VW MK2 Golf GTI review Was the mk2 Golf the BEST?

Hi my Name is Chris and this is my first ever car review on the Legendary VW Golf GTI mk2. Hope you enjoy it i appreciate there is no editing but i didn't know how to back then ;( so i have another MK2 Golf GTI review that is edited ;) • VW MK2 Golf GTI Review... dont forget to share and subscribe all the best Langers

[@LangersVW]

Here's the improved version of my original review let me what you guys think hope you enjoy it over the original un edited version all the best Langers ;) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGXIY4l5n8icl7M dont forget to like share and Subscribe to my videos ;) and the Channel. Also check out my latest video the Golf G60 Rallye review i have done........... what a car ;) check it out here kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJvWhpl-qruGn6M

[@zenpai4449]

MK2 is my favorite car, so reliable and easy to fix if it comes down to it. Like you I will always have one.

[@LangersVW]

Prof 420 that’s one aspect I love is it’s soooo easy to fix, reliable and cheap to run

[@jorgelloretcubillas8717]

It might not be the fastest but the mk2 GTI is in my opinion the best Golf ever and the 8v, reliable and cheap to run....got one in Barcelona for mny mny years and l love It.

[@juliebutler1209]

Love mk2 Golf GTI’s had one for years great video makes me want another

[@jom1164]

It was 1996, I was 23, and I bought a 1987 E plated MK2 golf gti 8v in green with the teardrop alloys and golf ball gear knob from a friend, with 100k on the clock. My brother worked in a tyre garage and got me a set of four yoko tyres and going round bends etc it stuck to the road like glue and was very quick and fantastic to drive. Apart from when I fitted a k & n air filter kit it was totally standard. I liked it so much that a year after I sold it to a friend with 130k on the clock I bought it back off him and ran it for a couple of years until it got to 155k. Still miss it now 20 plus years later.

[@Mortimer50145]

Having had a couple of Renault 5s, which were nothing special, I treated myself to a 1988 Golf GL Mark II in Tordano Red. It was fantastic. Smooth, sleek, great acceleration and handling. I had a few problems initially with the automatic choke which occasionally set the idling speed too fast if I had to slow down after a long run (I remember the embarrassment of having the engine revving away as I crawled along in a traffic jam on the M25!). One morning after a night of heavy rain I found the floor several inches deep in water: the drain holes in the gutter at the bottom of the windscreen had got blocked with leaves and the rain water had overflowed into the car. I had to take out the seats and the gear lever housing to remove the carpet and wash/dry it to remove the foul smell. But despite those little setbacks, it was probably my favourite car. I replaced it with a Mark III Golf GL, also Tornado Red, and it didn't have quite the same character, even though it was faster, more efficient etc. So was the Mark II the best? Yes, I'd say it was.

[@motokult]

done right! eight valve has more torque and is much more robust than the 16v (the G60 had forged pistons). two years later, when I write this comment to you, your MK2 will definitely have a more values. Cool car, the Golf GTi MK2

[@LangersVW]

Boris Born ha ha thanks Boris she’s a proper work horse at the moment, but in need of a new heater matrix

[@martinhill2043]

Had three of these babies loved everyone of them my big bumper 16v oak green was heaven

[@CherylCold]

Good vid Chris, need to look out for some outside shots of your car. Mk2 GTis were underated as they werent the quickest hot hatch in the day but they always looked fantastic. I was a Lancia guy with numerous Deltas/integrales. Still have an Evo2. My wife recently bought a Country Syncro. Its become my favourite car. Now have a set of period Ronals and Standard GTI back box, in BBM looks fantastic. It only has the clipper 1.8i and with the extra weight not so quick. A proper mk2 GTI is and always has been on the cards. Need more vids like this.

[@LangersVW]

Cheryl Cold thanks for the feedback agreed unfortunately it was my first KZbin video and didn’t know how to edit so I went back to the drawing board and made this kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGXIY4l5n8icl7M hope you enjoy this your absolutely right and underrated car yet defined the 80s for me all the best Langers 😉

[@joeyserrano8046]

Got a Mk2 Golf a month ago, love every moment in it 👍

[@LangersVW]

Joey Serrano they are great cars mate welcome to Mk2 Ownership....... your love it 😊👌🏻

[@rickydub6950]

Mk2 owner in 8v & 16v guises, similar age as yourself and i absolutely love them.. smile on my face every time i drive them! No wonder you regret letting the Edition 1 go 😭

[@LangersVW]

You 25 too? 😜😜 ah I do mate massively but still I ticked the box I got to own one 😊😊

[@rickydub6950]

@@LangersVW 25 at heart anyway 😁 definitely, i wish i hadnt bottled it a few times 10 years ago and bought the Rallye or the Cossie instead of being sensible 😂

[@LangersVW]

@@rickydub6950 ha ha I know that feeling all to well my friend, hindsight is a lovely thing if I knew what the market would’ve been ten + years ago I definitely would of brought a few more motors and stored them away!

