BMW 318iS or VW Golf GTi?

quarryman

Considering one of these. Seem to be around the same price range (up to 10k).

The Golf seems to be quicker according to Parkers's here. Looks like there is a 125, 150 and 180 bhp, does it follow the same red lettering format as the Tdi? (GTi etc).



The BMW seems to be available better spec'd, leather/air-con a lot more common (so long as you buy in the UK). Insurance is better, Quinn panic as soon as 'GT' is mentioned.



Fuel economy is the same in both, ie crap.

Anyhting else to consider?

kmick

GTI - resale is better and a 318 is a girls car even if it is a go faster. No man should be seen in anything less than a 320 if he is ever to call himself master of his universe.

PaddyFagan

quarryman wrote:

Looks like there is a 125, 150 and 180 bhp, does it follow the same red lettering format as the Tdi? (GTi etc)

The straight answer is No. Some of the 150 bhp cars have a red i, a lot of the 180 bhp cars do, but there no hard and fast rules - check the documents for the car you're looking at.

Paddy

smash

I'd go for the golf, BMWs age quickly I think...

$Leon$

VW UK made up their own rules when badging the Mk4 Gti.

In Ireland as elsewhere in europe their is only 2 gti engines - the 150bhp and 180bhp (red i) both turbo powered.

VW UK decided to badge the 1.8 NA and 2.0 NA as gti's as well as making up the gttdi.

The NA petrol engines are not worth even looking. They are both very under powered. They didn't appear in ireland in the standard golf. AFAIK they were only available in the cabrio, A4 and A6.

omega man

The 150 GTI was badged in all silver while the anniversary 180 model was badged with a red I. I believe the anniversary TDI 150 was actually badged as a GTI also. The MKIV GTI was an awful car as vw gti history goes. I would also agree that anything less than a 320 BMW 3 series is a non starter imo.

Cyrus

as said before if getting a gti get the 1.8t (150/180 doesnt matter, both can be remapped to around 200bhp with little fuss and is a quick car at that).

Definately try get a gti from 01 on (respond better to remap) and try get the leather recaros (lovely seats) 3drs look nicer than 5 and if you want to mod it all you need are lowered suspension and 18" BBS CH/RC or LM wheels, job done.

318is is an old looking car now and hard to find a decent one

Mahatma coat

just did a quick GIS the engine is E/W in the golf, so no mtter how much power it puts out its still goin to the wrong wheels.

BMW, actual driving experience, even with small engine

quarryman

Agreed, the badging seems to have no pattern and its best to stick to the paperwork etc.

Cyrus wrote:

as said before if getting a gti get the 1.8t (150/180 doesnt matter, both can be remapped to around 200bhp with little fuss and is a quick car at that).

wow, i thought those gains were only possible on the GT TDis

Cyrus wrote:

Definately try get a gti from 01 on (respond better to remap) and try get the leather recaros (lovely seats) 3drs look nicer than 5 and if you want to mod it all you need are lowered suspension and 18" BBS CH/RC or LM wheels, job done.

Not sure my 10k budget would stretch to all that

Cyrus wrote:

318is is an old looking car now and hard to find a decent one

There's definately some decent ones in the UK.

omega man

The 1.8T 150 will remap to 192 and the 180 to about 210. A great VAG engine for tuning.

Cyrus

omega man wrote:

The 1.8T 150 will remap to 192 and the 180 to about 210. A great VAG engine for tuning.

thats the pre 01 engine (cant remember the codes off hand) newer 1.8ts will all makes 200+

Cyrus

my old one

omega man

Cyrus wrote:

thats the pre 01 engine (cant remember the codes off hand) newer 1.8ts will all makes 200+

No way the 1.8T 150 would make over 200. All of the well known tuning companies state an increase to 192 with a standard remap. Maybe with a stage 2 remap in the UK by revo would give 200+.

Cyrus

REvo and Jabba would be the two best known off the shelf remaps for the 1.8t engine.

the numbers you quoted was the older engines, im not making this stuff up

Revo 207bhp

http://www.revotechnik.com/products/softwareProduct.aspx?pvID=170

Jabba 205-215bhp

http://www.jabbasport.com/vehicle_preview.asp?variantid=23

omega man

Fair play but the likes of upsolute etc here in ireland wont reach those figures. I think there might be a revo up north though.

http://www.upsolute.ie/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,44/

quarryman

How much for this type of remap guys? Doesn't seem to say on the Upsolute site.

Cyrus

omega man wrote:

Fair play but the likes of upsolute etc here in ireland wont reach those figures. I think there might be a revo up north though.

http://www.upsolute.ie/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,44/

the upsolute is just based on the older code engine, many people have got upsolute maps for above 200bhp on newer engines.

Some guy in meath does Revo aswell. Or Chippedire will do it either.

Be looking at 350-500 for a remap

You would want to check what octane fuel those remaps require

I doubt you will get 200bhp on 95 RON.

