A friend of mine is torn between this two choices, would like honorable members to help make a choice in terms of availability of parts, mechanics, and hands on experience with either car. I'd say I prefer the golf

Prefer the Golf 4 because it has a long list of standard features and a fuel-efficient TDI engine, parts are readily available as well it also has a high resale value.

Advice that your friend to run from the Golf as it is problematic and unreliable. Even though the primera is not the best in its category but when well maintained will serve you for a long while.

Thanks @Autobay, tdi means diesel I guess? @Lomomike, siena, gazzuzz, cityng etc i await ur valued contribution. Also current or past Golf 4 and primera owners, pls what's ur experience so far

@ expert101, can u state what ur reasons for running away is

Drgreatone:
Thanks @Autobay, tdi means diesel I guess? @Lomomike, siena, gazzuzz, cityng etc i await ur valued contribution. Also current or past Golf 4 and primera owners, pls what's ur experience so far

TDI have petrol engine. Golf 4 is a sweet car to drive but very problematic and unreliable. Each time I travel on Benin -Ore way, I see many of them that have broken done on highway.

Over 100 views and just 2 contributors, who do I appease to get more contributions oooo

no car is bad and no car is good.some pple will tel u golf 4 is unreliable,when is not toyota.pls forget dose kinda of pple.maintance is very important.i have a friend with golf 4 since 2010 till date.the prblm had was gear problem and he went for reprogramming of the gear that was all.getting stronger everyday.golf 4 is an european car with alot of wires.dont mess with the wires thats my advice.get obd II scanner too.

gambus007:
no car is bad and no car is good.some pple will tel u golf 4 is unreliable,when is not toyota.pls forget dose kinda of pple.maintance is very important.i have a friend with golf 4 since 2010 till date.the prblm had was gear problem and he went for reprogramming of the gear that was all.getting stronger everyday.golf 4 is an european car with alot of wires.dont mess with the wires thats my advice.get obd II scanner too.

Thanks
Are its parts readily available too? Trying to run away from anything toyota cos he doesn't wanna follow typical naija stereotypes and he has btw 800 to 900k to spend

Drgreatone:

Thanks
Are its parts readily available too? Trying to run away from anything toyota cos he doesn't wanna follow typical naija stereotypes and he has btw 800 to 900k to spend

parts are available.

Thanks a lot @gambus007

2 years ago, I was torn by this exact dilemma.

I was crazy about the Golf iv. I was all over Lagos searching for it with vigour. It was either I found one without meeting my specs or was outside my budget.

Then one day I ran into the Infiniti G20 (which is your Primera with the Infiniti badge), then I went to various websites to compare both cars. That made my situation worse as ratings were often same or nearly so.

I spoke with local mechanics and having had a sore experience with what their incompetence can do to non-Japanese cars, I believed their bias for the Infiniti. Remember, your mechanic will be the one to have a relationship with your car apart from you. Ask him/them.

There's no flogging I have not given to that car - nothing! Including towing a broken down loaded 98 Pathfinder from Oyo town to Ilorin in the dead of the night.

Apart from suspensions, which was a problem INITIALLY, all other issues have been minor and less scary for our average Nigerian technician. Trust me, you don't want a car that our mechs will be too afraid to touch or too revering to try.

Go for the Primera. You won't regret it. My 1 kobo.

Edited: Spacings and typos.

BTT:
2 years ago, I was torn by this exact dilemma.

I was crazy about the Golf iv. I was all over Lagos searching for it with vigour. It was either I found one without meeting my specs or was outside my budget.

Then one day I ran into the Infiniti G20 (which is your Primera with the Infiniti badge), then I went to various websites to compare both cars. That made my situation worse as rating were often same or nearly the same.

I spoke with local mechanics and having had a sore experience with what their incompetence can do to non-Japanese cars, I believed their bias for the Infiniti. Remember, your mechanic will be the one to have a relationship with your car apart from you. Ask him (them).

There's no flogging I have not given to that car - nothing! Including towing a broken down loaded 98 Pathfinder from Oyo town to Ilorin in the dead of the night.

Apart from suspections, which was a problem INITIALLY, all other issues have been minor and less scary for our average Nigerian technician. Trust me, you don't want a car that our mechs will be too afraid to touch or too revering to try.

Go for the Primera. You won't regret it. My 1 kobo.

Thanks for the contribution

Drgreatone:

Thanks for the contribution

Thank me later.

