The Zohan

Ok I am now in a situation where I do not have a company car anymore had one for the last 12 years or so.

My other half is leaving work on maternity leave and we are down to one car at the mo (unless I hire as I need them). She has a Ford Puma, which is a bit impractical with a family on the way.

We both fancy another Impreza, no doubt about that.

Do not really like the looks of the Bug eye - hey my personal views so please no flaming, it's my money!

Money - Now I can spend up to 12K or I can go the leasing/PCP route allowing for £ 300.00 (ish) per month in payments

I worry about buying an old shape say MY99 or 00, as mileage likely to be 50K+ now I know Scoobs are generally built to last but Clutch/turbo/no 3 piston, etc type problems are putting me off, hey most of these cars have a pretty lively life so buying a high-ish mileage on worries me as we are down to one income without a warranty to fall back on.

Quite like the look of the MY03 although they look like being more money than the MY01/02s?

Now even if I go the Scoob route I will be doing around 12-15K PA miles so two services a year + Fuel and the best I ever averaged was around 22MPG so not brilliant from an MPG Point of view but hey pretty damn good for the performance it gave.

Just had a Golf on hire for a while, nice car, not exactly set the world on fire but does most things pretty well. Has set me thinking about a Golf 150 GT PDI not bad performance and 45MPG, cheap-ish to service insure and run.

With a family on the way I need to be careful with money so am thinking about having the Golf for around 2 years then seeing how the prices are on the MY03 shape Scoob.

Questions
1) Anyone had any bad experiences with MY99/00’s at this sort of miles/age.
2) Anyone had/got a Golf 150PD and had problems
3) What is the Golf 150 like to live with, performance/economy/handling/day to day ownership/build quality/niggles wise
4) What are VW garage/warranties like to deal with – no slagging just objective stuff.
5) Any other comments or suggestions

Many thanks

Paul


[Edited by Paul Habgood - 11/18/2002 11:46:44 AM]

Viper

Paul

My neighbour has a Golf GTIPD150 and it is harsh, engine noise very dronny, although it does go quite well.

I couldn't live with it.

Cheers

Phil

HELLOM8

VW are terrible when it comes to warranty. I know half a dozen people who buy VW’s and have endless trouble trying to get dealers to fix the problems they have, atuo box’s randomly changing gear and the like. They still go back each year and buy another one for some reason.
What about a Civic Type R import, you can get them for about 13K.

Riftzone

bought a MY99 in April from a dealer with 55k on. sweet - no probs apart from a sheared alarm bracket.

previous posts have seen original clutch and turbo last over 100k.

7 Foot

I am sure you could find a MY00 / 99 with a lot less than 50k on the clock for that money.

I paid £14k for my MY00 with 24k on the clock 6 months ago (parallel import). Great stereo, a/c, fully colur coded, fSsh . . .

igratton

I swapped my P1 for a PD150 golf 5 months ago.

Its no scooby but its built well, comfy and is currently returning 51mpg on Derby to Milton Keynes Motorway runs. I've clocked up 11,000 miles already (trip to france and derby -> mk return every weekday).

It doesn't have the cornering ability of the scooby but they do go very well. Even cossie monster dingy is impressed with the torque (and dingy is never impressed with anything )

I had a play with a MY01 bugeye on the way back from work the other day - we were both rolling at approx 70-80mph and he nailed it thinking he would pull away. Now normally speaking I DO NOT tool arround on the roads but this time I took the bait (dual carriage way - no other cars)

The WREX owner changed down a gear and nailed it (que scoobysport exhaust noises in my otherwise quiet and rattle free vw cockpit). I didn't bother changing down from 6th and planted my foot.

You will be amazed to know that up to a very high speed (you have a guess as I'm not telling) the rex only managed to pull half a car length on me LOL we obviously both had our own lane - so no nasty tailgating.

I think the owner got a little upset as he wouldn't acknowledge me when stuck in traffic further up the road. I know for a fact that a classic shape scooby would have been way ahead.

Comfy, Well built, and still worth something after 3 years.

Just an opinion Paul - as you say - the money is yours to spend.

regards

Ian.

stephen30

Why not go and ge a used MY00 or so from a dealer. That way you would probabaly get a warranty with it, depending on mileage. Obviously you'd pay that little bit more, but it might be worth it in the long run.

Just my 2p.

Steve

Dream Weaver

Civic Type R - now theres a good idea Paul.

ScoobyJawa

Hiya mate!

My MY99 is on 52k and going strong (touch wood ) but for 12k you'd get a My99 with around 20-30k if you look around

AudiMan

Sorry to be the sensible one here, I run an A3 (but only for another week) then it's into my MY00 (with only 8k on the clock),
the Audi is more or less the same car as the Golf, tip of the day, take your pushchair/pram/buggy to the dealer and see if you can get it in the boot !!! you may get a nasty shock, which may then influence your decission.

speedking

TBH we found 2 doors a pain when loading a baby into the back seats. Your back won't last long. Look for 4 doors

MJW

If you have yer heart set on another Scoob, I can recommend the 5-door as a good sprog-transporter. I became a dad 6 months ago and we have no problem fitting pram (one of those big 3-wheelers by Urban Detour or summat), changing bag and all the other baby gubbins in the back. I know you're not keen on the bug-eye but they do have isofix child seat anchors in the back which are handy.

