heavy to turn, you feel the car turning as you move the steering wheel, it feels authentic. i love this car and i wouldn't trade it for anything else
Older hydraulic steering is definitely nicer to use than modern electric power steering! :) Glad to hear you like the car!
@@JJonCars Electric steering is really nice if its set up properly however a lot of the time its set up to be super light and feels like the wheels aren't even on the ground. A MK5 golf with electric steering is brilliant I tried my Mums MK5 golf and it has electric steering its like the MK4 golf steering without the slack as it ages.
I have a 2002 mk4 golf se 1.9tdi pd130 estate. Its sitting on 230k miles and still drives impeccably. Love my wagon!
What a beautiful car. We still have one at home, a 1.6l petrol made in Brazil. Somehow it feels more robust than many modern cars of its category. Great video as always!
Thank you :)
Owner of an 03 Golf 2.0L
Love it! Nice enough drive, like you said nothing too sporty but contained and comfortable. I love the size of it, not too big not too small. Also, I think its a good looking car. Always have.
Cheers!
Awesome :) Definitely a great all round car given its age!
I am the very proud owner of a 2001, 3dr V6 4motion. I have owned her for 16 years and have no plans to sell her ever, she is in almost show room condition, everything works perfect and she is very well looked after and lives in the carpeted and heated garage,
I try and drive her as much as I can, and she is never driven in the rain, unless I get caught out,
The only thing I have up rated is the suspension and anti roll bar, because even the sportier versions of this car still were a big soggy in the corners, I recently fitted bilstein shocks and H&R fast road spring and she is much better now.
Lovely car and sounds like you're taking the absolute best care of her! Interesting that even the sporty models had the roly poly handling. You've got a modern classic on your hands there.
thank you for all the information you said!
Great video mate. I’ve got my first car which is a polo r line 1.2 tsi. Great car don’t get me wrong but before buying my parents questioned me why I wanted a mk4 golf. Really well screwed together and built like tanks. My brother had one for his first car 9 years ago great it was
Thank you! Polo isn't a bad choice for a first car either :)
My first car was a MK4 1.4i with 75hp which lasted 225.000km. Unfortunately a factory error in the transmission build killed him. My second one is a 1.6i 16v with 105hp, which i bought with 195000km, now having 250.000. It had quite some costly problems in between which I was able to fix myself likely despite not being a mechanic. Also I am driving a 1.8T GTI with 180hp and 200.000km now since 4 weeks and couldn't be happier. Lots of power, OKAY on gas usage and just fun to drive. The 1.6 will stay my everyday vehicle the 1.8T just for fun. Would always consider buying one of these again BUT! Not one of the early ones but built later than
US owner here, currently up to 3 Mk4s at the moment (1.8t Jetta, 12v VR6 Jetta, and a 2.0 3dr Golf). Absolutely love all of them, some of the most reliable cars I've ever seen.
Very nice collection Robert!
I've got a 2002 GT TDi 130bhp, in the popular blue. I've had it 10yrs now, with two previous owners. 134,000 miles. Love it - its design has aged so well. I've had to replace all the central locking actuator units, but they were only £25 each on Ebay, and luckily one of my mates is a car nut, so fitted them for me. One rear door was particularly bad - nothing would open it, so had to watch a few UA-cam vids & drill a few holes to get the door open. Can get up to 65 mpg I think. Would like to keep running it till it's banned, but it may give up the ghost before then. I'd like another TDi, maybe a Seat Leon mk2, but the DPF is an issue as I don't do enough mileage.
Over the years i have had three different mk4's. First was a 110hp Golf Estate with 4-speed auto. Second one was a Bora sedan with 130hp 5-speed auto and currently i am driving 130hp 5-speed auto Golf estate. Between all three i believe i have put more than 500,000km. Very nice and reliable car all round. Only some small electrical problems and some worn bushings. Never have left me stranded and the comfort in my opinion is far better than in many modern cars. I normally drive 5 or 6 rental cars a year and still i am happy every time to return and drive my Golf. Also as you mentioned the running cost are very low. Thanks for the nice review you have made!
Thanks Henri! half a million kilometres in Mk4 Golfs - you must know more about them than almost anyone :)
@@JJonCars I'm fairly sure there are guys that know a lot more than i do :-) I forgot to mention that all my mk4's were tdi's. I used to have a B7 A4 Audi 2.0tdi a wile back but changed back to golf because it had constant problems with only 90,000km. Now my current golf has 230,000km and only problem that needs some attention is small spots of rust. Other than that very nice and lovely car with almost full spec from the factory :) My future problem is going to be that what I will replace my mk4 with because they are getting quite rare and expensive to get.
