twouvakind
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Thoughts on the Golf? Looking at an S with sunroof and a manual 1.8 tsi, 4 door. Is the first fill at 10,000?
Motor Trend Car of the Year(2015)
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Originally Posted By: twouvakind
Thoughts on the Golf? Looking at an S with sunroof and a manual 1.8 tsi, 4 door. Is the first fill at 10,000?
The last few generations of Golf (aka Rabbit in the USA) have been as reliable or more so than the Japanese competition.
I currently own a 96 Golf GL with 120k miles, (manual trans) (owned an 84 Rabbit GTI before it was stolen at 120k) and it has been nearly trouble free, the only thing that failed was a small inexpensive shift cable clip at 80k miles cost of the replacement part 2$ and easily done in a few minutes by anyone at all with no tools.
Other than that nothing to report, also been a enjoyable car to drive and own in general. German cars still have a certain
solid feeling quality that really isn't duplicated by the
Japanese, Korean, or American competition. Not only that but the price is very competitive and you get a nicer car for your money.
I also own a 94 Honda Accord LX (granted it is a slush box) and it is not as nearly enjoyable to drive, has had a number of failures at 136k as well. The Accord is nice but not the paragon people make it out to be.
I'm looking to get rid of the Accord soon, and am likely going to by a base 2015 Golf with manual trans.
Thoughts on the Golf? Looking at an S with sunroof and a manual 1.8 tsi, 4 door. Is the first fill at 10,000?
The last few generations of Golf (aka Rabbit in the USA) have been as reliable or more so than the Japanese competition.
I currently own a 96 Golf GL with 120k miles, (manual trans) (owned an 84 Rabbit GTI before it was stolen at 120k) and it has been nearly trouble free, the only thing that failed was a small inexpensive shift cable clip at 80k miles cost of the replacement part 2$ and easily done in a few minutes by anyone at all with no tools.
Other than that nothing to report, also been a enjoyable car to drive and own in general. German cars still have a certain
solid feeling quality that really isn't duplicated by the
Japanese, Korean, or American competition. Not only that but the price is very competitive and you get a nicer car for your money.
I also own a 94 Honda Accord LX (granted it is a slush box) and it is not as nearly enjoyable to drive, has had a number of failures at 136k as well. The Accord is nice but not the paragon people make it out to be.
I'm looking to get rid of the Accord soon, and am likely going to by a base 2015 Golf with manual trans.
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Overpriced and over rated.
I like my 2.5L Golf 2-dr. Doesn't seem to have issues associated w/ the turbo models. Haven't seen the new model up close and personal but if it's like my MK6 version, lot of car for the $. VW needs to bring in the Polo model to the US.
I dumped the factory fill on my Golf @ 2800 mi. Very glad I did. The engine ran much smoother w/the new oil. If you did the same as I, your next service would be @ 1yr or 10K mi. and free. (I don't know if I had a turbo model if I would even go past 5k OCI.) Many GTI owners seem to divide in half the 10K OCI recommended by VW.
twouvakind
Site Donor 2024
Thank you all for the comments. I swore off the brand after my 99 GTI 2.0 non turbo began to Nickle and dime me(sunroof issue along with D/S window regulator) I managed to trade it in before I was upside down on my loan. Since then I have gone KIA and have had a good run with them with only the Sephia back for in warranty repair. Decided to go VW again as the Forte just isn't the car I want(current driver)and I am giving it to the daughter. Test drove a two door Golf, neat roomy and familiar but with more power than I recall from the 2.0. True Car through USAA can get the car I want with adaptive headlights for under 21k. I did look at the Chevy Cruze too, is it me or did it get pricey with the packages to get the moonroof? I don't want to steer the conversation away from the Golf, please keep the feedback coming!
As long as its under factory warranty a d you don't mind dropping it off time after time then yea they are great.
I still do a little side work and 1 customer has a VW and its been towed to my place twice and limped there several times. The kicker, it only has about 100k on it.
My SiLs audi had to be dropped with 60k as I think the heads/gaskets were going already. Let alone I was working on that thing every couple months nickel and diming me all the time.
And any one that thinks VW/Audi is as reliable as most American or Asian cars is not a auto tech. Work in the field every day for years and then come back.
