Some sneak details of mods to the 2003 version of the Golf GTI (1.8T version)

2003 spec Golf to start production after week 18.

Spec
Golf GTI 1.8T 180BHP 6 Speed
2003 Full UK Spec
Pearl Effect Paint
Leather Recaro's
Santa Monica's
Winter Pack
Climate Control
Rain Sensitive Wipers/Auto dimming mirror
Centre Arm Rest
Cruise Control (Standard on 2003 Spec)
Rear Roof Spoiler
Gamma Radio/CD

Apparently the import price will be around the £17,300 mark

Sounds like a deal!

 

I guess I'm using that 6 speed box in my MY02 S3, it's alot better than any of the old Audi/VW group boxes I've used before
Loads of tuning available for the 1.8T engine.
Ta
Chuck

 

So the same spec as a Seat Leon Cupra - import price £13k.

Now that's a bargain

 

Hence the use of the

 

My cousin has a Leon Cupra, great car.
Looks much better than the new Golf to imo.

 

Having driven both, it's a much nicer car full stop.

Unless the VW badge means a lot to you of course

 

Let's not forget the Skoda Octavia RS in this discussion, my UK car cost me £14,600 and the spec is:-

180 bhp, traction control, part leather, metallic silver paint, ABS, 17in alloys, computer, 6 cd changer, climate control, CAT 1 alarm, x4 elec windows, 3year unlimited mileage warranty, variable service intervals, £120 per service, massive boot........etc

 

and you can chip 'em (alledgedly ), now found (through bitter experience) that the Octavia has more in common with the TT than the Golf in terms of engine, brakes and suspension. Golf is smaller, more common and bl00dy expensive, IMHO. Better off with the poor relations of the VAG family.

 

......god only knows how fast your RS is because mine in standard tune will easily crack 140mph

 

What's the insurance like on the Cupra's and Tavia's?

I guess MPG is as bad as the Scooby if you thrash it?

 

Question - are all Tavia RS's 4x4 or is it an option? What's std power as well? 150 or 180?

[Edited by ChrisB - 4/18/2002 12:40:31 PM]

 

Paul_T, what's the Octavia like compared to the Scoob, they look quite good ?

cheers

 

OK, some answers:

Economy
Motorways about 35-40 mpg if cruising at indicated 80
Normal cross country driving 30-35
Around town, about 27-32
On UK trackday about 11
@ the Ring, between 8-12

Insurance
Was good, but has been re-asessed. With "minor" mods, full protected NCD, 1 speeding, GU24 postcode and Mrs TaviaRS I pay, unlimited business miles, £700 fully comp

All RS Octavias are FWD. Skoda do make an Octavia 4x4, hatch and estate. Standard power, although quoted at 180 for the RS, appears to be 190-195 (I've seen 4 on the rollers at PE), the 4x4 is 150. Can be easliy chipped to 220-230 without internal work. Swap the turbo, injectors and exhaust and 260 is poss. You can get a fully TUV approved conversion to 340 (about £12k incl suspension and brakes, fitted).

They have better handling than the Leon, although acceleration off the line is ****e, first gear runs to 47mph!

Brakes on the RS are fairly big (312x25) and are effective, if a little sharp. They fade easily though under spirited driving. Upgrades are available.

Now available in 5 colours; Rally Red, Black Magic, Candy White, Diamond Silver and Cat Sick, sorry Lemon, Yellow.

I've had mine for 6 months now, from new, and have done just over 30,000 miles. Servicing is cheap. 10k, £58 20k, £148 30k £75.

Owt else you wanna know?

 

Hmmm.

May have to go and test that as well.

Thought the Leon was a cracking car for £13k with lecetric leather seats

V easy to chip. Cheap to run etc etc.

Was going for a Golf TDI but after being pi55ed about and prices attracting a premium, Seat is far far better value all round.

Think I need to pop down to the skoda garage.

Do the badges come off?

 

Yep, badges come off easily. A VW badge is a straight swap (although not shown in the accesories catalogue ). The RS badge can be swapped for 1.4i or 1.6i (again, alledgedly ), the Octavia bit can be pulled off.






Can't find any without the Skoda badge tho'. Most people actually like it, mainly 'cos it upsets other motorist when overtaken by a Skoda!

If you've got any other questions or wanna look at piccies of the various other colours try:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeroforum?id=110
www.octaviars.com



[Edited by TaviaRS - 4/18/2002 1:59:31 PM]

 

Oi, TaviaRS, don't you know how to resize piccies??



Bloody Skoda's are getting everywhere, way too common, and they fall to bits, avoid like the plague!