SeepyScoob

I agree, I've got a MY99 5 door and Fuel\Insurance\Servicing costs aside it's an excellently practical family car (Honest)
Getting sprog in and out the back is dead easy, even in tight car parks, because the windows are frameless you can put it part way down and it gives you much more room to get kid in.
The seat material is very resilient to crushed bisuits\Sweets\Mud etc..
The boot isn't exactly massive but it's much bigger than the 306 I had before and ALL of the kiddy stuff goes in easily. There's also the option of an easy fitted top box to the roof bars if you really want to go to town.
Also even when fully loaded up it still goes and handles brilliantly. In my view it's also one of the safest cars out there because the chassis is so good you have much better control over the car in all conditions.
So there you go, you can't fault a five door scoob, apart from the Fuel\Insurance\Servicing costs of course.

SeepyScoob

Oh and the dubious interior build quality

SeepyScoob

And the lack of toys....

blair

Have you thought about a forester turbo ? A bit more space, a bit more 'family' but still with that distinctive flat four beat.

I believe that if you still feel the need for speed that you used to get from the Impreza then you can fit a PPP to the forester to stiffen suspension, increase power etc.

Jeremy Clarkson was singing the praises of the new Forester in one of the Sunday rags last weekend.

Andy

Hoppy

My UK00 has done 60k and is running better than ever. Nothing has ever gone wrong with it and I've just bought it off the lease company for £10k It's certainly been thrashed a few times but 95% of those miles are lazy comuting or just taking the long way home with the ICE pumping

If you know the car's history, I think UK99/00 Scoobs are a bargain.

Richard.

Si James

I have had the Golf. Ultimately it is unsatisying to drive, as it does not do corners well. especially at high speed. I reckon it has some instability at high speed built in (over 70-80 mph).

Its a different car, more suited to the school run than having fun.

Its a well built euro box. The Scoob is a far safer car due to the inherent stability and dynamics of the chassis.


Si

Stuart J

Ok dont laugh, just been going through similair thoughts to replace the wifes car, ie nice family car, bit of poke but dont want to spend the earth & because she does about 35000 a year must be cheap to run, It looks like the answer will be a Skoda Octavia, it appears to be VW chassis, Audi running gear & built in one of Audi/VW's newest factories, just costs less & secondhand values appear to be holding up well although 4 years at 35000 may make a difference

Reffro

Octavia is a great choice, the boot on them is huge....

As you say its a VW Golf chassis, with VW/Audi sourced engine and gearboxes. Secondhand they are becoming more numerous, and whilst they lose more in percentage terms than a VW, they cost a lot less to buy in the first place.

Engines to choose from are 1.4 16v, 1.6, 1.8T and 2.0 petrol or 1.9D or 1.9TDI(90/110bhp). Obviously the 110bhp TDI is going to be the best compromise regarding running costs and performance.

Best thing is that until April/May 2002 they had full 3 year manufacturers warranty with them from new, now they get 2 yrs manufacturers + 1 yr dealer top up.. So anything a year old today, will still have 2 years warranty on on it.

Stuart J

Ours will probably be diesel but if the wifes company pay a decent rate per mile "I WANT" the 1.8T 4x4, at just over 15000 otr its a hell of a lot for yer money & aparently the Audi 1.8T is very "tweakable"

logiclee

Octavia RS Turbo is outstanding value for money.

May get a second hand one or PCP in your budget.

Lee

KevMac

Forester Turbo.

80% of the WRX fun but with more space and goodies i.e. moonroof, air-con, heated seats and mirrors and wiper de-icer.

Loads of two year olds on the net in the UK and now with the New Forester reshape you can haggle even more.

p1 tud

£12 000 get a skoda octavia rs, 180 bhp 146 mph and it will only be 1 year old at most with say 10 - 15k miles on it. thats where the sensible money goes. these cars run forever ask any taxi driver around the country.

Chip_Butty

Why don't you get the booted version of the Golf TDI.

"It does exactly what it says on the boot" = Bora, I bet it is ! LOL

Ant

Brun

Here you go

Si James

I got my MY00 cheaper than that.

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

If you are planning to extend your family beyond 1 child then i would go with the MY00 wagon.

We had a MY99 saloon, but before number 2 came along we changed. The wagon is far more practical IMO.

I got mine, uk car registered in december 2001, 80 miles on the clock, for just over £17000. Seems alot for a uk car, but i do not like the fugly!

I average between 22mpg and 27mpg, but when her in doors drives it she can get into the 30mpg with it, and thats with 338bhp and 313lbft of torque.

very practical IMO and the one i would go for! 2 baby seats with babies and all their belongings, double buggy and guinness the labrador, all fit in very nicely!

you can certainly pick some low mileage ones up pretty cheap if you look hard enough.

like someone above said, its the mods that cost the money!

steven

mutant_matt

Paul,

I sold my MY00 with 9,000 miles recently for £14k so you should be able to find quite a few reasonably low milage MY99-00's for that money. I'd also look at the Forester Turbo S as this is a fantastic all round car, but has the same downside of running costs as the Scoob (we were looking at one of these).

In your position, if you have to buy now, I'd get a new Leon Cupra or Cupra R as these cars are fantastic VFM. You get good handling (not great but way better than the Golf), the renound VAG 1.8 engine, decent interior, space, 4(5) doors, performance and reliablity all for around £16k. You could easily PCP that for a reasonable amount.

If you can wait, there is rumoured to be a new Leon coming out which is basically the Cupra but with the PD150 engine and the 4-motion AWD. This will rock and is already available in Europe - it's called the Topsport. We're currently waiting for this model to be released here as I think this is the best combination of features/performance for the money on the market.

Matt