2001 Volkswagen Golf 4Motion

All that is fine, until you realise that getting a clean, low-mileage example of the car is very difficult. Most Golfs are used as everyday cars, which means unless you chance upon a well-garaged example that’s not covered twice as much distance as the Earth’s circumference in a year, the idea of enjoying a late 90s Golf like it was launched yesterday remains very much a dream. Or does it?

This 2001 example proves otherwise. For a car that was first registered nearly two decades ago, it has just done 13k miles. To put that into perspective, that’s about half the distance one would cover to scale the Equator. It’s an import from Jersey, has a valid MoT, and it’s pretty much ready to be driven, once the buyer gets it registered in the UK. The import taxes have been paid, and all the original documents come with the car. It’s also accompanied by a full service history.

The vendor mentions that it’s not just the car’s low mileage which makes it appear as if it drove out of a VW showroom recently, but also the fact that it’s been garaged all its life. In addition to that is the fact that it hasn’t been subjected to a harsh climate.

Designed under the direction of Hartmurt Warkuß, Mk4 (and the Mk3 before it) bridged the gap between the classic styling of the first two generations of the Golf and the more modern design of the Mk5. The soft-edged styling is easy on the eyes, and even today it’s likely to find a lot of appreciation — and not just from those who love the Golf. There’s not much to differentiate between the V6 4Motion and the standard car, apart from the badges, wheels, the dual-tip exhaust, etc.

The Tornado Red paint (code LY3D) on this example is a testament to how well the car’s been maintained. It’s largely spotless and works exceptionally well on the rather simple shape. All the badges are in the right place, and the shut lines all around look perfect. The vendor mentions that the nearside rear arch has a small mark - no bigger than a ginger nail - and there’s a small scratch next to the fuel filler on the right as well. Due to its age, there’s a possibility of such age-related marks elsewhere, but it’s free from rust and stone chips, adds the vendor. The seven-spoke alloys are in the original condition and haven’t been repainted.

The Mk4 Golf has a well-made cabin, the kind you’d expect from Volkswagen. It’s devoid of modern materials (like soft-touch plastic) and the dashboard is pretty similar to other cars from the era. To break the monotony, Volkswagen did include 'wooden' inserts, which may not be to everyone’s liking. On the bright side, there’s enough space for five occupants and their luggage. The boot is fairly large; unsurprisingly, the car gets a space-saver spare wheel.

This 2001 Golf V6 4Motion was specced with cloth interior. The seats are free from the kind of damage leather seats can get, and the vendor mentions there is no sagging or cracks in the seats. The side bolsters are reported to be in great shape, too. The climate control works well — and cools the cabin quickly. It’s also got a functional radio. There are some scratches around the keyhole, on the sides of the centre console, and on one of the door handles.

The Golf V6 4Motion was the first Golf with all-wheel drive. This gave it the ability to be used without worrying about lack of grip when a front-/rear-wheel drive won’t just cut it. The drivetrain consists of a six-speed manual gearbox and a Haldex system, which sends the drive to all four wheels.

The vendor mentions that it drives like a new car and has a lot of tractability — with power available in every gear. But despite all that, it remains well-mannered without any wheel spin or torque steer. Powering the car is a 2.8-litre VR6 engine that was claimed to make 204 bhp. In a car that weighed under one and a half tonnes, it wouldn’t be the fastest today, but with the ability to hit 62 mph in around seven seconds, it’s far from slow.

As can be seen in the photos below (and verified by the vendor), this Golf hasn’t been affected by rust. The engine bay is very clean indeed, with the V6-badged engine cover taking up a fair bit of real estate. The underbody doesn’t show any signs of major wear or corrosion. It’s now running on new Pirelli tyres (all four), which were fitted last month. To show how little the car has run, the vendor has included photos of one of the older tyres that came with the car. It has nearly 7 mm of tread on it still.

It was a zero-former-keeper car in Jersey, originally registered on November 16, 2001. The car was imported to the UK by specialist Simon Turner and he paid the VAT and the import duty. It’s ready to be registered and driven by its new owner now. It cleared its MoT in March with no advisory.

The car is backed by a full-service history. It has 11 service stamps, the majority of which have been carried out at VW dealers. The latest service was in March this year. As per the attached documents, it was a minor service and included an oil change. As mentioned above, all four tyres were also replaced this year.

The Golf V6 4Motion might not be the car of choice for someone looking for a traditional hot hatch, and it’s most certainly not for someone who believes in ‘less is more’. Because the car, with its V6 engine and all-wheel drive, isn’t light. It also misses out on the benefits that the Golf R32 got, in the form of a more powerful setup and tuned chassis.

The Golf V6 4Motion is somewhere in the middle. It’s an adequately powerful hatchback that doesn’t lose out on practicality or the inherent usability of a VW Golf. The safety net of all-wheel drive and ESP is bound to make its appeal certainly grow wider.

Finding a car from the early noughties with such low mileage isn’t easy. This example has just a little over 13,000 miles covered in 19 years. It’s been kept well and doesn’t show too many signs of age both on the outside as well as in the cabin. That is a solid reason why it deserves a second look. There’s also its full-service history and a clean MoT pass. We think £,9,000 - £12,000.

Summing it up, this car will be a good choice if you want to experience a slightly understated almost-modern-classic from VW. The V6 4Motion is often overlooked because of the presence of the Golf R32, but there’s no plausible reason why this example one needs to be.

Viewing is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us in Abingdon. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.