VW Scirocco: As A Used Vehicle With Weak Points

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 05:39

The VW Scirocco looks good without question. But can you buy the Wolfsburg-based sports coupé carefree as a used car?

With the Scirocco III, VW wanted to revive a successful concept of the 70s and 80s in 2008. Despite initial sales success, that didn't really work: the compact sports coupé was expensive and unreliable. As a used car, the cooler golf cousin can still be a good choice if you know its weak points.

spoods.de

Coupés don't have to be practical, they should primarily look good. Whether the Scirocco, which is offered until 2017, succeeds in the latter is in the eye of the beholder, but the VW fully fulfills the former: A narrow rear, the poor overview and the extremely high loading sill at the rear should frighten ordinary Golf customers. The same applies to the chassis, which is very hard and uncomfortable even in the basic version.

Valuable interior appearance

In the trend of the times, VW has clearly exaggerated in the direction of sportiness in the coordination of springs and dampers. In addition, the 2 + 2-seater convinces with the typical virtues of its technology dispenser Golf VI. These include simple operation, a high-quality cockpit look and, above all, very good sports seats.

When it comes to drive systems, the Scirocco benefits from the Golf's well-stocked engine shelf. More than a dozen different four-cylinder engines were in the portfolio over the years, the performance range extends from 122 hp to 280 hp in the Scirocco R sports model. 1.4-liter TSI petrol engines, which are known for their timing chain problems, rank at the lower end.

At that time, VW repaired some of the engines as a gesture of goodwill - today the manufacturer would decline. The 2.0-liter TSI petrol engines are considered to be more solid, but with at least 180 hp they are already relatively expensive and thirsty. But they are best able to leverage the Scirocco's everyday sporting potential.

Diesel can be seen

The 2.0-liter diesels are also impressive thanks to their high torque: The range extends from the very economical Blue Motion Technology variant with 150 hp to a particularly powerful version with 184 hp. All engines drive the front wheels, even in the R model, in contrast to the corresponding Golf, there is no all-wheel drive technology.

A manual six-speed gearbox is standard for power transmission, but most engines are also available with dual-clutch gearboxes. However, they are often annoying with jerking and starting weaknesses, VW has partially remedied this with software updates. Interested parties should be informed about all improvements made. This also applies to diesels, some of which are affected by the recalls as part of the VW scandal.

High new car price

The basic Scirocco is better equipped than an average Golf, in keeping with the high new price level at the time (starting at more than 22,000 euros). 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 so using individual crosses on the option list. In addition to luxury such as leather upholstery or a panoramic roof, there were also some almost indispensable items such as the reversing camera or the adaptive chassis, which alleviates the hardness of the coupé's tuning.

Diarrhea at the TÜV

The investment in optics upgrades is also worthwhile, because the Scirocco cannot develop its show potential in the cheaper versions. In terms of safety, the two-door model is up to date, with six airbags, brake assist and ESP driving dynamics control always on board.

Although the Scirocco uses the same technology as the Golf, it was not built in Wolfsburg, but in Palmela, Portugal. It is possible that it is due to the fact that the coupé falls significantly behind the sedan in the TÜV report. Despite the lower mileage, he fails the HU much more often than his cousin. Above all, there are many broken springs and problems with the emissions test. Then there are the unreliable timing chains and the problematic DSG gearbox. The gas springs on the tailgate are also susceptible.

If the Golf is too boring for you, the 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 campaigns and received the necessary software updates. The seller should be able to prove that. The prices currently start at almost 6000 euros. (SP-X)