I still do a little side work and 1 customer has a VW and its been towed to my place twice and limped there several times. The kicker, it only has about 100k on it.
My SiLs audi had to be dropped with 60k as I think the heads/gaskets were going already. Let alone I was working on that thing every couple months nickel and diming me all the time.
And any one that thinks VW/Audi is as reliable as most American or Asian cars is not a auto tech. Work in the field every day for years and then come back.
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In the Volkswagen brand I would only get a TDI, but in the USA diesel anymore is always priced too high above reg unleaded for diesel to have the advantage it once had, economically. My wife used to have a 2005 Beetle TDI and it slayed the mpg's but had to have a lot of warranty work.
Originally Posted By: twouvakind
Thoughts on the Golf? Looking at an S with sunroof and a manual 1.8 tsi, 4 door. Is the first fill at 10,000?
I personally really like the car and have driven one and not chatting out of my rear like some here.
My personal observations are the upper models that get expensive have much nicer interior bits vs the low end which is pretty bargain basement. Not sure where the S falls. Other car makers do not saddle you this way as much.
Reliability is a wild card as always with VW. That is a hit or miss affair for folks I know. It seems to be backed up by Consumer Reports surveys. Most folks I know go for the TDI it is wildly popular around here.
Thoughts on the Golf? Looking at an S with sunroof and a manual 1.8 tsi, 4 door. Is the first fill at 10,000?
I personally really like the car and have driven one and not chatting out of my rear like some here.
My personal observations are the upper models that get expensive have much nicer interior bits vs the low end which is pretty bargain basement. Not sure where the S falls. Other car makers do not saddle you this way as much.
Reliability is a wild card as always with VW. That is a hit or miss affair for folks I know. It seems to be backed up by Consumer Reports surveys. Most folks I know go for the TDI it is wildly popular around here.
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Reliability is a wild card as always with VW.
Especially with this 2015 Golf that is now made in Mexico.
I'm not saying Mexico can't produce a reliable car, but any factory will go through some teething pains in its first year of production on a new assembly line.
Reliability is a wild card as always with VW.
Especially with this 2015 Golf that is now made in Mexico.
I'm not saying Mexico can't produce a reliable car, but any factory will go through some teething pains in its first year of production on a new assembly line.
The MK7 Golf does appear pretty impressive. I'd like one, but I buy my cars used because they're a better bargain for me.
While VW has done a lot to earn its reputation for poor reliability, the company has improved significantly since the early 2000s. Those late 1990s and early 2000s VWs really helped the company earn the poor reputation.
But they still aren't perfect. My 2010 Jetta suffers the failing door latch mechanism problems that have plagued VWs for years and years. For some reason it's just something VW either doesn't know how or doesn't care to fix.
One has already completely failed and another is starting to fail. If I end up having to fix all four I will have spent around $500 on parts fixing them.
While VW has done a lot to earn its reputation for poor reliability, the company has improved significantly since the early 2000s. Those late 1990s and early 2000s VWs really helped the company earn the poor reputation.
But they still aren't perfect. My 2010 Jetta suffers the failing door latch mechanism problems that have plagued VWs for years and years. For some reason it's just something VW either doesn't know how or doesn't care to fix.
One has already completely failed and another is starting to fail. If I end up having to fix all four I will have spent around $500 on parts fixing them.
Originally Posted By: Jimzz
As long as its under factory warranty a d you don't mind dropping it off time after time then yea they are great.
Yup, my ex had one and that was her routine. I love the way German cars look for the most part, but I'd never personally own one.
As long as its under factory warranty a d you don't mind dropping it off time after time then yea they are great.
Yup, my ex had one and that was her routine. I love the way German cars look for the most part, but I'd never personally own one.
I've been very tempted by a TDI, but I cannot find any in my area that aren't fully loaded. I just want the basic TDI without any options. I've heard the gas mileage is incredible in those and one could routinely get 40+ without any real effort.
I've had the Golf before, and it was "OK"..I got mine b/c it was the TDI, the only way to go b/c it's the only diesel in it's class making it unusual and worth the money.
