£11k to spend on a sporty Golf or A4 diesel?

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Wed 16 Jun 2010 13:42
£11k to spend on a sporty Golf or A4 diesel? - Gav888

Hi,

I currently have a 2002 Octavia vRS and it has served me well for the last 5 years but its time for a change and I need to save some money on the fuel bill at the same time as having something that is still fun to drive and practical enough for a growing family (1 baby so far another in a few years) so im looking at one of the below cars.

Audi A4 2.0 TDI S-Line 140 or Golf GT TDI Sport 170.

Both are around the 06 / 07 with approx 50k. I would want to remap the A4 to make it as quick as the Golf but would that increase the risk of DPF issues, or does the 140 engine not have a DPF like the 170?

Ideally I wanted a BMW 320d M Sport but with an upcoming wedding to pay for and a holiday its not going to happen!

Im not going for the newer Octavia vRS or Leon FR as the missus is a badge snob and dont need the grief as ive had loads already plus ive read reports that the build quality isnt as good as the Golf or Audi.

So, which one should I go for, I driven both and they are both nice, I like the look of each, each are affordable reliable cars so im not sure.....

Anyone own one of these and can provide any unbiased feedback, maybe a comparison between the 2 or own one which has been remapped / chipped and can provide some feedback on before and after / reliability etc?

Cheers.

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Thu 17 Jun 2010 10:06
£11k to spend on a sporty Golf or A4 diesel? - NickS

Morning,

I had a Golf Mk V 140 GTTDI for 2 years and loved it, quick yet economical and mine was very reliable. Build quality was nowhere near as good as the Mk IV I had though, and not even close to the Mk VI. There is also issues with the ESP units i believe, so watch out for the dreaded yellow light next to the gear lever.

In the Golf, you might miss the huge boot your Octavia has; the Golf isnt bad but not a patch on the Skoda.

If your heart is set on VAG, then Audi would win hands down for me, on build quality alone.

Have you considered anything else at all? A Lexus IS220d would fit your bill nicely, and your budget should get you an 06 from a dealer....Failing that, check out

tinyurl.com/34h9jvy

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Thu 17 Jun 2010 10:54
£11k to spend on a sporty Golf or A4 diesel? - OldSkoOL

If it has to be VAG then defiantly the Audi

If you are open to other options i have an Auris T180 (180bhp/400nm/40-45mpg) i am selling which has the same engine as the lexus is220d . The details are on AutoTrader : www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20102336057.../

It's priced to sell as it's about to be part ex-d on Friday. I have been offered 8250 against another car so if i can get more than that privately then great but i'm looking for close to the asking price as it is around £1,000 cheaper than any other similar mileage T180's.

I'm a member on the toyota owners club and there is a Toyota dealer from Wrexham who sells chip kits. They take the car to around 220bhp with just shy of 500nm of torque. Quite a few T180 members fitted for anything up to and over a year with great results. I didn't fit one myself as the insurance company wanted another £100.

Good luck with your search!

Edited by OldSkoOL on 17/06/2010 at 11:00

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Thu 17 Jun 2010 18:24
£11k to spend on a sporty Golf or A4 diesel? - SteveLee

Buy whatever you like, if she doesn't like the badge she can always walk.

+1 for the Lexus 220 rather than yet another run-of-the-mill VAGmobiles.

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