Being a mk2 owner for many years Looking at the mk3 again a great all rounder it was a heavily revised mk2 The mk4 I remember it did feel well built and refined specially the blue lighting and quality feel. I owned a petrol 1.6 5 door silver I remember the mk5 and when I saw the r32 I said I want one of those. In my garage is a beautiful example of the Mk5 R32 5 door black magic spec to my exact needs 78 miles on the clock Absolutely love it the sound:) Great episode Thank you
The opening seems a bit harsh on the MK3. Having read a few period reviews, the GTI and VR6 were both well received as I recall. I think you could make the argument that it was the MK4 that took the Golf even further away from what people expected - in sporting terms at least. The entry-level GTI still had the same 115bhp as the 8V MK3 and, while VW tried to take the car more upmarket, it lost some of the sparkle of the earlier models. The harsh reality is that Ford caught everyone napping. The Golf and Astra weren't bad by any means, but the Focus was a genuine watershed moment and made everyone sit up and take notice. I think if you were looking for the car that made the Golf "good" again, you'd need to look at the MK5, which did a much better job of blending quality and a bit of dynamic sparkle.
I have a mk4 2.8 V6 4motion that iv had from new and it only has 18,000 original miles on the clock! I love it and i really look after it!!! When i bought mine i will say i ticked all the boxes for all the optional extras, and im so glad i did because it makes it an even rarer spec!!!
No mention at all of the Audi A3 which came out before the Golf in late 1996 and which was basically the Mk4 Golf in a more rounder body & even better quality materials & fittings.
I’ve two V5 150bhp Golf’s, as I got one as a freebie as it was going to be scrapped, but I couldn’t let that happen as it was my late father’s favourite car. I had serious trouble finding an air intake pipe for it, so sourced one from Germany, but I found a good V5 in the same colour for £500 with a short MOT and a throttle body problem as my spares car as things like coil packs are unavailable for the 10v V5. Only the other day I did a 12 hour 500 mile trip in it and no other car could of done the journey better and it never missed a beat, but was disheartened seeing it was the oldest car on the road for the entire journey. I did see two broken down electric vehicles (MG & Audi) though on the motorway and two wet belt vehicle’s with their bonnets up. I’m around your neck of the woods Joe, so if you see a Green T plate V5 on your travels, give us a wave.
Bought a 2yr old Mk4 GTI back in 2001, was in the market for a Focus Zetec and saw I could get one but not much more - I know it didn't handle as well but the looks and interior sold it and can't be the only one. Was the least reliable car I've owned though, engine sensor issues, both front window mechanisms failed due to cheap plastic but was a nice way to get around. Came with a Sony Minidisc player, whatever happened to those!
A PD 150 turbo diesel is the one to have. They all have rubbery, dead feeling steering though, but feel really solidly made. After having driven a Wolfsburg produced Bora stablemate, the road feel of my Peugeot 306 felt like driving an F1 car around corners. Shame about the Peugeot rattles and squeaks but you can't have everything !
@@markcompton6750 Great diesel that one. The reliability took a dive with the later diesels, sadly. I've done a mild tune on the 1.9 306 TD, haven't dyno tested it but it goes very well and still easily passes the emissions test at MOT. I did have my motorbike dynoed and mapped though, got an actual boost of 6 MPG, when not absolutely caning it. It does make you wonder what manufacturers are thinking of with their OE settings, likely making them for crappier fuels abroad and so on.
@@chappy2121 A now deceased pal had the 130 in his Bora, but wasn't the 150 beefed up for the extra poke ? Mind you, I'm not sure if that would've saved the other headaches you highlighted, other than the fact that Boras were allegedly even better built than Golfs, Boras being made at the Wolfsburg plant. Wherever cars are assembled, we all live in hope that our own wasn't completed at one minute to 6pm on a Friday !
While I like the mk4, especially the V5, V6 and R32, I do prefer the mk1 focus just that little bit more. I am the sort of person to take the long way home from work to have a bit of fun on a quiet road though, so take that as you will.
I bought a mk4 Golf 1.9L TDI new in 2001 and drove it until 2019. I put around 400K miles on it. It's the best car I've ever *seen* for reliability. I sold it because I bought a mk7 after the dieselgate scandal for peanuts. I shouldn't have sold it.
On autos to stop you (mainly septics....) starting it in gear there are a number of interlocks to ensure it is in park before the engine can start. Some are electrical and some mechanical. You have to hold the brake down and there is a bowden cable running from the key ignition lock to the gear lever with a lockout mechanism. The cable stretches and/or becomes misaligned and keeps the gear selector locked and/or won't let you start the car as it thinks its not in park. Jiggling the lever, the steering wheel and key is a temp fix.
