Advice on an MK1 Rabbit Diesel Please

[coolblue57bug]

I am 25 almost 26 and the last 2 vehicles I have had have been autos..laaaame, cannot stand it..if you like driving manuals Ian then stick to finding one, cause I thought I was ok with an auto when I picked up my last rig..I was proved that I am not ready to be that lazy..sorry to the guys that like autos..to each their own is what I say 

I agree, to each his own. Let me know how lame they are once you get into your late 30's. At 26 you are still a very young man. Don't get me wrong, I like my cars that have manual (I have two of them). It is fun banging my oval through the gears. Would rather not have to deal with shifting on my commute, yes I am old and lazy...

[RogueVW]

Hehe! I got the best of both worlds with my DSG! Having three shifting options is great! I can do the granny fuel economy thing and leave it in drive. Or Put it into "Sport" mode and It shifts only when it hits redline and wont downshift till it drops below three grand on RPM's. Or you can switch it to "click shift" mode and manually control the gear its in. Triple clutchs and six gears make it really fun! Oh and the fact that it has no clutch pedal takes the sore leg out of it as well!
    

[VWIan]

Alright, So I found a 2002 Golf with 130,000 miles, 5 speed, lower mpg, GLS, etc for $4000

My other choice is a 1999 Civic with 90,000 miles, 5-speed, higher mpg 1 owner, for $3000

Are the MK4's alright? Some people love them, but I've seen some people that have already paid more than the cars worth in repair costs for random things going out.

[corradojeff]

what engine is in the golf?