Jalopnik Slams the MKIV Golf

[2o6]

Meh, sort of.


VW Vortex said that it was a great car.


http://www.vwvortex.com/news/top-ten-reasons-mk4s-jalopniks-top-ten-worst-german-cars-list/



Yeah, a car that was horribly made, hard as fuck to work on, and got curb stomped by the Focus dynamically? Yeah, OK. The MKV is a nice car, I love the MKV. But MKIV's are trash

[68_427]

Lol prolly someone from the MKIV forums wrote that.  Everybody in The Car Lounge rags on the MKIV. 


Funnily enough someone on the car lounge made a big thread explaining why the Forester shouldn't be on there as well.

[280Z Turbo]

The Mk IV was a step up from the Focus in terms of the interior. Also, they're not rust buckets like the Focus.

[2o6]

The Mk IV was a step up from the Focus in terms of the interior. Also, they're not rust buckets like the Focus.

I'd still take a Focus, every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Too many 1.8T disasters

[MrH]

MkIV R32s aren't bad cars at all.

[68_427]

I'd still take a Focus, every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Too many 1.8T disasters

1.8T NEVAR LOSE

[Rupert]

Queue Char in 3... 2...

[12,000 RPM]

MkIV R32s aren't bad cars at all.

They sound good, and one hung with my buddy's Maxima up to 160 MPH no problem. But "not bad" isn't necessarily "good".... IMO the price of entry to the VR6 experience should be as cheap as possible (MK3 Golf/Jetta or B4 Passat)

[Xer0]

It's so easy to slam a car ~15 years after it's launched and IIRC, the MKIV didn't review that well when it was new anyway.

[Payman]

Some perspective is needed here. The original Golf/Rabbit was a great car in the era of Chevettes and Omnis. The Golf MkII was equally terrific... I owned one and put over 325,000 km on it without issues. The MkIII, however, was garbage. Terrible reliability and it rusted at an alarming rate. The MkIV was a BIG IMPROVEMENT over the MkIII. Reliability was better, but perhaps not on Honda or Mazda level. I don't know why this generation gets all the flak when the MkIII was the low point with the Golf. In any case, the past is the past, and the new Golfs are the standard that all other small cars are measured.

[2o6]

The MKIII didn't have the dreaded 1.8T, though

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I wonder, would most consider the 1.8T the worst motor put into the golf/Gti?

It performance well, but was just such a questionable turd when it came to problems. I'm sure the I5 isn't nothing to gush about but seems like it is a reliable motor.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I always thought of the 2.0 slow as VW's Iron Duke.

[SJ_GTI]

I had the 1.8T in an A4 and thought it was a great motor (for the time). 

Never had a problem with it, but I only put ~80,000 kms on it.

[12,000 RPM]

I wonder, would most consider the 1.8T the worst motor put into the golf/Gti?

It performance well, but was just such a questionable turd when it came to problems. I'm sure the I5 isn't nothing to gush about but seems like it is a reliable motor.

The I5 traded character and performance for reliability.

Its power/torque figures are in line with the 1.8T though. This level of performance - the reliability = a true turd IMO.

[93JC]

Some perspective is needed here. The original Golf/Rabbit was a great car in the era of Chevettes and Omnis. The Golf MkII was equally terrific... I owned one and put over 325,000 km on it without issues. The MkIII, however, was garbage. Terrible reliability and it rusted at an alarming rate. The MkIV was a BIG IMPROVEMENT over the MkIII. Reliability was better, but perhaps not on Honda or Mazda level. I don't know why this generation gets all the flak when the MkIII was the low point with the Golf.

Agreed. The Mk. III was a pile, I don't know anyone who's had one and said otherwise. Whereas when they were new the Mk. IVs were phenomenal. A huge step up compared to every other compact car.

[AltinD]

The MkIV was the classiest Golf ever. PERIOD!

[Char]

I can't even believe this is even a conversation. 
And the R32 fan boys - what an epic turd of a car. An average motor surrounded by a pile of steaming shit, marked up to a price of a real car. Sounds like an amazing drive, sign me up for that.
What's actually really funny is the people who paid money to drive a SOHC 8Valve engine - in 2004: Who at VW thought that it was even acceptable to continue to make such a turd? Where are the VW apologists to defend these shit power plants, shit cars and shit forum (VWVORTEX)?

