Mk5 Golf GTi Buying Guide

February 19, 2009 by Matt Zollo
Filed under Features

Driving

This is the important bit. The bit that defines why this generation of GTi came good. The driving position is spot on, the pedals perfectly spaced and the controls sorted with well-judged tactility. Start the engine and the slightly gruff note is subtle but suitably enticing. Dutifully indulge and the motor’s 207lb-ft of smoothly supplied torque provides a seamless stream of acceleration until the revs take over and the motor keeps pulling until its 197bhp maximum effort. Flicking between gears is no hardship either, the shift action satisfyingly short and direct. There’s also little in the way of lag (although the delivery can sometimes be a little spiky at slow speeds if the ECU hasn’t had the latest updates).

VW Golf Mk5 GTi

The chassis matches whatever the turbo gives; in fact it could quite happily handle more, such is its composure and surefootedness. This isn’t surefooted grip of the boring type though, as the chassis is playful enough to allow both ends to get involved for a neutral cornering attitude, and the well-weighted steering is direct enough to make the most of the pointy front-end. Even the ESP isn’t too intrusive. Yet it’s still supple and refined when it needs to be, and long-distance cruising is something it does with ease.

Engine

Nothing really to mention here – the 197bhp 2.0T FSI four has been pretty much faultless to date. The only issue has been with the engine mapping, early cars being somewhat jerky at slow-speeds, so it’s worth checking to see if ECU updates, that smooth this out, have been applied.

Talking of ECUs, remember that cars with modified or aftermarket ones won’t be shown much love by the warranty people; although as Mk5s are now starting to come out of their warranty that’s not such a big deal. Although as the GTi regularly out-performs its quoted power figure, with cars frequently showing around 210bhp on the rollers, it may not be worth the risk anyway. And if that’s still not enough then the Edition 30 gives you 29bhp and 14lb-ft more. What are we saying? Get it mapped.

Transmission

VW Golf Mk5 GTi with 17s

It’s a simple choice: better performance and fewer demands, or less expense and more involvement. Go with the twin-clutch DSG and you’ll get 0.3 seconds knocked off the 0-60 and a chance to rest your left leg, but you’ll have to stump up roughly £600 extra compared to a used manual GTi and you miss out on that great gear change. Personally we’d stick with the stick, but both are strong and trouble-free.

Incidentally, DSG has a hidden launch control function, activated by holding the brake whilst pressing the throttle. The engine will rev to 3000rpm, simply leaving you to side-step the brake for a faultless take-off. Not much fun for the gearbox, but good fun for the driver.

Chassis

Here’s where the Mk5 really advanced. In one foul swoop, by dropping the Mk4’s torsion beam setup for a fully independent one, the Mk5’s dynamics took a massive leap forward. It sits 15mm lower than the standard car – the Edition 30 drops a further 19mm closer to the ground – and provides a pretty much perfect balance of handling and comfort.

VW Golf Mk5 GTi Special Edition Pirelli

The standard 17-inch BBS Monza alloys are the ones to go for if you value ride comfort, as the 18s pick up more lumps n bumps, and they probably suit the Golf’s character a bit better, giving more progressive handling and complementing the steering’s weighting better. Although the 18s do look a whole lot sweeter. Similarly, the Edition 30’s drop does little to ride comfort or even handling – but does improve how it sits. The brakes are strong but better pads are advisable if you’re planning track days.

Body

You can have the GTi in either three- or five-door form. Both are practical, with a decent boot and plenty of rear seat space, but the three-door looks about a million times better. Rust is not something you’ll have to worry about, but check panel fit and finish to make sure the car’s not been doffed up in an accident, and carry out a history check. If any repair work has been done, insist on seeing the receipt; no paperwork, no purchase. It’s also worth looking for signs of forced entry, as the GTi still has a special place in the hearts of thieving scrotes.

The door seals on three-door models can leak as they become detached easily, so check them and feel the front carpets for damp. Also on the front doors, make sure the red reflective plastic cover is still in place on the door’s rear edge, as they drop off.

If the car has the 18-inch Monza II alloys check for ‘white worm’ marks, as their finish – diamond-cut and clear lacquered – is susceptible to corrosion from the particularly potent qualities of the salt used on UK roads. These are replaced, for new, under warranty. And obviously curbed wheels should make you wonder about the seller’s driving skills. On the subject of wheels, check the space-saver rear wheel is still in the boot.

Interior

Interior shot of the VW Golf Mk5 GTi Edition 30

Not quite up there with the Mk4 in terms of quality of materials, but still class best and a very nice place to sit as a result. The Mk1-throwback tartan-finish seats wear well and look good, though many buyers opted for leather; we say save some dosh and go with the retro cloth. The sat-nav is easy to use and includes a six-disc changer, and the multi-function wheel as a good extra to have too. Climate control can sometimes be problematic, with the dual zone function known to leave one side of the inside unattended; check by setting one side hot and the other cold.

Extras

VW Golf Mk5 GTi Edition 30

The cost of buying a new GTi can soon add up, each option box looking as desirable as the last. The desirable sat-nav cost £1655 new and will still add a good few hundred to the value of second-hand cars. It’s also worth looking for a GTi in Highline trim rather than Midline, as you get stuff like a trip computer that lets you tweak settings (such as how long the ‘see-me-home’ headlights stay on for) and it shouldn’t add anything to used values.

As well as the extra power and revised springs, the Edition 30 came in red, silver, grey or black, had unique Pescara 18in alloys, colour-coded lower bumper sections, Edition 30 badging and a golf ball gear knob (a nod to the Mk1 GTi). They’re £1700 more expensive than the normal GTi and still retain this kind of price gap now; personally we’d just but a standard GTi and chip it.

Values

You can pick up a leggy 05 plate manual for around £7,500 now, but we’d spend a little more, perhaps another grand, to get something with fewer miles. Not that they can’t take big miles, mind. If you’re looking for a DSG car you’ll have to spend £9,000 for a 05 plate. Prices for the 07-onwards Edition 30s start at around £15,000, anything up to £2,000 more than an equivalent GTi.