The Red Rocket

(Pictures from original owner / via Craigslist ad for this car)

In Summer 2013 I bought a 2000 Volkswagen Golf 1.8T. I was very pleased to find one on Craigslist for a reasonable price. It had a replaced suspension and all service records.

In the year 2000 I was a senior in high school. My dad had a 1999 GTI 2.0, which I drove a lot and really really liked. So, looking for an affordable new daily driver, this Golf really appealed to me.

Volkswagen only made 4 door Golfs with the turbo engines for a very short time. I think it was one year only. One site I found on the internet said they only made 7000 of these for the US market.

This car is super zippy and understated. When I bought it, it had only 105,000 miles, which I think is very low for a now 15 year old car.

As of Jan 1, 2015, I have 116,000 miles on the car. Still going well.

PROS:

Quick!

Great storage space!

Nice style – one of the best looking cars VW has ever made

Suspension is a nice compromise – not too firm but not too soft where it makes me queasy
You can fit a Series III Lambretta in the back, when you find one broken down on the side of the road and you have to rescue the scooter and rider, which actually happened over the summer.

Seats are really nice

Sunroof works and doesn't yet leak
Fits in questionable parking spaces in the city!  Only Smart Cars are smaller.

iPod hookup in glovebox

1.8 Turbo has a lot of power!

CONS:

Little things break (glovebox, arm rest, plastic bits)

Parts and maintenance is more expensive than VW Bus 

Brakes could be better

No fog lights or heated seats

Alternatives Considered:

Jetta Wagon – I was really close to buying one of these.  I like how they remind me of the old Type III Squareback, but I couldn't find one I liked.

Passat Wagon – used market is good! But it's too big for my tastes.

BMW 3 Series Wagon – More expensive, complicated, more “serious”