The Volkswagen Golf IV

mtownsend

I have an automatic '99 GTI, suggest you take it for a long test drive before buying. Try taking it on the highway then drive in traffic, the car will change like a kangaroo. VW are not interested in fixing the problem but do acknowledge it exists. I have not driven a 1.8T auto Golf, the Passat is fine with the 5 speed auto. Good luck.

leo_rovira_3

I got mine 1/23/00. First dealer I went to had 1. The next had 3 all sold, then the next had none to show me. While calling around the next dealer (where I got it) had just received a red one not much chosing here. After the big hassle with their finance department, the cars has been great. I've put 1344 miles so far all fun miles. The only observation so far is in traffic, this car only gets 18 mpg. But the moment you can cruise 60-75 mileage jumps to 26 mpg. I hope the car continues to be a blast. This is my third VW. First was a '79 Scirocco then a '81 Vanagon (the worst) and now this.

wukwuk

Just thought I'd let folks know about my experience the other day driving a 5 speed Turbo Golf. The difference, compared to the standard 2 liter engine, is phenominal! You will absolutely fall in love with this car if you try it. It was so responsive, and at all speeds. For example, I was doing 75 on the highway with it, then gunned it- it still accelerated quite rapidly, which means it can accelerate quickly at all ranges- The dealer told me it's quicker than both the Jetta and the Beetle- this because it weighs about 150lbs less because of the hatchback design. The 1.8T only comes in the GLS package. Forget the V6 GTI, this baby is all you need- and you get 4 doors!

simmondsi

Hmmm - the Edmunds website says that leather is an option on the Golf GLS, but it isn't shown at vw.com. Does anybody know the real story??

jss4

Leather is only available in the GTI's.

99golf1

I bought my 99 Golf GLS four-dour last July and since put about 10K miles on it. Within two days I noticed a rattle in the left A-pillar. It took 4 times at the dealer to get it fixed. Apparently it was the cable harness for the sunroof rubbing against the A-pillar; a service bulletin was sent out for this problem. About two months later, the dashboard near the left A-pillar started to rattle, although only occasionally. Now in the last month, I've been hearing creaking sounds coming from the hatch area and rear doors, especially when going over speed bumps. And yesterday, I noticed the rear VW logo was missing -- it must have fallen off (it's stuck on with double-sided adhesive foam!). This can't be normal, can it?

Other than these annoying sounds, it's been fairly trouble free, although I've noticed the fuel gauge is not very linear (I get over 250 miles on the first 1/2 and less than 150 on the second 1/2 tank). My 98 Passat also has a problem with the fuel gauge. Sometimes the needle moves more than a quarter of a tank back and forth. One time the car stalled from no gas even though the low fuel light never came on. I wonder if the two problems are related? The Passat also has several rattles in the back parcel shelf area. Seems mechanical integrity is not a strong suit in VWs.

jeheyman

The GLS was an easy choice. The 1.8T was also easy based on driving it in other platforms. Now just trying to put them together.

Anyone know if they've made it to California? If so, at which dealers? SoCal would be great but I have to go up North in a couple of weeks.

peter41

Dilemma: 1) buy the new Golf 1.8t or 2) the bmw 318ti '98 model with 10K miles. About the same price. The BMW is like new, and has over two years left on warranty (more than VW new!) and full maintenance until 36K miles.

Any thoughts on this? I want a fun, well-built, safe hatchback for under 20K. Few choices out there... Thanks.

prmartin

I just bought a 2000 Golf TDI GLS (actually I pick it up Saturday afternoon. I can't wait. I have only ever driven the 2.0 GLS, which I really liked. I understand that the TDI has an even better feel to it. I got it for 3% over invoice (there is no holdback on these cars). I thought that was a pretty good deal, given the apparent rarity of these cars. I had to have a 5 spd with the 4 doors, so that narrowed my options.