[@rickydub6950]

@@LangersVW but the ones we do have have certainly risen in value, just not as severe as ford scene tax! Lol

[@turbogaming2_047]

Well said mate I love VW love the mark 2 GTI

[@matthayes458]

Just brought an 8v and I love it! Had a 1.8GL before and 8v has quite a bit more grunt, love the styling of the big bumper compared to the small bumper and the quad lights at the front. Nice review and I'd agree, mk1's are better looking

[@LangersVW]

ha ha they are great cars, they do mate and quite tune-able too!! cheers mate appreciate that im in the middle of finishing another review of the mk2 as wasn't totally happy with this one so look out for that one soon as well as my corrado VR6 and a few other special cars ;)

[@CRAZYRUSTYVW]

First review was great dude, i have subbed just taken on another vw mk2 project rescue build

[@LangersVW]

Ah cheers mate thanks you, thats very kind ;) hopefully i will get better next will be my Corrado VR6! love MK2 best of luck with the project

[@KRAMPUS_G60_16V]

Simply: YES

[@superelectic45]

I drove loads of GTI's back in the day and they all drove different, the shabbiest ones were always the quickest!

[@rafaminus5366]

My father had a 8v, I had the 16v. And now I have my mk7 GTI. Same sensations 25 years older. Some say Kleincar. For me, it's a very special car

[@MidasChaser]

I like it...Great upload...Many thanks !!! Greetings 😊

[@LangersVW]

Thanks ;)

[@studentofknowledge3367]

I really enjoyed this video

[@LangersVW]

Student of knowledge glad you enjoyed it, It was my very first video :/ but reading comments like this make it worth while I have made some more since, enjoy merry Christmas 🎄🎄 all the best Langers

[@CrimeFit]

Was a teenager when I owned my first car which was a pristine white MK1 GTi..just loved it.. I would oddly stare out the window at it parked on the gravel path in front of the house... and i tried to stick with one girlfriend I honestly did but er..? 🤣😉 Great memories 🙏

[@joeaustinmedia]

So happy you made this

[@LangersVW]

thank you mate thats very kind glad you enjoyed it ;)

[@LangersVW]

Check out my latest video on the Golf Rallye ;)

[@neodonkey]

Not related to VW but perhaps of interest to petrolheads - I used to own a 1989 Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi in the late 90s - at one point there was a guy in Scotland that was trying out NOS kits for them, as he hadn't yet setup many cars he wanted guinea pigs, he offered me the chance to add NOS to my Pug for the cost of parts only, he would do all the labour for free. So I planned to take a holiday up to Scotland in the GTI and have it done. At the last minute I was called away with work to do a job down south so it was cancelled. Still gutted to this day that I didn't find out what a Nitrous 205 GTi would have been like :)

[@LangersVW]

Tripledonkey I pains me to say it as a VW hot hatch enthusiast but those 205s are great cars

[@neodonkey]

@@LangersVW Thanks. Loved it. As a french hot hatch enthusiast I've always kept my eye on the Golfs too. My first car was an AX GT, probably one of my favorite cars of all time. Just 85hp, tiny 155 tyres, little tin can that was deadly if you crashed it, but BOY was it fun to drive. The VWs were much better built. I bought the 205 GTi after that (It cost me more in insurance than it did to buy), and I loved that too, though it was never as dynamic as the AX GT. The only negative on the 205 GTi 1.9 was that with no power steering and that big lump up front it was murder at very low speed (parking etc). It was also very twitchy at low revs, you'd think a big engine in a small car would be torquey and it was kind of, but I guess the cam profile meant it was a real pig to drive at low speeds. Everyone told me the 1.6 205 GTi was the more fun ride even if it wasn't quite as powerful and I believe them.

[@TheFlexTapes]

I have the 87 mk2 gti as well. i agree :)

[@TucaLoni]

good review Ive just bought my first mk2, had a mk3 before and what a piece of crap it was.(my one that is, not speaking on the mk3 overall) I absolutely love the thing turns heads wherever I go and so much fun to drive. you should do a little walk around of your mk2 and corrado in your next vid would be nice to see them from outside!

[@LangersVW]

luca toni cheers appreciate that ;) however mate your right need to do full review / walk round of both cars! Mk2s are great cars you wouldn't be disappointed, easy to service and repair, service parts are fairly cheap too and great fun to drive All the best

[@tnetroP]

Mk2 GTI 16v 1989 My first genuinely good car (bought around 1994 I think). I love this car and it was only surpassed when I bought a Corrado VR6.