Great review JJ!
Thanks Matthew!
They seem to get better with age l would say an absolute bargain today as they are not that expensive still look good. When they first came out the journalist was quite hard on this car l would say its stood the test of time by looking at some of the comments below, it looks like they could run for a long time. Quality motoring.Thanks for the review very professional keep them coming 👍🏾👊🏽
Absolutely - the contemporary journalists just wouldn't have known how solid these cars would prove to be. Thank you!
Fantastic review, spot on. (I'm a huge late 90s/early 00s VW/VAG nerd and fanboy, continue reading at your discretion, skip to the end for me ranting about the mk4)
I own a quasi-fully specced (mine lacks heated seats/headlight washers but here in Portugal these are not a necessity) PD115 Highline 3 door in Black Magic Pearl. She came from the factory with some great options as Climatronic, Sport suspension (basically they're just 1.5cm lowering springs), Gamma CD reader, Sport steering wheel (3 spoke), half-FIS, plus leather seats and inserts.
We've had several VAGs, most of them from the 90s, and to me the Mk4 Golf is the embodiment of what made VW the gold standard for, well, cars. I love how sober but still charmy everything is about the mk4. Everything flows nicely and is quite understated, both inside and out. The proportions are stunning, even more so on the 3 door spec. I love the attention to detail such as the bonnet struts, those small creature comforts make it feel just that tad more luxurious. I love the lack of pretentious and pointless body molding. I love the Mk4 Golf, it will go down in history as one of the best cars ever made - it does not need to be an obnoxious hypercar to do so. There's tremendous beauty in simplicity.
Pretty much everything about and from this car is rock solid. Each button is tactile and solid. The inputs are simultaneously firm but comfortable. Sure, the hidraulic steering is heavier than pretty much any electric steering of today but is still absolutely manageable.
25 years ago there were pretty much no 25 year old cars running, 25 years from now there will pretty much be no modern cars running. But here we are, 25 years after the Mk4 has been made and it's still a common sight on the road.
That said, and I cannot understate how much I love the mk4, whew. Here's a rant. Who's the BOATY MCBOATFACE? *looks at mk4* YES YOU ARE. Jeezless fuck, those VW enginerds absolutely really were on a roll. A body roll. Haha. Get it? Because every. Single. VW. From. That. Time. Drives. Like. A. Boat. No exception, no ifs, no buts.
Seriously, on another note, who the fuck designed the center console? It's just a sea of plastic wasteland. You can't store jack shit in it, you can't lay something on it as it will fall off as you drive and the pathetic coin tray doubles as a 2 inch deep sideways small smartphone pocket, if God forbid you didn't option yours with the armrest. Speaking of said hand rest, why is every goddamn mk4/passat/etc armrest button latch broken? What cheapo material did VW make it from? It's quite astonishing really as that and the glove box latch are broken in seriously 9 out of 10 Golfs out there. At least my glove box is still reasonably intact, apart from the god-forsaken maddening creaking symphony she makes at the smallest bump. How does a solid plastic tab creak is beyond me. I've taken the whole assembly out to figure it out and maybe apply some deadening foam tape but the noise comes from a piece of plastic that's not structural nor load bearing. It's baffling. Speaking of plastic, the center console again because she is held in place by 4 screws. 4 puny T20 screws that hold a millimeter thick tab against a metal bracket. VW ENGINERDS! WAS IST DAS. How can they make cars that literally can make it to the moon and back TWICE but not fucking put thicker plastic on load bearing areas is beyond me.
My final point which might be highly personal is about the driving position. Is it just me or does it feel like you're skewed to the center ever so slightly? Like, a couple degrees at worst. It does not really get in the way but I'm curious as if others feel the same about this.
Also, why does no one talk about how good VW gearboxes are? Seriously, even after 220K miles mine feels reasonably crisp. They have a lovely throw and weight to them. The first time I drove a mk4 I hadn't driven any VAG in over a year and going thru the gears made me grin ear to ear. I forgot how good those 02M felt.
Ahahahahaha, thanks João, you made me laugh! I love a balanced review, especially from a self confessed fanboy, makes it even more real :) I suppose they were so focussed on building something to last, they kinda forgot about the handling. Do the factory lowering springs/sports suspension make little difference?