Any thoughts on that price??

jarhead

Almost 500 over invoice seems a little steep, then again I haven't tried to buy one yet. I did set my limit at no more than 500 over invoice though. I drove a Golf TDI the other day and as you now know if you have yours now (wow)! amazing power and great gas mileage. I did not even smell the diesel fumes. It seems like the Golfs are becoming more available and easier to get. This will be my next car too. have fun.

jarhead

Can anyone reply to towing a utility trailer under 1 thousand pounds with the golf TDI. This would only be about 12 times a year for distances under 100 miles. Will this void the drivetrain warranty? Thanks, future TDI owner.

simmondsi

I was looking for one too, specifically in black. Golden Gate VW offered me one in red so try mailing lovevwvw@aol.com or give 'em a call. In the end my dealer located one out of state. Should take delivery next week.

tricare

I'm a newcomer here, so please bear with me. I'm
seriously thinking on selling my old Harley, and
buying a new Golf GTI or New Beetle with the 1.8
Turbo and 5-speed. At first I was pretty much sold
on the Beetle, but now lean towards the Golf. There's a few questions I still have to sort-out before I jump and buy one...what the gas mileage is like, depreciation (fast or slow), reliability, etc. Any help would be appreciated.

durbsant

I test drove the 1.8 auto –no stick available at the time– and the scales fell from my eyes. Superb acceleration and handling. Nothing else in the price range comes close to the combination of drivability, design, engineering and value. Mine is to be delivered next week.

tricare

Yes, I visited my closest VW dealer here in Dayton, Ohio and the only 1.8T they had was an
auto. And it was a GTI, not the 4 dr. GLS. And
it was silver. Would be nice to see what a GTI
in the new "Tropic Orange" would look like, and
I'm sure a dealer search would be involved to
do that. Sorry, I'd have to have the 5-speed!
The newest edition of AutoWeek magazine (March
13, 2000) has a couple of small articles about
the Golf 1.8T, and compares it to the New Beetle
1.8T. Does the Turbo Beetle really not handle
as well as it should, being that it is the hot-
rod of the beetles?

drdotgain

Top this price anybody! President's Day Sale, absolutely no haggling: $16158 delivered, $314 over invoice for a silver 2-door diesel. At 70 mph the engine spins the same rpm in 4th that my '86 Golf did in 5th. Upshifting doesn't cause it to lose much torque either. Only disappointment is 43 mpg in contrast to the EPA's 49 mpg hiway number. Shouldn't complain though. The 2.0 liter crossflow engine is a clunker. The 1.8 liter 20-valve turbo should be a hoot but it demands hi-test gas. Diesel fuel has come down $0.25 over the last 2-3 weeks while hi-test has popped up about the same amount, surpassing diesel prices.

maximase1

Hi, folks. Does anyone know if the new (2000) GTI
1.8T comes with the Recaro-designed sports seat? It seems like the dealers here (in Canada) doesn't even have a complete listing for this 2000 version.....

misfirein3

I just returned from my VW dealer, driving a rented minivan (yuck). My 2000 Golf (black, fully loaded) is in the shop for the second time in as many days. Today is Tuesday,I brought the car home on Friday. I am writing from Canada, and my VW, is not cheap here at all. To lease it we paid $4000 down, and $365/mos. (Keep in mind our tax rate is 47%, so we don't have as much bring home).
Anyhow, the problem is the 3rd cylinder is misfiring which means a whole lotta shaking going on when we first start it, and a very bright check engine illuminated on the dash.
I loved the car, up until today, and we have had 3 other Golfs, and this one by far is the best, with great pick up.
Sorry to go on and on... just very disappointed

judas

Sounds like Canada sucks even more than I previously thought. As far as teh 1.8T NB and GTI goes, the GTI will definitely handle better. The GTI weighs a little less and also has a lower center of gravity. I think the VR6 sales are definitely going to lag with the 1.8T engine out. The weight bias is better, the whole car is lighter, and with a cheap mod or two the 1.8T will blow the doors off a VR6 in a straight line. Only bad thing about that is voiding the monster powertrain warranty they give you, of course, if you shell it a little extra you can just get a brand new ECU instead of having the old on reprogrammed. Then at service time just slap the old one in and nobody's the wiser. Anyone have any experience with service departments and aftermarket exhaust and intakes? Theoretically, if they wanted to be snitty, they could void your whole powertrain warranty just because you bolted on a performance muffler and cold air intake.

