Hi, i'm new to these forums and am not very experienced when it comes to cars however i have my eye on a 96 Volkswagen Golf that is automatic, 2L engine that has currently done 135,000kms and im not sure if i should be considering to buy it as im not a worldly VW person...if that makes sense.I'm all ears on advice and or things to watch out for if anyone has any suggestions?I guess my greatest concern is that if anything should happen eg/electric windows dont work anymore or engine part availability is limited...i'm not sure but is it a worthy investment?I hope to hear from someone who knows a little or thinks that it maybe a good car?Thanks for anyones time!
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What do you actually want to know? Whether you should buy a '96 auto Golf or not rather depends on whether you like it, what you want from a car, how much it costs, etc. I wouldn't buy it because I don't like small auto cars, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy it if you like them. 135,000km is fine, fairly low mileage for the car's age. Parts availability will not be as good as something like a Commodore or Falcon (or even a Beetle) but it's not a very common car in Australia so what can you expect? There are specialists who will have everything you could possibly need in stock.
As for whether it's a worthy investment, I am unsure about this question. If you're asking whether it will appreciate in value, then obviously the answer is no. If you're asking whether it's the most economical way to own a car, once again probably not, as it would be cheaper on purchase price/parts/servicing costs to get something more common like a Corolla or Pulsar. If you enjoy driving it more than you would enjoy driving anything else you can get for the same money, then the answer is yes!
Just out of interest, what are you actually looking for in a car? Speed? Looks? Do you want to modify it? Change the wheels, body kit, engine mods? A stock automatic Golf will not be that exciting, but they are a solid, reliable car with a nice interior and that famous VW feeling of quality.
get a corolla or a pulsar auto but dont get an auto mk3 golf when problems start be prepared
iv had 2 of em and they werent that good.gear box issues with both.
get a manual not auto
I disagree. I have a '95 auto Golf GL and it does around 550 km a week in Sydney traffic, to and from work. It has 165,000 km on the original engine and gearbox. No problems with either. I keep it regularly maintained and serviced according to the VW Owners' Manual, but but maybe not everyone does. If you find a nice auto Golf with a good service history, don't be afraid to buy it. Then find a good Volkswagen workshop and have it serviced regularly.
Yes the electric windows can fail (mine never have), and the electro-pneumatic central locking can be a bit stange until you get used to it. They also go through air-con compressors as they aren't really suited to Australia's hot climate - mine needs a new one in fact - but there's nothing on them that a VW specialist can't fix. Engine parts are easy to get, not a problem at all. However you need to go to a VW specialist to get parts and service - you won't find parts at Supercheap or Robbos. But then Beetle and Kombi owners are in the same boat there. It isn't an issue.
Mk3 GLs were a special 'Australia' spec that had the 2.0-litre 85 kW engine (from the previous GTI); the Euro Golfs only had a 1.8. Their only disadvantage is that the passenger airbag means no glovebox. But their many advantages outweigh that.
They are a good solid, safe and reliable vehicle (if looked after properly). Sure if you are just after an appliance to get around in, and you aren't a VW enthiast, then there's plenty of Corollas for sale. But for the VW enthusiast, you wouldn't go past a Golf.
Thanks everyone for your advice!!!Great feedback Waveman1500 and Phil74Camper,i've got more than i imagined from your responses...I'm well aware that i can purchase a corolla but VW are well engineered and all cars cost at some stage.I will need to look into the service history of the vehicle to ensure that it has been regularly taken care of...however i'll need to investigate good VW specialist or enthusiast.I'm not worried about it's value in terms of it depreciating i'm aware but it's a classic! I guess the only concern i have is costs in regards to parts needing to be replaced as i currently have a 1982 Honda prelude and parts are impossible to find and won't be worth replacing as it cost me $3000...I'm not put off buying it i just want to know that i can rely on it and drive it on a couple of road trips if i can,so if you Phil74camper drive yours 550km a week then this car should be fine!Thanks SOOO much again for all your advice!
Golfs are still under-rated in Australia, for several reasons.
