The Mk3 Golf VR6 Is So Good It Makes Modern Cars Look Bad 

Buy your 99p tickets for this VR6 + £1000 cash here: www.cashraffle.com/competition/win-a-volkswagen-golf-vr6-1000/ (T&C's on the website plus full details)

It's weird how much time can change perceptions; I thought the Mk 3 Golf was a bit of an ugly old thing back in the day and yet now I look at this one and think "what a gorgeous little classic".

I bought one of these in 2012. P reg with only 62000 miles on the clock for £1200. Ended up getting the rust sorted and got it resprayed. In my opinion,it is one of the best sounding engines ever and it always put a smile on your face when you put the foot down. Was fairly shocking around corners though because of the weight of that engine. Sold it in 2015 for £2500. Still wish I had it and hate to think how much it would be worth now. The Mk3 Golf isn't renowned for being a good car but I think the VR6 is a future classic and if it wasn't for that we wouldn't have had the Mk4 R32 or the Mk7 R.

Nice to see a standard, good example of one of these. I quite like the understated looks actually.

the only downside to this video is that it will have you wondering how you can fit a Mk3 VR6 into your life. If you count that as a downside.

Golf’s are just great little all round cars They are iconic a people’s car. Love your vr6 in lovely condition I love my mk5 r32 Great channel thank you

the mk3 as a whole is something that was seemingly slept on or hated by many of car community but in the past few years it's a vehicle people are starting to admire. ive had the odd "they rust easily" but yet my golf's arches and sills are completely fine. mines only a 1.8 auto 4 speed and i honestly expected it to scream its nuts off on the motorway but it sits just under 3,000rpm at 70mph and is pretty quiet in the cab

Still have one hidden away. Started for the first time in 4 years the other day. It sounded mean, so I think I'll put it back on the road.

I remember a friend of a friend picking me up in a VR6. It was such a subtle looking car i never realised it had such an unusual engine in it. Cool motor!

A little story....i had a polo 6n2 1.4. When i was 19/20 years old i came across a breakers yard in bolton manchester that had a golf vr6. It had dark blue leather seats with white pipeing. Ultra ultra rare. Paid 200 quid for the full set. And becuase the mk3 golf and polo 6n2 are same platform they bolted straight in! People at shows loved them..magazines and everything. Im now 35. The good old days

Excellent video Ben. I agree with you on this one. I'm 20 and a student at that but, the first car I get will either be a Karman Ghia, a MK4 R32 or a Passat CC (with the 3.6 VR6). Being in Canada, AWD is necessary so the latter picks but the class of the KG can't be repeated and not to mention the practicality of all three. The VR6 engines are quite tuneable too (eg: tvs engineering's MK7 with the 3.6 VR6 pushing upwards of 750 HP.) For a first car, these options are the best bets (maybe add the early gen mazda speed3 to the list for this one). Great video reminding everyone the excellence of the VR6 engines.

Excellent review Ben. You have brought back many happy memories. I had a brand new 97 plate in dragon green. It remains my favourite car of all those I have owned or had the pleasure to drive for prolonged periods of time. Modern cars just aren’t as fun

👌An iconic legend. The coolest thing in my country back in the 90's💪🔥

Great video mate, the older i get the more and more i just love older cars. New cars are just plain rubbish

I had a 2 brand new VR6’s, they are brilliant. Great family car and a complete sleeper.

Great vid, Ben. I have a Corrado VR6 and have driven a couple of Mk3 VR6s a number of years ago, so I can appreciate the engine in these. Been following your socials for a while (here and Instagram), love what you're doing. As a fellow dad of young kids - albeit with half the size of your brood! - this all resonates with me. Completely novel concept, mega interesting, but your appeal goes beyond that; I have friends who don't have kids but tune in for every new video. It's criminal you don't have more followers but I'm sure that will change in time. Keep up the great work, mate.

What a sweet little Nugget! If I wasn't 10500 miles away, I'd have a punt. Another great video!

Just entered the raffle!! You simply can't beat old school get in and go cars!! Best car I've ever owned was a 205 gti wish I still owned it!!! Anyway keep up the good work.