I agree that somehow the car has charm - despite it's quite sober design :)
About gearboxes - I think I was quite surprised that the gearbox was so pleasant to use, as when I drove the 2019 Arteon for the channel the manual gearbox in that was very resistant, you had to force the gear stick in each time. Don't know if that's just the Arteon (presumably not as they share all their parts between cars).
@@JJonCars about the gearbox, the only recent vw I've been inside of was a T-Roc and I didn't like the shifter all that much tbh. My mum drives a 2020 Hyundai and it's a step up in quality in pretty much every way, including how the gear changes feel.
As for the springs, not really, I think they're only for aesthetics as 1.5cm isn't nearly enough noticeable, despite making a tiny diff in making the car looking more planted. I've read lots of forums and the like about how to improve its handling and the general consensus is to throw in S3/TT sway bars as it would drastically improve body roll. I can't attest to that as I've yet to do it but it's definitely on the to-do list, it does make sense that it would have less body roll. I've driven a similar spec PD130 Audi A3 from 2002 (which shares the same platform as the golf) and it does feel a bit more planted, but the owner could have done suspension mods that I wasn't aware of.
I absolutely love my mk4. Its a 130 hp TDI with over a 300.000 kms in it. I inherited it from my father, me and my bro use it every day. It had some minor issues over the years. My favourite thing about it is the amount of mods there are on the market for it. We have done a lot to it over the years, from the headlights to the spoiler and the tweaks to the enginte. I think it's one of, if not the best first car for a teenager.
Absolutely, I think if I was a teenager now, it's what I'd go for! Couldn't afford one when I was haha
My Parents have owned a 2003 Variant 1.9 TDI with 130hp since 2006 (it has about 170k miles on it). They still drive it, but I've pretty much inherited it from them, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. The car has never given us any issues out of warranty, other than the rear hatch that refuses to stop rusting in new places. There are so many memories attached to that car, for example it's the first car I ever drove myself
Cars will do that to you. Us petrolheads get attached! Here's to many more miles! (and a new tailgate?)
I've got the MK3.5 cabriolet with the 90hp TDI engine, immortal car, love it!
Mine is a 1.9 tdi, love it, have 260k kilometers on it, though I do have a problem that constantly needs fixing, the oil is always leaking, other than that, love it, it is my first car.
I have a '01 1.6 Petrol MK4 and its +160.000km, and I've done test drives and inspections of every common car brand imaginable. And owning my mk4 Golf now for 7 years, it keeps impressing me for every year that goes. Never had any points made in the MOT, or had any major problems with it. Its everything I could ask from a car of its age and I never want to get rid of it. If something breaks, you can fix it yourself, VW original spare parts are cheap and easy to find, fuel consumption (according to my OBD reader in ideal conditions) is 52mpg!! And living in Sweden this car goes through a lot climate-wise as well. I love this car and next will be a 1.2 mk7 Golf since I believe its the most similar model compared to the mk4!
correction: 160,000 miles !!
Very impressive. Your climate is even tougher on cars than ours and rust is a big killer here. Glad you agree on the Mk7 being the true successor to the Mk4! :)
As a VW lover I really appreciate the mk4. To me it is the last of the "solid" Golfs and I doubt the later versions will be around in the numbers a mk4 is at 25 years old. I had the same car in your review LN53YAA - 1.9 TDI Match - from 82k to 127k. No real issues just had it serviced annually and maintained any running repairs such as bushes. Recently had a PD130 version with 182k and it was bloody brilliant and I regret selling it last year. I hope to get my hands on another one before their values appreciate out of reach for a daily car.
Great stuff Matt. Now is definitely the time to get hold of one before they become too expensive or all the decent ones have disappeared.
One of the best golf that we own so far we use to have Mk2, This Mk4, Mk7 R they are all fantastic cars !!!
Cupholders and Armrest are avaliable for the golf 4 and they are not that expensive also pretty easy to install as far as ive seen :)
I have owned my mk4 1.8t for 13 years. I bought it with 50k on the clock and she just rolled round to 136k now. Also been running stage2 250hp with no issue's. It's a great car with no rust too.
I have one MK4 gt (i dont know the difference between GT and GTI but its gt) golf 1.9 tdi 90hp with 370K kilometres and its driving really well i love it
Cheers Teodor. Didn't know about the GT trim - apart from on the GT TDI. That's decent KMs!
