Golf GT TSi 160 Advise

[Andyw978]

Been looking at a few on auto trader and going to view one at a vw dealers tomorrow. It's a 2010 registered (59 plate) with 19800 on the clock. Now I know Sod all about vw's so any constructive input will be useful.

Thanks.

[-M-]

The 160ps or 118 kw version is a chain drive 1.4 twincharged engine which has/does have faults mainly with the power unit.

It has low miles which is a good thing. If you do buy always run it on 98 ron fuel as it has a good amount of power from a small unit but obviously you will help it out by running good fuel.

Full service history is a must and every 10k or 1year is the best schedule to be on - time and distance is so much better for the car than longlife/variable every time.

Manual transmission is ok, DSG is better but also comes with its own unique problems which are costly outside of warranty - namely clutch pack judder or harsh mechatronic shifts.

Roadtest the vehicle for a good amount of time - get a full history report from dealer including any previous repair history.

Make sure any outstanding engine or transmission software updates are carried out prior to sale as well as any upcoming service within the timeframe VW states on used car checklist.

Mk6 is overall a good vehicle with its faults mainly few and far between.

Make sure the VW used car checklist is carried out and that any problems found are rectified also.

Make sure the A/C is fully charged also - request that this is done prior to sale as summer is coming up in the UK.

[percymon]

Probably too late now but check for droning noises from the tyres between 25 and 35mph - this indicates the common sawtooth tyre wear on the rear tyres. If they have been swapped to the front then the noise will be even worse !

[slowhand]

To be really honest Andy, unless you want the power really bad, go for the 122 ps Match.
The 160 can be really thirsty if you use the power, and there are issues with this engine (premature bore wear), especially if it has been run on the longlife service schedule.
It is also a very complicated engine, and I suspect nothing on it will be cheap to fix if it goes wrong out of warranty.