No mention of the Bora/Jetta ? I have a modded Bora and a mk1 Octavia L&K daily and both cars are fantastic! I think the MK3 as aged well and I've seen some lovely modified ones at VAG shows.
The Mark 1 Golf wasn't that reliable and not "like a tank" as you say. It rusted away quickly. And the Mark 4 was very well screwed together, agree. But the interior looks very poor after all these years because of Volswagens problems with the soft varnish. Nevertheless, the forth generation was peak Golf. The Mark 6 was OK. Afterwards they completely lost the plot with the Mark 8.
The MK3 suffered from not being significantly better than its in period competition like the MK1 and 2 was. Also pretending the european 2litre GL was the GTI in the UK made it a laughing stock. Friend recently had a 1999 low mileage auto MK4. It had been looked after but looked more like a 5 year old than 25. It's only let down was the rubberised finish on the door furniture had peeled off and looked pants. There is also foam sound deadening in the wing cavity that gets water and grit under it and rots the top of the wing/wheel arch out.
Arnt most MK4 golf interiors now just a sticky, rubbery plastic mess. Every time i look at the classifieds, the pics all look the same, dreadful interiors. The coating of the plastics didn't last 5 minutes.
Being a mk2 owner for many years
Looking at the mk3 again a great all rounder it was a heavily revised mk2
The mk4 I remember it did feel well built and refined specially the blue lighting and quality feel. I owned a petrol 1.6 5 door silver
I remember the mk5 and when I saw the r32
I said I want one of those.
In my garage is a beautiful example of the
Mk5 R32 5 door black magic spec to my exact needs 78 miles on the clock
Absolutely love it the sound:)
Great episode
Thank you
The opening seems a bit harsh on the MK3. Having read a few period reviews, the GTI and VR6 were both well received as I recall. I think you could make the argument that it was the MK4 that took the Golf even further away from what people expected - in sporting terms at least. The entry-level GTI still had the same 115bhp as the 8V MK3 and, while VW tried to take the car more upmarket, it lost some of the sparkle of the earlier models. The harsh reality is that Ford caught everyone napping. The Golf and Astra weren't bad by any means, but the Focus was a genuine watershed moment and made everyone sit up and take notice. I think if you were looking for the car that made the Golf "good" again, you'd need to look at the MK5, which did a much better job of blending quality and a bit of dynamic sparkle.
Was about to comment but this covers my thoughts exactly.
I have a mk4 2.8 V6 4motion that iv had from new and it only has 18,000 original miles on the clock! I love it and i really look after it!!! When i bought mine i will say i ticked all the boxes for all the optional extras, and im so glad i did because it makes it an even rarer spec!!!
Very nice!
No mention at all of the Audi A3 which came out before the Golf in late 1996 and which was basically the Mk4 Golf in a more rounder body & even better quality materials & fittings.
Keep up the great work! Your enthusiasm is contagious!😊
Thank you! Will do!
I’ve two V5 150bhp Golf’s, as I got one as a freebie as it was going to be scrapped, but I couldn’t let that happen as it was my late father’s favourite car.
I had serious trouble finding an air intake pipe for it, so sourced one from Germany, but I found a good V5 in the same colour for £500 with a short MOT and a throttle body problem as my spares car as things like coil packs are unavailable for the 10v V5.
Only the other day I did a 12 hour 500 mile trip in it and no other car could of done the journey better and it never missed a beat, but was disheartened seeing it was the oldest car on the road for the entire journey.
I did see two broken down electric vehicles (MG & Audi) though on the motorway and two wet belt vehicle’s with their bonnets up.
I’m around your neck of the woods Joe, so if you see a Green T plate V5 on your travels, give us a wave.
What an adventure! Will do :D
Bought a 2yr old Mk4 GTI back in 2001, was in the market for a Focus Zetec and saw I could get one but not much more - I know it didn't handle as well but the looks and interior sold it and can't be the only one. Was the least reliable car I've owned though, engine sensor issues, both front window mechanisms failed due to cheap plastic but was a nice way to get around. Came with a Sony Minidisc player, whatever happened to those!
A PD 150 turbo diesel is the one to have. They all have rubbery, dead feeling steering though, but feel really solidly made. After having driven a Wolfsburg produced Bora stablemate, the road feel of my Peugeot 306 felt like driving an F1 car around corners. Shame about the Peugeot rattles and squeaks but you can't have everything !