BTT:


Thank me later.

Ok

Is it that only few people know abt this 2 cars or just cos its not honda or toyota *sadface*

@Siena Happy to see u here. i av read about ur golf 4 reviews here and I must say they av bin very educative, know u not to be a jap person buh wondering if u wud av somfin to say abt the p11 seeing it's also available in the uk

expert101:


TDI have petrol engine. Golf 4 is a sweet car to drive but very problematic and unreliable. Each time I travel on Benin -Ore way, I see many of them that have broken done on highway.

"TDI have petrol engine".

Sorry, you really know nothing about the Golf IV you claimed you have Ph.D. on.

I guess because it has no Toyota badge is why its problematic and unreliable for you, right?

The same Nigerians would tell you to run away from Peugeot cars, that they are very unreliable and problematic. Well, they can ask me how unreliable and problematic my 2 V6 lions have been for years of ownership so far. Mind virus at work.

Ikenna

I've been reading the thread silently for a while. Op, buying a car is about personal preference. If you are buying any of the two, the kind of person you are, maintainace wise, will determine how long the cars will last.

I don't know so much about the golf. The only person I know, who used it, used it for quite a while. For the P11-144, I know folks who are still using it, and they've bought it for a while. I can only compare the one golf I know with the four P11-144s I know.

Me thinks the P11-144 comes with more whistle and bells. But note that if you are getting auto trans, it has a CVT and can be serviced with only the NS1 CVT fluid, which doesn't come cheap. But then I guess the trans oil for the golf won't come cheap in our environment either. If you are getting the sports trim, the CVT comes with a tiptronic.

Two things I particularly love about the P11-144 is the climatic control of the air conditioning, and you can do on-board diagnostics of error codes, without having to get an obd scanner. I love those perks.

In comparison with the golf, the primera is bigger in size, so it depends on what you want to use the car for. Don't know if the golf has timing belt, but the Primera is chain driven, which means you shouldn't mess with oil and filter change; the plus side is, if well maintained, you shouldn't be bothering your head with timing chain change either.

If you want to get the Primera, you have 3 engine sizes to pick from: 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0. Generally, they spit out a respectable horsepower for their engine size. (At least I'll pick the Primera 2.0 over the 97-01, 4 cylinder Camry any day, any time). Again, your preference matters here.

If you treat them well, they will serve you. But let me warn you, Primeras don't do too well with abuse. Note also that the sports trim has stiffer suspensions. You won't enjoy a ride in them on bad roads. It will be a really harsh ride. So if the roads around you is bad, stay away from the sports trim, except you don't mind harsh rides.

If you are buying from here, be careful. Many are converted from RHD to LHD. The people I know that are using it, all pre-ordered from Germany. But then the price goes up a bit. Before this naira devaluation, 900k-1M should get you a full optioned one on pre-order and you won't spend a dime for like another two years, save for servicing and fueling (all things being equal).

Lastly if you are going for the Primera, I'll advise you join the Nissan Primera Owner's club in U.K. You'll get help with whatever issues your Primera has. You can even source for parts from there if you are a paying member. A warning here too- most of them know almost nothing about the CVT, because they mostly drive the manual trans. There is another Primera forum in New Zealand. I think those ones know a bit more about the CVT.

There is a lot to type about the Primera, but I guess this will do. Hoping a golf owner will come along and give us a review.

Thanks @Oluwaseunla, really detailed contribution on the primera. also heard abt the npoc uk and the cvt in the primera buh I'm more or less a manual person so that's avoidable. thanks once again

The golf 4 is a really sweet car, i've had mine since 2010 and i've not regretted buying it ever since.

Like ever other car you buy, it requires timely maintenance which if paid adequate attention to will ensure it serves you.

Now to some peculiar issues you should note;
First, dont assume every mechanic can fix your golf as you'd find they'd leave your car in a worse state.

Second, Make sure all errors with the car is diagnosed with an OBD scanner before any attempt at repair is made.

Third, my golf's peculiar problem was with it's electricals, and i deduced it was due to my not knowing my "first" point as at then. And ever since i understood that, i've never had such issues again. These days all i do is go for my routine scan/servicing, and change parts that are worn or old as recommended.

In all, i enjoy driving the MK4 much more than my other car (a 2001 toyota camry). Buy it, am sure you wont regret it.

Really appreciate ur contribution @Fran6u. Gud to av someone wit a 1st hand positive review of a german car