[Galaxy]

I can't even believe this is even a conversation. 
And the R32 fan boys - what an epic turd of a car. An average motor surrounded by a pile of steaming shit, marked up to a price of a real car. Sounds like an amazing drive, sign me up for that.
What's actually really funny is the people who paid money to drive a SOHC 8Valve engine - in 2004: Who at VW thought that it was even acceptable to continue to make such a turd? Where are the VW apologists to defend these shit power plants, shit cars and shit forum (VWVORTEX)?

The VR6 is DOHC (one head two cams). One Cam opens all 12 intake valves on both "banks" while the second does the same for all 12 exhaust valves. The R32 is of course 24V.

[Char]

The VR6 is DOHC (one head two cams). One Cam opens all 12 intake valves on both "banks" while the second does the same for all 12 exhaust valves. The R32 is of course 24V.

2.0 is a SOHC. Both engines are equally shit.

[hotrodalex]

People pay a lot more money for 16v pushrod engines.

[Char]

People pay a lot more money for 16v pushrod engines.

They also make more than 110hp and aren't attached to a shitbox VW. 

[AltinD]

I can't even believe this is even a conversation. 
And the R32 fan boys - what an epic turd of a car. An average motor surrounded by a pile of steaming shit, marked up to a price of a real car. Sounds like an amazing drive, sign me up for that.
What's actually really funny is the people who paid money to drive a SOHC 8Valve engine - in 2004: Who at VW thought that it was even acceptable to continue to make such a turd? Where are the VW apologists to defend these shit power plants, shit cars and shit forum (VWVORTEX)?

I had that 8Valve engine in my previous B5.5 Passat. While 115 HP were weak, the car was still better and more fun to drive that ne th Camry and Accords of the time. The Mazda 6 was a different story.


.... but hey what an troll driving in his mom's minivan would know

[hotrodalex]

It's a minivan with a fart can, though!

[Char]

I had that 8Valve engine in my previous B5.5 Passat. While 115 HP were weak, the car was still better and more fun to drive that ne th Camry and Accords of the time. The Mazda 6 was a different story.


.... but hey what an troll driving in his mom's minivan would know

110hp motor is a design that should have been left in the 80s. More fun to drive than a Accord - Sir, I assure you that you have never driven ANY Accord to make that statement, especially considered how big of a SHITBOX those generation of VWs were. 

[Raza]

Meh, sort of.


VW Vortex said that it was a great car.


http://www.vwvortex.com/news/top-ten-reasons-mk4s-jalopniks-top-ten-worst-german-cars-list/



Yeah, a car that was horribly made, hard as fuck to work on, and got curb stomped by the Focus dynamically? Yeah, OK. The MKV is a nice car, I love the MKV. But MKIV's are trash

The spotty quality of the MkIVs made them a worrisome ownership prospect.  I drove my friend's with a 2.slow and 5MT.  Honestly, it wasn't that bad.  Yes, it was dog slow, but it was a laugh.  I could see the appeal.  Not sporty, really, but nice to drive.  More substantial and less tinny than competitors of its time.  It felt like a bigger and more expensive car than it was.  But I'd never own one. 

[Raza]

MkIV R32s aren't bad cars at all.

Yes, I would make a MkIV exception for an R32. That V6.  Wish they sold the MkV here with a stick. 

[Raza]

Some perspective is needed here. The original Golf/Rabbit was a great car in the era of Chevettes and Omnis. The Golf MkII was equally terrific... I owned one and put over 325,000 km on it without issues. The MkIII, however, was garbage. Terrible reliability and it rusted at an alarming rate. The MkIV was a BIG IMPROVEMENT over the MkIII. Reliability was better, but perhaps not on Honda or Mazda level. I don't know why this generation gets all the flak when the MkIII was the low point with the Golf. In any case, the past is the past, and the new Golfs are the standard that all other small cars are measured.

MkIII was universally considered the worst Golf/Jetta generation ever, I agree.  But I feel that the MkIV gets so much stick because it was so popular. 

[Raza]

I had the 1.8T in an A4 and thought it was a great motor (for the time). 

Never had a problem with it, but I only put ~80,000 kms on it.

I went through all the ignition coils in mine, but no other problems with the car or engine in about 50,000 miles.  And it pulled great on the highway and was capable of 34-36mpg in my heavy automatic Passat. 

[AltinD]

110hp motor is a design that should have been left in the 80s. More fun to drive than a Accord - Sir, I assure you that you have never driven ANY Accord to make that statement, especially considered how big of a SHITBOX those generation of VWs were. 

Yeah, an early 2000s Accord Coupe that might have even got a V6