[@LangersVW]

tnetroP I had 2 on the trot, great great cars loved my 16v covered so many miles in it the Corrado was a very good replacement

[@gotindrachenhart]

You sit at the light with the clutch in? :P Good review man. I miss my old MKIV TDi quite a lot. Only reason I'm not still driving it is that it used a timing belt instead of a chain. Traded it in for a 2012 GTi and then a 2015 GTi which I'm in now.

[@LangersVW]

gotindrachenhart ha ha did I :/ lol thanks appreciate that it was my first one so not my best effort still a big learning curve, oooooo what they like ? Interested to know what a modern GTI is like? Cheers All the best Langers

[@gotindrachenhart]

Pretty squared away. The 2012 was a manual and the engine noise was much better IMO. My 2015 is a DSG and.....man I have to say, I've driven manuals all my life (I'm 44), and this has sold me on DSG. If you like going into corners at stupid speeds to the point that the time it takes to shift might mean rubbing a curb or going wide and hitting the other curb.....vs just a tenth of a second for this car....ya it makes a huge difference. First gear in both cars is pretty tall and makes for low speed traffic a bit jerky (or heavy on the clutch for the manual), while second can be wrung out to about 70! Steering in both is micrometer sensitive when on the highway. I've never driven a car that I could literally just touch my pinky to in order to give it steering inputs while on the highway....and I mean, >placing< my pinky on it! It's actually almost too much as it can be tough to hold a perfectly straight line if the road isn't silky smooth. My biggest complaint on the 2012 was the clutch going out at 47K miles. Dealer and regional manager shrugged at me and acted like this was common. Suggested it may have been me....I pointed out that the 2004 TDi I traded in for that car had over 150K miles on the factory clutch....told them to get bent. But, after much reflection what I think happened was that the TDi spoiled me. In that car at highway speeds I could just smash the throttle and it would go. In the GTi I was doing the same but should have REALLY been downshifting whereas in the TDi there was no need. Apparently, this can cause the clutch to slip in the GTi and I never knew! I've mostly driven trucks and things like Mustangs all my life with manuals.....they wouldn't do that either lol. So, live and learn *shrug* The 2015 has only had a few issues thus far like the key fob's panic button failing (I carry a lot of crap in my pockets), and leading to the car alarming constantly, yay. And it did get low on coolant once for no reason. Dealer said they pressure tested for leaks and found none so that's a mystery. I've only got a little over 32K miles on it at this point though so time will tell if anything more serious happens. Otherwise, with both cars the only thing I really have to keep an eye out for is that the old cliche of "it doesn't even feel smooth until 90".....or 120 in this case. 90-120 is the sweet spot when the car feels best. Up on power, silky steering becomes a bit grabby, things like that. With a huge grin I looked down at the dial and was a bit shocked to see how fast I was going lol....oops! And, they both get there very fast and without much fuss so it can oddly creep up on you before you realize it. No snarls or pushing you around in the seat. Just some shifts and .....wow that road noise seems loud, is that WIND noise? That means....ah crap! :P Anyway, if you get a chance to take one out on a track day go for it. You boys over the pond have some amazing tracks so go hit one up and let us know what you think! :)

[@TheAgnis182]

nice one m8

[@LangersVW]

cheers Mate ;)

[@markdempsey4763]

great video, that's a lovely interior, what paint colour is it?

[@jeffcatonthundercat2785]

love them had one for past 13 year lol

[@LangersVW]

jeffcat on thundercat no way fair play fella that’s a long time they are great cars il think il always have a mk2 in my life 😉👍🏻 Merry Christmas 🎄 all the best Langers

[@neodonkey]

Drove a lot of cars between the 8v to 16v transition and I always felt that 8v cars had better low down torque. 16v cars always felt a bit gutless low down but really opened up with the revs.

[@LangersVW]

Tripledonkey agreed the 16v needs to be revved to get the extra benefit from it

[@Jimladvw]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@LangersVW]

Cheers James ;)

[@roryothen7005]

I have to agree

[@macuse2008]

Love those seats...gosh show the car man

[@LangersVW]

John Morris check out the rest of my videos this one was my first dude and back then I didn’t know how to edit 😂 enjoy the other videos Langers

[@macuse2008]

Ha its cool, I no worries. I had a Mk2 Golf GL, it definitely had character and was unlike the other cars on the road, which is becoming less of a hallmark for VW as they merge to be more like any other car

[@adrianthewolf-tp8uc]

