# gti vs corrado which one



## loki993 (Sep 13, 2008)

basically what do you think?? what would you choose.vr6 gti or vr6 corrado?
here are the pros and cons I can think of of each.
corrado:
pros:
looks great
unique
cheper, usually
cons:
older
relativly hard to find

gti:
pros:
newer
24v possible
easy to find
cons:
more expensive, most likly and could be significantly more depending on year
a bit bland
there a million golfs on the road
thats all I can think of at the moment, im sure theres more.I really like the look of the corrado, but if an easier to find gti vr6 will get the job done better I could go for that. does one car offer more perfromance than the other or are they very close??if there close I may still lean to the corrado, but then I come back to the notion that, at least in theroy, a newer car should be more reliable. where I live reliability is a concern were kinda in BFE, and getting parts for these things may be a challenge at times.


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## teutoned (Jul 29, 2008)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (loki993)*

Sweet Little Car for me


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## CorradoMagic (Apr 11, 2008)

a GTI is in no way cheaper than a Corrado. 
a 24v would only come in a MK4 body. thats 2.5 generations newer than a Corrado.
An MK3 GTi VR6 is the closest match


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## ih8erickempf (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (CorradoMagic)*

corrado:
pros:
looks great
unique
cheper, usually
cons:
older
relativly hard to find

HAHAHA you really should have it the other way around... the pros are that its older (less stuff to go wrong in the bigger picture... although corrado guys will agree that this car will test your brainpower sometimes), relatively hard to find (like u said unique), plus it looks great, is a blast to drive, great group of corrado guys out there.... cons are that it will cost you your first born ( corrados are the MOST EXPENSIVE VWS TO MAINTAIN!!!!!!), will make your second car jealous (thats right you will need a second car when you own a corrado, if you dont you are brave) and 3 you will pay top dollar for decent parts...(no avoiding that)
i always say leave the corrados for the big kids and stick w/ the mkiVs ... too many good corrados have been lost or hacked apart or parted due to the lack of love/respect/time for them... unless you are willing to dive in 100% i say dont do it


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## loki993 (Sep 13, 2008)

I never said that a GTI was cheaper than a corrado. I only said that they usually are, ive seen some corrados in realy good condition or restored ones going for 6-7k, also ive seen highly mdded ones going for more than that. but yes stock for stuck a corado should be cheaper than a GTI.


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## loki993 (Sep 13, 2008)

why are they so expensive to maintain?? also are you saying that they break down a lot?? I would be willing to go at it 100 percent, but I really need a reliable car to drive also.


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## ih8erickempf (Apr 23, 2004)

*Re: (loki993)*

basically corrados can be angels or satin himself... they are very prone to a variety of issues if they arent addresses properly... and they have a bad habit of once you fix one thing, 5 more things will pop up... perfect example... i had a 93 SLC (thats the VR6)
i had a coolant leak/over heating issue w/ the car... noticed a small leak from my crack pipe so i replaced that... then a week later i had a leak from my thermostat housing (next weak link in the line)... so i replaced that and since i was there i did a thermostat, coolant temp sensor and replaced a suspect coolant hose that was in the area... well then a week or two later my aux coolant pump started to leak so i replaced that... then 2 weeks later i had a leak starting from my coolant bottle so i replaced the bottle and the cap and the hose that runs off that.... now the leak is resolved but its still overheating... so i find the fan control module wasnt kicking the fans on when it got up to temp so i replaced that w/ the updated fan module... then the fans would kick on but would blow a fuse when they would... turns out i had a bad fan motor.... so i replaced that... well since you have to remove the radiator to do the fan motor i replaced that as well... and since i was there i replaced the aux fan and the drive belt.... well since i had the radiator out i replaced the lower rad hose as well... and since the motor mount bolts were rusted i put new ones back in.... 
then 6 months later i had a clutch pedal issue-- new slave cylinder
then 6 month after that i had no brakes - ended up doing a non abs swap w/ new master cylinder/ brake lines/ vacuum lines/ brake booster/ new brackets to mount stuff/
do i regret any of it... no... i loved that car every second i had it...but i got into it knowing it was going to kill me....


