[-PLP-]

Hello,
A new member here... who is looking for Golf with I5 2.5 only with MT.
That would be getting the 2.5 for me, but also as a car for my daughter.
Preferably a 5-door one, not really the Rabbit. Eventually Jetta, but Golf speaks more.

What I need from you folks, a good feedback which years are absolutely to avoid, and which are worth to get.
And of course any other tips or warnings. I heard about timing chain issues with pre 2008... real danger?

BTW, back in 90's my father had a 1982 Passat with 1.9 (or maybe 2.0) I5.
I loved this engine and its sound. Hence I want to get back to it.

As you may see - my rides are different, so different experience with different cars. I change cars every couple of years, what my wife hates. It is an addiction.
Previous: 2014 Fiat 500e, 2016 KIA Forte5 SX, 2016 Fiat 500X, and some old days: Trabant, Fiat 126p

 

[marcscar02]

Hello,
A new member here... who is looking for Golf with I5 2.5 only with MT.
That would be getting the 2.5 for me, but also as a car for my daughter.
Preferably a 5-door one, not really the Rabbit. Eventually Jetta, but Golf speaks more.

What I need from you folks, a good feedback which years are absolutely to avoid, and which are worth to get.
And of course any other tips or warnings. I heard about timing chain issues with pre 2008... real danger?

BTW, back in 90's my father had a 1982 Passat with 1.9 (or maybe 2.0) I5.
I loved this engine and its sound. Hence I want to get back to it.

As you may see - my rides are different, so different experience with different cars. I change cars every couple of years, what my wife hates. It is an addiction.
Previous: 2014 Fiat 500e, 2016 KIA Forte5 SX, 2016 Fiat 500X, and some old days: Trabant, Fiat 126p

I have a 2008 rabbit with the 5 speed. these cars are stupid reliable. timing chains were an issue pre-08 but I dont know how serious that was. only a few things to look out for, main one is the vacuum pump for failing and leaking oil.

I beat on my car almost every day and it hasn't given up on me yet. just crossed 91k yesterday. as long as it's been properly maintained, you should be ok.

 

[Boomer Guy]

In the Mark 5 series, the last two years, 2008 - 2009 got the improved timing chain tensioners and 20 more hp. My 2008 2.5 with the 09G 6-speed automatic has 153K miles on and burns no oil. Because I deleted the vacuum pump, it has no leaks. In spite of having an automatic transmission which I run in Sport mode on all roads except the interstate, I still get great gas mileage. It always starts, never overheats and performs flawlessly. It can cruise all day over 90 mph without even breathing hard. At idle, I can hardly hear the engine and above 4000 rpm's, it screams like a wildcat.
The rear door locks have minds of their own, however. One of them never locks and the other one sometimes locks from the outside intermittently. If you don't mind the weird German engineering and unnecessarily complicated DIY services, you will love this car. Just do the routine services and use the correct fluids, and it should last forever.

 

[87112]

I have a 2012 Jetta Wagen 75k, engine feels like a million bucks at times. I just love that feel of the inline 5. Its the main reason I got the car. I got it used at 67k and plan to run it to 250k. Inline 5 engines are a collectible at this time.

 

[Boomer Guy]

I have a 2012 Jetta Wagen 75k, engine feels like a million bucks at times. I just love that feel of the inline 5. Its the main reason I got the car. I got it used at 67k and plan to run it to 250k. Inline 5 engines are a collectible at this time.

You're right about them being collectible. A friend with a Mini wants to buy mine so badly that he has a standing request that he gets first refusal if I ever decide to sell it. I can definitely sell mine at a profit, but what would I replace it with?

 

[-PLP-]

Inline 5 engines are a collectible at this time.

You're right about them being collectible.

No, stop using this term
Not yet, until I get mine... well, for my daughter.

so in short - do not get 2007.
2008 and later are OK.
Were there 5-door Rabbits with MT? When I was researching it, I read that 5-door was only AT.

 

[Boomer Guy]

No, stop using this term
Not yet, until I get mine... well, for my daughter.

so in short - do not get 2007.
2008 and later are OK.
Were there 5-door Rabbits with MT? When I was researching it, I read that 5-door was only AT.

Even if you prefer the MT, the AT is awesome. I bought my 2008 2.5 from a long-time friend who is a professional mechanic. He bought this car as a used car 10 years prior to selling it to me. In spite of owning MT Mini's before owning this one, he was amazed at how well this 09G 6-speed performs. He offered me the car at a very reasonable price, so I bought it while expecting the automatic/manual Tiptronic to perform well. This is an understatement. The 2008-09 engine has the extra 20 hp and ft-lbs of long-stroke torque and will do well in D mode. However, I found that I can have an amazing amount of fun in S mode at all speeds under 70 mph since I live in mountain twisties. I like it even more than the manual manual mode. I love the sound of the 5-cylinder engine when it passes 4000 rpm's and this car still gets mpg's in the mid-20's on the secondary roads and mid-30's on the interstate while using 87 octane gas. I never thought I would like an automatic transmission but this one has converted me.
Even though it has a bad rap for quality, this transmission is performing perfectly with over 153K miles on it. All I do is change the ATF at 30K mile intervals. I changed the filter during the first service after I bought it and it was spotless, so I plan on just changing the fluid from now on.

