I am looking for another car at the moment, and looked at an s reg golf and it has the same engine as my s reg octy (a 1.6 sr engine) The car has just turned 100,000 miles and has had 2 lady owners with the current keeper having it for 3 years.( it is a 1998 golf se) It is up for 1400 notes is this ok? also i noticed that the rear windows only go down half way from the drivers controll and want to ask if this is normal.

I would like your advice on what to check on this car as although it has the same engine as my octavia just need some pointers on other areas to look at.

I have also got the chance to buy a V Reg MK4 astra 1.6 8 valve club for the same price of £1400 but this car has only covered 41,000 miles but needs a cambelt and brake pipes were advised for corosion on its last mot.

What should i go for in your opinion (the golf or the astra) is 100,000 miles a lot for a golf as i had my mk1 octavia and that had done 83,000 miles before i sold it and it felt like it could go on foever. Just stuck what to choose the golf is older being an s reg but it looks so good but the astra is 2 years younger and only covered 41,000 miles.

what would you guys go for? Thanks

Edited 28 March, 201016 yr by justinbarrow

not the astra thats for sure lol

not the astra thats for sure lol

Lol any particular reason mate - sounds like you have had a bad experiance

No - just buy something which sounds like a Golf

Not the Ashtray, that's for sure. I've driven that model, and it was like being stuck in a sensory deprevation chamber compared with a Golf, Octy or Xantia.

Any Astra other than the current one and the one just gone is best avoided AIUI - especially one with MoT advisories and an outstanding cambelt change (suddenly GBP1400 is more like GBP2000)

Why are you having doubts? The back windows? Is that just not how far down they go because of the shape of the doors?

Mk4 Golf's have very well screwed together interiors and are a nice place to be

I'd go for the Golf out of those two for sure.

Yes the rear windows only go down about half way, its due to the shape of the doors

I'd go for the Golf out of those two for sure.

Yes the rear windows only go down about half way, its due to the shape of the doors

Cheers guys, Why do the back windows only go half way? the mk1 octy I had, had rear electric windows and they went down all the way. Do you guys think its a fair price, its up for £1,400 its a 1998 S reg Golf S.E with 100,000 miles. just at the moment they say they have had the cambelt done but didnt keep receipt, the car has had 2 lady owners.

Is this mileage ok with it just turning the clock and is there anything i should particually look out for on the golf. The mrs loves the look compared to the astra but that has only done 42,000 miles.

100k miles is nothing these days

My Dads Passat with the 1.8 engone 1999 shape has 125k and has just had new brakes and belts changed.

Whats the details on the Astra?

Astras are nice cars - Need cambelt changes every 40k miles.

I had a 1995 shape and that was solid and relaible.

Edited 29 March, 201016 yr by Captain Sisko

100k miles is nothing these days

My Dads Passat with the 1.8 engone 1999 shape has 125k and has just had new brakes and belts changed.

Whats the details on the Astra?

Astras are nice cars - Need cambelt changes every 40k miles.

I had a 1995 shape and that was solid and relaible.

The Astra is a 2000 registered V Reg Club with 42,000 miles but no history - I have checked the mileage using the electronic MOT data on the Vosa site and it all tallys up, The car has not had a cambelt change so was quoted around £190 which included the tensioner and water pump.

Both cars are the same price both will need their cam belt doing if the Golf owner cant find the receipt as I wouldnt want to take the risk of just their say so. I have heard that golfs are quite expensive when they go wrong and like my MK1 Octavia can suffer from dodgy gearboxes.

The engine in the golf is the 1.6 8 Valve S.R Engine with the engine code AEH.

It's a tough call. Absolutly no history at all?

The prev shape 1995 ones were cheap to run and maintain. sadly got written off after a low speed shunt. But that had 100k miles and still felt good.

The 2000 shape Astras are quite robust (which engine btw)

Have you driven them both? just to see how the clutch and everything feels?

It's a tough call. Absolutly no history at all?

The 2000 shape Astras are quite robust (which engine btw)

Have you driven them both? just to see how the clutch and everything feels?

No history on both...mind you the golf does have an AA receipt for a battery :no: The engine in the astra is a 1.6 8valve its not the ecotec engine its the older 8 valve unit. Drove both cars and they both seem fine although the golf clutch bite was higher than the astra and the gear change felt a bit more clunky than the astra but this was the same with my MK1 Octavia. Both cars never had any whining noises from the transmission and seemed ok.

The astra has low mileage as it was an elderly persons car from new and was at new a mobility car which the elderly guy decided to keep and just use for shopping runs (it only covered around 2,500 each year) the mileage went up when the second owner bought it (this is the one that is selling the car) he used it to go down to plymouth and back but must admit he was chancing it without a cambelt change.

Like you say its a tough one to call is this...Its like a harry hill sketch "I like the golf...but I also like the Astra...but which one is better.....theres only one way to find out......"

The Astra might be a better bet consider the age and the mileage. The Golf is a solid car and you know the engine - although it has got another 59K on the clock! :yes: For me that would be another 6 years of motoring in terms of the mileage difference between the two cars. My mums Astra is the mark before the one you are looking at, and it doesn't look that bad inside!

By the sound of both of them I'd look for something else - neither sounds cheap or particularily interesting - always more cars around

*cough*Alfa Romeo*cough*

:p

I'd prob get the Astra as its a fine car to drive and relatively cheap to run/maintain

What equipment has it got

Edited 30 March, 201016 yr by Captain Sisko

*cough*Alfa Romeo*cough*

:p

I'd prob get the Astra as its a fine car to drive and relatively cheap to run/maintain

What equipment has it got

The astra has got remote central locking which is broke (doesnt lock but unlocks) but it works fine with the key in the doors. It has a scrape down the side but not gone too deep, it has knicked some of the plastic side moulding off. It has air con but no electric windows or ABS.

The golf, has more toys, Air Con, 4 electric windows, remote locking, abs, alarm, alloys, body coloured side strips and handles and esp (what ever that is)

The only thing that is putting me off the golf is the lack of service history and the mileage at 100,000 miles.

Have a hunt around - you will probably find something a bit better. :yes: If not you can always come back to these. Lack of service history would put me off any car.

Lack of any history is a bit of a gamble.

It depends what you're after.

My Favorit only really had a history from when I bought her.

My Alfa has no history but she drives fine apart from the blowing exhaust.

But definately keep a good look out. For £1400/£1500 you could even find a Focus

The Astra you could get away with copper greasing the brake pipes, My felly and sisters Micra had the corrosion kept at bay by that method.

Just had a squiz although the 1.6 is good, I'd be tempted to source the 1.6 16v or the 1.4 16v

Something like this

AA receipt for batter means they did nothing on it and when it broke down on the road the AA put a new batter on it and it kept going.

I may be wrong but were there not some issues with the 1.6 in the MK I Octy and if so won't the golf have the same engine?

I may be wrong but were there not some issues with the 1.6 in the MK I Octy and if so won't the golf have the same engine?

Thats right - The golf has the exact same engine as my MK1 octy 1.6 8 Valve AEH Engine, just the badge thats different.