(gotta keep em a secret )

[Edited by ianc - 4/18/2002 1:55:01 PM]

 

Hmmm, gotta visit a customer this afternoon and their just down the road from the Skoda garage...

1.6i bagde - I love it

 

do they do one with twin exhaust pipes ?

I followed one on the M4 the other day and I am sure it had twin exit's - quite quick as well....

 

kinda - the 1.8T (non-RS) models have a dual exit but its hidden under the bumper - if you saw an RS with twins then it was a new exhaust, what colour was it?

 

Silver with twin exit's - one each side of the rear bumper. Looked like a factory job rather than an aftermarket bolt on. Looked nice car and fairly quick, I'm pretty sure it was a Octavia, although could have been a VW Bora or some sort of trick Audi, although they dont have twin exit's ???

Don't remember seeing a big VW insignia on the front...I dont know they all look the same...

[cant say that about the bug-eye]!

 

The new Audi A4 1.8T's and V6's have the twin rear exhausts which look tip top and could be mistaken for an Octavia.

I also like the 1.6i badge on your RS though - reminds me of a car we used for drag racing (and on the road!) a few years back. It was a nice sensible 4 door Mk2 Escort with 1.1 badges and was completely stock, oh yeah, apart from the 5.0 V8 engine

Rich

 

Only reason for revisions with extras is cos of what all manufacturers do before a new model comes out, add on some pretties and punt them from huge stock. Makes for an apparently good bargain but means in 6months time it will be the old model. Call me a synic.

Still talking about the golf by the way.

[Edited by FreeT - 4/18/2002 5:25:33 PM]

 

FreeT, you are a cynic!

Yep, twin pipes either side is the new A4, either 1.8T or 3.0.

 

Did'nt think of the A4, but having looked at their new A4 I dont think it was that as I would have noticed the 'olypic rings' insignia on the grill and boot. Also zorst exits where higher up the bumper, mmmm this is becoming a mystery motor.....

no one's mentioned that dirty word - residual yet.....

[Edited by mashwrx - 4/19/2002 8:26:42 AM]

 

RS insurance for me (32, full NCB, 3 points, business use, parked on a driveway, East Yorkshire postcode) is £666, no added cost to make 10 payments across the year.

Did consider long and hard an Impreza before choosing the RS.....deciding factors had to be the insurance, can park it anywhere, fuel economy, servicing costs, practicality, performance, good warranty and the "not many people realize the performance" factor that the Impreza used to have.

Other cars I considered were:-

Seat Leon Cupra
Accord Type R
Saab 9000 Aero
Golf GTI/V5/4-motion
A3 1.8T

Would be interested how Impreza owners find the RS in comparison.

 

personally I think the RS is a good looking car, and seems a good package on the face of it, about £6k cheaper than a WRX??

But, if you consider the hard and soft differences IMHO seems to work out pro-rata cheaper compared to a WRX at the end of the day, no better value for money, but no worse either:
- no 4wd
- 135bhp/ton vs Scoob 159bhp/ton
- weaker residual ?
- badge appeal ?
- heritage of the marque ?

At the end of the day I guess it depends on your budget, both cars offer excellent value for money at 'their respective price'...

 

Don't forget emissions if its a co car. RS is 192, whats the scoob, 230 (a guess)? Then percentage of purchase price, mine comes in at 3k taxable benefit (20% of 15k). Works out better for me. I did a comparison before cancelling my MY01 WRX wagon. It would have cost me £12k a year to run, excluding depreciation and co car tax. The Skoda comes in at just under £6k. Mine has had minor mods, chip, exhaust, suspension and brakes. Now got 228bhp and 242 lb/ft torque. Total cost of all mods is about £1600.

As you say, you pays your money and takes your choice, I'm happy.

 

Oh and heritage of the marque? Mmmmm. We talking class wins in rallying? Length of time spent making cars? Or something else?

Badge appeal? I love it, its a reverse snobbery thing. and mines only 176 per tonne. True on the FWD thing though. Could always buy the 4x4 though and chip that up to the same as mine. I know someone planning to do just that with a plain looking 4x4 estate )

 

TaviaRS - sounds interesting, what mods have you done on your RS, £16.6k for 228 BHP sounds pretty good value!

How does it compare to a Scoob for driving ?
I'm not an out-and-out racer and don't want anything radical as most of my mileage is comuting...I'm interested in noise levels, ride comfort, drivability, build quality etc

Cheers

 

£1600 for all them mods? Sounds very reasonable. Any more details on what it consists of?