We never got the GTI model in the 1970s. Our first Golfs in 1976 were Aussie-assembled LS models, which suffered some quality control problems in Nissan's factory (which they'd bought from VW the previous year). Then when fully imported GLS models were introduced in 1977, they were way overpriced. The GLD diesel in '78 was a huge success, the most economical car on the market, but it was soon more expensive than a Kingswood. Petrol models were discontinued in 1979, and diesels in 1981. No Golfs were sold here at all from 1982 to 1989. Then, in 1989, we only saw the body-kitted Mk1 Cabrio, and a low-spec 8V version of the Mk2 GTI. The GTI was discontinued in 1992 and the Mk3 didn't appear here until 1994. The diesel Mk3 didn't appear until 1997 and we didn't see proper GTIs until the Mk4 in 1998. So it's been a spotty history here under previous importers. No complaints now though - VW is selling 12,000 Golfs a year here now so there will be plenty of good Mk5 and Mk6 Golfs on the second-hand market in years to come.
Good luck with finding a nice Mk3 !
Go for it, we're lucky enough to now own a very tidy MK2 GTI.
1963 Single Cab Ute: "El Concreto"
1962 Baja Beetle: "Peanut"
1968 Porsche 912 SWB: "Pip"
1972 Kombi Snail: "The Snail"
2012 Skoda Octavia Scout: "Scout"
2016 Scirocco R: "Rocco"
Ash
did they do Gti 's ever auto???
the auto part of the thread just strikes me.
B
want any vw bits old but like me, Made in Germany!!!
For the Mk2 GTI, in Europe yes, but not in Australia. The Mk2 GTI imported here by TKM/Inchcape from 1990 to 1992 was only available in 5-speed manual.
The Aussie Mk2 GTI had a 1781cc engine that produced 77 kW at 5400 rpm and 155 Nm at 3800 rpm. We didn't get any other Mk2 Golfs, unfortunately. They were a really nice machine - especially the 16V GTI that is such a collector vehicle in the UK.
The Aussie Mk3 GL had a 1984cc engine that produced 85 kW at 5400 rpm and 166 Nm at 3200 rpm. It was available here in either 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. We didn't get the GTI version of the Mk3 - we got the luxury VR6 instead as the 'top' model.
We didn't get the 'full' Golf range - petrols, diesels and the GTI - until the Mk4.
I've had my Mk3 karmann cabriolet for a few years now. Its 4speed auto and runs very smooth. Service history is a must.
Phil and waveman have covered everything else but i have to say that VW's in australia are getting more and more popular even to the stage that my local REPCO is stocking more and more parts.
Phil, The VR6 was the Aussie replacement for the GTI but as for "luxury " the karmann cabriolet was the way to go hehehe.
Tazz
1962 Type3 Squareback
1967 Type3 Fastback "Kermit"
The truth is important. It will set you free
We did get the mk2 gti in Auto here in Aus . It was a 3 speed .
And there were no mk4 diesels sold here .
Bug_racer wrote:We did get the mk2 gti in Auto here in Aus . It was a 3 speed .
This is a scan of the Australian 1990 Golf GTI brochure. It doesn't mention any Auto option - just the 5-speed manual. I suppose some autos could have been brought in later, before it was discontinued in 1992.
Bug_racer wrote:And there were no mk4 diesels sold here .
Yes I know, I did say that the Mk3 TDI didn't appear until 1997. I meant to say the 'full range' - ie petrols, diesels and the GTI - would have been the Mk5.
This is the 1997 Mk3 Australian brochure, last year before the Mk4 (in petrol only, in up to 5 different versions) replaced it.
Scan carsales occassionaly you'll find an auto here and there .
I must admit VW did bring in about a dozen diesel mk4's but they were never sold here .Kinda like the Sharan and Beetle RSI 😂
We had an auto '94 VR6 for a few years (it was aobut 10 years old then), and I reckon it was a great car. Had a few little problems (as most cars do), but most could be fixed at our local VW dealer and the cost was usually quite reasonable. It was great on long highway trips.
Only sold it to get a V5 Bora.
From your ole' mate Jeff