Love the sound of these VR6 engines, quite unique, after the Busso Alfa V6 - a favorite sound for sure

Been thinking about getting my 97 5dr ready to go back on the road after the winter, you have compounded my decision to get stuck in over the winter 😎 cracking vid on a cracking car 👌 talking of safety; watch the crash tests of mk2, mk3 and mk4 Golf on youtube... 🙃

I had a 3 door VR6 for a year about 10 years ago now I still miss it to this day.

Hi Ben & girls. Hope your all doing good. That's one cool VR6. I love the color of it. I think there's a lot of room in that. I loved the video. Stay safe and take care.

You’ve made me miss my old one, so I’ve bought a few tickets! Has a certain charm and wouldn’t look out of place at a nice country hotel as well as on the drive

Awesome car, always agreed that modern cars are too much about form rather than function. Just got my father’s Corrado back on the road after 14 years sitting.

I'm still driving my second Golf mk3 to this day and i think it's a great car. Mine is TDI though. It gets 38-39 mpg in the city and has powerful a/c. I don't use it for family journeys due to it's lack of security features.

That unmatched "wookie-sound" is just insane - immediate goosebumps when starting the engine 😚 Always& forever "team oldschool" .. 🤠

I love VW’s of that generation. The early TDi, for example, was amazing in any car. Versatility is great and build quality makes them tidy and rattle-free for decades. You said you can get a washing machine in that Golf. Well, you can get one in the boot of a similar aged Polo - with the back seat in place!

I had a 3dr GTi 2.0 16v mk3 Golf. I loved it. Definitely buying a ticket.

Had a Golf VR6 before the Corrado came around! The 2 gear synchro is a common weakness on these cars and the exhaust sounded like there is clogged... New exhaust system required to hear the full glory of the VR6 lump

Great review, Ben. Your channel is really coming along!

What a cracking little car. I had two MK4 Golfs one after the other. One I picked up new in 1999, sold it 14 years later, did 143000 miles on it. The other 2002 MK4, but I had major auto box problems on it. Yeah you're right, MK4 VR6 dropped the ball somewhat! Definately buying a ticket!(Ticket Bought!)

I had a 95 Jetta glx with the vr6 for my first car. I wish I had it back and could take care of it the way I should’ve. It was exceptional and I think about it often. I prefer a hatchback these days, so I’d love to find a mk3 gti to keep as a project car.

i daily drive a mk2 golf and i don't miss a thing, it's fast enough, corners well, visibility is great and the small size is super handy around town. I would like a mk3 maybe as a replacement, since my mk2 is almost in too nice condition to daily drive and the mk3 is very similar

I have the same Mk3 Golf 1996. Looks exactlly the same with the same BBS and spoilers with a beautiful dark green paint.. I loved it immediatelly. I dont have the original cassete player and el mirrors but the rest is the same.. Its amazing how your opinion match with mine exactlly. I aprecciate the interiour is all authentic in great condition i feel lucky about it. The same things with the gearbox shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. If you go to neutral or almost neutral than continue to 2nd shift goes smooth otherwise it makes a noise. Its a perfect car with climacool and 4 el windows i dont really need anything else from a car exept i swear i tell some friends just 6st gear will compleat the picture.. the biggeat difference is 1.6GT 101bhp I would love to have the beast engine ofcourse

Back in the day if I never became a JDM guy this would have been the car I’d have ended up with as the “project”. I’ve bought some tickets for this, but hope it goes to a better home than me 😅

I'm Italian, but dont live in Italy like many Italians I live abroad in some country like in central America cause of work. But would jump on the chance to own that VR6!!! I have a Vento 1.8L from 1994 and take good care of him. My Vento is one tough dude, I have owned it for 12 years and it has resisted the test of time! it is one tough cookie! So I know how amazing they are. I keep mine shinny and smelling and llooking good!

Great car. Sound of engine was awesome. Mk1 focus was such a better steer, even in low spec 1.6.

8:31 try that steering silliness when you have HR coilovers with a 25mm front and 28mm rear anti-roll bars and 205-45-16 tyres. I'm betting you'll need to change your knickers after you pull them out.

i had a golf 3, good car. they had 2 versions of the gti mk3 in the eu market. 8valve, 4cil 2litre (115 bhp) 2litre and 16valve 4cil 2litre.(150bhp)

Only thing that sticks out to me is that it's not got a VR6 front splitter on it. Other than that perfecto!

