Polo 2014 1.4 DSG Gti advise

[6spdmanual]

What about the Golf 6 GTI DSG? Is that worth buying from a reliability point? I can’t go a month without thinking of getting one.

 

[nazmo]

What about the Golf 6 GTI DSG? Is that worth buying from a reliability point? I can’t go a month without thinking of getting one.

The Golf 6 IMO is the best looking golf in the past 15 yrs. Definately more reliable than the 1.4 TSi. However they do have their issues over 100 000kms. However since the platform is so common, and engine, way more maintenance options out there. After my polo gti I was actually looking at a used golf 7 GTi, but decided to get something sillier since the wife got a Tiguan, one sensible VW enough lol. Other brands not an option?

 

[6spdmanual]

The Golf 6 IMO is the best looking golf in the past 15 yrs. Definately more reliable than the 1.4 TSi. However they do have their issues over 100 000kms. However since the platform is so common, and engine, way more maintenance options out there. After my polo gti I was actually looking at a used golf 7 GTi, but decided to get something sillier since the wife got a Tiguan, one sensible VW enough lol. Other brands not an option?

They are. I’m open to many options right now. VW Golf/Polo GTI DSG, BMW 125i F20, Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI, Focus ST3, Fiesta ST, Audi S3 8p, Golf VI R. In short I’d love something that’s a quick hatchback. This isn’t even a complete list. But I’m open to a lot.

 

[nazmo]

They are. I’m open to many options right now. VW Golf/Polo GTI DSG, BMW 125i F20, Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI, Focus ST3, Fiesta ST, Audi S3 8p, Golf VI R. In short I’d love something that’s a quick hatchback. This isn’t even a complete list. But I’m open to a lot.

I went through a similar exersize:

1) Clio RS - I own a trophy. 162kw stock (im on 180kw though). my most reliable car to date ironically, Nissan Nismo engine. Dual clutch was important as my wife cant drive manual. Problems with the car, not as well put together as a VW. has quirks. However its my most fun car. I had the 2.0 NA ST before, polo gti before, Conquest RSi before. Advantages. Its unique, its bloody quick around bends and lift off oversteer ftw. Race mode is RACE MODE, so you can hit the limiter... Akrapovic exhaust, GTR metal shifting pedals... etc.. etc... alot of great standard kit. ( S3 speed around the ring, 7 seconds faster than golf GTI around the ring,)

2) Focus ST3 - I didnt want a big car after we got the tiguan. The focus will definately give you more bang for buck than a golf. But not as good an all rounder or resale. Also in a drag, when i was stock, i sat with one in the clio. its not as fast as a golf 7 GTI.

3) Fiesta ST - Was an option, but manual only. Also not a fan of the looks. However its hailed as one of the most fun affordable hatches of any size. They tuned hard, so the engine appears solid.

4) Peugeot GTI - I believe is shares engine with Mini? fun car. but I feel clio more reliable as it has a japanese engine.

5) S3 8P - Like VW, well made, nice place to be, quick. but not the most dynamic car. Golfs are more dynamic (and better resale)

6) Golf 6R - The most beautiful golf ever made since the golf 2. PERIOD. its age is against it, they probably all hammered. I feel a good example should be your weekend car and not to be dailied.

7) 125i F20 - RWD, BMW, always going to be a drivers car. not blistering though...

Honourable mention - Corsa OPC. beautiful car. epic seats. but apparently the engine is a ticking timebomb.

Not sure if any of this helps. The one thing you didnt consider, is the Polo GTI facelift that came with the much more reliable 1.8T engine.