I have a 2001 V5 , a real power house and that distinctive V5 sound, beautiful leather seats , very practical✌️
In 2020 i bought my first mk4 1.6 from 2001. It cost 500e and it barely had anything to fix. I drove it for 2y and then switched to mk5 because i needed a 5 door car. Needless to say i miss mk4. So i decided to buy mk4 1.8t from 2002 in a very good state and now my mechanics are working on rebuilding the engine so that the car would be as new. Got some silver anniversary console trim with handles, new shift and some gadgets. I cant wait until its ready to drive! ❤ its my favourite car!
Brilliant! It's always nice to go back to a car you love. And you've upgraded to the 1.8T :)
About three months ago i found a literal gem and quickly sold my existing car. So now i own a 2003 Golf mk4 Hatchback with the 1.6 FSI engine. Its only driven 89000km (55 302miles) and almost looks brand new. It has cruise control, heated seats, cup holders and everything but what really catched my eye was the red fabric interior. I have never seen one like that. God i love that thing.
Never seen a red fabric interior one! Sounds great, super low kms.
Afraid I've never had one JJ but really enjoyed the review.
Thanks John!
I have a 2003 golf tdi. It’s just got to 350000 miles and drives absolutely perfect. Been well looked after along the way by all its owners. Great little cars
Awesome. That's the key - if they're looked after, they just keep on going!
Have a 2001 3 door GTi, parked it up last year just after passing 200k miles. Keeping it as a future “classic”. Always pretty solid, only a few wear and tear issues while I’ve had it, almost 14 years as my daily drive.
Sweet. Got to love the 3 door :)
I'm daily driving a Mk4 1.9 PD100 i bought from a friend for £250. I've done some bits on it over the years and installed some upgrades i've taken from cars in the local scrap yard, but it's treated me well. I wasn't originally a huge fan of the aesthetics but they've really grown on me since. Oh and it's on 186K miles.
I have a 2003 Golf Estate TDI with +- 305 000 km on and no issues. It's got stage 1 plus software on and is fairly strong. What an amazing car for it's time with all the features and comfort. Leg room at the back is a bit cramp. That's the biggest problem when transporting people in the back. Only other issue is the locking and unlocking of the doors. There were some times that the left rear door refused to unlock. This would go on for weeks. Then work again. Other than that, it's fantastic. After the software I don't glow before cold start, even in winter. I've started it at - 1.5 *Centigrade without struggling or glowing it.
Agreed, the leg room is not as good as some hatchbacks. Great car though
Liked your presentation.Have from new a 1993 volkswagen fox.Love it.Will definitely buy another volks.
Thanks Gerald! We didn't get that 90's version of the Fox in the UK.
Our TDi is now 20 years old and we’ve had it for the past 19 years. No rust with 160K on the clock
- love the car 😊
That's a long time to own a car :) They are great cars, still see them everywhere
Owned a mk4 1.9 TDi from new. It did 228,542 miles before I moved it on. Nothing failed. It was serviced as per the book. It still lives but is SORN. No expense spared on maintenance. Now have a mk7 2.0 TDi. At 79,684 miles the only non-maintenance item has been the EGR valve. VW dealer replaced it free of charge, even though the car was 9 months out of warranty. Can't beat a Golf.
I've owned one from new since 2000. It is the Variant Tdi version model with 110 bhp. I've only done 178,000 kms so far but most of them have been in gridlocked city traffic and it never missed a beat. I simply can't find an excuse to get rid of it for a new Golf. Out of all the cars I've driven over 40 years (including Mercs, BMWs, Audis and all the Japanese) the VW Golf Tdi stands out as by far the best.
I'm Brazilian, the Golf MK4 started to be manufactured here in Brazil in 1999 until 2006. When I was 12 years old my father bought a new Golf MK4, and after that we had another 5 Golf MK4s. VW in Brazil is very strong, the first car in Brazil was the Beetle. It was the best-selling car in Brazil. In my house we only had a VW, and always the Golf MK4. Today I have a Golf MK4, 2005, silver, 1.6 gasoline EA111 engine. And I hope to stay for a long time.
That's great, it's good to support your countries car industry. The 90's and 00's was a great era for VW in general, some really solid well made cars.
Thank you! 😊
Thanks for the review I'm from Capetown have a1. 6 akl motor super comfortable in the the heavy Capetown traffic... 310. 000km I use high quality ravenol 10w40oil... Only issue I had was mass airflow meter I had to replace on 300. 000 km amazing workhorse of a car the MK 4 golf
That is amazing Kevin, if that was the only issue. It sounds like you look after the car, so it looks after you too :)
I had a rmk4 golf 1.6 16v 105hp with 205.000 km on it and recently baught myself a mk4 204hp v6 4motion with only 103.000 km. Was a real treasure to find. Ijust love the mk4.