nadia00

Visiting dealership tomorrow with my negotiating cap on. Any advice? I have done a lot of research, am familiar with dealer invoice. It will be my first car and I don't want to be taken. Is starting with a 3% above dealer cost reasonable, too much, not enough? Should I stop at 4.5% above? I will not pay MSRP! By the way, the Golf GLS 5 speed is in short supply around here (Cleveland/Akron area), have called 5 dealers and no one has what I want, without the added options already installed. Will probably have to wait some time for delivery. I was told I could probably lock in the price (after successfully negotiating) with a "security deposit" type. Thanks for your help!

02blueyes

I have also been looking at the Golf GLS 5 speed. I have negotiated the following prices with two different dealerships.

1.$16,128.00 included Destination, NE emissions, Port prep, and Floor plan charge. I would have to pay taxes and $150 processing fee.

2.$16,091.oo with $178.00 processing fee and taxes.

I haven't put the deposit down yet, because I am concerned about reliability. I have a Honda and I'm not seeing as high of a reliability rating.

Which other cars have you looked at? Do you think the VW Golf will be reliable?

mzn

I've had two Golfs, including the one I have now, and have found them both to be very reliable. As for pricing, I hope you've had a chance to see our pricing here at edmunds.com.

carlady/host

thebbw1

Hey I just got my new Golf. Now I want to put a cd changer in it and want to be able to utilize the stock head unit to control the changer. My question is this, will the head unit operate any brand (Iam looking at an Eclipse) or do I have to get the VW unit. Thanx.

mzn

In addition to the answers you may get here, thebbw1, you may also want to visit our Aftermarket & Accessories conference. Just use the Search feature on the left menu bar to see if a similar topic is already underway.

carlady/host

nadia00

Negotiating was fun! It's amazing how much control we have. It's all preparation! Out the door, my new GLS Golf cost me $17,170 (includes everything).
Dealer #1 accepted $17,350 and promised to do a search in Ohio the next morning to locate my new toy (I did not want to fully commit until he did the search).
Next morning called Dealer #2, who also didn't have my car but offered $17,270 (all included). He searched and came up empty, my toy is not available in OH, although I could have it driven from Michigan.
I contacted Dealer #3, who had originally agreed to either match or beat Dealer #1 offer. Dealer #3 surprised me on Saturday when he lowered the price to $17,170 (again, everything included). At that point, I was not looking for a better deal, just someone to order my car. By the way, Dealer #1 never did a search, his computer was apparently down all day long. How about the old fashion way? There are 6 dealerships in a 30 mile radius, I contacted them myself plus two others in Pittsburg. I am pleased with the deal. Now, I just have to wait at least one month for my car, possibly longer.

As for the choice between Honda and VW, the Honda Civic was my second choice.

buzzword1

The waiting is over, picked up my new GTI GLS 1.8T yesterday. Options included Monsoon radio and 6-CD Player - everything else was stock - passed on the leather interior based on experience with '83 Scirrocco leather. This is my 9th VW, first was a new `68 Bug, and undoubtably the best yet with plenty of luxury balanced with performance. It was worth the wait and considering the standard equipment - is quite a bargain. This latest fourth generation of Golfs is clearly superior to the competition.

rcman1

I've been researching sporty hatches for awhile now and am close to a decision. I've decided on the Golf over the others (zx3, civic) which seem mere "toys" in comparison. I think I would like the TDI GLS but am now considering the 1.8T since there isn't much price difference and gas prices seem to be falling again, hopefully for a while. I was wondering, from those who own or have tested the 1.8T if they have noticed much turbo lag that some reviewers have reported on other models? It's not a big deal, but can be annoying if severe. Thanks

judas

I haven't driven one yet but from what I've heard turbo lag isn't very noticeable.

kevinc

Buzz.. congrats on the new ride! You passed on leather based on your experience with an '83 Scirocco?? That was 17 years ago! Trust me, the leather in the new cars is great..