I always find myself like 'at home' driving any golf. Everything is where it should be, all the stalks, switches etc. I think the leather is also a proper leather unlike this fake rubbish we've got on modern cars now that doesn't smell as it supposed to. In case of vr6 MK3 I'm sure some companies will be happy to insure it as classic which means the monthly insurance premium will be cheaper than your phone contract. I wonder what would be the 0-60 time after all these years

Great video! The Golf Mk3 is a nice looking car these days, time had treated her well - and that engine is one of the very best sounding 6's on the planet. Chassis and panel corrosion can be a real issue, but if you are prepared to invest, it is a fixable one. Congratulations to whoever won - thats a fantastic example there.

Great Video and point. Too many people are reliant on driver aids. If you like the MK3 VR6, I've found the mk5 GT TDI 170 is a hoot to drive with all the same benefits. Ok down side you do have a screen on the stereo but try one you'll see what I mean. Cracking little car

Loved these when I was young! Never had a Golf but I bet my last gen Polo GTI was bigger than this!

MK2 is still my favorite. I use to dislike the NK3. Thought it was bulbous, too Japanese, too heavy, etc. love my 16v 92 American Spec GTI. BUT.. also love the 2000 Cabrio 2.0 I bought in 2020. It’s solid. Handles well. More refined than my MK2. If not as fun. It’s fun, though!

Been driving US-dubs since '86 and I agree-- (8:01) Everything's where it should be, except now my 7.5mk Alltrack and they've slightly raised the volume knob. It's wrong!! Great content, tho.

I used to daily a mk3 jetta glx, then a mk2 golf when my son was in a car seat lol fun cars cheap parts great memories

Just given up my bmw 330d touring 2014 non ulez for a bmw e46 2003 330ci. Wife was not happy to say the least. Especially as it needs a little bit of work to get it up to the standard of the old (newer) car.

Vr6s always made more power than the quoted outputs! Obd2s were 190plus easily had 3 and a v6 4mo awesome cars

Just recently had an urge to get a mk3.5 cabriolet and put the vr6 engine in. As a few of the other comments have said the mk3 seems to have looked better with age

Thanks for reminding me that this car is nearly 30 years old. I was in my late twenties when this car was registered so I feel really old now!🤔😆. You are right, this was such an improvement on the excuse for the Mk3 GTI at that time which was marketed just as a GL in some other countries. Its good to reminisce to a time when cars were bought for driving pleasure and not for the size of the infotainment screen. 👍

I have a 2017 mk7 golf wolfsburg s 1.8t 5 spd I will never ever sell it it is my 2nd favorite car of all time next to my 2010 mk6 gti 2.0t 6spd

Nice. Since covid I have trouble with driving my VR (automatic) properly and am thinking of selling her. Not sold a car for years and don't want the bother - what to do?

Loved that, now want a Golf VR6 even though I have the Corrado VR too. Nice example and someone will get lucky for 99p. Maybe me ha.

Thanks Dad!

Only issue I see with driving kids in old cars is that newer cars are so damn heavy, these older cars would get absolutely obliterated

Awesome car 😂 uncle Jordan loved this car too ❤

I still have My 1997 VW GTI VR6 Drivers edition

Golfs have always been well designed. The mark 7.5 I've currently got has everything where you want it to be whilst still having Sat nav, android auto etc. Contrast that to our other car. A 2012 mini cooper S where everything is exactly where you would least expect it to be and they've even made indicating overly complex, far too easy to accidentally indicate the other way when cancellinh. In terms of how it drives they're the other way round. Mini drives analogue. Have to drive it. Golf drives to be easy and secure. The mini will put a smile on your face. With the mark 8 golf usability took a big hit. Rather than laugh at it others copied it!

Better with a turbo! I had a few VR6's with the best being a 1996 Highline in black. Actually really good cars.... Just never quite had the cool factor of a MK1 or 2

Had one, it was v loud. Like an angry Chewbacca, I remember partially blowing the headgasket at 140mph and the person who bought it of me drove it 2 hrs to Leeds burning coolant. Strong engines, just a shame the Mk3's are prone to rust. I also had a Mk3 16v which was a better drive.

Ok one major problem not mentioned in this video is the fuel economy!! The normal one is less than 22miles to the gallon!! So when you slate the "lack of progress" in 30 years, you may want to take that minor detail into account...