Im planning on getting an 80s golf soon, but the mk1 golf engine bay scared me because of the weird ass AC system, and I plan on it being a daily but I still want to be able to modify it, so ik deffinetly leaning more towards the mk2

[@LangersVW]

Both are great cars you won't go wrong with either of them

[@sachnxtra5876]

Golf mk2 gti, 16V are quicker id say but both are quick nippy cars, just adding high performance exhaust and induction kit gives it abit more, but they are quick cars if maintained properly, and cuz they don’t weigh that much

[@LangersVW]

16v has a bit more top end I love 16valvers 8v has more flexibility though the rev range, personally I found the 16v more responsive on the throttle thus could be due to 16v using K jet but I love them both my favourite was my G60 edition 1 awesome car loved it should of never of sold it 😩😩

[@sachnxtra5876]

@@LangersVW I have an golf gti mk2 8V, and my uncle use to have a mk2 16V said it was dangerous on the road was quick, I’m eventually getting my 8V GTI engine rebuilt all brand new hopefully will be fun when it’s done.

[@grahammcdonald]

Built like a tank. I had the 16v mk2, a mate had the 8v, and the 8v was just useably faster. and the 16v (but as you say) you had to rev it get power, BUT if you don't use high ron fuel as it says on the filler flap (pricey), you got bad pinking. Also my car didn't have PAS, which was a bummer. personally, perfect would look like:, mk2, oak green, big bumper with PAS, and upgraded the brakes. 3door looks better but 5door not that diff and more practical.

[@grahammcdonald]

I moved on to the skoda fabia 1.9 tdi, the low down power is still so usable.

[@ByggLjudMedGW]

Got a vr swapped mk2 jetta coupé

[@CRAZYRUSTYVW]

How is it dude you have a good videos nearly 20k views but only 449 subs, I have the same problem 25 k views on a video but only 100 odd subs lol 😂

[@LangersVW]

Classickid21 hello mate ha ha good question, and one that only KZbin can answer however I guessing one of the big factors is that I don’t upload videos regularly enough I haven’t got the time to upload daily and not only that I wouldn’t want to upload just for the sake of it. I do need to get back to making video again though as I did enjoy it a lot of work went into it 2019 need to get back on it ! All the best mate Langers

[@CRAZYRUSTYVW]

@@LangersVW Mines all 2 weeks. Behind always haha, try and upload a bit each day but never plans out. To be, anyways where in UK are you? Also do you have any other vws

[@sachingill3421]

Golf Gti Mk2 8V are quick

[@LangersVW]

Sachin Gill they are if you bolt a G Lader to them ;)

[@EndlessShots]

What about fuel consumption in mk2 1.3 1.6 1.8? And thank you for this video

[@LangersVW]

Tomas Styra your right I didn't mention that :/ sorry 8v your looking at 27mpg round town and 35mpg on the motorway..... 16v a little less and G60 a little less again however a lot depends on how you drive etc I like the GTI for this reason in that it's rewarding to drive however can be good on fuel for a performance car hope this helps. Regards Langers

[@EndlessShots]

I am sorry, how much is that in kilometers? .-100km? I ll do this conversion myself if you are not using km :) thank you

[@superelectic45]

I used to get about 29mpg running locally to work and back and 40 on a run with my K-Jetronic GTI, with my later Digifant GTI it was about 31 and 38. The 1.6 is no better on fuel and not very fast so no point really.

[@-Dash-]

Short answer, yes.

[@LangersVW]

MeesterDash 😂😂

[@jadefitt1296]

I would change the wheel tbh

[@ricardolombaard2173]

Mk2 the Nigthmare.

[@mollymurphy999]

Standard mk2’s look the bollox these days.

[@LangersVW]

Absolutely mate couldn’t agree more 👍🏻😉

[@mikeking5574]

8 valve is the one you want! because the 8 will beat the 16 off the line power to weight ratio! and the 16 valve always had problems with the injection system! 8 is great lol

[@andrewscharalampou4517]

GTI is mk2

[@aaronobrien7821]

Surely you dont drive your kids about in this??

[@LangersVW]

Aaron O'Brien yeah my Wife gets a bit funny when I try putting them in the boot 😉 I nearly put my eldest up for adoption when she through up in the back of my mk1 GTI !!

[@tmf9556]

Your a nice guy but a bit of a snore

[@DavidSmith-xn8lg]

That car sounds fucked

[@guitarfoundry]

Was the mk2 Golf the BEST? NO.. It was slow, ponderous, ugly and wank..The MK1 was the best...after that, just walk away and if you must have a hot hatch, almost every other model ever made by every other competitor was better....let's not even talk about the appalling electrics or the idiots with the slammed look and toy town stretched tyres.