Heyo everyone,

Vøks here, 20 years old (soon 21) from Victoria looking forward to buying my first car!

My heart is set on a manual Golf Mk IV, though my Opa (83 year old retired RACV mechanic) is thoroughly unimpressed; I'll be pouring my hard earned cash into a bottomless pit trying to maintain a car that will indubitably fail every time, so I should buy a Honda Jazz and stick a VW badge on it! (Yeah those are his words).

So I'm here for guidance. Do all manual Golfs have DSG gearboxes? Does the Mk IV? Are Golf repairs really THAT expensive? Am I setting myself, or my wallet, up for pain and agony?

I've been looking into dealers rather than private sellers to ensure I get a car in the best possible condition. My personal driving style is extremely smooth and conservative, which is coming from everyone I have driven (extremely smooth take-offs and stops, slow around corners etc etc). Will this work to my advantage in avoiding expensive repairs?

I appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks everyone and I'm really looking forward to being part of the VWwatercooled Family!

-Vøks