-kc-

cinemafia

Unfortunately for us, gas prices may be going down for now but they're only going to go up, way up in the coming years. I read an article in a magazine that said oil production will continue to grow until 2010, after which it will drop sharly and by 2080-2100 all current sources of oil will be exhausted!!!

studriver

After 13 yrs of driving a Honda Accord LXi hatchback, I picked up my new green/tan interior Golf GLS 1.8T with the luxury package. It is extremely quite, smooth, responsive. After spending the weekend driving it around on a mixture of highways and city streets, I have to say that it is probably the best car for under $20,000 and probably better than a few above that price.
I guess only time will tell on the relability, but if the fit and finish are any indication, then I think I will spending the next decade in this car!

blackbird3

i am looking for a new used car. i currently drive an 83 saab 900 AND an 86 jimmy. i have about $9500 to comfortably spend on a car. i don't want a trunk car, and am considering a golf gl. a volkwagen certified 96 gl with a two year vw warrantiy and 55,000 miles goes for about $9500 without tax etc in my area. reliability and cost are most important to me - i know golfs are fun to drive - but is 10k too much to spend on a 96 golf with 55k? i am also considering a kia sportage, although i haven't driven one, a hyundai, or another used saab. how are repair costs on vw's?

mzn

I have a 1996 Golf GL and I love it. In fact, I bought it to replace my 87 GL. I've had no major repairs done, only the regular maintenance. You might call a couple of dealers and VW mechanics to ask for prices on regular maintenance.

As for the price, have you looked at our edmunds.com used car pricing? Go to the homepage and click on Used Cars, click on VW, then 1996, then Golf. It allows you to take into consideration mileage and features like AC, automatic transmission etc. Finally, take a look at the want ads in your area and see what they're asking for similar Golfs.

Good luck, and please keep us posted!

carlady/host

vocus

I am doubting the reliability of the new Golf. I know there have been problems with the Jetta and don't wanna get stuck with a lemon. Any advice? Also, I drive 100 miles a day to and from work. I was going to go for the 1.8T, but the TDI would probably be better considering I do a lot of highway driving. Also, does the 1.8T require premium gas? And how is its reliability? And how does it perform with the automatic transmission? How would the acceleration compare to my 1999 Protege 1.6 (105 horsepower/103 torque) with automatic? Any and all answers will be appreciated.

cjh1

My 2000 VW Golf GL with the 2.0L gas four is using one quart of oil per 900 miles. The car has 5,100 miles on it. The local dealership just doesn't want to deal with this. Is anyone else having high oil use with this motor?

Thanks

CJH1

gotnads

Any comparison between the TDI and the Protege as far as starting from a standing stop will probably show the Protege as faster. If you compare top gear acceleration from 50-70 mph, then I would guess the TDI would win. Mine is a 5 speed. I do not have to go to a lower gear to accelerate to pass at highway speeds. The torque is great. And it is one of the better cars I have driven for slicing through traffic on the highway. I just sold a 1998 Maxima SE in order to get it, and I am happier with the Golf than I was the Maxima.

vocus

Any estimation of a 0-60 time? Also, highway passing power would be good? Mine is a little dead sometimes for it.

l791515

Hi,

I have been driving my new 2000 Golf for about a month and I am absolutely in love with it. I took a ride to Providence, RI last weekend. The 200 miles trip was so comfortable. All my friends have given only good words on the car, like quiet, rich feeling and solid ride. The flash red color is just sooo sexy!

I have a question for other 2000 VW Glof GLS owner.Is this car's cruise control indicator light supposed to be on or not for GLS trim when the cruise control is on? I never saw mine was on. Of cause the cruise control works well. Thanks.

aqueen

Hi, I am a newbie here so please bear me. I am about to get out of graduate school and start working soon. I am attracted to the cute and sporty appearance of VW Golf and am thinking of a 2.0 one. I test drove it and so far so good except the exterior mirror control, it is not that convenient though. I am considering a fully loaded 2.0 GLS (with all 3 packages installed plus automatic transmission) and the dealer initially offered me $18,400. Is that a fair price? I haven't talked about the financing rate yet, but probably will be 7.55%. What rates did you guys get?

some of my friends said it is a little bit too narrow inside. I am a girl so I am fine the size,
but I am wondering if it is a good vehicle to hang out with friends.

