6 Of The Most Tempting Golf GTIs In The Classifieds Right Now

The Golf GTI has a fascinating history. From legend status to chubby, underpowered has-been and back again, there’s perhaps no other performance car that has made such an amazing journey through time. Its highs and lows have been laid bare over the years, and while it was only the Golf MkIII that went its entire life without a decent GTI to speak of, the badge still has a rich history.

We had a gander through the classifieds to find the most interesting and tempting Golf GTIs you can buy today. Some are standard, some less so, and there’s a wild variation in price, but all of them are cars we’d happily consider putting on our driveways for one reason or another. Let us know your favourite in the comments.

1983 MkI 1.8 GTI

Let’s open the scoring with this mint-looking first-generation GTI, in absolutely original condition aside from the hefty mileage. The seller makes no mention of a restoration, but without one it’s hard to see how, after 149,000 miles, this could be in such outstanding nick. The last owner had it for 12 years, apparently, and you can bet the dealer didn’t pay anything like the ridiculous £9795 asking price for it. That price is a sticking point, considering the mileage. Beautiful in its historical significance, nonetheless.

1990 MkI 1.8 GTI Cabriolet

Here are the problems: firstly, we don’t like that this has had the VW badge removed from the grille, and it also looks like the passenger door might be going rusty. That said, there’s an undeniable cool to the increasingly rare MkI GTI Cabriolet. The way its primitive soft-top folds up over the square rear haunches is fantastically retro, even if the rest of the car was a bit wobbly after losing its roof.

We love the gold wheels, too. But despite the retro cool, the seller is asking way too much money, especially if it’s going rusty.

1991 MkII 1.8 GTI

The world has gone completely mad if £6000 is a sensible price for a MkII GTI with 167,000 miles on it, but this one is in temptingly good condition after a recent full respray in the uncommon Oak Green Metallic.

In fact, the seller claims to have spent £3500 on this car bringing it up to cosmetic standard. The rear wings, which had presumably rusted, have been replaced and the beautiful, original BBS wheels have seen a professional refurb. It will be supplied with a new MOT, ‘mechanical inspection’ and basic service carried out. We do really like this one.

2002 MkIV 1.8T GTI 25th Anniversary Limited Edition

Nothing from the MkIII GTI era is worth mentioning, and it took VW long enough to get the MkIV right, too. But when the 25th Anniversary model came along, the magic formula clicked once more. Arguably the best build quality of any Golf, the MkIV was undeniably heavy. Boosting the 1.8-litre turbocharged engine to 180bhp, matching contemporary hot hatches from Seat and Skoda, finally gave the car a bit of urge.

The multi-spoke wheels and Recaro seats were drop-dead gorgeous, and made the car look far more aggressive and impressive than the boredom-wagons that had come before. At less than £3000 with 108,000 miles covered, this is a bit lovely. On the rare side, too.

2007 MkV 2.0 TFSI Edition 30

Ignore the tacky blue wheel centre caps and look closer. The seller claims that an R-Tech Stage 2+ re-map takes power to a frankly ample 373bhp alongside 393lb ft. This is one of the best-looking Golf GTIs ever built, too, with a perfect blend of rounded edges and angry wheels. This one has done 122,000 miles but has been looked after, going by the service record that shows two cam belt changes and two DSG gearbox services, the most recent just 3500 miles ago.

It’s a bit of a mish-mash under the bonnet, with an aftermarket turbocharger helping produce the impressive power figures, and the only thing that rings alarm bells (apart from the wheel centre caps) is that the mods were only made in November. Is there something wrong with it? Is it more or less undriveable? We’d happily give it a go to find out.

2016 MkVII 2.0 TSI Clubsport S

And finally we have the daddy. This GTI Clubsport S is one of just 150 right-hand drive models to be built, and it’s the only one currently for sale for less than £40,000. The press are calling this the best Golf GTI ever made, so why wouldn’t we have it in this list? The reason this one is a few thousand pounds cheaper than others out there is presumably that it’s done a terribly worrying 34 miles, which is as much as three or four times what other pre-registered examples are showing. It’s a relative bargain, really.