Golf VR6 or Audi A4 Quattro 2.8i v6?

Golf VR6 or Audi A4 Quattro 2.8i v6?

Author
Discussion

ChristheCarNut

Original Poster:

27 posts

211 months

Thursday 12th April 2007
quotequote all
Hi guys, I'm thinking of buying either a MK3 Golf VR6 or an Audi A4 Quattro with the 2.8i v6 engine. They will be on a '96 or '97 plate for insurance purposes.
Which one confused

I know the Audi is slightly less powerful than the Golf and is of course heavier.
I currently own a 1995 Subaru Impreza Wagon Turbo 2000 but my wife needs to start using a car for short trip to/from work. An Impreza is not ideal for this because of fuel consumption (17-20 mpg round town is not unusual). I know the Golf gets around 25 mpg.
Thanks,
Chris.

driving

mat205125

17,790 posts

218 months

Thursday 12th April 2007
quotequote all
Completely different engine and car.

Personally I'd take the slower, but more practical Audi for my daily driving. If I was still working close to home, however, I'd have the golf.

Both are (relative to the size of engine) underpowered, overweight and slow.

A corrado VR6 would be nicer if you must have a dub.

What's the budget, and wait for the usual suggestions .... I'll stick the E36 coupe oar in now!

christhecarnut

Original Poster:

27 posts

211 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
Not interested in BMW's-been there done that etc.
I've read a lot of positive stuff about the VR6. It's got a hell of a lot of torque and 30-100 it's a Boxter beater.
My Subaru is great-reliable,practical, fun and bloody fast. It's too big for my wife though and so the VR6 looks like a nice coice to me.
Budget is around £3000.
Ta,
Chris.
driving

nbetts

1,455 posts

234 months

Friday 13th April 2007
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Take the VR6 Golf - Neither are top drivers cars - but the Golf is more interesting to drive then the Audi.

The audi is more comfy.

tigger1

8,402 posts

226 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
christhecarnut said:

My Subaru is great-reliable,practical, fun and bloody fast. It's too big for my wife though


In that case, how was the A4 ever an option?

MX5?

paperbag

JonRB

75,633 posts

277 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
Why have a Golf VR6 when you can have a Corrado VR6?

The Corrado has 100cc more engine capacity, more power, more torque, far better handling and looks far more special too.

tino

1,948 posts

288 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
You'll find it far easier to find a Golf than a Corrado VR6. I spend 6 mthe looking for the latter, and came across many decent looking Golfs for well under half of the price of the C. (Got one in the end though, and love it!!)
If journeys are short, and ran on mostly a cold engine, I very much doubt you will see 25mpg out of the VR6. We seem to be getting around 20 on short journeys.(That engine noise doesn't help consumption either, even my mrs loves it).
The MK3 GTi 16v is very underrated, and hence cheap! But if you must have a V6, I would take the Golf.

The Walrus

1,857 posts

210 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
I would take the mk3 VR dont forget to look for the highline spec if you can get one 10bhp more plus better looking colour coded arch and side trims bbs alloys etc

ChristheCarNut

Original Poster:

27 posts

211 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
I think I'm going to go for the Corrado VR6. I know friend (a mechanic) who has one for sale. Is there anything to look out for that goes wrong or are they pretty solid?
I know it's been well looked after and regularly serviced. There are a couple of rust spots but nothing that can't be easily fixed!
Ta,
Chris.
driving

JonRB

75,633 posts

277 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
ChristheCarNut said:
I think I'm going to go for the Corrado VR6. I know friend (a mechanic) who has one for sale. Is there anything to look out for that goes wrong or are they pretty solid?

There are a several known issues, but they're all known - few surprises.

Check that the timing chains have been done if over 100k miles (most examples are now) - it's not a timebomb if they haven't as they don't need to be done until they start rattling but it is a future expense if they have not. You generally do the clutch and the chains at the same time as there is a lot of common labour.

ChristheCarNut

Original Poster:

27 posts

211 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
Is there a Wolfsburg Edition? Made in 1995? It has leather etc.

Hope so 'cos I've got a bloody bargain if that's the case!!

JonRB

75,633 posts

277 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
ChristheCarNut said:
Is there a Wolfsburg Edition? Made in 1995? It has leather etc.

A lot of late VR6s were specced with leather (mine was) and the Storm had leather as standard. I'm not familiar with a "Wolfsburg Edition" though. confused

RichBurley

2,432 posts

258 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
Golf VR6s are known for their outputs being overrated, slightly. Does this make much difference comparing the power, now? Also, the VR6 is 12 valve. I don't know how many valves the A4 has. I was always unimpressed by the performance of my VR6 - it had a notchy gearbox, felt slower than my 323i, and the brakes were nothing special, either. The A4 is 4WD, so that affects 0-60 and all that, but if I was buying again, I'd take the A4 2.8 Quattro over another VR6...

JonRB

75,633 posts

277 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
RichBurley said:
I was always unimpressed by the performance of my VR6 - it had a notchy gearbox, felt slower than my 323i, and the brakes were nothing special, either.

That may be true of the Golf VR6, but I can assure you that the Corrado VR6 would murder the 323i.

The difference in the Golf VR6's performane claims and the Corrado's are quite significant though. I seem to remember the Golf was something around 7½s whilst the Corrado was 6.4s

Edited by JonRB on Friday 13th April 14:00

tino

1,948 posts

288 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
ChristheCarNut said:
Is there a Wolfsburg Edition? Made in 1995? It has leather etc.

Hope so 'cos I've got a bloody bargain if that's the case!!

laugh
A common misconception, and one that the corrado boys pick up on.
The corrado wasn't actually built or had nothing to do with Wolfsburg.
There were the Storms, 500 in total 250 Mystic Blue with black heated leather, and 250 Classic Green with cream heated leather.Both came with BBS Solitude wheels There are no other differences,but for some reason they fetch premium.
The Green was available as a non storm model, Mystic blue was Storm only.
They also did a lesser known campaign model, in I think a dusty violet pearl.

greatgranny

9,279 posts

231 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
Wasn't there a Campaign model which is uber rare?

JonRB

75,633 posts

277 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
greatgranny said:
Wasn't there a Campaign model which is uber rare?

Yes. I understand that it was a dealer special to kick start the launch of the VR6, so as such it will be a 1992 car and hence 4 years older than the newest example of a VR6.

ChristheCarNut

Original Poster:

27 posts

211 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
So what will that Corrado be?
It's a 1995 VR6 in green with leather interior.

tino

1,948 posts

288 months

Friday 13th April 2007
quotequote all
If the leather is cream, it may be a Storm.
If not, its just another VR6

agent006

12,058 posts

269 months

Friday 13th April 2007
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Audi Changed the 2.8 from a 12v to a 30v in (i think) late '97. Power up from 174 to 190something. Well worth going for the 30v if you can find one in budget.