Love a 6 cylinder. Its a shame they'll soon just be a past memory

My kids love doing trips in our fully equiped ‘95 mystic blue 3 door 16V! They call it the (“coole auto” )cool car. Yes mk3’s are lovely! How did They fixed the grinding gear? 😅

Too bad we don’t have MK3 4 door VR in the USA. Only the 2 door GTI VR

Petrolhead dad club for the win 🤟🏼

drill some swiss cheese holes in the cold side of the airbox ;)

Dude told his wife he's gonna take the girls to the park and filmed a review of the car.

Love this :)

Barely had the cash to run mine and that was with 2009 fuel prices.

Thanks for a truly good review on a truly wonderful car! Ps: a bit TOO much of short pants and legs. Hope this didn't offend you.

Been waiting on this review. Apart from the mk1 the gti has never been the fastest golf

This was the last generation of good reliable Vws. After this the quality and reliability went to pot, like most Euro brands.

downside of this car... the aging ABS system . especially if you got the Mark04 from 1994 and older..(mark20 from 96+ is deff a upgrade) and the fact its ffing nose heavy albeit a 5door balances it out do vs a 3dr .. and gotta watch for the rust monster. cus they really really did everything to save a dime during there finacial distress of 1985 and onwards to 1994

Nice ride 👌

the dashboard ona Mk3 can get worse.. your's is padded with vinyl and foam... but get a CL then you got Hardplasic xD thats worse... also the seats on the center sections are leather (hybrid) cus its bycast leather (its top is still vinyl. but the under laying part is leather remains. the rest if just plain vinyl.. but like you said it quality is good and takes ages. to go bad.. while having colour concept seats ... guaranteed they gonne look shit. by age quicly . so those sport seats are the best to have for a daily!

Is the rear seats folding down like that a Euro thing or is it also USDM? I can’t seem to find that feature …

Where I can buy one

Next car is civic type r or Integra type rof the fc civic type r

My heretical view is that the odd numbered golf models are significantly better cars than the adjacent even cars. Mk 3’s were significantly more robust than 2 and more reliable than Mk 5’s that suffered from the attention of VW’s accountants.

Nice.

Nice mota

How does the ULEZ effect the VR6?

Heavy, slow, and shit on fuel. Only good thing is the sound. Corrado is way better than the Golf

Totaly agree..

modern cars suck suck suck for sooo many reasons. I had one of these and loved. Way better than the new ones. I just drove a Mk6 and Mk7 and I didn't really like them as much as a the old ones. New ones have too much tech. too quiet. too digital. too refined. just lame. Not to mention too complicated and unreliable. I wouldn't even consider a newer car. I'm looking at an old 7th gen celica gts. I had one when they came out. Perfect for what I need. Never selling it.

ppl need all the driver aides because they can't drive anymore. ppl can't do much of anything anymore.

I'd trust s mk3 in a crash. They're solid cars

Fantastic cars I must admit I hate new cars they are too big and all look the same , I myself have a mk4 golf R32 great cars with a great sound track

Yes, finally some support for this great motor. 👍

I loved my highline. Instantly fell in love with the GLORIOUS engine noise!❤ I ended up supercharging it for 320 hp

Nostalgia. Had those dials and that steering wheel in my first car. A mark 3 polo. Similarities end there as mine a 1.3 (which VW replaced the next year with a 1.4) had only 55bhp.

Hi Ben I get everything you say ,the new cars are so lack luster ,they drive themselves .2 years ago I had a ford sierra cosworth estate a new fiesta st road car and a ford fiesta st track car and a new skoda superb estate dsg .the skoda had all the mod cons and would drive its self. The cossie on the other had needed to be driven. It was a proper drivers car . No abs no traction control no air bags and no collision avoidance. It was pure point and shoot driving. I certainly do miss that car . No skool like the old skool.

Excellent review and a great perspective on modern cars. I’ve used an almost identical VR6 daily for the last 4 years, not because I’m a big vdub fan but because it’s perfect for my needs and does everything well! I worked in the automotive industry for 40 years and have had Golfs of all types Mk1 to Mk7.5 but these old mk3’s are the best combo of practicality and classic appeal imo. I also get the thumbs up and approached by folks wanting to buy it, not bad for a €1200 car you can move house with or tow 500kg of logs!

Thanks!