Golf GT TDi 140 - opinions?

[Ben_H]

I'm looking around at car options as a result of our first baby being due in the autum. I've always had performance cars and currently have a Clio 197, which is now borderline impractical given the due baby!

I've looked around the new Mk6 GT TDi and I'm not sure it's worth the extra cash. Alternatively, I'm thinking of a 2005-6 Mk5 5-door version of the same car, probably at around the £10-11k mark.

My father-in-law has exactly this car and I'm going to have a thorough poke around it this Sunday, without the pressure of a salesman. My wife and I don't drive to work, so the main use would be short trips around town and (mainly in terms of miles) longer drives for holidays and visits. I like an occasional hoon in my cars - although these will disappear I'm sure - and I do like to have a car that's a source of pride (kept clean etc).

I accept that it won't be a performance car, but is it worth adding a chip or tuning box to the TDi 140 engine? What are people's driving impressions? The other alternative would be a GTi, although I'm just not sure I'd use it in its capacity as a GTi on a regular basis. The TDi 140 just seems like such a default option that I want to be really sure it's for me!

[Ben]

I have a 140 gt tdi.

In my opinion, if you are only going to be using it for the run to the shops and its journeys are going to be bias towards short stop start round town stuff, then i'd look at a petrol as diesels don't like short journeys.

if you go with a diesel, don't bother with a chip - get a remap instead, i have, and with it came 191 bhp.