Oooh, V6 4motion :) Lovely car.
Just got back from Greece, and I was blown away at how many Mk4's I saw parked, or on the road there! You literally see one every 2 blocks or so in Athens! It's uncanny!
Nice, I'm going to Greece fairly soon, I'll keep my eye out :)
Greek guy here, owning a Bora Pacific with the *mighty* 1.4 powerhouse 🤣
I can confirm, MK4 Golfs here (and even Boras) can be literally found everywhere you try to look... No surprises tho as they are built like tanks. Mine has almost 70k kms on the clock (only used in highways), lpg converted, and it still feels like a new car.. Minimal outside noise, excellent build quality, solid feeling and still runs on factory shocks... And it still feels planted in the corners. Not gonna mention all of its crazy features, just gonna say that with the 1.6 engine upwards, lpg and cruise control conversion, it can still be pretty much relevant today.
Daily drive 2004 TDI PD.
350,000km.
Had since new
🙌 Mega KMs!
Great review, got me to subscribe! Used to have a MK1 Fabia which shared a lot with this golf, like the solid switchgear and indicator stalks and I defo get what you mean. Weve still got it around in the family and it refuses to die. From a time VW really knew what they were doing
Thanks Ciaran! I'd like to get a Mk1 Fabia on - seems a golden age for VW.
@@JJonCars You should! again, a car I can't believe is 23 years old. I've replaced it with a 2009 Citroen c5 Estate which, again, is a really underrated and forgotten car in the UK at least. I got one for under two grand that has the biturbo diesel engine and the hydropneumatic suspension. Last of the real citroens and has been shockingly reliable.
@@ciaranwebb6871 That is quite shocking to be fair haha. Cool car though, I do like quirky Citroens!
@@ciaranwebb6871 Love Citroens! I just visited my cousin in Greece, and he drives a very reliable C4. Took us all over Greece, including some rugged mountain passes, with no issues whatsoever. My Uncle, years ago, had a DS, and I loved the pneumatic suspension and the single spoke steering wheel!
I have a 2000 Golf variant 1.6 320.000 km and no real problems. A great car.
Bought early production Mk4 Jetta TDI, March 1999. Silver with beige leather, yes, combination offered during early production I believe. Currently approaching 420,000 mi, just back from 4500 mi round trip road trip with daily runs around 80 and occasional cut and runs at 100 and beyond. I have been religious about maintenance, using Mobil Delvac 1, until about 350,000 and switched to Liqui-Moly products. Original exhaust, catalytic converter, struts; new axles and all front end components also at about 350,000, along with new clutch and dual mass flywheel; rear seal appeared very tight and dry. My dad used to say buy it nice and keep it nice. Anybody with a Silver ALH TDI, respond. You have a gem.
Your car is a lucky car to have you as an owner. I've done a separate review on the Bora (Jetta) if you've not seen it :)
I heave a 1,6 105hp petrol, 2002, the black one and I still hang on to it because it is a strong car, I call it german panzer :) and If something brokes, it is easy and cheap to fix. I don't put too much km on it, i bought it in 2016 with 179k km and now it has 197k km, I mostly run it around town. It is a very reliable car.
The later variants came with curtain airbags, but it was not tested again by safety regulators.
My 2005 Jetta does.
My daily driver is a 2004 Nissan Maxima QX. It's done ~215tmls and is 18 years old, but everything just works. It was also very cheap when I bought it two years ago.
As far as the Golf goes, my ex-wife had a 1998 1.6 petrol engined two door version in bright red when we were dating. It was very reliable but you did have to remember to check the engine oil level regularly.
Ooh. My family once looked at buying one of those, and I had a friend about 10 years ago who had a 1998 one - 3.0 V6. Very rare car, at least in the UK. I like them. Where are you based?
I have a 2003 two door five speed manual 2.0 golf. Best car I ever owned and most reliable too. 190k miles. Best looking golf they made so far…
Wowww... I had a mk4 as my 2nd car.. I sold my first car on a whim to buy it from my brothers friend.. I was 18 and driving a year.. I had the 1.4 petrol but it was great lots of memories. Engine light was on the whole time but it was just the lambda sensor lol ended up binning it into the back of an ml500 merc... My brother had a bora too 👍