Cyrus

lads you absolutely will, i dont know why its so hard to believe, i had mine done, in a straight line there was nothing between it and my buddys mk5 gti (corners were a different story )

look at any vw enthusiasts site (uk mkivs being the best) a 200bhp remap is quite normal

Big Balls

omega man wrote:

Fair play but the likes of upsolute etc here in ireland wont reach those figures. I think there might be a revo up north though.

http://www.upsolute.ie/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,44/

Where do you get the info from?! LOL

So across the border the companies make the cars go faster do they? Westward Engineering are the REVO dealer for the Republic, they're in Enfield.

ronoc wrote:

You would want to check what octane fuel those remaps require

I doubt you will get 200bhp on 95 RON.

Remaps for the GTI run fine on 95, they can actually produce over 210bhp from the later DBW engine and K03 turbo.

Mahatma coat wrote:

BMW, actual driving experience, even with small engine

Can't agree. Driving experience once you weren't so desperate to own one that you settled for a 4 pot engine as you couldn't afford one with a proper engine. Even the 320s are slow.

BTW the Anni Golf is not a red I, the 180 bhp GTI has a red I. The Anni looks completely different, wheels, kit, seats... everything.

Futureman

Cyrus wrote:

my old one

And?

Big Balls

Big Balls wrote:

Where do you get the info from?! LOL

So across the border the companies make the cars go faster do they? Westward Engineering are the REVO dealer for the Republic, they're in Enfield.



Remaps for the GTI run fine on 95, they can actually produce over 210bhp from the later DBW engine and K03 turbo.

I stand corrected

Big Balls wrote:

Can't agree. Driving experience once you weren't so desperate to own one that you settled for a 4 pot engine as you couldn't afford one with a proper engine. Even the 320s are slow.

BTW the Anni Golf is not a red I, the 180 bhp GTI has a red I. The Anni looks completely different, wheels, kit, seats... everything.

Agree apart from being desperate to buy a 4 pot.. They are not a bad car if a tad underpowered. Its not really fair to compare a luxary coupe to a hot golf powerwise!

But BMWs 6 pots are their strong point. They have refined them so much.
Drive a six pot motor and listen to it roar to the redline, you will definatly go for them over the 4 cyl!

Big Balls

I'm sorry man I just think of idiots in 1 series, Compacts and 318ci's with 05 D 320 1 etc on the reg plate. Just people desperate to own a BMW. I'll probably go for a new model coupe for my next jam jar but it'll be at least a 325.

Cyrus

Futureman wrote:

And?

have to say thats kind of annoyed me.

Guy is looking for opinions on a car ive owned, ive given them, then given some mods i think will look nice, given info on engine remaps (which people have tried to tell me is wrong) and then shown a pic of my old one for comparisions sake.

and you post why? does the picture offend you? do you feel its out of context, please elaborate!

Big Balls

Big Balls wrote:

I'm sorry man I just think of idiots in 1 series, Compacts and 318ci's with 05 D 320 1 etc on the reg plate. Just people desperate to own a BMW. I'll probably go for a new model coupe for my next jam jar but it'll be at least a 325.

I own a compact :mad:

But its a 2.5l six pot

Big Balls

Cyrus, wouldn't worry about it. He prob owns a Focus with a 'savage' bodykit on it!

quarryman

Cyrus wrote:

have to say thats kind of annoyed me.

Guy is looking for opinions on a car ive owned, ive given them, then given some mods i think will look nice, given info on engine remaps (which people have tried to tell me is wrong) and then shown a pic of my old one for comparisions sake.

and you post why? does the picture offend you? do you feel its out of context, please elaborate!

and I was waiting for input from Cyrus as i know he has owned almost the exact GTi I would be looking at.

I'm not really interested in +/-10bhp arguements about remaps or 'idiots' that drive 1-series.

Just looking for advice on the best car between the 2 in terms of driving experience, reliability, resale and performance.

thanks!

Big Balls

Well it's a forum, you get opinions, if my opinion of lesser BMWs offends you then you should DEFFO get one as the badge is clearly all you want.

I've also owned nearly as many GTIs as there's days in a week but off you go so!

quarryman

I'm not offended by your remark but it's irrelevant, I didn't ask about a 1-series.

At what point did I state I was only interested in the BMW badge, I offered 2 cars for opinions. You seem to have a complex that people who want to drive BMWs need to meet some specific requirements.

Anyway, thanks for all the replies guys, some food for thought. Leaning towards the GTi I reckon.

Henry Ford III

omega man wrote:

The 1.8T 150 will remap to 192 and the 180 to about 210. A great VAG engine for tuning.

Will your insurance rise accordingly?

Are the brakes, steering, suspension and drivetrain up to a near 30% increase in power?

FX Meister

Yeah, they will all be cool HF III. FACT