It looks good but its a POJ. I drove my Jap made car on a torn cv boot for 14 months without any issues. My buddy, in his vw, tore the cv boot and within 4 weeks the front axle had broken and the tire literally fell off. He has experienced electrical problems so severe that his radio never works, plus if the computer chip gets dust in it the car experiences catatonic seizures and stalls in the middle of nowhere. They are not built for Africa.

POJ? i disagree.

That's just one example. Yes parts are not as common/cheap as toyota but if you look after the car its good.

Engine itself is long lasting.... the plastic parts dont last.

I agree you can drive a toyota with an oil leak for much longer (like FOREVER) thAN YOU CAN WITH A GOLF.... but why would you treat a car that way?

FUN to drive, and impressive, fast stable, good take off. economical with like for like engine size. eg 1.6

Gti 1.8T 16v is breathtaking.

Africa? plenty in SA, west africa ..etc.

First post on Wazua for me. I own a VW Golf and it is anything but a Piece of Junk! I think it is the most reliable car ever, does not break down even though it has done close to 250,000 kms. The cost of spares compares favourably to GENUINE Toyota parts, e.g. I recently fitted new shocks at a total of 15,000 bob for four of them. Brand new, straight from Germany
Fuel consumption 10-11 kpl for urban driving and 16-20 kpl for longer trips.
The one drawback is that its electricals are prone to failure but that can be taken care of with good service.

About the shocks, you got conned or are lying to us. What you bought are either cheap chinese knock-offs or struts & definitely not oem shocks.

@ Sheep, i think it's one of those based on the Mark 2.
@ Mwafrika 31, who are you to say that I'm lying? I certainly know what I'm talking about when I say that those shocks are the original brand from Germany. Ever heard of BOGE dampers? any one with a German car will tell you about them. FYI the shocks by these manufacturer are good enough for the Ferrari 360, according to Wikipedia. Google that name and you'll see for yourself. Or you can check here
BOGE online catalog
I could even tell you the name of the shop from where I got them

First post on Wazua for me. I own a VW Golf and it is anything but a Piece of Junk! I think it is the most reliable car ever, does not break down even though it has done close to 250,000 kms

@MaryG. Isnt your above statement contradictory ?

MK2 may be okay but I am interested in the current models like MK4. The ones which are becoming common on our roads. The KB?s.

I have searched the internet and some of the stories about the GOLF MK4 are shocking while others are full of praise. I don't not whether the defects are factory defects. Just want to get it from the locals.

If you google "problems with VW golf" (or similar) those are the sort of 'biased' results you get.

If you google general VW golf reviews, I doubt you will get the same search results.

I have owned the following VWs: MkI,MkII,VW transporter(air cooled).Now i have a Mk4 golf.The air cooled transporter(like the ones MOI liked in the late eighties) was a headache.Air cooled engines dont work well in these climes.The water cooled ones are good.

MkI golf was very basic,had it for a very short while.The MKII stayed for more than 3 years.The MkII feels heavier than it looks i.e.it feels more stable than the 100 toyota corrolla when you drive it.Parts were always and are still very available.
The problem is servicing.Take it to the wrong mechanic and you have lots of headaches.

MkIV golf 1.6 has lots of creature comforts, double airbags,side airbags,trip computer.Most of the stuff in the Audis are found here.The electricals can be an issue.Over the past 5 years lots of mechs have aquired electronic diagnostic tools that can be used to find any problems.Parts used to be an issue(only @CMC) but now there are a couple of people who stock them.
Avoid the 1.8T engine-lots of problems.This engine is the same one that disturbs passats.
Manuals are better than Autos.Autos need a lot of care and tend to develop problems when they get older.

Fuel consumption- Not as good as the jap cars.i think the 1.6 engine has a heavy body to pull.2.0. may be a good compromise.If money was no object the 3.2 Golf-R32 would be my choice.

Resale Value: price drops by more than 40% after 1 year's use regardless of condition.
P.S. MK V imports have already begun, so Mk IV may soon be old news.

Much safer than the Allions/Premios in an Accident

Really insightful. Been with my Golf 3 months and its one hell of a good car so far. Like someone said - Your Car is only as good as the care you give it

Any new insights from VW golf owners? This was an interesting read. Opinions on cars are indeed as varied as they come.