More money for less car: The old coupé wisdom applies especially to the VW Scirocco. The cut golf can not compete with the limousine neither in everyday life nor in the quality.
SP-X / Cologne. With the Scirocco III VW 2008 wanted to revive a successful concept of the 70er and 80er years. Despite initial sales success did not really succeed: The compact sports coupe was expensive and unreliable. As a used car, the cooler golf cousin can still be a good choice if you know its weak points.
Body and interior: coupes do not have to be practical, but should look good in the first place. Whether the offered to 2017 Scirocco the latter succeeds in the eye of the beholder, the first fulfilled the VW but full: A tight rear, the poor overview and the extremely high sill at the rear are likely to frighten the ordinary golf customers. The same applies to the very hard and uncomfortable chassis already in the basic version. In the trend of the time it has exaggerated VW in the tuning of springs and dampers significantly in the direction of sportiness. In addition, the 2 + 2-Seater convinces with the typical virtues of its technology dispenser Golf VI. These include the simple operation, a high-quality cockpit appearance and, above all, very good sports seats.
Engines: The Scirocco benefits from the well-stocked engine bay of the Golf. More than a dozen different four-cylinder models were in the portfolio over the years of construction, ranging from 90 kW / 122 horsepower to 206 kW / 280 horsepower in the Scirocco R sports model. At the bottom, 1,4-liter TSI petrol engines ranked for their timing chain problems are. At that time VW repaired a part of the engines on goodwill - today the manufacturer would wave. The 2,0-liter TSI petrol engines, which are already relatively expensive and thirsty with at least 132 kW / 180 PS, are considered to be more solid. The everyday potential of the Scirocco but they raise the best. Thanks to their high torque, the 2,0-liter diesels can also be seen: the range extends from the very economical blue-motion technology version with 110 kW / 150 PS to a particularly high-torque version with 135 kW / 184 PS. All engines drive the front wheels, even in the R-model, unlike the corresponding Golf, there is no four-wheel drive. In the power transmission is a manual six-speed gearbox standard, alternatively, most engines are synonymous with dual-clutch gearbox to have. The annoying but often with bucking and Anfahrschwäche, VW has partially fixed by software updates. Interested parties should be informed about all improvements carried out. This also applies to the diesel, which are partially affected by the recalls in the VW scandal.
Equipment and safety: In keeping with the then quite high original price level (starting beyond the 22.000 Euro), the basic Scirocco is better equipped than an average Golf. Always on board are 17 inch wheels, air conditioning and sports seats. Atypical for VW is the waiver of equipment lines. If you wanted more than the standard program, you had to do this via individual crosses on the option list. There were next to luxury such as leather upholstery or panoramic roof also some almost indispensable items such as the rear-view camera or the adaptive suspension, which mitigates the coordination hardness of the coupe. The investment in optics upgrades is also worthwhile, because in the low-cost versions, the Scirocco can not unfold its show potential. In terms of safety, the two-door is at the height of its time, always on board six airbags, brake assist and the vehicle dynamics control ESP.
Quality: Although the Scirocco uses the same technology as the Golf, it is not built in Wolfsburg, but in the Portuguese Palmela. A VW plant that has not been known for outstanding manufacturing quality. It is possible that it is because the coupe in the TÜV report against the sedan drops significantly. Despite lower mileage he falls much more often by the HU than his cousin. Striking are above all many spring breaks and problems with the exhaust gas examination. Add to that the unreliable timing chains and the problematic DSG transmissions. Also susceptible are the gas springs of the tailgate.
Conclusion: If the Golf is too boring, Scirocco is a closely related alternative with more flair - but also less space. However, it is advisable to have a well maintained copy that was included in all recall and service actions and has received the necessary software updates. The seller should be able to prove that. Prices are currently starting at just under 6.000 Euro.