I liked the diesel, the MPG...the mechanical nature of the thing..but the rest of the car really wasn't that special. This notion of "German engineered" being somehow superior is a lot of arrogance (and unjustified) marketing hype. And MT naming it COTY is about as useful as my uncle Bill's generalizations about his one Buick. Folks who drive cars and write about them yet don't own them and have vastly different criteria for desirability offer generally useless assessments, entertaining, perhaps, but not much else.
If you drive the VW and like it, buy it. Not b/c it's somehow "better"...it's not, all cars today arejust so basically "good" it comes down to personal preference, not engineering excellence..I'd recommend doing that test drive in the evening when its dark, so the visuals are muted allowing you to really focus on the driving experience.
One of my new rides is the (5 speed) Fiesta, and it is simply superb...and $14000.
I liked the diesel, the MPG...the mechanical nature of the thing..but the rest of the car really wasn't that special. This notion of "German engineered" being somehow superior is a lot of arrogance (and unjustified) marketing hype. And MT naming it COTY is about as useful as my uncle Bill's generalizations about his one Buick. Folks who drive cars and write about them yet don't own them and have vastly different criteria for desirability offer generally useless assessments, entertaining, perhaps, but not much else.
If you drive the VW and like it, buy it. Not b/c it's somehow "better"...it's not, all cars today arejust so basically "good" it comes down to personal preference, not engineering excellence..I'd recommend doing that test drive in the evening when its dark, so the visuals are muted allowing you to really focus on the driving experience.
One of my new rides is the (5 speed) Fiesta, and it is simply superb...and $14000.
Lot of hate for VW on this board so don't expect a very positive opinion on them.
They are a good car, reliable and generally easy enough to repair until you get into the V engines in small bodies but thats the same with most cars today with transverse engine layouts.
Look at for what it is, this is one of the most popular cars in Europe and always has been since it came on the market. Why are they not broken down all the time nickel and dime their owners to death?
Mechanics working on them are a major factor in keeping it reliable or turning it into a car that is always in the shop.
They are different, problems are often misdiagnosed causing more damage down the road. I went through a VW not to long ago that had been hacked to pieces by some yahoo.
Whatever he touched he broke and caused untold misery.
One example is the wiring clips, some are a little different than others and this clown broke it on the alternator. It was loose and wiped out the charging system.
He did this not the car, there was nothing wrong with the $450 alternator or battery until he broke that clip and just left it.
I like them and have trouble working on them. They can be just as reliable as anything else if looked after.
They are a good car, reliable and generally easy enough to repair until you get into the V engines in small bodies but thats the same with most cars today with transverse engine layouts.
Look at for what it is, this is one of the most popular cars in Europe and always has been since it came on the market. Why are they not broken down all the time nickel and dime their owners to death?
Mechanics working on them are a major factor in keeping it reliable or turning it into a car that is always in the shop.
They are different, problems are often misdiagnosed causing more damage down the road. I went through a VW not to long ago that had been hacked to pieces by some yahoo.
Whatever he touched he broke and caused untold misery.
One example is the wiring clips, some are a little different than others and this clown broke it on the alternator. It was loose and wiped out the charging system.
He did this not the car, there was nothing wrong with the $450 alternator or battery until he broke that clip and just left it.
I like them and have trouble working on them. They can be just as reliable as anything else if looked after.
I'm not sure if Euro mechanics are better trained, but I do know they seem to drive less per year, and also own vehicles for a shorter time. Going off average vehicle age from a google search. [I'm sure some countries own for longer, but talking averages.]
I've liked my VW, some things are odd, some not so bad. My concern with owning mine much longer is that I'm not sure corner shops are so good with them. Suspension is one thing, a diesel injection system that was only sold for a couple of years here is another. It gets old driving a few hours to get good service, if it's outside my abilities.
I've liked my VW, some things are odd, some not so bad. My concern with owning mine much longer is that I'm not sure corner shops are so good with them. Suspension is one thing, a diesel injection system that was only sold for a couple of years here is another. It gets old driving a few hours to get good service, if it's outside my abilities.
Mom drives a 2012 Golf TDI and loves it. Highway cruising easily returns 40+MPG. The DSG takes some getting used to, but the car drives great with strong pep. She's already put over 30K miles and has had zero issues. Local VW dealership has been doing the included maintenance.
I'm personally holding out for the Golf Wagon TDI with AWD.
I'm personally holding out for the Golf Wagon TDI with AWD.
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