Volkswagen Bora reviews

I've owned two Broas. The first got to 248K miles before finally giving in, and I was so impressed by that so I bought another one. I went for a Bora because when compared to a similar spec'd Golf, they seemed to be a lot cheaper to buy. Both Boras I owned were/are TDIs and the running costs are fairly cheap. My daily commute is 60 miles, I'm averaging about 55 MPG at the mo, and it costs me around £30-£40 a week in fuel. The Bora is spacious and comfortable, and the boot is massive, however its tricky to get large loads in it due to the saloon boot. When the seats are flat you can get loads in the boot as long as it fits through the boot opening! There's enough room in the back for the kids car seats, and plenty of leg room for adult passengers too. Performance wise, the drive is ok. The TDIs I've owned have some serious turbo lag however which can be a bit frustrating when overtaking etc. The handling can be a bit wallowy too, owing to the big heavy diesel engine at the front end. If you're tight (like me) and have to own a diesel for cost/commute reasons then chances are you're not looking for a sports car, so these minor issues shouldn't distract from what a great car it is to own and run. The reliability, as you would expect from a VW is fantastic. I've had very few things go on both cars. However, things to watch for are water pumps which like to fail (I had two go on the first car), but you can get these changed easily and cheaply at the same time as a cambelt change (every 4 years or 90k miles). The other problem I had on the first Bora was a sticking waste gate on the turbo. This is a common problem (I believe) with older TDIs. If the waste gate sticks, the turbo overboosts and the car goes into 'limp mode'. I took it to a VW dealership and they quoted for a new turbo. Luckily, I took it to an independent VW specialist for a second opinion who diagnosed the problem, and fixed it by cleaning the turbo and wastegate. A lot cheaper than a new turbo! This brings me to my biggest bugbear with owning VWs, the cost of servicing at dealerships. I gave up with taking the cars to a dealership for servicing after the turbo incident as if I had gone with the delaerships suggested a new turbo would've set be back £1500! So, for me personally, I couldn't recommend a Bora highly enough.

1999 VW Bora - average mileage Although parts are not always cheap to buy they so rarely need replacing this means cost is offset by infrequent replacements. I drive my car quite hard though not in excess of speed limits and still have most original parts eg. gear box, clutch etc. Reliable; always starts whatever the weather. The ride can be a little hard for passengers but as a driver I am always comfortable. It's easy to drive and handles all road surfaces and conditions exceptionally well for a saloon. Reasonably fuel efficient for it's age, engine size and fuel type. It comfortably seats five average sized adults although leg room is minimal in the back if front seat passengers have seats pushed far back. I am only 5' 2" tall but can easily dip the clutch fully which is not always the case in many cars. Boot space is ample. Spare tyre easily accessible unless you have a full boot ;-) My two criticisms are: 1. the heater and screen demister are poor especially in comparison to an older version of this model :-( (for front seat passengers heat is not an issue as there are heated seats) 2. Bulbs can be difficult to access to change them Although I would try other makes of car I would always consider VW first

AN ENJOYABLE CAR ON LONG TRIPS AND MOTORWAYS. NOT SO GOOD TO DRIVE IN TOWN. LOADS OF POWER AND TORQUE, FULLY LOADED MAKES ALMOST NO DIFFERENCE TO ACCELERATION OR FUEL ECONOMY. 53-55 MPG AVERAGE OVERALL UNTIL CAR REACHED 190,000 NOW GRADUALLY DROPPED TO AROUND 48MPG AT MILAGE 200,100 VERY GOOD. BECOME QUITE NOISY! PARTS HAVE PROVED EXPENSIVE, UP TO 03 THE 6 SPEED GEARBOX LIABLE TO FAILURE, TO REPAIR ON THE CHEAP, WITH CLUTCH, AT LEAST £1000, DEALER OVER £3000. THE MAIN GOOD POINTS ARE THE POWER AND TORQUE, ON THE OPEN ROAD GREAT DRIVING. NOT A HATCHBACK, BUT REAR SEATS FOLD DOWN TO GIVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR GEAR. MAIN FAULTS, AWFUL UNDERSTEER UNLESS TYRES RUN AT NEAR TO 40PSI, AND EVEN THEN STILL NOT GOOD. POOR DRIVING POSITION. TERRIBLE CD SOUND, ALTHOUGH RADIO NOT SO BAD. IF POWER STEERING FAILS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AT LOW SPEED.

I bought my Bora 1.9TDI,resistered in 2002 used, with some 14500 miles covered as my retirement present in May 2004. It has now clocked up just over 85000 miles, and in all that time has never let me down once. The bodywork is still in very good condition, original exhaust,battery, clutch and all other majot components. No major replacements at all, just routine service parts with one change of discs/pads. Brilliane MPG, more often than not over 50, up to 60+ with a great performance. Reluctant to change, but the age is making me wonder if I should... Thank you Volkswagen, for the best (by far) of the many cars I've owned...mostly VW's !!

I have owned many cars from old Mini's to new Mercedes, I bought this car because I was about to cover a lot of miles, about 50-60,000 miles per year, and wanted the economy of the diesel. The car has now covered over 300,000 very comfortable miles with just a couple of electrical faults and a wheel bearing failure. I can still get close to 60 miles per gallon. Without doubt the best car I have ever owned.

I own a 2004 bora TDI 100. Bought after my mondeo tdci destroyed its fuel system and went to the scrap heap at 5 years old and 75k miles. The bora has been with me for 50k now, now on 160k. I do 30k a year and it averages 50ish to the gallon. Never let me down. Ultra reliable. A great bargain commuter car.

This is the best car I`v ever owned it has everything you could wish for, I drive a lot and it has never let me down, It`s economy is amazing if driven sensibly, you feel safe in it, typical German engineering, if I can buy the same model again I certainly will be doing so.

A great car that I bought from a private seller for £750,a clutch pedal problem which was fixed very cheaply!! I've owned this car since March and I have covered 11000 miles and she is a pleasure to drive,I service the car locally and it's purring sweetly.

The car is 12 years old but is extremely reliable and has passed its MOT for the past three years without requiring any repairs. It is economical, comfortable to drive and has plenty of room for passengers and to carry bags.

I have had this car from new and only had one serious fault. It is very easy to drive. Downside is low MPG.

Had for 7 years and never let me down. Regularly get 60 miles to the gallon.

I bought this car new, 14 years ago and do not feel inclined to change it.