Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car?

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (Revelate)

You'll find the Scirocco an easy car to live with, and I'm sur for the price your willing to pay you should get a nice example. Economy wise it'll be about the same as a golf, and if looked after should return 35mpg on a ish day, and go on forever being in the US your body condition should be okay but look for the usual rust spots and for accident damage.......
Go on treat yourself to a Scirocco you won'r regret it...
Sorry I can't help with a test drive though........

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (Revelate)

Funny you should mention that b/c I just purchased a Mk2 Scirocco strictly as a commuter car - I'd been looking for an early A2 GTi 8v (rear discs are so much nicer than drums) BUT they've all been snapped up and trashed by this point. I lucked into an '88 16v Scirocco that is the proverbial "adult owned" car that was even relatively maintained by the previous owner!!
The biggest trick to finding a Mk2 16v is finding one that hasn't been beaten up by it's previous owner who thought it was a hot rod. In the price range you're looking, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a car that's in decent shape.
Comparing the Mk2 Scirocco to an A2 GTi isn't a very fair comparison - the Scirocco is an overweight Rabbit that still retains some of the "fun to drive" characteristics of the A1 chassis. In other words, it's still fairly nimble (about 2200 lbs empty) BUT it suffers from the normal A1 chassis shortcomings which made the A1 a flexible flyer. The A2 is a much more solid car which means that it also isn't as nimble but the chassis is head and shoulders above the A1. Perhaps the biggest detractor to the A1 is the terrible motor mount setup - the passenger-side mount is a constant headache that isn't a quick fix. Also bear in mind that the A1 chassis isn't getting any younger which means that all those dealer-only bits are now special order which adds expense and time to any little surprises.
The bigger question is what kind of a commuter car are you looking for. If you want a car that you and maybe one other person will ride in, the Scirocco fits the bill quite nicely. However, if you ever intend on carrying a herd of people and/or a caravan of stuff, the GTi or Jetta are better. Just remember that the Scirocco, even in stock trim is quite low to the ground. If you're short and fat such as myself, it's a real PITA to get out and up when exiting the Scirocco - in the GTi, it's just a fall-in, fall-out scenario.

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (mgyip)

I used my Scirocco for commuting duties for
a while and have made a little pros and cons
thingy for you!!

Pros
- Torquey (as in getting that spot in traffic
before that other guy !)
- Incredible seating (it's very low indeed,
and i have leather ....mmmmm)
- The long rear side windows offers a decent
view of traffic (especially when compared to the
Golf's larger C-pillars
- You say occasionnal but you'll find yourself driving
it more just for the fun of it !!
Cons
- Low, as in forget about seeing in front of an SUV !
- Noisy, put carpets and a good stereo in !
- Longer than it feels.......damn those US parkbenches !!!
- Fuel economy isn't bad but it's not a Honda !
Wouldn't be my first choice for a commuter car
but who am i to say, i drive one everyday.

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (darkrocco)

I've got 250K miles on my rocco.. original engine, tranny.. that thing can still pull on my friend's corrado g60 with a rebuilt charger.. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (DaiKa)

OVERWEIGht Rabbit.. .. i have to go on a diet.. heheh.. naw. roccos are great outta the box, you will enjoy it.. Seating position is prolly the best of all vw,s any rocc owner can vouch for that.

Thanks everyone for the excellent replies..
To respond to a few comments that were made:
Scirocco vs A2 GTI - So the MK2 Scirocco is built on the A1 chassis, even through '88? I was not aware of that. I know that Europe and some other countries got the MK2 Scirocco until the early '90s.. were these cars still built on the same chassis or did they ever redesign it after '83? If not, that sure is a long model lifespan!! Also, I'm not short, nor fat, so the Scirocco should work for me. Heck, if the Scirocco is bad, try getting in and out of a BMW Z3. That's my daily driver right now.
The Pro/Con list - Thanks! The great thing is, I don't care about any of the cons! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif I'm very used to a noisy cabin -> Z3 with the top down. Fuel economy, see below. Longer than it feels... I doubt it's any worse than my ex-Toyota Supra. 182 inches in a 2 door hatchback!
Cabin/cargo room - Don't need any. Just a drivers seat would be fine for me. I have a MKIV Jetta for any hauling needs.
Gas mileage - I really don't care. My last car was a heavily modified Toyota Supra Turbo that, on a good day, got 16mph. It didn't bother me a bit, it's just part of owning a car.
Possibility of a 8v - I'll have to test drive both of them to know which one I would like better, but my guess is that the newer 16vs will be more to my liking.
Feasibility as a commuter car - Sure, a Civic or Corolla may be more reliable, better gas mileage, quieter, blah blah, but in the end, I'm afraid I wouldn't drive one if I had it. Look at the cars in my sig and tell me if you'd drive an '86 Corolla over either of those.
One thing I've always told myself, and others, is that whatever vehicle I drive, it must put a smile on my face when I'm driving it. I want to know that no matter how bad my day has started or ended, I know that I can enjoy 30 minutes in my car, twice a day.
A Civic? A Corolla? Neither of those fit the bill. My guess is that a Scirocco will. Now I just have to test drive one... more to come.

Re: Do I want a MK2 Scirocco commuter car? (tnesh)

All Scirocco I and II, Rabbit Cabrios (Cabby),
Jetta I, Rabbit and Pick-up (Caddy )
were built on the A1 chassis.
It's the lightest and nimblest but it's also
the one that flexes the most. Think about
getting a lower-stress bar (16v already have one,
a front stress bar (one that uses BOTH BOLTS !!!)
and a rear triangulated stress bar (or just a
regular stress bar ) .
By the way, it may be low, but once the rear seat is
down and you remove the trunk panel, it swallows
a lot of stuff. You will go crazy trying to fit a mountain
bike though !!!
Been there, never again !