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Traum · 11-02-2015, 11:32 PM

The MkV cars are generally noticeably more reliable than the MkIV cars. Particularly worthy of note is that they (the MkV cars) are the first generation of Golf to receive an IRS. Personally, I also find their chassis to be noticeably (or maybe even significantly?) more rigid than the MkIV cars, and they feel much more bank vault-like.

IMO, the EA113 engine is both a high point and a weak point of the car. The engine itself is phenomenal and significantly better in nearly every performance aspect compared to the old 1.8T, including reliability. On the other hand, these engines are known to burn oil. As they get old (100k km+), burning less than 500mL per 1000 km is considered to be very low oil consumption. The crazy ones can burn well over 1.5L per 1000km. Regular oil level checks and top ups is a must.

For what it is worth, it is still belt-driven, so it'll need timing belt replacements on a regular schedule.

Brakes on the MkV cars is a major weak point. IMO, the OEM brakes are barely adequate for street use. If you intend to do any performance driving, significant brake upgrades is a must.

This is the first gen when the DSG becomes available. It is a fantastic tranny, but you want to make sure the prev owner has taken good care of the transmission and did all the required DSG services on time. Otherwise, you're gonna be stuck with a nice, big fat repair bill. The DSG also kind of limits the number of power mods you want to apply to the car, since they tend to not handle major stage 2 - 3 type power upgrades all that well. That said, I had a friend who regularly autox-ed his nicely modded DSG MkV GTI for a good while, and I believe he was pushing close to 300 lb-ft of torque. The tranny was still in one piece when he sold the car.

From working on both the MkIV and MkV cars, I am absolutely convinced that German engineers are either idiots, or sadistic pricks that intentionally design the car to be a royal PITA to service. Case in point -- it took me well over 2 hrs one time change 2 frickin' light bulbs for the rear brake (one side only). I think the same job on my pos Civic literally just meant opening up the trunk, reach in and pull the damn bulb out, replace it, and stuff in back in -- all done in <2 min.

At the end of the day, it is still a VW, and it is still a German car. The engine is still bulletproof, and the same stuff around the engine will still break -- but at least they will do so less frequently than the MkIV cars did. You are still going to want to look after the car with the level of service and maintenance that a German vehicle requires.

11-02-2015, 11:32 PM	#23
Traum RS.net, helping ugly ppl have sex since 2001 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Paradise, BC Posts: 8,380 Thanked 8,148 Times in 3,389 Posts Failed 262 Times in 148 Posts	The MkV cars are generally noticeably more reliable than the MkIV cars. Particularly worthy of note is that they (the MkV cars) are the first generation of Golf to receive an IRS. Personally, I also find their chassis to be noticeably (or maybe even significantly?) more rigid than the MkIV cars, and they feel much more bank vault-like. IMO, the EA113 engine is both a high point and a weak point of the car. The engine itself is phenomenal and significantly better in nearly every performance aspect compared to the old 1.8T, including reliability. On the other hand, these engines are known to burn oil. As they get old (100k km+), burning less than 500mL per 1000 km is considered to be very low oil consumption. The crazy ones can burn well over 1.5L per 1000km. Regular oil level checks and top ups is a must. For what it is worth, it is still belt-driven, so it'll need timing belt replacements on a regular schedule. Brakes on the MkV cars is a major weak point. IMO, the OEM brakes are barely adequate for street use. If you intend to do any performance driving, significant brake upgrades is a must. This is the first gen when the DSG becomes available. It is a fantastic tranny, but you want to make sure the prev owner has taken good care of the transmission and did all the required DSG services on time. Otherwise, you're gonna be stuck with a nice, big fat repair bill. The DSG also kind of limits the number of power mods you want to apply to the car, since they tend to not handle major stage 2 - 3 type power upgrades all that well. That said, I had a friend who regularly autox-ed his nicely modded DSG MkV GTI for a good while, and I believe he was pushing close to 300 lb-ft of torque. The tranny was still in one piece when he sold the car. From working on both the MkIV and MkV cars, I am absolutely convinced that German engineers are either idiots, or sadistic pricks that intentionally design the car to be a royal PITA to service. Case in point -- it took me well over 2 hrs one time change 2 frickin' light bulbs for the rear brake (one side only). I think the same job on my pos Civic literally just meant opening up the trunk, reach in and pull the damn bulb out, replace it, and stuff in back in -- all done in <2 min. At the end of the day, it is still a VW, and it is still a German car. The engine is still bulletproof, and the same stuff around the engine will still break -- but at least they will do so less frequently than the MkIV cars did. You are still going to want to look after the car with the level of service and maintenance that a German vehicle requires.