Thanks a lot!!!

aqueen

I am not sure whether I can get 7.55% now, 9,90% is a bit high but better than nothing. I will try to ask them for a college program hopefully can lower the rates a little bit.

I don't know about the situation in California, I am in NE. But if you scroll back to some earlier posts in this forum, you will find a guy who got a fully loaded GLS (not GL)with manual transimission for only $17,170...

I feel panic too when thinking of going to talk to a dealer.

mzn

aqueen & lubo1, have you run your prices through the edmunds.com pricing in our New Cars area? If not, click on New Cars, then VW, then Golf. After the review, you'll see the price guide which allows you to find out what the car and various options cost. Take a look and see if your prices are similar. Good luck, and please, keep us posted!

carlady/host

jss4

I just brought my new Golf GLS home last weekend.
Man, what a great car. I love it more than I thought. Maybe I can answer a few questions.
First, there is no Cruise indicator light. The manual should have an addendum to this.
Second, aqueen, if you can, get the 5 speed manual. I found the automatic in the 2.0L to be very sluggish. But is a great, roomy car for you to tool around w/your friends in.
Third, lupol, 9.9% is a little high. VW offered me 7.9%, but I went with my credit union and got 7.5%
Otherwise, that's a pretty good price for the car. I'd research a little more here on Edmunds,as Carlady suggests, and find out what the dealer's invoice is, and offer 2-3% over that. I got a fully loaded GLS for 3% over invoice..which is even a better deal than I could find with the On-line sites (carorder and carsdirect).
I definitely know what you mean when you talk about that sinking feeling when you think about haggling with a dealer. But what really helps is knowing your stuff..research the car and don't be afraid to walk away if you're uncomfortable! What I did, was go to VW.com, go to "Find Dealers" in your area, put in your zip, then put in at least 150 mile radius. You'll get a list of all the dealerships and their web pages. Then, email them. Tell them exactly what you want, and what you'll pay. See what responses you get.

jmorriss13

I may be able to help...a little. I live in Boston, and have been looking around a lot. I am ready to buy a golf GLS with luxury package(sunroof & wheels), monsoon stereo system, and so on. I have gotten several quotes, but the best one is for $17333(includes dest), $50 over invoice. The only other fees are a $55 fee for handling all RMV transactions. Obviously I pay taxes and such. Any other fees are hogwash. Another dealer told me that he could sell me the same car for around invoice, which is the same ballpark. If they weren't making money on these deals, they wouldn't give them out. 3% over invoice is only a few hundred under sticker, which is a rip. VW does a great job abstracting its pricing structure from its customers, so don't think that any deal you get is a giveaway. This being year-end, you should EASILY find pricing at or below invoice. As for financing, you should be able to get 7.69 or so online. I have seen ads from dealers for 5.9-6.7% this week. I hope this helps someone get a good deal. BTW, most online dealers are still in the 3% over invoice range. My fiance bought a beetle for 3% over invoice, which turned out to be $200 under sticker price. Good hunting! (sorry to be long-winded.)

mtownsend

I have and automatic with more problems that I am going to list. Suggest you look in The New VW Jetta-Often breakdown? (Topic #484). I have posted many problems there. VW dont't give a *!&^ it that taken them 10 attempts, just under a year and 21K miles to decide that my problems are normal and therefore will not ne fixed in warranty. I am seriously considering selling the car at 24K, as I cannot afford the repair costs.
Good luck with yours.

aqueen

carlady and jmorriss13,

Thanks for all the advices. I am talking to the dealers these days, so far the best offer I can get is something around $18,000 for an automatic one (sorry, I can drive automatic only :-( ).

I do have a question. When you negotiate a price, would it include the destination charge? I think if the destination charge is included, $18000 for an automatic with everything IS a good deal, right?