Had a 150, had it mapped….. hilarious and 45 mpg.
@@markcompton6750 Great diesel that one. The reliability took a dive with the later diesels, sadly. I've done a mild tune on the 1.9 306 TD, haven't dyno tested it but it goes very well and still easily passes the emissions test at MOT. I did have my motorbike dynoed and mapped though, got an actual boost of 6 MPG, when not absolutely caning it. It does make you wonder what manufacturers are thinking of with their OE settings, likely making them for crappier fuels abroad and so on.
Had this engine in my Ibiza Fr Tdi 130. Shat it's turbo, cat, and injectors at 50k miles, 2 weeks out of warranty.
I've had japanese ever since.
@@chappy2121 A now deceased pal had the 130 in his Bora, but wasn't the 150 beefed up for the extra poke ? Mind you, I'm not sure if that would've saved the other headaches you highlighted, other than the fact that Boras were allegedly even better built than Golfs, Boras being made at the Wolfsburg plant. Wherever cars are assembled, we all live in hope that our own wasn't completed at one minute to 6pm on a Friday !
I have a Mk2 Seat Toledo V5. Engine is fantastic, loads of torque and just about enough power in 20 valve form.
While I like the mk4, especially the V5, V6 and R32, I do prefer the mk1 focus just that little bit more. I am the sort of person to take the long way home from work to have a bit of fun on a quiet road though, so take that as you will.
I owned a 2000 mk4 2.8 v6 4 motion great car bit under powered and thirsty but still was a nice car to drive
Worth the fuel bills?
Yes because then i bought a mk5 r32 lol
I bought a mk4 Golf 1.9L TDI new in 2001 and drove it until 2019. I put around 400K miles on it. It's the best car I've ever *seen* for reliability. I sold it because I bought a mk7 after the dieselgate scandal for peanuts. I shouldn't have sold it.
On autos to stop you (mainly septics....) starting it in gear there are a number of interlocks to ensure it is in park before the engine can start. Some are electrical and some mechanical. You have to hold the brake down and there is a bowden cable running from the key ignition lock to the gear lever with a lockout mechanism. The cable stretches and/or becomes misaligned and keeps the gear selector locked and/or won't let you start the car as it thinks its not in park. Jiggling the lever, the steering wheel and key is a temp fix.
No mention of the Bora/Jetta ? I have a modded Bora and a mk1 Octavia L&K daily and both cars are fantastic! I think the MK3 as aged well and I've seen some lovely modified ones at VAG shows.
That is a 2.0 8V in the picture not a diesel engine.
MK4 best shape for me specially the R32
The mark 4 is refined. I don't think you mentioned that.
Im about to put a 20v v5 i to a mk2 scirocco
That sounds fantastic!
The Mark 1 Golf wasn't that reliable and not "like a tank" as you say. It rusted away quickly. And the Mark 4 was very well screwed together, agree. But the interior looks very poor after all these years because of Volswagens problems with the soft varnish. Nevertheless, the forth generation was peak Golf. The Mark 6 was OK. Afterwards they completely lost the plot with the Mark 8.
Golf estate all the way
Would rather have a Mk1 Ford Focus. Miles better car to drive
Got to say a Mk4 Astra with a 1.7 dti will do 300k no problem and is a better handling car.
The MK3 suffered from not being significantly better than its in period competition like the MK1 and 2 was. Also pretending the european 2litre GL was the GTI in the UK made it a laughing stock. Friend recently had a 1999 low mileage auto MK4. It had been looked after but looked more like a 5 year old than 25. It's only let down was the rubberised finish on the door furniture had peeled off and looked pants. There is also foam sound deadening in the wing cavity that gets water and grit under it and rots the top of the wing/wheel arch out.
Mk4 r32 was 237 bhp mk5 came with 247 bhp
when the golf got good again? no no no no no, the mk3 golf was fantastic.
I can literally hear a dashboard rattle when you stop speaking 😂
It’s probably the camera mount you can hear squeaking
@domtomalin7868 Maybe, that's a good point.
Arnt most MK4 golf interiors now just a sticky, rubbery plastic mess. Every time i look at the classifieds, the pics all look the same, dreadful interiors. The coating of the plastics didn't last 5 minutes.
This mk4 golf was is miles ahead of ford / Vauxhall & anything from France.
In what regards, certainly not speed or handerling.
MK4 was too soft
Not sure this is a classic car