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## CorradoMagic (Apr 11, 2008)

If you find a Corrado cheaper than a GTI of the same era(mk3).. run! or at least be prepared to dump4x the cost of the car into in within the first yr. 1/2 in the first 3 mos if you want a dead-reliable Corrado daily driver.
To my knowlege there are no parts on the MK3 GTI that are costlier than on a Corrado. MK3 parts are a dime a dozen & widely available. 75% are interchangeable btw G/J & VR/2L
the corrado is a low number/niche car that most dealers will run from & shadetree's have no recent/any experience with.
There are many parts unique to the rado & that makes them expensive to repair.
ECU, MAF, Exh, All interior & exterior bits, front brakes, cooling components & more.

examples~ 
A corrado front bumper is aprox $850
MK3 US or Euro $150
Fog light $140 ea
vs. $65
Fender-
C= $450
G/J = $90
signal
C= 70pr
G/J = 18pr
handle
c=$120++
G/J= $40

A Corrado can be used as a DD & is by many, although as an owner of one who happens to also own a warehouse full of european car parts, I drive my Audi instead. 
Stock for stock, a 93 Corrado should warrant more $$ than say a 97 GTI. 
Ratty examples of either not included.
The Corrado is older, more expensive new, now & to maintain. It is more rare, looks better and is quite the experience to drive & own. Prime examples are hard to find & almost all will need some work being 15-19y.o
If you are referring to a 24v or 99 & up, then you are not remotely close to equally comparing the 2 models. 
If you are personally looking at 2 models to compare for purchase, you shoul dlist the specifics of each. 
The performance of the MK3 VR6 & Coilpack Corrado VR6 is similar. The Corrado has 6 more hp, a tighter trans ratio and is a tad lighter. They are practically the same performance wise.
MK4/12&24v are entirely different in design & perf, costs, etc.
You like the Corrado, Understandable. What is your intent or expectation of these cars? 
Daily driver, decent performance & low cost of ownership/hassle- my vote is the MK3/MK4
Corrado should be intended as a unique & long term ownership experience for a car that is driben, but not neccesarily subjuect to the use of DD.
Obviously all my opinion but I hope this helps. I'd hate to see another corrado abused, abandoned, run down or parted for a swap, etc(not saying you will but its the usual route of C owners who dont give it 110% all the time both mechanically/physically & finacially)
Best of luck & enjoy the VR6!


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## no_dub_to_rub (Aug 13, 2007)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (loki993)*

Be prepared to fix everything on the corrado. My bro has a 92 and fixes something on it every week. Recently: new motor, motor mounts, cluster, exhaust.


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## teutoned (Jul 29, 2008)

*Re: (ih8erickempf)*


_Quote, originally posted by *ih8erickempf* »_
do i regret any of it... no... i loved that car every second i had it...but i got into it knowing it was going to kill me.... 

Sounds
Like
Christine


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## loki993 (Sep 13, 2008)

so the corrados I see for sale on the board for 1500-2000k I should stay away from?? I understand that there will be some things to fix. but what I really need is a reliable daily.I not looking for a car to tear up or part out, i wouldnt do that.
now you say a 24v vr6 are completly different in design and performance. are they beter or worse?? I understand that a 24v GTI will be significantly more money.


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## CorradoMagic (Apr 11, 2008)

24v is 200hp. uses a better flowing head & plastic intake. Is also OBD2 & is usually bolted to a nice 6spd manual trans. 
These are heavier & more expensive all around, but a generally better motor. 
look for a 96-99 MK3 VR6 (OBD2), 12v


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## gruppe-b (Dec 6, 2008)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (loki993)*

corrados are anything but cheap.just about every single part on them is unique to the model.golf parts are shared (or at least fit)on other models.a good friend of mine had a '90 G60 Corrado,that car was a financial nightmare.even though it's a 1.8L,EVERY SINGLE PART on it was different than a regular golf-alternator,water pump,starter,you name it.get a golf,your wallet will thank you.


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## runaground (Oct 8, 2007)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (gruppe-b)*

Stay away from the corrado, if you can't afford to dump money into it don't even think about getting one. I have a good friend of mine who does mk2 vr swaps, mk2 1.8t swaps and owns his own body shop that is a VW enthusiast, (soon to be an owner of an audi rs4) and he personally refuses to own a corrado. He admits they look and drive great, but they take a lot more TLC/$ to keep them on the road. If you have deep pockets, patience of a saint, a 2nd car, and a garage, ok, maybe you might be canidate, otherwise, run very far away


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## VWSyd (Jul 20, 2007)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (runaground)*

Another thing, I see MK2, 3 and sometimes 4s in u-pull it yards. I have never, ever seen a Rado in one. Seriously, never. Finding parts will be a pain in the back side to be sure.


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## jeff2.0t (Dec 6, 2007)

*Re: gti vs corrado which one (VWSyd)*

Corrado=sale one of your testicles.
If you smash the car sales both of your testicles.


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