 

[-PLP-]

Even if you prefer the MT, the AT is awesome.

I do not doubt it is good.
The reason to get MT is to have my kids exposed to MT. We travel overseas quite often. Americans are not accustom to 3 pedals and the need to shift gears.
Wifes car is AT. Mine (EV) is... EV so no gears at all. Porsche - no way I am teaching them how to drive MT.

Since I loved the I5 torque and sound, I thought that would be the best car.
It has very good balance of power and weight. And the sound is just something else.

 

[Boomer Guy]

I do not doubt it is good.
The reason to get MT is to have my kids exposed to MT. We travel overseas quite often. Americans are not accustom to 3 pedals and the need to shift gears.
Wifes car is AT. Mine (EV) is... EV so no gears at all. Porsche - no way I am teaching them how to drive MT.

Since I loved the I5 torque and sound, I thought that would be the best car.
It has very good balance of power and weight. And the sound is just something else.

I agree on teaching your kids how to drive. I taught my daughter how to drive with a 5-speed manual Honda CR-V and actually created a sort of obstacle course which required her to take off from a stop on inclines in forward and reverse. This course included changing tires, changing oil and doing basic troubleshooting. My Mazda Miata would mysteriously disappear from the garage when she lived at home. Now, she is a professional EMT driving all sizes of emergency vehicles with gasoline and diesel engines. Her personal vehicles now are a Jeep Wrangler with MT and a Honda Fit with AT -- go figure. She is a "girly-girl" with no fear of anything with wheels.

 

[maxeymum]

Just to clear up one thing, the Rabbit 5-cyl. was available as a four door with MT, but the Golf was only available with MT as a two door. I have a two door Golf with MT but wish it was a four door.

 

[Boomer Guy]

The VW Mark V was a Rabbit, not a Golf.

In 1974, it made its debut as the Golf in Europe.

In 1975, it made its debut as the Rabbit when it made its first appearance in Canada and the United States.

In 1985, it went back to the original Golf, and it remained as such for 21 years.

In 2006, when the new fifth generation, Mk V (2006-2009), it went back to Rabbit.

In 2010, it went back to Golf, and it continues today…so far.

Hope this helps in searching for Golf vs Rabbit bodies and parts.

 

[-PLP-]

You answered my question I had in mind...
But going one step further.
How long was the 2.5 in Golf/Rabbit? Am I correct it was also available in MK VI?

 

[Boomer Guy]

Yes, it continued into the Mk VI models. I found the info here:

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan information

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan information. Links in the article point to reviews, facts, pictures, comparisons and specifications.

www.velocityjournal.com

 

[Boomer Guy]

Yes, it continued into the Mk VI models. I found the info here:

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan information

2009 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan information. Links in the article point to reviews, facts, pictures, comparisons and specifications.

www.velocityjournal.com

OOPS! This link is still for the Mk V. Here is what I meant to show:

2010 Volkswagen Golf 5d information

2010 Volkswagen Golf 5d information. Links in the article point to reviews, facts, pictures, comparisons and specifications.

www.velocityjournal.com

 

[-PLP-]

Those are hard to find...

Thanks guys for all the info. I will keep looking.
I would prefer the 4 door due to the shorter front doors. The long wings are not my preference. Too easy for your drivers to smash cars parked next to them

 

[Boomer Guy]

Those are hard to find...

Thanks guys for all the info. I will keep looking.
I would prefer the 4 door due to the shorter front doors. The long wings are not my preference. Too easy for your drivers to smash cars parked next to them

I have the 4-door Rabbit (some call it the 5-door) and the front doors are longer than those on most 4-door cars, plus they open very wide for very easy ingress/egress. I actually make it a point to not open it to the second click when getting in because I have to hang way outside the car to reach the door handle. Yes, I'm short. In my opinion, you really can't notice the extra doors in the profile because of the clean design. The Mk 5 has the best curves.

 

[-PLP-]

I have the 4-door Rabbit (some call it the 5-door) and the front doors are longer than those on most 4-door cars, plus they open very wide for very easy ingress/egress. I actually make it a point to not open it to the second click when getting in because I have to hang way outside the car to reach the door handle. Yes, I'm short. In my opinion, you really can't notice the extra doors in the profile because of the clean design. The Mk 5 has the best curves.

But when you look at the 5-door vs 3-door (or 4 vs 2 respectively), the front doors in the 3-door version are much longer than in the 5-door. Am I right or it is just an optical illusion?
All 2 doors I had the doors were longer than the 4-door version (if existed).

 

[-PLP-]

A complete side not - I did not bother to read, but how long is it gonna take before I can post in Classified?
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