 

[6spdmanual]

I went through a similar exersize:

1) Clio RS - I own a trophy. 162kw stock (im on 180kw though). my most reliable car to date ironically, Nissan Nismo engine. Dual clutch was important as my wife cant drive manual. Problems with the car, not as well put together as a VW. has quirks. However its my most fun car. I had the 2.0 NA ST before, polo gti before, Conquest RSi before. Advantages. Its unique, its bloody quick around bends and lift off oversteer ftw. Race mode is RACE MODE, so you can hit the limiter... Akrapovic exhaust, GTR metal shifting pedals... etc.. etc... alot of great standard kit. ( S3 speed around the ring, 7 seconds faster than golf GTI around the ring,)

2) Focus ST3 - I didnt want a big car after we got the tiguan. The focus will definately give you more bang for buck than a golf. But not as good an all rounder or resale. Also in a drag, when i was stock, i sat with one in the clio. its not as fast as a golf 7 GTI.

3) Fiesta ST - Was an option, but manual only. Also not a fan of the looks. However its hailed as one of the most fun affordable hatches of any size. They tuned hard, so the engine appears solid.

4) Peugeot GTI - I believe is shares engine with Mini? fun car. but I feel clio more reliable as it has a japanese engine.

5) S3 8P - Like VW, well made, nice place to be, quick. but not the most dynamic car. Golfs are more dynamic (and better resale)

6) Golf 6R - The most beautiful golf ever made since the golf 2. PERIOD. its age is against it, they probably all hammered. I feel a good example should be your weekend car and not to be dailied.

7) 125i F20 - RWD, BMW, always going to be a drivers car. not blistering though...

Honourable mention - Corsa OPC. beautiful car. epic seats. but apparently the engine is a ticking timebomb.

Not sure if any of this helps. The one thing you didnt consider, is the Polo GTI facelift that came with the much more reliable 1.8T engine.

Yeah. That’s pretty extensive. Thanks Bud. I don’t want the face lifted 1.8T because my best mate has it. Lol I’m fine with it.

Honestly my favourite here is the 6 GTI. But like you say, they’ve been driven a bit and I can’t be expecting a new car.

I test drove the Clio RS 18 F1 last year in February. What a car!! I remember it being super harsh though ride-wise, and that exhaust was audible even when I was on highway cruising speeds. Maybe it’s because I was on Race Mode I’m guessing.

What attracts me to the Fords and the Peugeot is the manual gearbox. I still love three pedals, but I wouldn’t be too sad if I replace that with a dual clutch transmission.

My ultimate car is an M140i, but I feel I need to progress slowly to one. I have a 118i now, so that’s where I am in terms of performance. But yeah, if I had to choose one of those I listed now, I’d say a Golf 6 GTI.

 

[Foxhound5366]

Back in the good old days I was a motoring journalist. I'll never forget how much fun I had driving the 2014 Polo GTI ... it was an insane little pocket rocket. Don't compare it to anything above its class and just see it for what it is: way faster than an unassuming hatch should be. I loved every bit of it.

Now as for all the experts talking about engine reliability ... meh. That's the risk with absolutely any secondhand car. You buy ANY sporty car secondhand, you know it wasn't driven by a granny on her milk-run ... somebody, somewhere, thrashed it and then got tired of it. I kinda trust VW diagnostics: if VW tests it and doesn't pick up any errors, you're probably gonna be ok.

 

[nazmo]

Yeah. That’s pretty extensive. Thanks Bud. I don’t want the face lifted 1.8T because my best mate has it. Lol I’m fine with it.

Honestly my favourite here is the 6 GTI. But like you say, they’ve been driven a bit and I can’t be expecting a new car.

I test drove the Clio RS 18 F1 last year in February. What a car!! I remember it being super harsh though ride-wise, and that exhaust was audible even when I was on highway cruising speeds. Maybe it’s because I was on Race Mode I’m guessing.

What attracts me to the Fords and the Peugeot is the manual gearbox. I still love three pedals, but I wouldn’t be too sad if I replace that with a dual clutch transmission.

My ultimate car is an M140i, but I feel I need to progress slowly to one. I have a 118i now, so that’s where I am in terms of performance. But yeah, if I had to choose one of those I listed now, I’d say a Golf 6 GTI.