I got a loan on the web for 8.54% (my credit history is too short so I am happy with this result)...I guess I can negotiate like a cash buyer, would this be an advantage? I will talk to a dealer tomorrow, if positive I will make a deal then

will keep you guys posted

Thanks!

aqueen

Oops...thanks to jss4 too :-)

I got another question for the GLS. Does color have impact on the price? I want a silver one because I think small cars will look bigger with light color. But the dealers keep telling me that silver is very popular and they seem to be firm on price when I mentioned silver.

I like indigo blue too, what colors did you guys get? Any comments on the blue?

Thanks again,

aqueen

jmorriss

I was looking for a red Golf GLS. No one had them, because they say red isn't popular. But they have plenty of silver, and will do an 'invoice deal' on it for me. While it is true that the greater the demand for a particular car is, the tighter the dealer can be on price, if the guy has 3 or 4 silver Golfs or Beetles lined up on the lot, I guess it just isn't that tight a market. Strictly speaking, a car that is "in demand" should either a) not exist on any showroom floor, or b) exist in quantities of 1 or less and have less negotiation flexibility.

As for pricing, you should get as close to invoice as possible, perhaps, in some cases, you can get lower(remember that there are several obscure ways that dealers make money on a car. floorplanning, dealer holdback, advertising fees paid to the dealer by VW, etc)

My friend bought the Silver Beetle last winter when there were few around, and she paid a little under sticker. (The same lot she bought from now has 4 on the lot.) Now you can get quotes of $300 over invoice, which has the dealer making $1000+ just for signing the title over to you.

Finally, the price you negotiate can be done in any way, with or without destination, but you must maintain your clarity at all times. You and the dealer must explicitly agree that the number you are talking about is the total for the car, either with or without destination, which you will pay. You must also find out what other fees there may be. Some are legit, most are ADM(added dealer markup) Once you get to the F&I guy, be careful. His/her job is to make you feel comfortable while he/she takes the money out of your wallet. Most of them are very good. They may play with numbers, try to sell you undercoating(VW has a 10 YR no-corrosion warranty standard, so why pay for another one?) and other stuff. While they are generally friendly, and will help you out with financing, be aware that at all times the job of the dealership is to get as much money from you as possible, while making you happy to pay. There is no animosity or anything else. It is their job. Your job is to get the best price possible on the car you want. There are hundreds of the exact car you are looking for out there. You can find someone who will sell it to you for a fair price.

Good Hunting!

mzn

Good advice, jmorriss. aqueen, check out our 10 steps that every car buyer should follow article from our Consumer Advice area. See step 5 for how to calculate a fair price. I hope it will be helpful to you.

carlady/host

jss4

aqueen...really good advice from Carlady and jmorriss!
To answer your question about color, I wanted Indigo Blue w/Grey interior...and I held out for that. It was tough finding that combination and it took almost a month. I was getting worried b/c I had secured financing with a locked in rate for 60 days..I was getting down to the wire when I found the exact car I wanted. And yes, silver is very very popular at least here in the SF Bay Area. I have yet to see a GOLF in Indigo Blue besides mine but lots of silver.

aqueen

thanks for all the advice....today I made a deal with the dealer that he will find me a silver one (fully loaded automatic) for $18500, roughly 2% over the invoice...not the best I was offered but i guess it is ok. but they need to locate one from other dealers so i have to wait a little bit before they can deliver.

we are in the Boston area, silver seems to be very very "in demand". none of the dealers are easy to deal with when it comes to silver. Oh jss4, you got a indigo blue with grey? that's the perfect combination too (I saw it once in the showroom for a jetta, beautiful)...much better than the indigo blue with beige...i would have got an indigo blue with beige fully loaded automatic for $17994...but it turned out that my boyfriend loves silver much more than blue one...so we need to make the extra investment.

The dealer said if they can't locate a silver one for me within 3 weeks, they will refund me the deposit...i guess at that time i will just buy the indigo blue for less, hopefully.

Dealers here seem to be very firm when we mentioned silver, they would like to sell other colors for less...

I guess you don't need the cold weather package in the bay area... :-)