Hi Guys and ladies I am returning to VW after desrting to BMW due to some "issues" with the VW dealership in Doncaster. previously I have had 2 mark II golf GTI's, an 8 and a 16 valve, followed by a mark III 16v. I then had enough of the issues the doncaster dealer caused so left the VW scene. [:^(] Recently I have driven a friends mark 5 GTI and compltely loved it. After doing some research i am a tad confused over which GTI to buy, either the GTI or the GTI Edition 30? What are the differences on the standard car? is it just the body work and darkened lights? Modifications i would evetually like to fit are a chip, induction kit, maybe a dump valve ( though I am not really sure what they do) and a quality exhaust. Ive got around 16-18k to spend on one so i am hoping to find a car in excellent condition . Really appritaite all genuine help, i am driving my wife to despair Thanks Jase
My girlfriend Claire has an Edition 30 , she got it new a year ago , the Ed30 if you didn't realise has a detuned S3 engine with larger turbo etc (230ps) - with a remap they can produce 270-280bhp Fantastic car, she road tested the R32 mk5 and ED30 on the same day (she had a mk4 R32 prior to getting the mk5) and in all honesty the Ed30 had more 'everyday' useable power, also R32 will be slighty worse on fuel and the road tax is a lot more expensive. She has recently had the car remapped and even with the stock exhaust/filters etc the car is seriously rapid, the mid range torque on it is storming.
I'm going through this exact process since I'm in the market for a Golf Mk5. I had my heart set on an R32.....until I drove the ED30. Got straight out of one car and then into the other for an accurate assessment. Don't get me wrong, the R32 is a great car with an utterly fantastic noise, but the ED30 just felt better. I was concerned about the torque in the ED30 - but it had bucket loads of it. The car is really for the wife since I've recently bought an RS4 Avant - so the R32 may have a been "too similar" to the RS4 - so the ED30 won the day. There been some good threads on this forum recently about GTI / ED30 / R32 comparisons - some really useful info, thanks. Anyone got a good ED30 for sale??
Whatever you do, find a specialist to take it to, instead of a dealer. There are still plenty of good Mk2s and Mk3s about
Yes the ED30 is better car over stock GTI, stronger engine, more power, better interior & exterior go for the best you want to spend your money on, if your after one with sat nav unit, you want the 510 (touchscreen version) TBH if your after a R32 keep to the mk4, mk 5 just sounds and looks good, I've spent time with all the models that been mentioned driving and working with them
I've owned my Black 2007 standard GTI for over 2 years now, and it's the best car I've owned. Last year I was tempted with an ED30, but it was going to cost 2K to swap for same reg with more miles on. Considering the differences, mainly 30bhp and part leather, it wasn't worth it. It depends on what you really want. Considering your budget, you could get a good ED30, or for the same money, a newer GTI with possibly more extras. Don't dismiss the standard GTI as it's a great car and can be upgraded to over 240 BHP for well under 500. Leeds VW had a black ED30 on their site for arouind 15K last week. My adsvice is go for the best example you can find, but don't rush in, it took me months to find mine!