I hope you find a good Golf 6. probably the best option of the lot without breaking the bank

Yeah. my car is basically the RS18 but in Yellow. It is harsh, and it is obnoxious, hence its a bit left field. I wouldnt have it as the ONLY car in our household.

 

[nazmo]

Back in the good old days I was a motoring journalist. I'll never forget how much fun I had driving the 2014 Polo GTI ... it was an insane little pocket rocket. Don't compare it to anything above its class and just see it for what it is: way faster than an unassuming hatch should be. I loved every bit of it.

Now as for all the experts talking about engine reliability ... meh. That's the risk with absolutely any secondhand car. You buy ANY sporty car secondhand, you know it wasn't driven by a granny on her milk-run ... somebody, somewhere, thrashed it and then got tired of it. I kinda trust VW diagnostics: if VW tests it and doesn't pick up any errors, you're probably gonna be ok.

Tend to disagree. As an OWNER of the polo gti. i found it quick, well made. but Oh so boring. my slower 112kw Fiesta ST was more engaging. And no, the twincharged motors are TERRIBLE. well above the average of breakdowns one would expect. So bad VW cancelled it and changed an engine mid life cycle, I have never seen that happen to this degree. I remember throwing in 500ml of expensive fully synthetic every SECOND tank and it was in spec.

 

[TheChamp]

How do manufacturers end up getting it so wrong, surely someone should notice there's something wrong with it while still in the development phase?

 

[nazmo]

How do manufacturers end up getting it so wrong, surely someone should notice there's something wrong with it while still in the development phase?

A fascinating fact. look at the worlds top engines for the past few years:

• 8: Mazda Renesis Rotary. ...
• 7: BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo. ...
• 6: BMW 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid. ...
• 5: Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive. ...
• 4: Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI twin-charger. ... and BMW V10
• 3: BMW M 3.2-litre straight-six. ...
• 2: Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost. ...
• 1: Ferrari 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8.

The ford ecoboost is known to pop turbos. the twincharge, well we all know how terrible that is. the 3.0 Twinturbo BMW, i believe it was the older problematic engine. the Mazda Rotary, well we all know its apex seals. The BMW V10 is wonderful when you a journalist, terrible to own.

So just because an engine is award winning, doesnt guarantee it will succeed in the real world.

 

[Neuk_]

Back in the good old days I was a motoring journalist. I'll never forget how much fun I had driving the 2014 Polo GTI ... it was an insane little pocket rocket. Don't compare it to anything above its class and just see it for what it is: way faster than an unassuming hatch should be. I loved every bit of it.

Now as for all the experts talking about engine reliability ... meh. That's the risk with absolutely any secondhand car. You buy ANY sporty car secondhand, you know it wasn't driven by a granny on her milk-run ... somebody, somewhere, thrashed it and then got tired of it. I kinda trust VW diagnostics: if VW tests it and doesn't pick up any errors, you're probably gonna be ok.

Most would disagree with you and they would be right, that twin charged 1.4 TSi had issues out the box, in all cars it was used in, thrashed or not. And don't get me started on VW diagnostics, especially if you are talking about VW dealerships, good ones are few and far between and there are even fewer that can properly handle complicated issues.

 

[TheChamp]

A fascinating fact. look at the worlds top engines for the past few years:

• 8: Mazda Renesis Rotary. ...
• 7: BMW 3.0-litre twin-turbo. ...
• 6: BMW 1.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid. ...
• 5: Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive. ...
• 4: Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI twin-charger. ...
• 3: BMW M 3.2-litre straight-six. ...
• 2: Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost. ...
• 1: Ferrari 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8.

The ford ecoboost is known to pop turbos. the twincharge, well we all know how terrible that is. the 3.0 Twinturbo BMW, i believe it was the older problematic engine. the Mazda Rotary, well we all know its apex seals.

So just because an engine is award winning, doesnt guarantee it will succeed in the real world. The V10 M5 engine as well, was hailed as exceptional. Except its a potential failure.

Very interesting, now we know there's definitely something wrong with it if it wins awards.

 

[nazmo]

Most would disagree with you and they would be right, that twin charged 1.4 TSi had issues out the box, in all cars it was used in, thrashed or not. And don't get me started on VW diagnostics, especially if you are talking about VW dealerships, good ones are few and far between and there are even fewer that can properly handle complicated issues.

VW diagnostics. LOL! they "fixed" my car multiple times, only to have the issue 500m away from the dealership

 

[Neuk_]

VW diagnostics. LOL! they "fixed" my car multiple times, only to have the issue 500m away from the dealership

The best story I have heard, although it was solved by a VW dealership mechanic but if you knew him like I did you would know he wasn't just any dealership mechanic, was when a car arrived with the strangest electrical issues like lights going on and off, dashboard working intermittently, car cutting out, various ECU faults, etc, etc. It was such a dog show that VWSA had sent the car from dealership to dealership until it eventually ended up at Hatfield VW Bryanston in the capable hands of Morne. The first thing Morne did was to clean all the negative earthing points on the car as well as the battery terminals to insure proper contact and voila! I do miss Morne as a VW owner, he did a lot of private work on my and friends VW's and Audi's over the years, he is just brilliant and the nicest guy in the world, one of the reasons he was poached by VW Canada.

 

[nazmo]

The best story I have heard, although it was solved by a VW dealership mechanic but if you knew him like I did you would know he wasn't just any dealership mechanic, was when a car arrived with the strangest electrical issues like lights going on and off, dashboard working intermittently, car cutting out, various ECU faults, etc, etc. It was such a dog show that VWSA had sent the car from dealership to dealership until it eventually ended up at Hatfield VW Bryanston in the capable hands of Morne. The first thing Morne did was to clean all the negative earthing points on the car as well as the battery terminals to insure proper contact and voila! I do miss Morne as a VW owner, he did a lot of private work on my and friends VW's and Audi's over the years, he is just brilliant and the nicest guy in the world, one of the reasons he was poached by VW Canada.

Dude, ALL BRANDS got mostly crap service. They not mechanics, they diagnostic plug in operators and part replacers. So something like a loose terminal isnt a field on diagnostics, they will swop out your ECU before checking that lol. I changed VW's after that incident for better service further away. Same with my Clio, I take it 80KM for a service because they actually care. give detailed breakdowns of everything, reports on batteries, tires, as well as recommended preventative maintence. They also found faults the previous dealer created. like not re-attaching parts properly etc... As far as i know, BMW probably the best

 

[PhireSide]

They are. I’m open to many options right now. VW Golf/Polo GTI DSG, BMW 125i F20, Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTI, Focus ST3, Fiesta ST, Audi S3 8p, Golf VI R. In short I’d love something that’s a quick hatchback. This isn’t even a complete list. But I’m open to a lot.

Be the first guy on here to lay his hands on the keys to a Hyundai i30 N

 

[nazmo]

Be the first guy on here to lay his hands on the keys to a Hyundai i30 N

Epic Car. Unfortunately Hyundai shafted us by bringing it in limited numbers and artificially making it overpriced. its meant to be a bargain

 

[PhireSide]

Epic Car. Unfortunately Hyundai shafted us by bringing it in limited numbers and artificially making it overpriced. its meant to be a bargain

Too true.

I think the local manufacturers have import credits to their benefit as well, so they can keep their models cheap.

I saw a few sub-R600k models on AutoTrader, but they would need to fall another R50k or so before most will consider them

 

[nazmo]

Too true.

I think the local manufacturers have import credits to their benefit as well, so they can keep their models cheap.

I saw a few sub-R600k models on AutoTrader, but they would need to fall another R50k or so before most will consider them

You can get the new megane RS for under 500k. Its my default choice at that price bracket

 

[PhireSide]

You can get the new megane RS for under 500k. Its my default choice at that price bracket

That is actually very well priced. Plus, Meganes are pretty scarce on the roads so it would stand out on the roads, for sure.

What does the base Golf GTi retails for nowadays? R600k?